Pastor Albert N. Martin expounds Hebrews 5:5-9, arguing for the inseparable connection between the blessings of Christ's cross and the demands of His crown, a doctrine often termed 'Lordship Salvation.' He clarifies that salvation involves not only trusting in Christ's atoning work but also submitting to Him as King and Lord. Martin warns against a 'cheap grace' gospel that promises heaven without requiring obedience, emphasizing that true faith embraces Christ in His full office as both Priest and King. The sermon aims to wrench this lie from the hearts of the self-deceived and equip true believers to present the gospel accurately.
Primary Texts
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Hebrews 5:5-9This passage is the foundational text, introducing Christ as the High Priest who learned obedience and became the author of eternal salvation to those who obey Him, setting the framework for the Lordship of Christ.
Introduction: The Controverted Subject of Christ's Lordship0:03
The Inseparable Link: Cross Blessings and Crown Demands3:33
Two Pastoral Concerns: Warning the Self-Deceived and Equipping Believers5:46
Defining the Blessings of the Cross of Christ10:42
Defining the Demands of the Crown of Christ24:02
The Inseparability Demonstrated: Receiving Christ as Lord35:24
The Radical Demands of Christ's Lordship44:00
Obedience as the Mark of True Salvation51:10
Addressing Objections and Warning Against Self-Deception62:28
Key Quotes
“The blessings of the cross of Christ and the demands of the crown of Christ are inseparably bound together in the salvation of Christ.”
“This passage is clear, that having been perfected through suffering, he became unto all that obeyed him, author of eternal salvation.”
“If you cling to that line, you'll see you're to hell with it.”
“The cross was nothing less than the voluntary substitutionary curse-bearing of the incarnate Word, the God-man, Christ Jesus.”
“Sinners are saved, when they receive, the Lord, Jesus Christ”
“He'll be saying, depart from me, ye cursed. The benefits of his cross lead to the man's search and very preciously delivering you as your Savior.”
“Salvation which is not only to forgive deserving rebels. Change rebels into obedient subjects.”
Applications
All listeners
Take seriously the demands of the cross; you can have no interest in its benefits and blessings without embracing its demands.
Convey the gospel message to others accurately, ensuring they understand that the blessings of the cross are inseparable from the demands of the crown, to prevent self-deception.
Receive Christ Jesus as Lord, not just as a means to escape hell, but as the sovereign King to whom you submit.
Take Christ's yoke and follow Him, loving Him above all others, including family and your own life, to find rest for your soul.
If you are not purposefully obeying Christ as your Lord, you have no saving benefits from His cross.
Do not deceive yourself; examine your life to see if you are truly a subject of Christ, not just someone who claims His name.
A full transcript is available on the
tab. 70 paragraphs, roughly 71 minutes.
Machine transcription
Introduction: The Controverted Subject of Christ's Lordship
This message was delivered on Sunday evening, September 1st, 1991, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montbello, New Jersey.
Now may I encourage you to turn in your own Bibles with me to the book of Hebrews, the book of Hebrews, chapter 5.
And I shall read in your hearing a portion of the Word of God that, as with our reading in Deuteronomy this morning, is not the only text we shall consider, but it introduces the subject and sets the framework of that subject in a thoroughly biblical way. Hebrews, chapter 5, speaking of the ministry of our Lord Jesus as God's final and appointed High Priest of His people, we read in verse 5, So Christ also glorified...
He glorified not Himself to be made a High Priest, but He that spake unto Him, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee, as You saith also in another place, Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, who, referring not to Melchizedek, but to our Lord Jesus as a Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, who, in the days of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and having been heard for His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which He suffered, and having been made perfect, not made sinless, He always was sinless, but made a perfect priest, a perfect sacrifice, perfected in His office as a priest in the crucible of suffering, He became unto all that obey Him, the author of eternal salvation,
named of God the High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek. That is my...
My purpose tonight to speak on a subject that is greatly controverted in our day, and in every generation apparently it has been a matter in which people have found occasion to dispute and to argue, and we should not be surprised, for it is a subject that affects the very essence of our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the devil has not...
The devil has not changed, in Genesis 3.15 onward he has opposed Christ and all who are aligned with Him. He opposes the truth as it is in Christ. He will use even good men to seek to undermine and pervert that truth, but in the language of the Apostle, let God be true, and every man a liar.
The Inseparable Link: Cross Blessings and Crown Demands
It is my purpose to speak to you on the theme of... The Lordship of Christ under this general, simple proposition that the blessings of the cross of Christ and the demands of the crown of Christ are inseparably bound together in the salvation of Christ.
The blessings of the cross of Christ, blessings procured for needy sinners, and the demands of the crown of Christ, the demands... And I say to each one, I can 중에 this statement here, I don't like this takiej, if this drink I order the wind to break in my dizzy heart to the flow of my soul, because it is not bitter, but bitter.
Because this drink, tells us that the eternal salvation procured in the sufferings of Christ is the salvation procured in his functioning as a priest after the order of Melchizedek. That is, in the capacity of a priest-king and a king-priest, thereby making available to none the benefits of his work as a priest, who will not embrace his role and his office as a king. This passage is clear, that having been perfected through suffering, he became unto all that obeyed him, author of eternal salvation. And I want to address you on this critical subject for two very basic reasons. First of all, for the world. For the well-being of your own soul.
Two Pastoral Concerns: Warning the Self-Deceived and Equipping Believers
For there are many in our day, and perhaps some of you have been under such teaching, which affirm with great zeal and with a semblance of biblical support, selecting the text here and there, that it is possible to be under the full benefits of the cross of Christ and be ready to die and go to heaven, while having never, from the heart of Christ, and therefore not to be a willing subject of Christ, while on your way to heaven. And if you have believed that teaching, and believe it because it suits your own perspective, in which you do believe you're a sinner, you do believe there's a hell, and you don't want to go to hell, and you believe there's no way of salvation but in Jesus Christ, yet, you still love your own cursing, abhorring independence and life of self-will and self-centeredness, that teaching perfectly suits your unregenerate heart, but your biblically instructed mind regarding your need of salvation and who the only Savior is. If you cling to that line,
you'll see you're to hell with it. And I want to bend all of my powers, in dependence upon the Holy Spirit tonight, to attempt to wrench that lie from your heart, that you may stand naked and stripped before Almighty God, convinced from the Scriptures, and take seriously the demands of the cross. You can have no interest in the benefits and blessings of the cross of Christ. That's my first and deep concern in addressing this subject.
But then I have a second concern. If indeed, by the grace of God, you have not only been brought under the canopy of all the rich blessings of the cross of Christ, but by the operation of the Holy Spirit, you have from the heart embraced the demands of the crown of Christ, and you gladly own Him as your Lord and Savior, you not only trust in the virtue of His perfect life and His death upon the cross, to take you to heaven, but from your heart you see Him as a gracious Master whose womb you love. In other words, you're a true Christian, and you're concerned to share with other sinners the message of the grace of God. And it's my second concern that as you convey that message to others, that you not do it in a sloppy manner. In a manner that will make it unnecessarily possible for people to think, having heard the gospel from your lips, that they can have the blessings of the cross of Christ, while patently and openly rejecting the demands of the crown. So it's not only my concern to attempt to wrench the lie from the heart of some of you,
but for others of you in whose heart that lie has no place of residence, Christ is indeed your fully trusted and well-loved Savior, and your fully trusted and well-loved Lord. And surely you want to be accurate and careful in your presentation of the gospel to others, so that they will not be placed on the high road to self-deception that leads to eternal destruction. So that's my concern, very simple and straightforward, and I'm going to open up that concern by stating what I've already indicated, this simple premise, then turn to the word of God to demonstrate its validity, and then make some very practical applications, and finally answer some common objections. The assertion I've made is this, the blessings of the cross of Christ, and the demands of the crown of Christ, are inseparably bound together in the salvation of Christ. Now let me explain and clarify the terminology from the word of God. First of all, what are the blessings of the cross of Christ?
Defining the Blessings of the Cross of Christ
Scriptures are clear that the cross was nothing less than the voluntary substitutionary curse-bearing of the incarnate Word, the God-man, Christ Jesus. When we speak of the cross of Christ, and when the Bible does, it is not referring to that wooden instrument on which Jesus Christ died, but the spiritual realities transacted upon that wooden instrument within the Triune Godhead. And the Scripture tells us that Jesus Christ, upon that cross, through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot unto God. And there you have the activity of the whole Triune Godhead in what was transpiring upon the cross. And the very central issue of the cross, namely, Jesus voluntarily being as our substitute, the wrath and curse of God, is made clear in the Bible. A plethora of tests in the word of God.
I give you but four or five of the most familiar. 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 21. Here we read concerning the Lord Jesus, Him who knew no sin, that is, in His own nature and person, He was utterly free from sin. Him who knew no sin, He, that is God, made to be sin, and voluntarily identify with the deserved sins, that He does not in the days of pollution or sin,
He becomes so identical, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. So when we speak of the blessing, we are speaking of having a right, of which God is the author, a righteousness with which God Himself, righteousness purchased for us, letting, Galatians 3 and verse 13, redeemed us from the curse of the Lord, having become a current one,
that has something less than what it was,
in terms of outings of death. If the meek heretics in the mystery hold, that's when heaven was shrouded,
and in it plunges his soul into the realities. My caution from God, Gentile Abraham Christ Jesus,
I receive the promise of righteousness, which is for us the gift of the Holy Spiritual Perception, the serial access to God, enabling us to cry the cross, Peter 3, 18. Remember now, all we're doing is considering just a few of the blessings of righteousness. The second, the gift, and verse 18, before sin runs,
his emotions and feelings, to every word he uttered, every word he ever listened to, to every step that he took, to every gift he taught, relationship he sustained, there was every single, that law which touches, the deepest springs of motion, and impulse of longing, things that only, in the deepest cave,
and in sin, did my mother conceive. Psalm 51, 6. Psalm 58, 3. They go astray from the womb, speaking lies, and from our very burdens, and motives, and impulses, and actions, and thoughts, and words, and deeds, unrighteous. There is none, no, not one. They are out of the way. They are together become, as in desire.
He is one of the great blessings of the Christ, into open faith, communing with God, saying, welcome, fellowship with God, God is our Father, great blessings,
glorious field of rich diamonds. But you see, this is enough to give you a feel for it. Now all the blessings of the cross of Christ, righteousness imputed, leading to the gift of dying for the unrighteous, that He might bring us, salvation, sanctification, adoption, the gift to bear it with all. When I say the demand, the demands of the crown, on which He was crucified, the realities transacted upon the cross, and using the word the Christ, not in terms of some crass literal concept, of an earthly monarch's piece of gold,
Defining the Demands of the Crown of Christ
speaking of the crown of Christ, as Lord, King, when Jesus Christ was King, and Sovereign Lord, you'll never forget that, high up, angels, a multitude of the heavenly host, saying, Glory to God in the highest, on an earth, to men of good will, and what was this morning, and He healed,
and recognized, He needed to do, for the disciples to proclaim, sure, He is the Son of God. Sure, knowing that this was a resuscitation, what does He do to manifest His Lordship over death, to go into our chanting and incantations, all He needs to do is open His mouth, and say, Lazarus in Mary, the Bethlehem manger,
Magi, from the earthly millennium, and all that other nonsense, He was born, a King, sovereignty, for the Bible does, has been put in a position, of a Lordship, He has been put in a posse, and position, of what we call Messianic Kingship, that is augmented, and resurrection, why we read such things, and now I don't want you, to just listen to me, I want you to get these through the eye-gauge as well, James chapter 2,
and to go to some humiliation, this God done, and gave unto Him the name, that in the name of heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ, a Lord, that is uniquely His, the reward, voluntary suffering, and humiliation, it is in this sense, that we read such things, as we read then in Acts 2, 36, concerning, that Pentecostal sermon says, this Jesus, whom you crucified, thou in virtue, received an augmented, position of Lordship, Acts 2, 36, let all the house of Israel, therefore know assuredly,
that hath made Him, both Lord, as He's made, and in bringing these paths together, we see, that though He was seen, and unseen, in virtue of His, voluntary humiliation, He is rewarded, with an augmented, and we might say, even a focused, Lordship, and resurrection, and this again, is affirmed in a passage, such as Ephesians chapter 1, Ephesians chapter 1, where Paul is, recording what he prays, for the Ephesians, and among the things, he prays for them, he's praying, that God would help them, to understand, the exceeding greatness, of the power of God, asserted towards Christians, and he says, in his prayer, recording it, what is the measure, of that power, that he wants them, to understand, here it is, verse 19, and what the exceeding greatness, of His power to us, were to believe,
measure of it, working of the strength, of His might, notice how he's piling up words, which he wrought in Christ, when He raised Him, from the dead, made Him to sit, at His right hand, in the heavenly place, His foul rule, and the dominion, every name, that is named, not only in this world, but that which is to come, action, under, giving an amazing display, unto His death, waning, recordious, given a place, of augmented, luster, abundantly, with reference, to the salvation, and the preservation, of His church, gave Him, to be head, over all things, to the church, which is, His blood, His body, this is why He said, before He sent out, His disciples, He has been, delivered unto me, therefore, disciple,
this is why, to His resurrection, and ascension, His official title, is our Lord, Jesus, our Lord, references to Him, a few references, to Him as, be Christ, a few references, to Him as, the Lord, the designation, of the Savior, is heard, chastened, to be the God, and Father, because He knows, and titles, is the embodiment, of who He is, what He has done, either in grace, or in judgment, settle it, any dealings, you have with Jesus, now, on until the day, of judgment, you'll have dealings, with Him, who is not only, the one, who purchased, all these marvelous,
blessings, for sinners, upon the cross, but who wears, a crown, holds a scepter, not as a matter, of show, but He wears, things of, the demand, in the salvation, of Christ, and why is that so, for a simple reason, having explained, the blessings, of His cross are, makes demands, and has rights, the one who wears, a crown, hears the simple truth, of scripture, sinners are saved, when they receive, the Lord, Jesus Christ, this is made abundantly, clear, in the Bible, in the Bible, in the Bible, in the Bible, in the Bible, and it is made, abundantly, clear, in the scriptures, what is faith, other places, of a receiving, of the old Christ, he to me, boasts to sinners, example, John 1, 12, to as many,
The Inseparability Demonstrated: Receiving Christ as Lord
as received, him, to them gave He, the right, to become, the sons, of God, even to them, that believe, on His name, what's it mean, to believe on His name, it means, to receive Him, He is a priest, Only with the prince in his hands and his eye, and his head and the scepter in his hand, and you can't receive that.
That's what he purchased in a unique way, the fruit of his suffering, and he won't let you wrench them from his possession. Trusted in Jesus as your personal Savior? Well, they have trusted in him as their personal Savior.
But they had also received himself of all the rest upon the cross. His benefits and mercy, submission to his crown, and in character the directions of his scepter. As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.
He didn't say, patient text for this business as Christ is Lord, that's mixing grace and works.
You shall be saved. Was this enough to walk and be saved?
Everywhere condemned in the Bible, people out of the dark. You're ready to wretch your crowns that you put up. Existence and patterns of life and finally compare to sinners. It's offered in this person. As many as received him. As you have there received Christ Jesus, will also confess with thy mouth.
And it's for Jesus' sake. He said, we preach.
The condition of Mary's womb, the poverty of her nation is in him, and we preach to the Lord upon him. But I take just one in Ephesians 5. The church is the company of those who are subject to Christ.
Christ is mirrored in the submission of the wife to the husband. He says, I say, I in Ephesians 5. He is called and true. I don't know what. What you're going to do with all the verses we've looked at. I wouldn't want to be you.
The Radical Demands of Christ's Lordship
You claim to believe the Bible. Two things are very clear. And I want to get there.
If you, the 70s or 80s, man's of Christ, every other human being, and above our 1425,
mother, brother, sister, yea, and his own life, also he, that's from his cross, that we take his yoke, Matthew 28, and follow him to me, God will give you rest.
Rest.
Never know. Our wishes, and Jesus never promised, those who would take, have only the benefit of using conscience. It's an instrument that binds two animals together,
to plow in the same direction, in the same field, at the same time. It binds. The hands of his cross try to make it simple, and a much more convincing preacher than I will make you think.
He'll be preaching mercy to you when he does. He'll be saying, depart from me, ye cursed. The benefits of his cross lead to the man's search and very preciously delivering you as your Savior.
I'm also going to take a trip and we go, Lord. It's the words of eternal life.
The obedience is that obedience with all the other means who he owns as his. 10, 27. It's those who he owns as his. It's the one that's going to cut it in the day of judgment, not yours.
Obedience as the Mark of True Salvation
This is a people, eternal and natural.
27. He comes to declare,
to see. He is a keeping that's a keeping. There's a difference between not keeping and keeping. And God does never take out this residence by the power of the Holy Ghost.
It's not in him. He comes to get 70.
As he offered up who would become
have no right.
King, priest, forgiven to him.
Under his sesty frown and you lose a few rewards but little grounds that you have any saving benefits from his cross. And if you're not purposefully obeying him as your Lord, to this teaching,
as Christ's servants,
come in the pot on the work to the one who and becoming his willing body.
Where to get saved in salvation to his heart.
Salvation which is not only to forgive deserving rebels. Change rebels into obedient subjects.
Addressing Objections and Warning Against Self-Deception
Thessalonians is teaching is teaching salvation by works. It's making my salvation by works. By the Holy Ghost. Doesn't this teaching do away with the carnal there are people who are truly self-ruled rebels who have no hunger to be holy who are acting themselves of obedience and lose a few rewards
and using Christian as a noun is much a misnomer is talking about a capitalistic Marxist.
The Bible in the first Jews are self-deceiving. Say to me in that day who preached in your name cast out demons in your name say unto them the past says be not deceive yourself let no man deceive you hide it it doesn't waste you now you see why God brought
rid of indecision
and walked in our solution and have written the day tumbled to fly me to their midlife of the cross and use
Jesus may receive the reward of the people who offer Jesus
a fellow of God
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Passages Expounded
Hebrews 5:5-9
This passage is the foundational text, introducing Christ as the High Priest who learned obedience and became the author of eternal salvation to those who obey Him, setting the framework for the Lordship of Christ.
Texts Expounded
auto_stories
This passage introduces the sermon's theme by presenting Christ as a High Priest who learned obedience through suffering and became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.