Goals of this Study for the Converted

The point: Understand and feel what you really are as an impotent sinner in need of the Spirit of Christ.

The Old Testament city of refuge is used as an analogy for saving faith, illustrating that no one flees to Christ for mercy without first understanding and feeling their danger as a guilty and impotent sinner.

It is the flight of a penitent sinner unto the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. And that terminology takes its clue from Hebrews 6.18 which speaks of faith under the image of the old city of refuge in the old covenant. Those cities placed in various parts, the city of Israel, where a manslayer, someone who had been guilty of what we would call third, second, or third degree manslaughter as opposed to murder.

4:38 - 5:13 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand and feel what you really are as an impotent sinner in need of the Spirit of Christ.

A quote from Joseph Hart's hymn, 'What comfort can a Savior bring to those who never felt their woe? A sinner is a sacred thing. The Holy Ghost has made him so,' is used to emphasize that the Holy Spirit brings a person to feel their sinfulness.

There was not purposeful, premeditated murder unless the avenger of blood, the nearer of kin who would take his life, would seize him. He would run to a city of refuge. Well, no man ever fled for refuge to one of those appointed cities who did not be saved. understand and feel his danger as a manslayer. And likewise, none will ever flee to the mercy of God in Christ, who do not understand and feel themselves to be both guilty and impotent and in need of the salvation of Jesus Christ. Joseph Hart, a hymn writer of another generation, quaintly expressed it this way, What comfort can a Savior bri...

5:13 - 6:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And therefore if we are to make progress as believers, we must have an increasingly accurate education of our consciences. And it is the unique function of the law of God to be the educator.

Archbishop Leighton's imagery of the law first written on man's heart, then broken like the stone tablets, and finally rewritten anew in believers' hearts, is used to explain why conscience needs education and how the law functions in this process.

At first they were written in the heart of man by God's own hand. But as the first tables of stone fell and were broken, you remember when Moses dashed them, so it was with man's heart by his fall his heart was broken and scattered among the earthly perishing things which was before whole and entire to his maker. And so the characters of that law written in it were so shivered and scattered they could not be perfectly and distinctly read in it. Therefore it pleased God to renew that law after this manner by a most solemn delivery with an audible voice and then by writing it on tables of stone....

24:35 - 25:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Weep and say, 'God have mercy on me, I'm not home safely yet,' when considering the falls of others, recognizing your own potential for sin.

Martin recounts reading William Gurnall's insight on 'when I am weak then am I strong,' illustrating how young Christians are censorious of others' falls, but mature believers recognize their own potential for sin and grow in humility.

Blessed are they that mourn present tense for they shall be comforted. As our Lord describes the character traits of the sons and daughters of his kingdom he starts on the base notes that never leave and never cease to resonate through their character but grow with them as they grow in grace. They are poor in spirit and they mourn and they mourn and what keeps them poor in spirit it's the growing realization of what a horrible load they yet carry with them. It's the growing understanding of what they are as imperfectly sanctified sinners. What they are yet capable of. In one of our meditations...

36:24 - 37:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Weep and say, 'God have mercy on me, I'm not home safely yet,' when considering the falls of others, recognizing your own potential for sin.

Martin shares his personal reaction to David's tragic falls, stating that he weeps and asks for God's mercy, demonstrating how a mature believer's understanding of sin leads to humility and watchfulness.

how could he do that how could he be like that but with the passing of the years and the more accurate knowledge of what they are capable of they recognize that but for the grace of God they would be that person I don't read the account of David's tragic falls as a mature middle aged experienced saint and say David how in the name of common sense could you do that and I don't say for rhetorical effect I never read the passage or hear it read but what I weep and say God have mercy on me I'm not home safely yet what are the goals of a study of the ten commandments for us the people of God not on...

37:54 - 39:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Go out of yourself in humble dependence upon the grace of God to uphold, sustain, and keep you, the more you know yourself in the light of the law.

The metaphor of 'dry tinder soaked in gasoline' describes the believer's remaining sin, emphasizing the need for carefulness around 'sparks' and humble dependence on God's grace.

way you see our lives are full of all load of dry tinder soaked in gasoline, you're going to be very careful around sparks. And the more you know yourself in the light of the law, the more you will go out of yourself in humble dependence upon the grace of God to uphold and sustain and keep you. And while others may see you growing in grace, all you will see is an increasing measure of your potential for sin that will cause you to grow in the grace of evangelical humiliation, repentance, and watchfulness. It wasn't a novice who wrote Romans 7, 14-25. It was a mature, experienced Christian man. ...

39:23 - 40:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Let each new discovery of sin drive you afresh to the glorious truth that Christ is your righteousness, increasing your dependence upon His objective work.

The analogy of Pharaoh's taskmaster demanding bricks without straw is used to contrast the law's function for believers; it doesn't demand without empowering but explains duty to drive them to Christ for grace.

taskmaster, there cracking the whip over your back while withdrawing straw and demanding you make more bricks without giving you the ability. No, the law is there for you as a believer to explain the law. No, the law is there for you as a believer to explain the law. If you will, the law is there for you as a believer to explain the law.

45:48 - 46:03 Read in full sermon