It has been a while since I’ve last listened to a sermon that is centered around the Biblical exposition of true repentance and saving faith in Christ. I fear that the preaching of true repentance and the examination of one’s self in light of the mirror of God’s Word is called to the people far to little today. Is it because of fear? Is it because of apathy in the comforts of the church hall? Why is it that we neglect such an eternally worthy duty as confirming the presence or absence of saving faith in a professing believer in Christ?
For months now I have held this status message in my messenger account, I wonder how many people would respond to it correctly:
God is holy and He is just, and I’m not. And at the end of my life, I’m going to stand before a just and holy God, and I’ll be judged.
How about you reader? Will you come before Him and say, “Lord, Lord, look at the things I’ve done! Look at how holy and moral I strived to live my life!”, or maybe, “Lord, Lord, thank you for all the blessings I have claimed from your Son, they made life on earth a real blast!”? What will you say, dear professor?
Will you desire for God to weigh the balances? Will you come to Him bringing whatever form of excuse or flattery to compel Him to accept you? No, it will never be. If at once you ask God to weigh the balances, all at once the sentence will be Guilty.
Without true saving faith in the Lord Christ Jesus, without the fruit of which is true repentance there is nothing for us but the wrath of God poured out in the infinite horrors of Hell, for such as we are undeserving, ill-deserving, hell-deserving sinners!
Ascertain it to yourselves dear reader that you have thrust yourself totally and wholly to Christ and Christ alone that when you face the Lord in finality you wouldn’t see the balances of justice, rather you would see that the price has already been paid, justice has been served, and all that is left for one such as unworthy as you are is grace upon grace to the glory of the Lord Christ Jesus.
The truth is that the way is truly narrow and few people will find eternal life. (Matthew 7:21, Luke 13:24)
—Albert Martin
Full sermon preview: [mp3]
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Wow if that doesn't make you want to examine yourself…..
A sobering message, isn't it Samantha?It's a fearful thing to be in the hands of an Angry God!
It truly breaks my heart to know that there are those who need to hear that message and yet they stop their ears to prevent themselves from hearing it. They break the mirror rather than look into it.
As for how I will respond when I am before the Holy Judge, I can only pray that I will be as the publican, saying "God be merciful to me a sinner."
I do pray that I would see you on that day, Nancy, as we enter the joy of our Master. There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved, Jesus Christ the Lord (Acts 4:12). By grace alone, through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
May God indeed be merciful to us. But ever will i glory in the Gospel, in the Cross, for no matter how wicked we are, though our sins are red as scarlet, He can make us whiter than snow.