In the General Epistles, Part 2

Driving home: If we have truly turned to him in repentance and faith and come to the saving knowledge of God, that knowledge, will be productive of a life of obedience.

Martin uses the analogy that if one believes in a 'phantom Christ' (one without real humanity), then one can have a 'phantom piety' (a religion detached from real-life obedience). Conversely, a real Christ demands real-life salvation and obedience.

They denied that he had a real human body. And when people begin to deny the reality of the humanity of Christ, if they can detach Christ from the real stuff, of real humanity, then they will begin to conceive of a kind of religion that is also detached from the realities of how a man really lives. If you have a phantom Christ, then you can have a phantom piety. If you have a Christ who has come to us in the concreteness of flesh and blood, then you will have a salvation that manifests itself in the concreteness of the flesh and blood of how we really live.

8:29 - 9:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin addresses 1 John 2:18-19, explaining that the 'Antichrists' who went out from the church were never truly 'of us,' because if they had been, they would have continued. He…

Martin uses Judas Iscariot as a classic example of someone who appeared to be a true disciple, even performing miracles, but ultimately went out from them, revealing he was never truly saved. This illustrates that outward profession and even spiritual gifts do not guarantee genuine salvation.

And the Bible gives us classic examples of such. No one had suspicions about Judas. He was among not only the masses of disciples who followed our Lord, but he was one of the inner circle of the twelve. And there is nothing to suggest in the entire gospel record, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, that there was anything that was detected by the disciples right up to the night of the betrayal so that when Jesus whispered, what you do, do quickly, the disciples thought our Lord was sending him out for some more food.

18:45 - 19:25 Read in full sermon

Driving home: If they go out from the orbit of that truth and its influence upon them, and that becomes the settled pattern of the life, it shows that all those 30 years they never had anything real to start with.

Martin uses Demas, Paul's fellow worker, as another example of someone who appeared to be a committed Christian but later forsook Paul, 'having loved this present age.' This reinforces the principle that a settled departure from the faith indicates a lack of true salvation from the beginning.

He was a devil from the beginning. All he had was a profession that was pretty convincing for three years. We think of Demas. Paul had to write in 2 Timothy chapter 4, Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present age.

20:45 - 21:09 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Whoever goes onward and abides not in the teaching of Christ, the same hath not the Father and the Son. He hath not God.

Martin describes a hypothetical person who dismisses biblical teaching as a 'crutch' for childhood, suggesting that as they become 'sophisticated' and 'enlightened' by modern thought, they can 'go onward beyond the teaching of Christ.' This illustrates the prideful rejection of biblical authority.

Why are we sticklers about this book? Because this book tells us it's a matter of heaven and hell. Whether or not you continue in the teaching of this book, what you believe does make a difference. And whoever goes onward and says, oh well, when I was younger and I had simple thoughts about heaven and hell and sin and the world to come, before I became of age and got a little more sophisticated and went to college and university and understood that there are real problems with the Bible and there are discrepancies

27:22 - 28:05 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Whoever goes onward and abides not in the teaching of Christ, the same hath not the Father and the Son. He hath not God.

Martin imagines someone asking with a 'snicker' if he truly believes the Bible's 'old-fashioned' notions about morality and gender roles. This illustrates the cynical, pseudo-sophisticated pride that rejects God's Word, which will be met with terror on the Day of Judgment.

And God will send you to hell for your pride that cast off the yoke of submission to His Word. He who continues in the teaching the same hath both the Father and the Son. You see, I'm fully prepared for people to laugh down their pseudo-sophisticated noses and say, Mr. Martin, you seem like at least a reasonably intelligent man Do you really believe that God has spoken in a book?

30:24 - 31:05 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin examines 3 John 9-11, using the example of Diotrephes, an ambitious leader who rejected John and excommunicated others. He exhorts believers not to imitate evil but to…

Martin uses Diotrephes, who 'loves to have the preeminence' and rejected the Apostle John, as an example of an evil, ambitious, headstrong man. This illustrates the kind of evil example believers must not imitate, emphasizing that a life marked by such evil shows no claim to being a child of God.

notice as I begin reading in verse nine I wrote somewhat unto the church but Diotrephes Mr. Big Shot who loves to have the preeminence you see, he didn't love the work of the ministry he loved to be the big shot I wrote to him I wrote unto the church but Diotrephes who loves to have the preeminence among them received us not therefore if I come I'll bring to remembrance his works which he's doing prating against us with wicked words and not content therewith neither doth he himself receive the brethren and them that would

33:50 - 34:33 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The bible doctrine is once saved always saved and what you do proves that you are saved and it's not what you did but what you're doing now

Martin quotes John Murray's definition of perseverance, emphasizing that it is not automatic but requires 'the engagement of our persons in the most intense and concentrated devotion to those means which God has ordained.' This clarifies that perseverance is active, not passive, and combats antinomianism.

one of God's greatest gifts to our generation and in what has become already a classic work on the doctrine of salvation his little book Redemption accomplished and applied professor Murray in his chapter on perseverance writes as follows the perseverance of the saints reminds us very forcefully that only those who persevere to the end are truly saints we do not attain the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus automatically automatically perseverance means

46:11 - 46:56 Read in full sermon

The point: Diligently use every God-ordained means to aid your spiritual progress, like a marathon runner using aid stations.

Martin uses the analogy of a marathon race with 'stations along the way' where runners can get water and nourishment. This illustrates that God has provided 'means of God's appointment' (means of grace) to strengthen believers in their race for life, and they must diligently use them.

to aid your progress you're in a race for life and God has put his stations along the way as a marathon race where you can be doused with water and where you can take in the nourishment and the water or whatever the marathon runner drinks to replenish the water he's lost in this race God has put stations along the way and if you're determined to make it to the end you'll use diligently every means of God's appointment to strengthen you in the way that leads to life and then finally dear child of God above all else

52:48 - 53:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not trifle with grace or hide behind a grace that comforts an antinomian, lawless, self-indulgent, worldly, carnal heart, as this turns grace into lasciviousness.

Martin quotes John Newton's hymn 'Amazing Grace' to emphasize that salvation from beginning to end is entirely by grace, even the power to persevere and do good. This reinforces the ultimate source of perseverance while still affirming human responsibility.

But we will gladly acknowledge that it was both grace grace that gave us the power to do good and grace that gave us the knowledge that we had to do so and the power to do so. And it was grace and grace alone that brought us home at last. John Newton had it right when he said, "'Twas grace that brought my heart to fear, grace my fears relieved." How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.

56:21 - 56:52 Read in full sermon