The Unbeliever
A Sermon on Jeremiah 17:14-15
Originally preached July 17, 1955
Scripture
14Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.
15¶ Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.
Sermon Description
What is one’s response to the word of the Lord? Do they believe it and does His word draw them to confession of sin and repentance? In this sermon on Jeremiah 17:14–15 titled “The Unbeliever,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones exhorts the Christian to examine how they respond to the word of God. He elaborates that everyone in the whole world is divided by whether or not they respond in faith to the word of God. The non-Christian does not believe the word, but instead mocks, scoffs, and denies what it says. Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows that this was the reality for Jeremiah’s audience; they mocked the prophecies spoken by Jeremiah. Moreover, the same is true of unbelievers today. Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds that people will scoff at the word of God until judgement day. However, the believer is cut to the heart by the word of God and confesses their sin. The Christian trusts the word of God and risks losing everything in obedience.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon examines Jeremiah 17:15 which says “Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the Lord? let it come now.” This verse shows the response of unbelievers to God’s word.
- There are only two possible responses to God’s word: that of believers (like Jeremiah) or unbelievers. Our response to God’s word determines whether we are Christians or not.
- What determines if we are Christians is not our life, feelings, or experiences but our response to God’s word. If we believe God’s word, we will act on it. If we haven’t acted on it, we don’t really believe it.
- Unbelievers disbelieve and defy God’s word. They scoff at it and mock it. They are ignorant of history, God’s ways, God’s power, and God’s love.
- Unbelievers will prove the truth of God’s word in their own lives. God’s word always comes to pass. Examples from history show how God’s warnings were fulfilled. The unbelievers’ request for God’s judgment will be granted.
- We must ask ourselves if we really believe God’s word. Do we believe God’s law is still in effect? Do we believe we will be judged by it? Do we believe in life after death and the final judgment? Do we believe that apart from Christ we will go to hell?
- If we believe God’s word, we will feel hopeless in ourselves but trust in Christ. We will confess our sins but trust in Christ’s work. We can go to God in full assurance of faith, pleading Christ’s blood, knowing God will receive us.
- Christ’s blood can cleanse us from any sin. We simply need to feel our need of him. When God washes us in Christ’s blood, our sins are remembered no more.
Old Testament
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.