True Conversion: Necessary Difficult and Rare

The point: Consider the ultimate question: What must I know, do, and become to be prepared to die, go to judgment, and enter God's presence with joy?

Martin uses the analogy of matters where ignorance or indifference are neither blameworthy nor fatal, to contrast with the ultimate questions of salvation where they are both blameworthy and fatal.

There are many things in life concerning which ignorance or indifference are neither blameworthy, nor fatal. There are many questions and issues which, if you are asked about them, you can respond by saying, I don't know, and furthermore, I don't care. And to take that attitude of I don't know, I'm ignorant, and I choose to remain ignorant of the issue raised, I don't care. To be indifferent and to remain indifferent, there are many things concerning which such willful ignorance and settled indifference are neither blameworthy nor fatal. To remain in that ignorance and indifference, nothing ho...

1:34 - 3:03 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not afford the luxury of ignorance or indifference concerning the necessity, difficulty, and rarity of real conversion.

He contrasts the extinction of an animal's life and personality with the biblical concept of human destruction, which is not annihilation but conscious, eternal existence in hell, to clarify the meaning of 'destruction'.

There is a way which leads to life. Life then must be the opposite of destruction. What is destruction in the Bible? It is not annihilation of the soul.

17:42 - 17:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that Jesus commands, 'Enter the narrow gate,' and missing it means missing life and facing destruction.

The word 'destruction' is described as a powerful magnet that gathers all biblical teachings about the conscious state of existence in hell, emphasizing its horrible reality.

Destruction gathers to it like a powerful magnet all that the Bible teaches about that conscious state of existence in the age to come in which the souls and bodies of all unregenerate unconverted peoples called Gehenna or Hell. Like a magnet this word destruction gathers all ends up forever and ever and they have no rest nor night. In these gathers to it all of that Biblical language in all of its horrible reality

18:48 - 20:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that Jesus commands, 'Enter the narrow gate,' and missing it means missing life and facing destruction.

Similarly, the word 'life' is described as a magnet drawing all the glories of heaven, such as God's presence, joy, and service, to embody its indescribable reality.

God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit in a state and a condition described in the Bible in these words there shall be no more crying there shall be no more pain there shall be no more death for the former things are passed away they shall follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes there is no need of the Son for the Lamb is the light of that city and they shall serve Him day and night and His name shall be upon their foreheads all of the language of the glories of heaven are also drawn to the magnet of the word life and are embodied in it and as you sit here tonight every one of you will have as your ul...

20:33 - 21:59 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared to forsake from the heart all self-sufficiency and self-righteousness as the ground of obtaining eternal life.

Martin uses the analogy of a turnstile in a subway or stadium, especially when traveling with much luggage, to illustrate the 'narrowness' and 'difficulty' of the gate of true conversion, requiring one to shed burdens.

that you find in the New York subway system or that you find at the Brendan Byrne Arena or Shea Stadium those turnstiles by which people pass into the subway system or by which they pass into the arena or the stadium and any of you who have traveled with a lot of luggage know the difficulty you face when you come up to one of those turnstiles they've tried to design them so that the average sized person can get through but that you wouldn't have people going through three at a time if they designed them for miss five by five you'd have five going through at a time so they have designed them in...

27:47 - 29:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared to forsake from the heart all self-sufficiency and self-righteousness as the ground of obtaining eternal life.

Paul's testimony in Philippians 3 is used as an example of someone who had grounds to boast in his religious heritage and zeal but counted it all as 'scuba cow' (dung) for Christ, illustrating the difficulty of forsaking self-righteousness.

so now see me in my nature it's difficult because you see that cuts the nerve of pride wasn't that Paul's problem read Philippians 3 he said people are going around boasting that they've got a righteousness based on their good breathing based on their religious training based on their religious activity he said if they've got grounds to boast I do have grounds to boast Hebrew of the Hebrews tribe of Benjamin circumcised the eighth day a Pharisee of the Pharisees touching zeal persecuting the church he said I had what I thought was a beautiful well made up of the fabric of my good breathing my ...

36:29 - 37:57 Read in full sermon

The point: Forsake from the heart self-will as the governing principle of your life and welcome the King of glory to His rightful throne.

The human heart is depicted as having a 'throne room' where God originally sat, but after the Fall, 'me, mine' became the usurper king, illustrating the need to forsake self-will and enthrone Christ.

as the governing principle by which we're gonna live there at the gate we must forsake from the heart self-will as the governing principle by which we're going to live you see when man came from the hand of his creator he came forth a creature whose whole life centered in the will of god if I may put it into this kind of picturesque language when Adam came from the hand of god god built him with a throne room in his heart and in Adam's heart upon that throne god placed himself and when Adam looked in at the throne room and saw god on the throne he said god that's good that's where you belong a...

40:52 - 42:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared to forsake from the heart all sin as the deliberate practice of your life, allowing Jesus to break every chain and tear every idol.

Martin recounts his and his wife's experience of 'chucking away junk' from their basement after their children left home, where they easily discarded invaluable items. This illustrates how sinners are willing to give up 'junk sins' but cling to 'right hand' sins, highlighting the difficulty of forsaking cherished sins.

sin as much a part of them as right hand and right eye you gotta be prepared to deal with it at any cost that's why it's a narrow gate that's why few find it not because the gate is obscure and hidden off men love their sins the scripture says they love darkness they drink iniquity like water my friend listen sitting here tonight hear me hear me what sin what sin are you clinging to willfully deliberately knowingly known only to you and god perhaps the sin you spare will damn you the sin you spare will damn you that's why the gate's narrow that's why few find it because you've got multitudes t...

49:31 - 51:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Forsake from the heart all willful attachment to the world as your chosen companion in life; divorce the world and become Christ's friend.

He uses the metaphor of a divorce, urging hearers to 'lick your finger to get your ring off' and divorce the world, throwing the ring into the deepest sea, to illustrate the radical separation from the world required for true conversion.

They're concerned about a pure heart more than a pretty face. They're concerned about meekness more than wealth. They're concerned about hungering and thirsting after righteousness more than hungering and thirsting after fame and prestige. And importance and acceptance. They are not like the world that seeks to feed its own on pride and self-importance and pushiness. My friend, listen, this world system is no friend of Christ and it's no friend of anybody that comes through the door. And you've got to be prepared at that gate to undergo a divorce because you and I were born married to the worl...

55:54 - 57:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Enter the narrow gate, difficult as it is, and do not take the easy alternative of cheap religion.

Martin references John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, where Christian sticks his fingers in his ears and cries 'Life! Eternal life!' to deter voices calling him back, illustrating the determination needed to seek and enter the narrow gate.

Difficult as it is. Enter the gate. You remember what Bunyan did with his Christian?

66:39 - 66:45 Read in full sermon