The Scripture of Truth
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:14
Originally preached Feb. 4, 1962
Scripture
14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Sermon Description
The question of the age is that of true authority. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:14 titled “The Scripture of Truth,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains how people are desperate for any note of authority. But even the Christian church is confused about what is truth. Cults are successful because they speak with an authoritative voice. All the troubles of the church and the world today are due to a departure from the authority of the Bible. The Christian church has often not helped this by putting philosophy in the place of revelation. The Protestant and apostolic church’s position is that the Bible is the word of God, uniquely inspired and inerrant. The Protestant Reformers judged the Roman Church and its traditions by what they found in the Bible. No one can ever arrive on their own at a knowledge of God. They either submit completely to the authority of the Bible or have no authority at all. God’s revelation can be received and attained only as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit upon and in the believer. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks: “how do we face the future, temptation, the devil, and the uncertainty of life?” It is by having “loins girt about with the truth” of the word of God, as revealed in the Bible.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon examines Ephesians 6:14 which exhorts believers to "stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth."
- The sermon emphasizes the importance of truth and authority for the Christian life. Without truth, we have no way to stand against the devil and his schemes.
- The sermon argues that truth and authority cannot come from human reason, feelings, experiences, or church tradition. These are subjective and prone to error.
- The sermon asserts that the Bible alone should be the Christian's authority. It claims to be the very word of God, not just containing the word of God.
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The sermon outlines why the Bible should be the Christian's authority:
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God is infinite and incomprehensible. Finite human reason cannot know Him apart from revelation.
- Humans are sinful and twisted. Our minds are blinded to spiritual truth apart from God's grace.
- The Bible claims to be the word of God. The prophets and apostles claimed to speak God's words, not their own.
- Jesus Himself submitted to the authority of the Old Testament and claimed His words carried God's authority.
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The Holy Spirit illuminates our minds to understand the Bible. We must come to it with humility, not relying on human wisdom.
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The sermon concludes by exhorting Christians to submit to the Bible's authority if they want to stand against the devil. We must come to it with humility, acknowledging our dependence on God's Spirit to understand His truth.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.