Apprehension of Mercy

Driving home: So, you see, the understanding of this pastor is that if you preach that men must repent, that's preaching salvation by works. Now, this is not digging up a battle of bygone days. It's a matter of the very life of the go…

A young airman, recently converted, wrote to his pastor asking why repentance wasn't preached, only to be told he didn't understand the gospel. This illustrates the widespread rejection of repentance as a vital part of the gospel, confirming Martin's initial premise for the sermon series.

This is the fourth in that series, and you will remember, those who are with us, that in introducing the series, I tried to build a case for the relevance and necessity of such a series of studies, and I received a letter this past week which greatly confirmed some of the statements I made that first evening concerning the fact that there are many whom we have no reason to doubt sincerely love Christ and claim to be preaching the biblical gospel who not only overlook the matter of repentance, but are utterly rejected as being a vital part of the gospel of Christ. This letter comes from a young...

0:13 - 1:33 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He outlines the sermon's structure using the analogy of a tree, based on the Shorter Catechism's definition of repentance. The 'soil' is God's grace, emphasizing that repentance…

Repentance is likened to a tree with soil (grace), roots (conviction of sin and apprehension of mercy), trunk, branches, foliage, and fruit. This analogy provides a structured framework for understanding the components of repentance unto life.

And we're doing so under the figure of a tree. With its soil, with its roots, with its main trunk, with its branches, with its foliage and its fruit. And we're structuring that tree according to the definition of repentance given in the Shorter Catechism. And then with that definition and that illustration, we are considering a number of scriptural passages which teach these principles.

3:39 - 4:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Not to love so lovable an object as the God of love is the crime of crimes.

A quote emphasizing that the 'crime of crimes' is not loving God, the most lovable object. This deepens the understanding of sin as fundamentally a rupture in relationship with God, not just a psychological issue.

Repentance unto life is a saving grace whereby a sinner out of a true sense of his sin. That's conviction of sin. And the basic elements of Holy Spirit conviction are, number one, the recognition that my sin is basically revolt against God, as we sang tonight in the 51st Psalm, the recognition that against God we have sinned. As one author has so accurately and powerfully said, and I quote, the first and chief thing required by the law of God is supreme love to God. Therefore, the lack of love to God, the heart's disaffection for his character and rebellion against him, is our sin. Great wicke...

5:39 - 6:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is not the case that we are not enough to come to some sight and sense of our sin. This alone will not produce repentance, for Scripture records for us the instances of men who came to a sight and sense of sin that ca…

Felix trembled at Paul's preaching of righteousness, judgment, and self-control, but dismissed Paul, showing that a mere sight and sense of sin, without mercy, leads to terror but not true repentance.

And the picture of that publican standing afar off beating his breast is the picture of a man who feels and senses this corruption and pollution which in some degree is always involved in Holy Spirit conviction of sin. There will be no repentance unto life without the soil of grace producing first of all Holy Spirit conviction of sin. Now, and that's our review, this alone would drive a man to despair and to self-destruction. If God's dealings with men simply stopped here, showing them what they are before His law, guilty condemned rebels, guilty of the crime of crimes, failing to love so lova...

8:14 - 9:42 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is not the case that we are not enough to come to some sight and sense of our sin. This alone will not produce repentance, for Scripture records for us the instances of men who came to a sight and sense of sin that ca…

Judas repented himself, confessed, and made restitution, but then hung himself. This illustrates that conviction of sin and outward acts of sorrow are insufficient without an apprehension of God's mercy in Christ.

You see, a sight and sense of sin, sin alone will not lead to true repentance. John Owen brings out so very lucidly and scripturally the case of Judas. Here's a man who not only, Scripture says of him, that he repented himself, he went and made restitution. He confessed his sin openly.

10:26 - 10:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that God wounds and then heals, and the devil works to prevent both. First, he tries to keep people from conviction of sin; then, once wounded, he tries to keep…

God wounds (through conviction of sin) and then heals (through mercy in Christ). This analogy explains the necessary order of God's work in bringing a sinner to repentance and life.

But blessed be God, he's not only the God who wounds and kills, but he's the God who heals and who makes alive. And just as the devil would fight men to keep them from God's wounds, oh, don't take seriously the law of God. Don't take seriously the matter of judgment in hell. Don't get wounded.

17:24 - 17:43 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that God wounds and then heals, and the devil works to prevent both. First, he tries to keep people from conviction of sin; then, once wounded, he tries to keep…

The 'ill-favored ones' in Pilgrim's Progress tried to distract Christiana from thoughts of eternity, sin, and judgment. This illustrates the devil's tactic to prevent God's 'wounds' of conviction.

Don't begin to get disturbed about matters of conscience. You find this in Pilgrim's Progress.

17:43 - 17:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains that God wounds and then heals, and the devil works to prevent both. First, he tries to keep people from conviction of sin; then, once wounded, he tries to keep…

An old writer's comment about someone 'feeling the pangs of a new birth' is quoted. This highlights that the process of coming to repentance often involves struggle and pain, both from conviction and the wrestling to grasp mercy.

One of the old writers said of a certain individual who showed some signs of spiritual concern, he said, I hopefully think that so-and-so is feeling the pangs of a new birth.

19:02 - 19:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Quoting John Owen, Martin reiterates that Judas's repentance, though involving conviction, confession, and restitution, lacked 'faith of forgiveness in God,' leading to his…

An extended quotation from John Owen detailing Judas's actions (conviction, confession, restitution) but concluding that he lacked 'faith of forgiveness in God.' This powerfully reinforces the necessity of the second root of repentance.

Speaking of this principle that there is no repentance acceptable with God but what is built or leans upon the faith of forgiveness, John Owen says, in the case of Judas, and now I give you the points, this is abundantly clear. It is said of Judas that he repented. He repented himself. But wherein did this repentance consist?

19:52 - 20:13 Read in full sermon

Driving home: What a terrible thing sin must be that when the sinless one is bearing it, the Father doesn't spare him. As Scripture says, he spared not his own son, but he brought upon him the full weight of the broken law, the terrib…

Even descending to hell to witness the agony of the damned would not give as clear a view of sin's awfulness as the cross of Christ. This emphasizes the unique revelation of sin's nature in Christ's suffering.

If God would allow us this very night to descend or ascend wherever whichever it might be, to the place where those who've died apart from a saving knowledge of Christ are being kept to the day of judgment. And if we could feel and hear and sense the agony and the grief and remorse of the damned. You think we'd come away with some kind of an adequate view of the awfulness of sin, don't you? But may I suggest if we could be transported into that situation it could give no clear view of sin or no clearer view of sin than that which is given in the cross of Jesus Christ. For why was he there? Scr...

23:41 - 24:37 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He emphasizes that God's love and mercy are most clearly displayed in Christ crucified, drawing sinners near. Citing Isaiah 55 and the prodigal son, he shows that the promise of…

The prodigal son's decision to return to his father was based on an underlying confidence that his father's heart and door would be open, even though he felt unworthy. This illustrates that the hope of mercy is essential for a sinner to turn to God.

And without that conviction that God is merciful to repentant sinners, the sinner will not come. Illustrating it from the New Testament you have that beautiful picture again in the prodigal son. There is no indication that he ever had any suspicion that his father would turn him down.

35:23 - 35:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Now he lessons to keep you in bondage by causing you to cast your eyes inward and downward upon the mock and mire of your own corruption that God says look unto me as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must…

Just as Moses lifted the serpent in the wilderness for the Israelites to look and live, so the Son of Man is lifted up for people to look to Him and have everlasting life. This encourages direct faith in Christ for salvation.

And as the devil has sought and very effectively in some of you kept you blind for many years to your sinfulness now he lessons to keep you in bondage by causing you to cast your eyes inward and downward upon the mock and mire of your own corruption that God says look unto me as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must also the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. He says look, look, look, look. That's what he says. And looking you shall live.

38:05 - 38:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God that he would. And even as you've heard the word tonight may your prayer be oh Holy Spirit. Give me to see and to know the miracle and the mercy of God in the Lord Jesus.

An extended quotation from John Newton's hymn, 'In Evil Wrong I Took Delight,' which beautifully captures the progression from being stopped by a sight of Christ's suffering to understanding both sin's blackness and God's pardon through His death. This summarizes the sermon's core message.

It captures so beautifully what I'm trying to say. In evil wrong I took delight unawed by shame or fear till a new object struck my sight and stopped my wild career. He said I was abandoned to my own world and to my sin until I had a sight of something I never saw before and it stopped me in my tracks. I saw one hanging on a tree in agonies and blood.

40:09 - 40:39 Read in full sermon