A Christian: Keeps the Commandments of God

In this part of the sermon: The sermon begins by distinguishing the question 'What is a Christian?' from 'How does one become a Christian?' The focus is on describing the characteristics of a person who has…

Used to distinguish between defining what a Christian is (like describing an airline pilot) and explaining how to become one (like explaining how to become an airline mechanic).

Now, the question is not how to become a Christian. Those are two different questions. By asking what is an airline pilot, you would say something along these lines. He is a man who sits at the controls of an airplane, directing and controlling the activities of that great complex machine.

0:08 - 0:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Two words need definition, keep and the commands of God.

Illustrates the strong meaning of the Greek word for 'keep' (tereo), signifying careful attention, guarding, and holding firmly, like soldiers protecting a secured area.

It's a word which means to attend to something carefully, to guard or to hold firmly. In fact, the soldiers who were set watch over the tomb of Christ were called the keepers of the tomb. The picture of a soldier guarding a place that has been marked off as no man's land, and he's told to protect it, that's the very strong word. The root word is used here.

8:01 - 8:33 Read in full sermon

Driving home: What I mean by legal, is this, an obedience that is rooted in fear alone or merely has the hope of reward is legal obedience.

A personal anecdote where Martin used the term 'legal obedience' and had to clarify its meaning (obedience rooted in fear or hope of reward) versus 'evangelical obedience' (rooted in love).

And I would suggest to you that it is evangelical and not legal. Now what do I mean by that? I was in a minister's meeting recently and I happened to use this phrase, evangelical and not legal. And one of the ministers in the question period said, Mr. Martin, what do you mean by that, that the obedience is not legal? Do you mean it's illegal? Well, I said, I'm sorry, I've used some of the terminology of the old 17th century writers. What I mean by legal, is this, an obedience that is rooted in fear alone or merely has the hope of reward is legal obedience.

17:09 - 17:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The mark of the hypocrite is that he has marked out certain areas and said, no man's land as far as God's commandments are concerned.

The story of the rich young ruler is used to illustrate how a person can obey many commandments but still have a specific area of life (money) where God's authority is rejected, marking them as unconverted.

No, not this side of heaven. But it does mean that the disposition of the heart is one of subjection to all the precepts, and when the precept is made known where it touches any area of life, there is no rest or peace until there is compliance of the heart with that precept in that specific area. The mark of the hypocrite is that he has marked out certain areas and said, no man's land as far as God's commandments are concerned. He marks out an area of his life and says, this area will be dictated by my own desires and opinions, and even God has no right to intrude. That's the mark of the hypoc...

24:04 - 25:23 Read in full sermon

The point: Identify and surrender any 'area of no man's land' in your life where God's commandments do not impinge upon your desires or thinking.

The encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well is used to show Jesus invading her 'no man's land' concerning her marital status, demonstrating that true obedience addresses all areas of life.

I can't speak with authority where Scripture is silent. Our Lord did this with the woman at the well. He's talking about worship. What's the true place to worship?

26:58 - 27:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Confirm your commitment to doing God's will in every area of life, vowing before God that this is your purpose.

Martin refers to Paul's testimony (likely from a prayer meeting) about finding himself in a situation where, knowing God's will, he felt compelled by God's power to obey, not just by his own effort.

Look at verse 106. I have sworn and I have confirmed it that I will observe Thy righteous ordinances. Here's a man who says I'm committed to do the will of God and he says I've confirmed a man who's walking in a course of purposeful obedience will confirm it a thousand times over as he continually reminds himself I'm here to do the will of God in every area. We had an illustration of it this morning and I say this not to praise Paul this is the grace of God offered to him but it's so real in this area.

37:19 - 37:57 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that the specific kind of obedience described (evangelical, universal, purposeful, persevering, divinely empowered) cannot be rendered by a hypocrite.

An extended quotation and explanation of the character Ignorance from Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, who claims to be a Christian based on his heart's comfort rather than the objective standard of God's Word, highlighting the danger of self-deception.

That is evangelical in its motive, love to Christ, the free spirit of the Son in a climate of joy, that is universal, respect unto all the commandments, that is purposeful though not perfect, that is persevering and not accommodating, that is joyfully endowed with the power and enablement of God as opposed to mere self-help. No hypocrite can ever declare that that is the kind of obedience that He lends. And if by the grace of God you can say, well, I believe I do know something of that, my friend, this is because God has been pleased to work a work of grace in your heart. But if you can't, if ...

45:51 - 47:12 Read in full sermon