The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The point: Do not simply allow your eyes to glance over closing expressions of grace in the epistles, but recognize them as crowning expressions of spiritual desire and perspective.

Grace is compared to a 'many-colored' or 'multi-faceted diamond' to convey its vast, expansive, and complex reality that defies simple definition, revealing new light from different angles.

Now in the light of this fact of the centrality of grace to the revealed salvation of the Bible, few things are a more accurate index of the state of a man's soul than is his understanding and believing appropriation of what God has revealed about grace. Since Christianity is essentially a sinner's religion, it is a religion of grace. And the extent to which we enter into the soul and the heart and the spirit of biblical salvation, we will find ourselves glorying in the grace of our God. But now, when we try to define the word grace, we find ourselves pressed to the point of holy frustration. ...

9:56 - 11:07 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section delves into the significance of each title: 'Lord' (identifying Christ as God and exalted Redeemer, and demanding subjective submission), 'Jesus' (emphasizing His…

Martin uses the analogy of being transported to touch Christ's glorified body in the universe to emphasize the objective reality of Christ as the exalted Redeemer, from whom grace flows.

And so when the apostle says the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, it is grace that flows from the one who is true God, the exalted Redeemer at the right hand of the Father. Somewhere in the vast universe of God this morning there is that glorified God-man. And if we could be transported there, we could touch that glorified body. We could touch that body.

21:29 - 22:00 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section delves into the significance of each title: 'Lord' (identifying Christ as God and exalted Redeemer, and demanding subjective submission), 'Jesus' (emphasizing His…

A vivid description of Jesus' birth, infancy, and childhood (real birth pains, crying, kicking, being nourished, learning alphabet, tying shoes) is used to underscore the reality of His humanity, emphasizing that the grace we receive comes from a truly enfleshed God, not a phantom.

No, no. Christianity is embedded in the very enfleshment of God. The womb of Mary.

24:50 - 24:59 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section delves into the significance of each title: 'Lord' (identifying Christ as God and exalted Redeemer, and demanding subjective submission), 'Jesus' (emphasizing His…

The title 'President Reagan' is used to explain that 'Christ' is a title, not a name, identifying an office (God's anointed one) rather than merely a personal identifier.

The one who was born, who lived, who died and was raised from the dead. But then, he is Christ. And the word Christ is more a title than a name. When you kids speak about President Reagan.

26:07 - 26:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section delves into the significance of each title: 'Lord' (identifying Christ as God and exalted Redeemer, and demanding subjective submission), 'Jesus' (emphasizing His…

The story of John the Baptist sending messengers to Jesus to ask if He was 'the one' is used to illustrate how Jesus' miracles and works served as credentials, proving His claims as the Christ, the anointed one.

He hath anointed me to preach to open the eyes of the blind, to unstop the ears of the deaf, to preach liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison, Prisoned to those that are bound. And you remember when John was in prison and sent messengers to Jesus. Are you the one? Who the anointed one?

28:02 - 28:22 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section delves into the significance of each title: 'Lord' (identifying Christ as God and exalted Redeemer, and demanding subjective submission), 'Jesus' (emphasizing His…

Paul stretching his hands from a Roman prison to the assembly at Philippi is a metaphor to convey the apostle's deep, personal desire and the spiritual power behind his benediction of grace.

Now bring it all together dear people. And what do we have? Paul as it were from that prison in Rome. Stretches his hands out.

28:54 - 29:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin examines the unique phrase 'be with your spirit,' explaining 'spirit' as the seat of insight, feeling, and will. He argues that Paul desires grace to powerfully influence…

An example of children's private thoughts during a math class is used to illustrate that 'spirit' refers to the inner being, the seat of one's thoughts, feelings, and will, which only oneself truly knows.

There Paul says. Who knoweth the things of a man. Save the spirit of a man which is in him. Right now.

31:07 - 31:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He prays not only that grace. May be bestowed upon. Upon them freely. But that they may have a proper. Feeling of it. In their minds. It is only really enjoyed. By us. When it reaches to our spirit.

A quotation from Calvin is used to support the idea that Paul's benediction means not only that grace is bestowed, but that believers should have a 'proper feeling of it' in their minds, enjoying it in their spirits.

Calvin. Hits the nail right on the head. When he comments on this and says. He prays not only that grace.

33:07 - 33:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon transitions to the practical effect of this benediction, first as the ultimate source of strength for living the Christian life. Martin explains that grace enables…

A detailed imaginative reconstruction of Epaphroditus or an elder reading Paul's letter to the Philippian congregation is used to set the scene and emphasize the profound impact Paul intended his closing words to have.

What effect should those words have had upon the Philippians? Those words have had upon that congregation. What effect should they have upon us? Well get in your time capsule.

34:49 - 34:59 Read in full sermon

The point: Learn more and more to feed upon the word of grace, meditating on it day and night.

The analogy of a ship shifting into neutral and waiting for a 'heavenly gale' is used to warn against passive expectation of grace without actively engaging with the 'word of grace' and appointed means.

We must learn more and more to feed upon the word of grace. That's why Paul says in Acts 20, 32, I commend you to God. And to the word of His grace which is able to build you up. We must lay hold of the word of His grace.

41:43 - 42:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Frequently plead at the throne of grace to obtain grace, ordering your priorities to use the appointed means of grace.

The idea of hoping for a 'heavenly zapping' or 'contagion of the unction' from a preacher is used to critique a passive approach to spiritual growth, emphasizing personal responsibility in using means of grace.

And as I said several weeks ago with some of you the fundamental problem in your Christian life lies right here. You simply will not do what you must do so to order priorities as to use the appointed means of grace. Yes. You hope that somehow God will give you a heavenly zapping in the preaching that somehow whoever preaches on any given day may be so caught up in the spirit that somehow there'll be a contagion of the unction on the preacher that'll shake you loose and get you out of your doldrums.

43:13 - 43:49 Read in full sermon

The point: In the face of sin and failure, return to the truth that your only hope of acceptance is in the perfection of Christ's work.

A quotation from Spurgeon ('repentance is the tear in faith's eye') is used, balanced by Martin's own addition ('faith is the gleam in repentance's tears'), to explain the necessary interplay between grief for sin and hope in Christ's righteousness.

And we need to learn what it is as Spurgeon says. He says that repentance is the tear in faith's eye. And I would balance it and say that faith is the gleam in repentance tears.

47:54 - 48:10 Read in full sermon

The point: In the face of sin and failure, return to the truth that your only hope of acceptance is in the perfection of Christ's work.

The analogy of the enemy battering down a believer after they have acknowledged their sin is used to illustrate the spiritual warfare against discouragement and self-loathing, which grace counters.

But I don't think that's our danger. Our danger, dear people, is to allow the enemy to batter us down when he's lost ground in trying to get us to rationalize our sins and excuse and extenuate the sins and we do embrace them and we loathe ourselves. Then the accuser comes and says, Aha! Look at the sinner you are.

48:37 - 48:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Feed upon Christ so that He becomes part and parcel of your spirits, sustaining your life in the orbit of grace.

Christ's words about eating His flesh and drinking His blood are used as an analogy for feeding upon Christ's grace, making it part of our spiritual constitution, just as physical food becomes part of our bodies.

That's why Christ can speak about eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood and thereby sustaining life. What's He talking about? He's talking about this very thing. The grace of the Lord Jesus being with our spirits as the food we will eat shortly will become a part of our physical constitution. So we must feed upon Christ so that He becomes His it were part and parcel of our spirits. Then I must close on this final note. This text points the unconverted to the relationship necessary to experience the strength and comfort of Christ. It points to the relationship necessary to experience Hi...

52:04 - 52:53 Read in full sermon

The point: If your spirit is wounded and battered, run to Christ this morning to find relief from your burdens under the canopy of His grace.

The 'canopy of grace' is a metaphor used to describe the broad provision of God's grace for sinners, while also emphasizing that it is narrow enough to exclude the impenitent and proud.

But He will not take that burden apart from you embracing Him. He offers Himself. The canopy of grace is broad enough for the vilest of sinners, but it's narrow enough so that every penitent, unbelieving, proud sinner will never be found under it. Oh, that you might run to that canopy of grace by running to Christ this morning.

56:22 - 56:50 Read in full sermon