Divine Grace in Salvation: Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on God's Sovereign Work
The Priority and Power of God's Grace in Salvation
In his masterful exposition of Ephesians 2, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones unfolds a truth that shaped his entire ministry: salvation belongs entirely to God. His sermon "But God" reveals how divine grace, not human effort, transforms spiritually dead sinners into living saints. For the Doctor, this wasn't merely theological theory but the very heart of the Christian message.
Dr Lloyd-Jones states this fundamental truth with characteristic clarity: "It is all of God from the very beginning to the very end. The Bible is the record of the activity of God... Salvation entirely, altogether from Alpha to Omega is of God. It is all of grace. And His alone must be the glory." This emphasis on divine sovereignty in salvation shaped every aspect of his preaching and pastoral ministry.
The Surprising Nature of Grace
The Doctor was particularly concerned about preserving the surprising nature of grace. He worried that many Christians had become too familiar with the gospel, treating it ascommonplace rather than revolutionary. "If what you regard as gospel tonight is not the most surprising, amazing, astounding thing to you, you haven't got it at all. You've got something else, a false gospel," he warned his congregation.
To illustrate the sovereign nature of grace, Dr Lloyd-Jones often told the story of Charles Spurgeon's encounter with a drunk man. The man boasted, "Mr. Spurgeon, I'm one of your converts," to which Spurgeon replied, "I can well believe it, for you are obviously not one of God's converts." For Dr Lloyd-Jones, this story perfectly captured the difference between human-centered religion and divine grace.
The Doctor was deeply concerned about the tendency in Christian circles to speak of salvation as if it were primarily a human achievement. He saw this not just as a theological error but as a fundamental misunderstanding of the gospel itself. For him, grace meant that God does what humans cannot do for themselves - bringing life to those spiritually dead, freedom to those in bondage, and reconciliation to those alienated from God.
Grace as God's Transformative Power
Dr Lloyd-Jones emphasized that grace is more than divine assistance or help - it is God's sovereign, transformative power at work. He defines grace as "favor shown to the utterly undeserving. It is kindness shown to those who deserve nothing but reprobation and hell." This understanding shaped his view of everything from evangelism to pastoral care.
This emphasis on sovereign grace led Dr Lloyd-Jones to be particularly critical of methods that seemed to reduce conversion to human decision-making or emotional manipulation. He insisted that true conversion was always God's work, though it involved human response. The priority, however, always belonged to divine action.
Contemporary Application
For contemporary Christians, Dr Lloyd-Jones' teaching on grace remains profoundly relevant. In an age of self-help spirituality and consumer Christianity, his emphasis on divine sovereignty provides a much-needed corrective. It reminds us that genuine Christianity begins not with human initiative but with divine intervention.
The practical implications of this understanding are far-reaching. If salvation is truly God's work, then our confidence in evangelism rests not on our abilities but on God's power. If transformation comes through grace, then pastoral care involves more than giving good advice - it means pointing people to the God who changes hearts.
Dr Lloyd-Jones' teaching also affects how we view the Christian life. If we are saved by grace, we are also sustained by grace. The same divine power that initiated salvation continues to work in believers' lives. This understanding produces both humility and confidence - humility because we recognize our complete dependence on God, and confidence because we trust in His unfailing purpose.
Grace in Church Life
The Doctor's emphasis on grace shaped his view of church life as well. Worship, he believed, should reflect our complete dependence on God. Ministry should demonstrate confidence in divine power rather than human techniques. Leadership should express humble reliance on God's work rather than organizational expertise.
For Dr Lloyd-Jones, the truth of sovereign grace wasn't just theological doctrine - it was the very heart of Christian experience. It explained how dead sinners could become living saints, how rebels could become children of God, and how the spiritually blind could come to see divine truth.
Enduring Relevance
In our contemporary context, where human achievement and self-reliance are highly valued, Dr Lloyd-Jones' teaching on grace provides a crucial reminder that salvation is God's work from beginning to end. This truth remains essential for maintaining biblical Christianity in an age of religious confusion and spiritual superficiality.
Q and A
What does the Bible say about divine grace?
Dr Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the Bible presents grace as:
- "Favor shown to the utterly undeserving"
- "Kindness shown to those who deserve nothing but reprobation and hell"
- Entirely God's initiative: "It is all of God from the very beginning to the very end"
- The basis of salvation: "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God"
How do you get divine grace?
Dr Lloyd-Jones would strongly argue that you don't "get" grace through any human effort. As he states in the sermon:
- Grace is entirely God's work: "Salvation entirely, altogether from Alpha to Omega is of God"
- Humans can't initiate it because they're spiritually dead
- It's not something earned or achieved: "not of works, lest any man should boast"
- It comes through God's sovereign action: "But God, who is rich in mercy... hath quickened us"
What is the act of divine grace?
According to Dr Lloyd-Jones, divine grace involves:
- God quickening (making alive) those who are spiritually dead
- God raising believers up with Christ
- God seating believers in heavenly places with Christ
- God transforming sinners into saints through supernatural power
- God maintaining the believer's new life: "If we are saved by grace, we are also sustained by grace"
What are the three major understandings of divine grace?
From Dr Lloyd-Jones' sermon, he emphasizes these key aspects:
1. Grace as God's Unmerited Favor
- "Rich in mercy"
- "Great love wherewith he loved us"
- Given to those who deserve the opposite
2. Grace as God's Transformative Power
- Changes spiritually dead people into living beings
- Creates new life where there was death
- Performs what is humanly impossible
3. Grace as God's Continuing Work
- Initiates salvation
- Sustains the Christian life
- Will continue "in the ages to come"
Dr Lloyd-Jones particularly emphasizes that these aren't just theological concepts but realities that should produce:
- Amazement at God's work
- Humility in the believer
- Recognition that all glory belongs to God alone
He illustrates this with the story of Spurgeon and the drunk man, showing that true grace produces genuine transformation, not just superficial change. As he states, "Before a man is a Christian, he's got to be born again. He needs the life of God in his soul. And God alone can do that."