No Escape from Tension/Conflict #3

Driving home: there is no escape from tension and conflict in living the Christian life

The analogy of a lion determined to get you into his gut, and your determination to stay out, illustrates the inevitable tension and conflict with the devil.

but rather be transformed by the renewing of our minds there will indeed be both tension and conflict in the Christian life and then the third reason why there is no release from tension and conflict is the presence and activity of the devil and the host of darkness which make conflict and tension inevitable 1 Peter 5.8 and 9 be sober be watchful your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom you love he may devour as we saw last Lord's day evening he is not going about jump with fright to make the hair stand up on the back of our necks or merely to impress people with t...

19:13 - 20:37 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is the confident expectation and deep yearning for the fullness of the salvation purchased by Christ, which has begun to be applied to me by the Spirit.

The groaning and travailing of creation are likened to a woman's birth pangs, yearning for the birth of its pristine glory when the sons of God are glorified.

Those were the words spoken to Adam. And now creation in this interim period groans, waiting for that glory. Verse 22, For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. Uses the very standard language for a woman's birth pangs.

25:37 - 26:03 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is the confident expectation and deep yearning for the fullness of the salvation purchased by Christ, which has begun to be applied to me by the Spirit.

The 'firstfruits' of the Spirit are compared to an ounce of grain from a field, while the 'full harvest' represents the majority of salvation yet to come, emphasizing that present blessings are only a taste of future glory.

and what I shall possess in the future, I see myself as saved, but not saved in a context of full realization of all of the salvation purposed and purchased for me, but I am saved in a very context of hope. And what is that hope? It is the confident expectation and deep yearning for the fullness of the salvation purchased by Christ, which has begun to be applied to me by the Spirit. But I have now the firstfruits, and because the best and the most is yet to come, it is true to say of a man he is saved in the realm of hope, that no matter what he knows now, it is but firstfruits. It is only an ...

28:01 - 29:26 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin further clarifies 'saved in hope' by expounding 1 John 3:1-3a. He emphasizes the amazing love of God in making believers His children, whose true identity is not recognized…

Believers' native state before salvation is described as a baby in its birth blood on the wayside, nothing attractive, dead in sins, under God's wrath, highlighting the amazing love that bestowed sonship.

Big deal. Behold, stop, consider, reflect, concentrate your powers before this amazing, marvelous reality. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God. Such we are. It's not a mere name. Behold, what manner, quality of love has been bestowed upon us. 1 John chapter 3, verses 1 through 3a, only answering this simple question, what do I mean by We who natively were like that baby in its birth blood on the wayside, nothing about us attractive, dead in our sins. Under the righteous wrath of God, behold, what manner of love the Father hath ...

30:36 - 31:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin further clarifies 'saved in hope' by expounding 1 John 3:1-3a. He emphasizes the amazing love of God in making believers His children, whose true identity is not recognized…

The world's failure to recognize Jesus' true identity (seeing only a humble carpenter's son, not incarnate deity) is used to explain why the world also does not recognize the true identity of God's children.

Though we are here and now the very sons of God, the world does not recognize our true identity, because it didn't recognize his true identity. Incarnate deity was in this world, and what did men see? All they saw was a humble, poor carpenter's son coming out of Nazareth, who didn't go to the proper schools, who didn't have the proper degrees, who did not go about with a halo over his head. And a glow shining out from his garments, who did not speak, and all the flies that were trying to sit on his bowl when he was eating dropped dead at his word.

32:09 - 32:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He implants within the breast of everyone in whom he indwells, yearning long for all that the believer will become when he's glorified.

The firstfruits of the Spirit are compared to three shrimp on a big plate for a starving man, just enough to make his juices flow and stomach growl for the rest of the banquet, illustrating the painful conflict between present experience and future longing.

We have what the scriptures call the first fruits of the Spirit. We've been given enough of what the full harvest will be, but it's just enough to serve like three shrimp on a big plate to a starving man. Just enough to make his juices flow. And make his stomach growl for the other courses of the banquet.

46:56 - 47:28 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Using 2 Corinthians 5:2-4 as a parallel passage, Martin illustrates this tension through a vivid story of overhearing Paul's morning devotions. He depicts Paul's Monday joy in…

An extended imaginative story of overhearing the Apostle Paul's morning devotions on Monday (joy in Christ), Tuesday (rejoicing in blessings), and Wednesday (groaning over sin and longing for glorification) illustrates the multifaceted reality of the Christian life, encompassing both joy and tension/conflict.

i want to stay administered to the real fuera caught you know arus which is far better so the interest he could say that that should not have object of the desire of a holy man, especially if he has finished his God-given course of duty. But Paul's ultimate focus and yearning was not on the disembodied intermediate state, but for the final state of glorification. And he makes it plain in all of this imagery. He's saying my great yearning is not to be untented and to be a disembodied spirit in all the glory of what that will mean to be with Christ, but I want to be tented upon with that which G...

49:12 - 50:32 Read in full sermon

The point: If you embrace any such teaching that promises escape from tension it'll lead you to one of three things. Self-deception, despair or cynicism.

The phrase 'make your spiritual fangs drip and your mouth water' is used to describe the allure of false teachings that promise an escape from tension, appealing to a desire for ease.

Self-deception, despair or cynicism. Fear. having claimed the experience you're no longer down here with the rest of us mortals with Paul's devotions on Wednesday morning groaning you'll be led into self-deception all forms of perfectionism if maintained by anyone who lives in the real world will lead to self-deception that's why John says if any man says he has no sin he is deceived and the truth is not in him he's a liar self-deception, willful self-deception some of you say, my friend listen I'm trying to immunize you sooner or later you'll meet somebody who'll make your spiritual fangs dri...

61:07 - 61:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of any teaching that would point you to any source or means of strength for the conflict and the tension other than those means appointed by God.

A joyless, dull, funereal kind of religion is described as smelling of the mourning cloth, serving as a reproach to God and His Son, highlighting the need for joy alongside groaning.

their whole religion smells of the mourning cloth their whole religion reeks of heaviness my Bible says the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace we are the true circumcision who worship God in the Spirit who glory in Christ Jesus Nehemiah 8, 10 the joy of the Lord is your strength you see the devil is a master of overkill he may have some of you sitting here who up to now said that's it, give it to him, give it to him but your joyless, dull, funereal kind of religion is a reproach to God and to ...

63:25 - 64:50 Read in full sermon