Christian Rodriguez

In Christ | Husband | Father | Broadcast Editor @gracetoyou| MDiv @mastersseminary | B.A. @mastersuniv

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

“Faith is a saving grace, not by the act of believing, as an act, for then it would save as a work – whereas we are saved by faith in opposition to all works;

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[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

“[Christ] has made it not only a gracious, but a righteous thing in God to welcome the sinner back, and clasp him in the embrace of love.”

—Horatius Bonar

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

“A world unfallen reveals but half of God. The deep recesses of His character only come out in connection with a world fallen. The heights and depths of His infinite nature were not manifested, till that which is opposed to them occurred to bring them forth.”

—Horatius Bonar

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

“How can we turn our knowledge about God into knowledge of God? The rule for doing this is simple but demanding. It is that we turn each truth that we learn about God into matter for meditation before God, leading to prayer and praise to God.”

—J. I. Packer

[Mike Riccardi @MikeRiccardi_]

All throughout Paul’s letters, he is at pains to contrast works and faith.

· Romans 3:27–28: “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

· Romans 9:30–32: “What shall we say, then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works.”

· Galatians 2:16: We know “that a man is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, … so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law.”

· Galatians 3:2: “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law or by hearing with faith?”

· Galatians 3:5: “Does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

“Not by works, but by faith.” “Not works, but faith.”

So when the reader gets to Romans 9:11 and finds that God’s election of sinners to salvation is “not because of works, but...”, what could he expect to follow but the phrase, “but because of faith”?

That would fit perfectly with the notion that election is conditioned upon foreseen faith. If the Holy Spirit wanted to convey that the conditioning basis of God’s election unto salvation was faith, there was no better opportunity to reveal it than in Romans 9:11.

But what do we find instead? Paul breaks from his consistent pattern of contrasting works and faith, and says “not because of works but because of Him who calls.”

Why such a deviation from his norm? Because: while justification is conditioned upon faith, election is not. The basis of God’s electing choice is grounded in God alone: in “Him who calls.” There is no ground or basis of election other than the God who elects. Nothing other than “the good pleasure of His will” (Eph 1:5).

Why did God justify you? Because He is “the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:26). But why did God elect you? “Because of Him who calls”; “so that God’s according-to-election purpose [ἡ κατʼ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις] would stand.”

Election is unconditional. God chose you, Christian, for absolutely nothing in or about you. In fact, He chose you in spite of everything about you! He was entirely free and unconstrained in setting His love upon undeserving sinners, determining to do you good through the mighty atoning work of His Son. You are saved by the good pleasure of God, rooted in nothing at all about yourselves.

Which is such glorious news! Had He chosen us for something in us, we might fear that something in us might eventually cause Him to cast us away. But because He has chosen us for nothing in us but only for His good pleasure, which is as immutable as He Himself is, we can be certain that He will never leave us or forsake us.

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

@CT_Calibrations You’re a king!

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

@CT_Calibrations have you done a settings video for the S95H like you did for the S95F?

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

"[I]n avoiding the alter call, we must not neglect the gospel call."

—Joel Beeke

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

Sovereign grace isn't an obstacle to saving faith. It's the unbelievers only hope of receiving it.

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

“Every atom in the universe is managed by Christ so as to be the most to the advantage of the Christian, every particle of air…every ray of the sun.”

—Jonathan Edwards

[Joel Beeke @JoelBeeke]

In Memoriam: Dr. Albert N. Martin

With a mixture of sorrow and rejoicing, we mark the passing from the church militant to the church triumphant of Dr. Albert N. Martin, a beloved friend, faithful pastor, and valiant soldier in the army of King Jesus, who died yesterday on the cusp of turning 92. For decades, he stood as a pillar in the Reformed world—known for his solid, detailed, enlightening, powerful, and faithful preaching of God’s Word and his steadfast, discerning, and unwavering commitment to all of its truths. His departure leaves a nostalgic void, not only among those who knew him personally and those who were members of his beloved Trinity Baptist Church of Montville, New Jersey, but across a much broader fellowship of churches and believers who were nourished by his ministry throughout the English-speaking world.

To many of us, Al Martin was more than a preacher of righteousness; he was a trusted friend, a wise counselor, and a brother deeply knit to our hearts in the bonds of the gospel. His friendship was marked by sincerity, love, and spiritual warmth. He possessed that rare combination of theological precision and pastoral tenderness, speaking the truth with clarity while carrying the burdens of Christ’s flock with compassion. His counsel was never shallow, never rushed, but always seasoned with Scripture and rooted in a profound communion with his Lord.

In an age often marked by theological compromise and superficiality, Al Martin stood firm. He was not swayed by trends nor intimidated by opposition. Like a watchman on the walls of Zion, he sounded forth the whole counsel of God with courage and conviction. His preaching bore the marks of careful exegesis, experiential depth, and earnest application, pressing divine truth upon the conscience with solemn urgency.

We grieve because such men are not easily replaced. The ranks of those who have labored long in the trenches, who have weathered storms, and who have remained faithful unto old age, seem to grow thinner with each passing year. And yet, we do not grieve as those without hope. For while the church militant feels the loss, the church triumphant rejoices in gain.

Personally, I owe a lot to Al Martin beginning about a half century ago when I listened to all his cassette tape lectures to his theological students with great profit. My own personal friendship with him didn’t flourish until about a few decades ago when he was still in New Jersey after I persuaded him that he should start a writing ministry. He insisted that he had no gifts to write and I insisted that his sermons reveal that he has excellent gifts for writing. He replied that he didn’t even have a computer and I insisted that he should get one and have someone teach him how to use it. He followed my advice and sent me a manuscript on the Holy Spirit’s role in preaching less than a year later. I then asked him to edit all the much-circulated cassette tape lectures to his theological students and publish them in a multi-volume set. He did even more! He traveled back to New Jersey from Michigan to record them all in an improved version, published the whole set in three volumes, and asked me to preface the first volume because, in his words to me, “You are the brother who taught me that I had a gift I didn’t know that I had and who also persuaded me to revisit these old theological lectures to prepare them for press.” While in Michigan, we frequently had three-hour lunches together; I also invited him to speak for our seminary conference and for some chapel messages—all of which were memorable events.

Brother Al Martin has now entered into the presence of the King whom he so faithfully served. The voice that once proclaimed Christ to others now joins the song of the redeemed around the throne. The labors of decades have given way to eternal rest. The battles are over; the victory is secure. He is now ever with the Lord—seeing by sight what he long embraced by faith.

What a comfort it is to know that the gospel he preached is the gospel that has brought him safely home. The Christ he exalted has now welcomed him with the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

May the Lord raise up others in his stead—men of like conviction and devotion. And may we who remain be stirred by his example to greater faithfulness, until our own course is finished and we too are gathered to be forever with the Lord.

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

"If he had not cried, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' we must have howled out this hideous complaint in the lowest hell for ever, O righteous God! O dreadful! O terrible God! thou hast for ever forsaken me!"

—John Flavel

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

“Though [the disciples] forsook Christ, yet Christ never forsook them: he loved them still.”

—John Flavel

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

"Not one repining thought against God. Not one revengeful thought against man once ruffled his spirit, "Father forgive them, for they know not 'what they do,' was all the hurt he wished his worst enemies."

—John Flavel

[Mike Riccardi @MikeRiccardi_]

“[Faith] does not justify us in the Arminian sense, [which claims that] the act of believing is imputed or accepted by God as our evangelical righteousness, instead of perfect legal righteousness. … Here you have refined Popery.

“Let all Arminians know, we have as high an esteem for faith as any men in the world, but yet we will not rob Christ to clothe faith. …

“We are willing to give [faith] all that is due to it, but we dare not despoil Christ of his glory for faith’s sake.”

— John Flavel

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

“The eye of God is first and mainly upon the will; if that be sincere and right for God, small things will be accepted; and if not, the greatest shall be abhorred.”

—John Flavel

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

"Beware of the smallest beginnings of temptations. No wise man will neglect or slight the smallest spark of fire, especially if he see it among many barrels of gun-powder. You carry gun-powder about you, O take heed of sparks."

—John Flavel

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

"Not that there is no sincerity in any man, but because there is so much hypocrisy in many men, and so much corruption in the best of men, that we [must] not be too confident, nor lay too great a stress upon any man."

—John Flavel

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

"[Holiness] is a bait that has no hook under it, a pleasure courting you which has no pain attending it, no bitterness at the latter end of it; a pleasure which God himself invites you to, and which will make you happy, truly and eternally happy."

—Matthew Henry

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

"Counterfeit piety can never bring in true pleasure. He that acts a part upon a stage, though it be the part of one that is ever so pleasant, though he may exhibit the pleasantness well, does not experience it."

—Matthew Henry

[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

What! Is it a pain, a burden, to carry Christ in our thoughts about the world?”

—John Flavel

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[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

“Though [Christ] be in the highest glory in heaven, he doth not forget us; he hath graven us upon the palms of his hands; we are continually before him. He thinks on us, when we forget him.

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[Christian Rodriguez @rodriguez_c_w]

The whole honor and glory paid him in heaven by the angels, cannot divert his thoughts one moment from us; but every trifle that meets us in the way, is enough to divert our thoughts from him. Why do we not abhor and loathe ourselves for this?

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