Changes Produced in us by The Holy Spirit

The point: Deal with the devil in terms of the pursuit of a life of humility, of prayerfulness, and universal holiness.

Martin quotes extensively from John Stone's commentary on James 4, which summarizes the scriptural teaching on resisting the devil through humility, prayerfulness, and universal holiness, emphasizing energetic resistance and decisive action against temptation.

And as long as there is an active devil, there can be no release from tension and conflict in living the Christian life. Now then, to conclude, our consideration, and then we'll take up the fourth reason for this principle, what I want to do is just read a couple of pages from a recently reprinted commentary on the book of James that perhaps more accurately and comprehensively than anything I have come across summarizes everything we have seen in the scriptures with respect to the activity of the devil and our responsibility as believers in the light of that activity. We saw in our study last,...

5:04 - 6:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Deal with the devil in terms of the pursuit of a life of humility, of prayerfulness, and universal holiness.

Stone's commentary provides examples of great men of faith (Abraham, Moses, Peter) who sinned in their areas of perceived strength, illustrating the need for watchfulness in all areas, not just weaknesses.

Not without profound significance and tender grace was it written aforetime for our learning that Abraham, preeminently a man of faith, told a lie through faithless cowardice, that Moses, habitually the meekest of men, sinned through impatience with his brethren. That Peter, the bold and loving, denied his master. One can imagine a sentry on a post of danger to be faithful, and yet to betray the position by unduly narrowing the area to which he directs his attention. See what he's saying?

7:52 - 8:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Deal with the devil in terms of the pursuit of a life of humility, of prayerfulness, and universal holiness.

Stone's commentary uses the analogy of a sentry who is watchful but narrows his field of vision, allowing the enemy to approach from an unguarded direction. This illustrates the danger of only watching known weaknesses and neglecting other areas of vulnerability.

Not without profound significance and tender grace was it written aforetime for our learning that Abraham, preeminently a man of faith, told a lie through faithless cowardice, that Moses, habitually the meekest of men, sinned through impatience with his brethren. That Peter, the bold and loving, denied his master. One can imagine a sentry on a post of danger to be faithful, and yet to betray the position by unduly narrowing the area to which he directs his attention. See what he's saying?

7:52 - 8:29 Read in full sermon

The point: When the enemy does appear, brethren, let there be no dallying with him. If we give place to the devil, granting him room to stand with us and negotiate, we are in the most peril.

Stone's commentary warns against 'dallying' with the devil, comparing it to giving him room to negotiate. This illustrates the peril of second thoughts on moral duties, which often lead to compromise.

And then he makes this point that is so helpful. When the enemy does appear, brethren, let there be no dallying with him. If we give place to the devil, granting him room to stand with us and negotiate, we are in the most peril. On many subjects, second thoughts are best, but in matters of moral, moral duty, the first thought of a person whose conscience is reasonably enlightened are almost always true thoughts.

10:20 - 10:52 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Now that does not mean that whatever the physical characteristics of the face and body of our Lord are as to size and shape and dimension, we will bear a physical resemblance in that sense, but it does mean conformity, b…

The Holy Spirit's indwelling is compared to 'earnest money' or a 'down payment,' signifying a part of the full payment that guarantees the completion of a transaction, illustrating that the Spirit is a pledge of future perfection.

the down payment, the pledge, the earnest money that this goal will one day be fully realized. Now when you pay earnest money, you're giving a part of the entire payment that you intend to give at the completion of the financial transaction. And so the Spirit of God is given to us as an earnest, as a down payment, as a pledge, that the work begun in us will indeed result in perfection. That perfection not being Godhood.

16:23 - 16:58 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Now that does not mean that whatever the physical characteristics of the face and body of our Lord are as to size and shape and dimension, we will bear a physical resemblance in that sense, but it does mean conformity, b…

Martin uses Mormon teaching that humans will become gods as a negative example of false perfectionism, contrasting it with the biblical truth that believers will always remain creatures, albeit redeemed and conformed to Christ's moral likeness.

Now that's the cursed teaching of the Mormons. Now they don't parade that when they're young, clean-faced, dark-suited, quote, elders come to the door and tell you they are ministers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They don't tell you that, but that is official Mormon teaching. That we shall all ultimately be gods.

16:58 - 17:17 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details four aspects of future perfection that the Spirit creates longings for, leading to present tension: perfection in holiness (Philippians 3:12-14), uninterrupted…

The believer's longing to serve God with unflagging zeal is compared to having 'a thousand watts of spiritual energy,' but only being able to get '23' over the 'wires of this frail humanity,' illustrating the frustration of physical limitations and decaying bodies.

And one of the most painful things to a true believer is that while he longs to serve God with all of his might and zeal, with unflagging zeal, he is consciously and constantly brought to the awareness of 2 Corinthians 4, 17, the outward man is decaying. The outward man is decaying. And where in his heart he may feel what we might call a thousand watts of spiritual energy to serve God, all he can get over the wires of this frail humanity is about 23. And he feels that frustration.

26:03 - 26:47 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details four aspects of future perfection that the Spirit creates longings for, leading to present tension: perfection in holiness (Philippians 3:12-14), uninterrupted…

A preacher's desire to proclaim truth with a voice like 'a thousand trumpets' or 'sweetest of music' but being limited by frail vocal cords and mind, illustrates the frustration of not being able to do justice to glorious truths due to human limitations.

He would pray longer and with greater zeal, but after half an hour he gets sleepy like the disciples. And he's ashamed because God has implanted within him a longing to serve God with something more than that. Those of us who are called to preach, there are times when the truth of God so burns in our hearts we wish we had a voice as loud as a thousand trumpets to proclaim it. We wish we could have a voice that at times would come down like thunderclaps on the ears of men and that other times would be like the sweetest of music to entice men to consider the loveliness of Christ.

26:47 - 27:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't be discouraged if the more you attempt to grow the more you groan; that may be a wonderful sign of health in your Christian experience.

Martin uses a visual analogy of a standard that moves higher as one approaches it, illustrating that as believers make progress, the Holy Spirit illuminates a fuller, higher standard of God's requirements, making them feel further away and increasing groaning.

All right? I had occasion the other day in counseling with someone to point out this principle and I have just a couple of minutes now and I want to lay it before you if I can visually. You see, when we first embark upon the Christian life we have an understanding that the level of conduct attitude and disposition God requires of us is here. Now as we begin to walk and live as Christians several things happen.

47:35 - 48:15 Read in full sermon