Responsibility of Christians for the Salvation of Sinners

Romans 9:1-3

Pastor Albert N. Martin preaches on the Christian's responsibility for the salvation of sinners, grounding his message in three presuppositions: all men are lost under God's condemnation, salvation is only through Christ and the gospel, and salvation involves regeneration, cleansing, and sanctification. He then outlines what Christians cannot do (impart life, manipulate faith, loose from bondage) and what they must do, exemplified by the Apostle Paul: cultivate a God-given concern, pray for the lost, and use every legitimate means to get the gospel to them, especially through authoritative preaching. Martin emphasizes that while success is God's prerogative, obedience to these duties is paramount, and God generally blesses such efforts.

3 illustrations in this sermon

What Christians Cannot Do for the Salvation of Sinners

compare analogy

Birth, Resurrection, Creation Analogies

Driving home: The emphasis, to use the theological term, upon divine monergism. God alone acts in the impartation, of divine life.

God uses the analogies of birth, resurrection, and creation to describe the impartation of spiritual life. These three share the commonality that the life or existence owes itself entirely to an external, powerful agent, illustrating divine monergism in salvation.

It's interesting, and this was one of the things that drove me out of the woolly thinking of my early Christian days in this area, that when you search the New Testament for the analogies, an analogy, you kids, is a likeness. God uses likenesses. This is like that. When you look for the analogies by which God describes the impartation of spiritual life to a dead sinner, He is very careful to use three analogies above all others.

16:37 - 17:06 Read in full sermon

What Christians Can and Must Do: God-Given Concern

compare analogy

Rescued from Burning Building

The point: Search your heart to find out if you've ever really been rescued yourself, if you lack a sense of tug or concern for lost people.

A person rescued from a burning building by the arbitrary choice of firemen would be accused of fiendish motives if they showed no concern for others still inside. This illustrates that a true Christian, rescued by sovereign grace, cannot be indifferent to the lost.

My friend, if you don't, you better search your heart to find out if you've ever really been rescued yourself. We would accuse a man of the worst, kind of things, who had just recently been rescued from a burning building. Rescued simply because from the human standpoint, the fireman had to make a choice. What window should we break through first?

36:17 - 36:46 Read in full sermon

Duty, Expectation, and God's Glory

person anecdote

Ashiel's Letter: Woman Converted

The point: Have the perspective that God will own efforts of clear, powerful preaching bathed in prayer with grace and blessing, and expect Him to save sinners.

Martin shares an anecdote from a letter by 'Ashiel' (likely a missionary or fellow pastor) about a woman who was pierced by the preached word and converted, years after turning her own daughter out for professing faith. This illustrates God's sovereign power in conversion and encourages expectation of blessing.

For those of you who were not here this morning, in writing his most recent letter, he says, I am so thrilled last Lord's Day. A dear woman seemed to be pierced by the word as it was preached. Years earlier, when her young daughter professed a good profession of faith, this woman turned, turned her own daughter out of doors. Today, the King has brought her to see His glorious face.

57:03 - 57:28 Read in full sermon

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