Sermons of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

In Jesus Christ a new harmony formed, not along the lines of race, family, or country, but in the basis of membership in the family of God. In this sermon on Ephesians 2:15 titled “Christ’s Way of Making Peace,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims the words of Paul, saying all who believe are adopted into God’s family and become inheritors with Christ of the whole world. In this new people there is neither Jew nor Gentile, for the people of God are those who are the children of Abraham by nature of their faith in Christ and their adoption into God’s family. This is why division in the church on the basis of age, race, and nationality are such a travesty. The peace of God transcends all divisions and walls. This peace, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes, is one that makes fallen men and women righteous before God and it also puts them in a right relationship with one another as brothers and sisters in the family of God. This new relationship is the first fruits of what is to come in the new creation that Christ will bring to completion when He returns in glory and judgment on the last day. The church should look to the peace that Christ has granted in the gospel as the greatest hope in the Christian life.

In this sermon on Ephesians 2:14–16 titled “He is Our Peace,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the main purpose of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is to encourage the church in the peace of Christ. Christians have been saved and are in the body of Christ and as such, they have been redeemed and the war with God is over. They now have the peace of Christ that governs them. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that the realization that Christ is the peace of believers is one of the most significant and meaningful encouragements to the soul. Only when people understand the true nature of sin do they understand the true nature of salvation. Additionally, Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses some who would discount the first few chapters of Genesis. Dr. Lloyd-Jones stresses that without the beginning of the Bible, people will not understand why the world is as corrupt as it is, nor will they witness the roots of the gospel. Without understanding the sin that originates in Genesis, people will be confused about the lack of peace in the world. Unbelievers will never have peace with each other unless they have peace with God in salvation. Thankfully Jesus made a way to have peace with God through His death on the cross. Through Christ, all can have lasting peace.

A new pathway to God cannot be invented. Whether through morality and good deeds or by the ritual of religion and mysticism, there is no human invention that will save humanity. On their own, none of these are sufficient to bring people near to God. In this sermon on the blood of Christ from Ephesians 2:13, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shares that the theology of blood is offensive to modern people. The blood of Christ, in His sacrificial death, is a scandal to people today. While people, even some who claim to be Christian, go to great lengths to deny this teaching, one cannot escape the truth that is found throughout Scripture about the necessity of the blood of Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones traces this theme in the Bible in order to demonstrate why the death of Christ was necessary. Far from being a doctrine to be despised, it is a doctrine to be cherished by those with eyes to see it. It is a doctrine where full assurance and forgiveness can be found. Listen attentively as Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds on wonderful truths of expiation, atonement, and sacrifice.

Everyone has a past. It is often painful to look back on one’s life and see the suffering their sin caused others and how it offends a holy and righteous God. But if one recognizes God’s power in salvation, “looking back” is an important ingredient. In this sermon on Ephesians 2:13 titled “You Who Were Far Off,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states that the other ingredient to consider is the Christian’s current position because of God’s power. The apostle Paul remarkably does this with just one word: “but.” This word brings relief to the believer in Christ and points to the utter contrast between the old life and the new life in Christ. It also points to the separation between the believer and the unbeliever. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explores this contrast by looking at the details of the new covenant. One must not think that the absolute nature of the contrast is only true for those who were “really” bad before Christ. The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is an absolute difference, whether one grew up in a respectable environment or the gutters of life. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones takes a close look at the remarkable promises of the new covenant.

The greater one understands the depths of their sin, the more they understand the greatness of God’s mercy. For the Christian there is a reciprocal relationship between looking to their life before Christ and the amount of praise they offer to God. If the believer never examines their state of being without Christ, thanksgiving to God for salvation will unlikely mark their life. In this sermon on Ephesians 2:12 titled “Without Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones follows Paul in challenging what it means to be without Christ in order to see just how astounding salvation really is. The worst condition of a person is that they are without Christ. But what does this really mean? Dr. Lloyd-Jones walks through the biblical text in order to show what it means to be a stranger towards God’s covenant people, to be an alien to the commonwealth of Israel. This alienation from God and His covenant people will undoubtedly lead to a life without hope. Soberly listen and contemplate a state without Christ and then rejoice that one can flee to him and find new hope.