Change of Mind Toward Sin

The point: Examine whether your process of professed conviction has been according to God's mind, asking if you have been made sensible of your condition by nature, your enmity against God, and the multitude of your sins.

The doctrine of repentance is illustrated as a tree with soil (grace of God), roots (conviction of sin, apprehension of Christ), trunk (change of mind), and branches (change of mind about God, sin, self, righteousness).

indicated that we will work our way through the doctrine with the formal definition of the shorter catechism and with the extended illustration of a tree. And so with that two-fold help in our study and in our teaching, we have looked at the soil of repentance, which is clearly taught in Scripture as the grace of God. There will never be the true tree of repentance apart from the operations of divine grace, for repentance is God's gift to sinners. Then we looked at the roots of repentance, which are two-fold.

2:06 - 2:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine whether your process of professed conviction has been according to God's mind, asking if you have been made sensible of your condition by nature, your enmity against God, and the multitude of your sins.

Martin reads several paragraphs from John Owen to provide a thorough review of the first root of repentance: Holy Spirit conviction of sin, distinguishing it from mere natural prickings of conscience and emphasizing its depth.

Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner out of a true sense of his sin, conviction of sin, and an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, a revelation, an apprehension, a taking hold of Christ crucified, here are the two roots, conviction of sin, and a revelation and apprehension, of Christ crucified. As I was doing some reading on my own this week, I came across a few paragraphs in John Owen that I felt would be the best review of that first root, and I'll just read his words for you at this time. John Owen, speaking of the difference between a mere natural conviction, th...

2:45 - 3:29 Read in full sermon

The point: If you claim conviction, ask what effects it has produced: has it filled you with self-loathing, abhorrence of yourself, self-condemnation, and abasement?

Martin shares his comfort and discouragement, noting that if Owen's hearers could sit under his ministry for years and still only have 'notions' of conviction, it helps him cope with similar fears for his own congregation.

On the one hand, I take some comfort that if people could sit under the probing ministry of John Owen for years until he had to say, many of you have heard this many times, and you're filled with only notions, it keeps me from being utterly swallowed up with discouragement when I think of those of you who attend to this ministry continually, whom I fear as Owen feared for his hearers, may have only notions of conviction, notions of the terrors of the law and of wrath. But my friend, if you've not felt this until it's driven you to self-loathing, into that abasement before God, as Owen has righ...

6:29 - 7:11 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details the natural man's relationship to sin, characterized by light thoughts of its guilt and reward, inaccurate views of its extent, delight in its temporal pleasures…

He uses the example of people laughing at and mocking someone who strictly avoids sin, applying it to how some might view the preacher's seriousness about sin, to illustrate light thoughts about sin.

Overall, sinners can't get too concerned about things like that. Look how strict and straight-laced that fellow is. Do you remember talking that way about meeting when you met someone who was strict and straight-laced? No doubt maybe some of you have those very thoughts about the preacher standing in front of you.

14:25 - 14:40 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details the natural man's relationship to sin, characterized by light thoughts of its guilt and reward, inaccurate views of its extent, delight in its temporal pleasures…

The story of Eve in the Garden of Eden is used to illustrate how sin enters the world through the desire for immediate, temporal pleasure, pushing God's Word into the background.

It's the dominating thought in the heart and mind of an unrepentant person. The unrepentant person is willing to push into the background every other consideration about sin except this, will it gratify some lust, some desire of my heart? That's how sin entered the world. When Eve allowed these three considerations, it looks like it will satisfy my tummy, and I know it satisfies my eye, and if the devil, if the tempter here, whoever this beautiful, subtle beast is, is true, then it's going to expand my mind.

18:27 - 19:03 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details the natural man's relationship to sin, characterized by light thoughts of its guilt and reward, inaccurate views of its extent, delight in its temporal pleasures…

Bunyan's allegory of Passion and Patience is used to illustrate the unrepentant person's willingness to endure future pangs of conscience or punishment for immediate gratification ('I've got to have my oyster now').

That's how we feel about sin. We say, I'm willing to walk with a wounded conscience there if I can have some sweetness from it now. You remember Bunyan captured this beautifully when he talked about the two little children, passion and patience. And passion was sitting there fretful.

20:09 - 20:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin details the natural man's relationship to sin, characterized by light thoughts of its guilt and reward, inaccurate views of its extent, delight in its temporal pleasures…

The will is described as following the mind and affections 'like the dog's tail,' choosing sin because the mind is blurred and affections are enmeshed, leading to willing slavery to sin.

Well, how does the will act with regard to sin in a natural state? Well, the mind thinking wrong thoughts about it and the affections drawn out toward it. Then the will comes along like the dog's tail, you see. And the will chooses sin because the affections are enmeshed and the mind is blurred and distorted in its thoughts about sin.

20:57 - 21:20 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He describes how true repentance brings new thoughts about sin, seeing its enormity in the light of God's character, law, and especially the cross of Christ, leading to sober…

He contrasts the trivialization of the word 'sin' (as a 'droopy title to move him into a movie theater') with the repentant person's visceral reaction, seeing it as 'foul moral revolt and pollution.'

He had light thoughts of sin. Having seen sin in the light of God's countenance, in the light of his character and his holy law, to use the words of the Apostle in Romans 7, he has experienced something of the exceeding sinfulness. The very word sin now is not some kind of a droopy title to move him into a movie theater because the title's got the word sin in it. It's something that makes him feel sick in the pit of his stomach because he said, that's my foul moral revolt and pollution embodied in that little word.

26:51 - 27:33 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He describes how true repentance brings new thoughts about sin, seeing its enormity in the light of God's character, law, and especially the cross of Christ, leading to sober…

The image of consciences 'unstopped' and screaming out every sin, thought, and motive, is used to describe the overwhelming sense of guilt a convicted sinner experiences, a 'preview of the day of judgment.'

And that day, they're going to cry out for the rocks and the rocks and the hills hide us from his face. We can't face him. One look at those eyes is a flame of fire. And our consciences which have slumbered, our consciences into whose mouth we have cried a star fist are suddenly unstopped.

29:06 - 29:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He describes how true repentance brings new thoughts about sin, seeing its enormity in the light of God's character, law, and especially the cross of Christ, leading to sober…

The incarnation of Christ, 'Infinite God... compressed into a virgin's womb,' is used to illustrate the terrible nature of sin, which necessitated such a humiliation for its blotting out.

But qualitatively. You see it as God does. And then when you see it in the light of the cross of Christ, you say it's this terrible thing. That necessitated God being pressed into the confines of a virgin's womb.

30:03 - 30:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: You stand before that cross, my friend, and you'll have sober thoughts about sin until the day you die.

He contrasts a superficial understanding of forgiveness with a 'shiny little cross... adorned with all kinds of fairy story niceties' with the reality of standing before the 'cruel, bloody cross' and having sober thoughts about sin.

We don't need to be morbid. We're just happy, happy, happy, joyful, joyful, joyful. Anyone who has that idea of Christianity has never been bent and broken at the cross. They've made their own shiny little cross and they've adorned it with all kinds of fairy story niceties.

31:39 - 31:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because when you learn forgiveness by way of forgiveness, by way of Holy Ghost conviction, it leads you into the fear of God and into the dread of sinning again.

The story of the prodigal son returning home with 'head hung upon his chest and the bitter tears streaming down his face' illustrates the shame and sorrow of repentance.

To illustrate it from the Scripture, that new feeling about the sin is the feeling of the prodigal who struts off away from his home, caught in the door that he knows the meaning of life. He comes back with his head hung upon his chest and the bitter tears streaming down his face, ashamed. Of the ways lived. That's the sorrow of repentance.

37:56 - 38:24 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Because when you learn forgiveness by way of forgiveness, by way of Holy Ghost conviction, it leads you into the fear of God and into the dread of sinning again.

The publican who 'stands afar off and doesn't even lift his eyes up to heaven' but beats his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner,' illustrates the new feeling of grief toward sin.

It's the picture of the publican who would not even draw near to the place of worship. But the Scripture says in Luke chapter 18 he stands afar off and doesn't even lift his eyes up to heaven.

38:25 - 38:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure that your change of mind about sin leads to a divorce, a forsaking, a casting away, a putting off, a cutting off of sin.

The repudiation of sin is likened to 'suing for divorce' from a spouse, pulling off the ring, and saying, 'I'm done with you!' to illustrate the decisive break with sin.

How do we act or choose with reference to sin when there is true repentance? Ah, there is this heart repudiation. May I use a figure that's common to all of us? There's a suing for divorce.

41:25 - 41:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Endeavor to repent of your particular sins particularly, as proof of a general change of attitude toward sin.

An analogy of a man claiming to be 'a new man' with a restored appetite but refusing to eat specific foods or showing no energy, is used to illustrate that a general change to sin must be proven by dealing with particular sins.

In other words, the proof that there is a general attitude of change or an attitude of change in general is what you do with the particulars. You come home and tell your wife, Honey, I feel like a new man. I've been to the doctor. He's given me a ton.

45:21 - 45:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Examine if your 'darling right-hand sin and right-eye sin' has been plucked out and cast from you, and if you are applying every legitimate means for its subjugation and mortification.

He uses the metaphors of 'darling right-hand sin and right-eye sin' to refer to cherished, specific sins that must be plucked out and cast away, not merely held off temporarily.

And Jesus said, Salvation's come to this house. The evidence being his particular sins were dealt with particularly. And I press upon the conscience of every man or woman, fellow or girl in this place tonight, is this true of you? Has that darling right-hand sin and right-eye sin of yours been plucked out and cast from you?

48:17 - 48:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Take warning from Herod's case: keep back nothing, cleave to no favorite vice, spare nothing that stands between you and salvation, and cut off the right hand and pluck out the right eye rather than go to hellfire.

Martin quotes Bishop Ryle's comments on Herod, who heard John gladly and did many things but would not cease from adultery, to warn against clinging to a 'favorite vice' or 'darling lust' that murders the soul.

I was reading again in my own devotions. It's been so good to get back in my own study. I can tell you something more than just my thoughts as I see them in Scripture. And in my own parallel reading, I read this statement from Bishop Ryle speaking of Herod who heard John gladly, who feared him, who heard him preach often.

50:05 - 50:27 Read in full sermon