Nature of Saving Faith

Driving home: Not the person of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The object of saving faith is made one of the facts pertaining to the work of Christ. Jesus Christ died for sinners. That is a fact pertaining to the work of Christ. B…

Martin presents a common, but flawed, evangelical invitation ('believe that Christ died for you') to highlight how it makes a fact about Christ, rather than His person, the object of faith.

saving faith. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the object of saving faith. Most often, when the gospel is presented in our day, it's presented in language such as this. When Christ has been set before people in His death and resurrection as the only hope of sinners, the evangelist, either in print or in person, will say something like this. Now, if you will admit you are a sinner and believe that Christ died for you or that Christ died for sinners, you will be saved. You ever heard that before? You say, sure, many times. What's wrong with that? That's good, pure gospel. Is it? Is it? If you wi...

9:29 - 10:31 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Unreserved self-commitment to Christ is the essence of saving faith.

The account of Jesus not entrusting Himself to those who 'believed on his name' after seeing miracles (John 2:23-25) illustrates that their faith was superficial and lacked unreserved self-commitment.

Now when he, Jesus, was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast, many believed on his name, beholding the signs which he did. But Jesus did not trust himself unto them. Literally, Jesus did not. Believe upon them. For he knew all men, and because he needed not that anyone should bear witness concerning man, for he himself knew what was in man. Verse 23 says that these people who saw the miracles of Christ came to some kind of faith in Christ. But it was obviously not true and saving faith, because Jesus would not unreservedly believe. He would not unreservedly commit himself to them. He ...

21:11 - 22:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Unreserved self-commitment to Christ is the essence of saving faith.

The story of the bronze serpent (Numbers 21, referenced by Jesus in John 3) is used as a vivid analogy for saving faith, where 'looking' meant unreserved self-commitment to God's appointed means of deliverance.

But that faith of theirs fell short of saving faith, which finds a beautiful description in what Jesus refused to do to them. He would not commit himself to them. Then if you'll turn back over to John 3, this very familiar picture in which our Lord himself likens his work for sinners to that lifting up of a serpent in the wilderness in the days of the Lord. He would not unreservedly commit himself to them. This very familiar picture in which our Lord himself likens his work for sinners to that lifting up of a serpent in the days of the Lord.

22:34 - 23:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: From the previous premises, Martin draws the first inescapable conclusion: it is morally and spiritually impossible to receive Christ as Savior while refusing to bow to Him as…

Martin poses a hypothetical scenario where someone tries to bargain with Jesus, wanting the benefits of His cross but asking Him to lay aside His crown, illustrating the impossibility and wickedness of trying to receive Christ as Savior without Him as Lord.

Suppose you were to say to the Lord Jesus, Lord, let's see if we can strike a bargain. I'd love to have the benefits of your death upon the cross applied to me. I'd love to welcome you into my heart in life as the pierced one. But Lord, won't you just take that crown from off your brow?

34:05 - 34:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third conclusion is that it is morally and spiritually impossible to exercise saving faith without a miracle of regeneration. Martin refutes the idea of inherent faith…

The common analogy of using 'faith' to sit in a chair or fly in an airplane is presented and then refuted, arguing that this natural 'faith' is fundamentally different from the spiritual faith required for salvation.

And you use it all the time. When you go and sit in a chair. You use your faith. And you prove that you have faith in the chair.

45:01 - 45:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third conclusion is that it is morally and spiritually impossible to exercise saving faith without a miracle of regeneration. Martin refutes the idea of inherent faith…

Martin describes how people can hear lucid, Spirit-anointed preaching about Christ and remain unmoved, illustrating the spiritual inability of the unregenerate to 'see' the kingdom of God.

How often have you and I sat. When preaching has been lucid and clear. And under the unction of the spirit. And said to ourselves.

48:04 - 48:12 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third conclusion is that it is morally and spiritually impossible to exercise saving faith without a miracle of regeneration. Martin refutes the idea of inherent faith…

The creation of light in Genesis 1 is used as an analogy for regeneration, where God's creative word shines spiritual light into the darkened heart of a sinner, enabling them to see Christ's loveliness.

My friends in that original creation. The light did not create itself. There was nothing but darkness upon the face of the deep. And the scripture says.

50:25 - 50:35 Read in full sermon