I watched this fire-and-brimstone
audio-visual sermon and found that the presupposition of the preacher is so
different from that of Apostle Paul. Listen to it and draw your own conclusion.
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It seems so obvious that the preacher thinks he can frighten his hearers whom he considers as hell-bound dead sinners to decide for Christ and get salvation What a terrible delusion about one's ministry!!
I am saddened by such widespread delusion. I
notice that Apostle Paul's ministry was guided by an entirely different set of
presuppositions.
Martin raves with the hope of persuading
those dead in sins to turn from their sins and choose life. Apostle Paul says
the preaching of the gospel to such people is perceived by them as complete
foolishness! Apostle Paul sees his ministry as reaching out to God's children
(the elect ALREADY regenerated), informing and reasoning with them, and
persuading to believe the truth as it is in Jesus Christ!
When Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, those
to whom he urgently and earnestly desire to preach the gospel (because they
have NOT heard or known the gospel), he addressed them as "saints and
beloved of God." Yes, they are saints and beloved of God ALREADY, and were
in need of hearing the gospel from Apostle Paul.
And he patiently reasoned and demonstrated
and persuade them of the gospel truth... none of that hellfire brimstone stuff!
TWO entirely different set of presuppositions and understanding of the gospel ministry.
The preacher, Albert N Martin, a revered Reformed Baptist, declares,
"The truth is that the way is truly
narrow, and few people will find eternal life. (Matthew 7:21, Luke 13:24)"
Eternal life is a free gift to those who are
dead in trespasses and sins, who by nature were rebels and in enmity against
God.
NO ONE ever find eternal life by their activities.
Those WITHOUT eternal life are dead in trespasses and sins.
Such have no ability to find eternal life.
"Except a man be born again, he CANNOT..." John 3:3,6
The abundance of life in the life here and
now is found by our daily taking the strait gate and walking the narrow way.
That's discipleship, a fruit and product of the eternal life that was given by
God's free grace.
The ministry of John the Baptist was
described like this: "for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to
prepare his ways; to give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the
remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the
dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in
darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of
peace."
To give knowledge of salvation unto His
people: the Lord's people, saved by Him, are there first. John the Baptist was
sent to instruct His saved people the truth concerning their salvation by the
free grace of God. His ministry wasn't to turn the hell bound people to heaven!
To give light to them (His people) that sit
in darkness: His people saved by His free grace are still in the darkness of
ignorance concerning the truth of their salvation by God's free grace. John's
ministry is to instruct and educate and inform them, to give enlighten them
with the truth of the gospel, to dispel their ignorance concerning the truth of
the gospel of free and sovereign grace.
To guide our feet into the way of peace: to
guide His people into the way of peace, to know that they have been reconciled
to God by the righteousness of Christ freely APPLIED to them at their effectual
calling out of their state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation.
There isn't the slightest hint of John the
Baptist trying to scare people out of their state of death and hell!
He was send to minister to the LORD'S people
- those whom He has made His own, His redeemed.
