“Believe on The Lord Jesus Christ

Driving home: Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And verse 31, which is the most accurate answer ever given to that important question, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.

The conversion of the Philippian jailer is presented as a 'graphic picture' and 'detailed commentary' illustrating the truths of Ephesians 2, emphasizing the power of a concrete example.

We've turned to this passage for a few weeks, basically because it illustrates so vividly the wonderful truths we've been studying in great detail from the second chapter of Paul's letter to the Ephesians. In Ephesians chapter 3, the Apostle Paul gives perhaps one of the most profound descriptions of God's work of grace in saving a dead, guilty, and sin-bound sinner. And we've examined in great detail that mighty work which God does when he makes new creatures in Christ, to use the language of Ephesians 2 and verse 10. But since one picture is worth a thousand words, we've turned to this passa...

3:02 - 3:46 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin critically examines and rejects various contemporary religious answers to the question 'What must I do to be saved?', including those from modernists, decisionists, easy…

Martin imagines various contemporary religious figures (Mr. Modernist, Mr. Decisionist, etc.) being asked the jailer's question, highlighting how their answers deviate from the biblical one.

And the moment after the Philippian jailer asks the question, sirs, what must I do to be saved? We substitute Paul and Silas with some of the current religious instructors. Let's drag them into the jail and say, one by one, give this man an answer. He's asked the most important, the most profound, the most vital question any fallen son of Adam can ask.

10:53 - 11:19 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Faith is that singular and unique spiritual exercise in which we go out of ourselves to another in which we give up all hope in ourselves and rest wholly upon another.

Martin uses the analogy of preaching 'upon' a platform and a Bible resting 'upon' a pulpit to explain the preposition 'epi' in 'believe upon,' signifying resting the entire weight on an object.

And we're back then to the truth of Ephesians 2 you see. By grace are ye saved through the instrumentality of faith. Faith is that singular and unique spiritual exercise in which we go out of ourselves to another in which we give up all hope in ourselves and rest wholly upon another. And that's why the apostle and Silas said to the Philippian jailer not believe in but they used the preposition epi which means upon.

21:52 - 22:25 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin clarifies that faith must have an exclusive object: the Lord Jesus Christ. He explains that this involves receiving the truths bound up in His title (Jesus as Savior, Lord…

Martin critiques the Eastern Airlines ad slogan 'You gotta believe' for its theological heresy, as it promotes belief without a specific object, fitting the vague mentality of the day.

I get so sick of that Eastern Airlines ad because it's full of heresy. You gotta believe. And I keep saying gotta believe what? That nuts are apples and that peaches are dogs?

23:20 - 23:30 Read in full sermon

Driving home: What is saving faith? Saving faith is self-sacrifice. Self-commitment to Christ. Self-commitment.

Martin quotes Professor Murray's definition of saving faith as 'self-sacrifice, self-commitment to Christ,' emphasizing the total surrender of one's person to the Savior.

In other words, he's saying, Mr. Jailer man, throw the entire weight of your personality, I don't know what else to call it but that, upon this person who is proclaimed to you in the gospel. I've often quoted, and I shall quote until my dying day, God giving me breath and strength, the most accurate description of saving faith I've ever found anywhere in uninspired literature. That given by dear Professor Murray in Redemption accomplished and applied.

30:30 - 30:59 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Though it's better to be an awakened sinner than a sleeping sinner, awakened sinners and sleeping sinners both go to hell.

A girl sleeping in a cave, unaware of a bear and rattlesnakes nearby, illustrates the state of a 'sleeping sinner' versus an 'awakened sinner' who is aware of danger but not yet safe.

And here he was, spiritually asleep, ready to kill himself and send himself straight to hell. Now, he's no longer a sleeping sinner. He's an awakened sinner. Remember the illustration?

46:25 - 46:34 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Though it's better to be an awakened sinner than a sleeping sinner, awakened sinners and sleeping sinners both go to hell.

Two men starving, one in a coma and one wide awake, illustrate that both are perishing until they receive food, just as both sleeping and awakened sinners are lost until they believe.

Let me use another illustration. Here are two men dying of starvation. Their body, not had enough food and drink to sustain its life. One of them has drifted into a coma.

47:03 - 47:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not pride yourself on being a sleeping sinner; humble yourself and recognize your lostness.

Martin observes his neighbor working on his house on the Sabbath, using it as an example of a 'sleeping sinner' who is insensitive to spiritual realities and eternity.

The man in the coma, perishing with hunger, and the man wide awake, perishing with hunger, hunger will both perish until the body absorbs the necessary nutrients to sustain its life. It's a sad thing to see sleeping sinners. And I was struck with it this morning and I preach against that backdrop. In final preparations for coming here, I looked out the window and saw a neighbor friend of mine who's always working on his house and his garden and his yard.

47:36 - 48:06 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are conscious of your need, do not continue on conscious of need, but believe on the Lord Jesus and receive the promise of salvation.

A man floundering in water being thrown a life preserver illustrates that taking hold of Christ's promise is not dishonoring but rather honors the rescuer's serious intention to deliver.

You already do that. But what we tell you today in apostolic simplicity is this. Believe on the Lord Jesus and we give you the promise thou shalt be saved. Cast the weight of your whole person upon that glorious and say, oh, Lord Jesus, this is the word of your promise.

53:06 - 53:31 Read in full sermon