Individual Disciplines

The point: Do not negate your active 'I' in sanctification by adopting a passive 'Christ through me' concept; recognize your empowered participation.

Martin uses the metaphor of a 'funnel concept' to describe the unbiblical imbalance of 'Christ through me' teaching, where the believer is merely a passive conduit for God's life, negating personal responsibility.

You find such teaching as the indwelling Christ, as I mentioned yesterday, drawn out to a very, very unbiblical imbalance where you have what I call the funnel concept. I'm sort of just the funnel and God pours his life through me. Whenever anyone starts talking a lot about Christ living through me and God living his life through me. Oh my God!

7:02 - 7:32 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not fall into hyper-Calvinism in the Christian life by sitting back and waiting for God to work; actively engage in the means of grace.

He draws an analogy between hyper-Calvinism in conversion (passively waiting for God to act) and a similar passivity in sanctification, where believers neglect their active role because 'God works'.

So if God's working, I sit back and wait for him to work. It's amazing. The very people who reject the concept of the direct and the monergistic idea of God's activity and salvation, that is that man is passive and it's all God's work to begin it, they become hyper-Calvinist and sanctificationists. You see, the hyper-Calvinist in conversion is the man who says, since God does the work, I'll sit back and hope someday he'll do it.

9:13 - 9:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not fear becoming too energetic in mortifying sin, buffeting your body, or running the Christian race; your working out will never outstrip God's working in.

Martin uses the analogy of building a bridge to clarify that God's working and our working are not a 50/50 split, but rather co-extensive and parallel, with God's work enabling ours.

you're both working. Now, it's not as though I do half and God does half and we meet in the middle, like when you build a bridge. No, no. They are co-extensive. He is working. And along with and parallel to his working, and because it is working, the believer is working. So then, we must never think of these things as being in antithesis one to the other. Well, if God is really working, then my working is just some sort of a fake thing, just a going through the motions. No, no. Well, then, if I'm really striving and working, God must not, you know, you must not think that way. God is at work, ...

17:03 - 18:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Focus your trust on God's working in you, and focus your effort on the conscious employment of all your faculties in doing His will.

He uses the metaphor of 'dry leaves' (remains of sin) and 'sparks' (temptation) to illustrate the believer's inherent weakness and the constant danger of sin igniting, emphasizing the need for God's working in us.

the cards are stacked against me. I have the remains of sin within me, which are like dry leaves. And all around me there is temptation, and temptation is to remain in corruption. What sparks are to dry tinder. And I've got to walk in the midst of all these sparks that fly out from all my associations, from all of my contacts in the world and with sinful men. And I carry around this box of dry leaves. What hope is there that there won't be some of those sparks falling and igniting and passion and lust and pride and worldliness become a raging fire that consume me? What's my hope? He works in m...

24:10 - 25:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Focus your trust on God's working in you, and focus your effort on the conscious employment of all your faculties in doing His will.

Martin quotes Abraham Kuyper to beautifully capture the concept that believers act as if doing it themselves, but upon success, acknowledge God's sole agency and praise Him.

fear and with trembling, a consciousness of the great issues at stake, a consciousness of my own weakness, which weans me increasingly from self-confidence, I seek to work out, because He is working in. I close now yesterday's message this morning. I want to say this morning, with this quote from Abraham Kuyper that I thought was beautiful in capturing this concept. When we are called upon to speak, to act or to fight, we do so as though we were doing it ourselves, not perceiving that it is another who works in us both to will and to do. But as soon as we finish the task successfully and are r...

25:05 - 25:55 Read in full sermon

The point: If you have a problem with devotions, actively 'yank the covers off' and force yourself to engage, trusting God to quicken you.

This extended illustration with young people describes the struggle of getting up for morning devotions, demonstrating how the believer must actively 'yank the covers off' and 'force yourself' to pray, yet ultimately gives God thanks for the enablement, illustrating the co-extensive working of God and man.

I use this illustration with young people. It seems to help. I say, you have a problem with your devotions? Yeah, I just can't seem to get up in the morning.

26:23 - 26:30 Read in full sermon