Sermons of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

What is the minimum of what it means to be a Christian? In this sermon on Ephesians 1:1 titled “Saints…and Faithful in Christ Jesus,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses this question. Three striking descriptions are proclaimed from this text: saints, faithful, and union with Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones centers his sermon around these descriptors and shows what the apostle Paul meant by these terms. While many Christians have a tendency to emphasize one of these descriptions over against the other, Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls the Christian to hold these together. The failure to do so is damaging to the church as Christianity is reduced to either some form of “easy believism” or an academic exercise. Correct doctrine, holiness, and participation in Christ must be at the center of one’s definition of “Christian.” Christians who have a burden for the lost must know who they are and what they are called to be, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones. Having a robust understanding of what it means to be a Christian has a direct effect on one’s witness to the world.

When a person is at the point of giving up and giving in, would it make a difference if they knew that the same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead also was working for them? This is the mystery Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses as he begins a new sermon series on the book of Ephesians. While the world wrestles with “war at our doorstep,” the mystery of salvation leads Christians to worship and give thanks even in the darkest hour. In this sermon on Ephesians 1:1 titled “The Mystery of God,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the apostle Paul is pleading with believers to seek a new, fresh, and deeper understanding of God’s grace and predestined purpose for them. Since the riches of God’s attributes are displayed in the Christian’s salvation, they should live always ready and eager to confess the gospel of Jesus Christ. Knowing that the sovereign God reigns supreme over all, that the death of Christ paid for sin, and He has risen from the grave, the Christian moves forward in confidence. Regardless of circumstances, the greatest need of everyone is to know the truths of the gospel.

What is faith? Is it simply belief in some divine power? Is it merely confidence in belief itself? In this sermon on Romans 4:22–25 titled “Raised for Our Justification,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones seeks to answer the question of what true faith is. Biblical faith is not a generic faith in an idea of God or even salvation, but it an absolute trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is a faith in the message that Jesus has died and risen from the dead. It is a faith that revolves around what Jesus has done for sinners by dying on the cross. It is the death and resurrection of Jesus that saves and makes the Christian right before God. It is Jesus’s work on the cross that brings the believer to a true knowledge of God the Father. The only thing left to do is to believe in Jesus, to come before God in need of His grace and mercy. Just as Abraham believed in the promises of God and it was accounted to him as righteousness, so too all that believe in the promise of God in Jesus Christ will justified before God. This sermon is a message of hope and peace in the salvation that Jesus’s brings.

What is faith? In this sermon on Romans 4:18–22 titled “Faith Glorifying God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones dissects the negative and positive aspects of the nature of faith through the illustration of Abraham presented in Romans 4:18–22: “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” Abraham’s faith was not one that looked to itself, nor to his circumstances, but its essence was to give glory to God. He considered the nature of God – the God who never makes His promises lightly, never changes His mind, and is fully capable of doing what He has promised – and Abraham applied that knowledge to his circumstances. In one’s own experience, though they may find they are weak in faith, all they need do to strengthen it is to follow the example of Abraham and many others put forth in Scripture as examples of great faith. The Christian must grow in their knowledge of God – objectively, as He’s revealed Himself in the Scriptures and personally, through prayer and time spent in His presence – and apply that knowledge to the particulars of their lives. Faith is simply holding onto the faithfulness of God.

Evangelicals rightly value truth. Sometimes, however, their reputation for truth is understood as the desire to merely be right. The former leads to freedom, assurance, and grace. The latter leads to a morbid cynicism. Among the problems in the church of Rome was the concern about whether they were right about eating and drinking. In this sermon on the Holy Spirit from Roman 14:17 titled “Peace in the Holy Spirit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones suggests they were constantly worried about being right on an issue, which led to fearful, anxious, and censorious conditions. The church was a place that contradicted what the kingdom of God is about: peace. The church today is likewise preoccupied with the matter of being right. The result is constantly looking for some defect in one another – being “spiritual detectives” towards each other instead of the family of God. But where is peace in all this? Have Christians forgotten that the purpose of salvation itself is to have peace with God? This gospel of peace spreads, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, to having peace with ourselves and one another. The kingdom of God is about peace. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones points to the Prince of Peace in order that Christians may have peace.