May 1956

How would one’s life change if they knew that not only were they a citizen of a country, but they were a child of the king? This question is posed in a much deeper way by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon on Ephesians 2:19 titled “Of the Household of God.” In his continued sermon series on Ephesians 2:19, he plunges further into the depths of the Christian’s position and privilege. Paul uses the metaphors of a kingdom, the family, and the temple of God. Being part of the kingdom entails unity as a people, along with the rights and privileges of being under the king. Being part of the household of God entails the intimacy and depth of relationship with God. The second is much deeper than the first. By way of application, Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that understanding the familial relationship of the church should promote deep relationships in the church. Also, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, these two descriptors point to the bewildering facets of the love of God towards the Christian, but also demand the responsibility to represent God well.

What does it take to change a person? Many in modern society say people simply need political change, or to change their environment. In this sermon on Ezekiel 36:26 titled “A New Heart,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that Scripture gives a very different answer. Scripture tells that a person’s greatest need is not that they should be wealthy or emotionally fulfilled. The greatest need is to be made right with God. For all are naturally born with a sin-hardened and corrupted heart. They desire sin continually and reject God and His ways. This cannot be remedied by shallow and external change, but it requires true change. What is this change? According to the prophet Ezekiel, it is a change brought about by God granting a new heart to sinners. This is when God miraculously changes people from sinners to children of God. This wholly new orientation frees people from the bondage of sin and immorality, and gives them new desires for what is righteous, beautiful, and good. This is the free gift of salvation for all who believe in Jesus Christ.

In this sermon titled “They Became Fools,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones warns that the world as it is today is the greatest proof of the wrath of God against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. The world with all of its moral problems is proving what Paul is saying in Romans 1:18–32. Paul is warning that God’s wrath has been revealed and those who reject it and suppress the truth will be turned away from God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines the slippery slope that humanity can fall into if they attempt to live on their own morality. It is extremely easy for humanity to suppress the truth and try to create its own truth. In thinking themselves wise, they became fools and suppressed the truth in unrighteousness. However, humanity was never meant to fully understand God and Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns that one should always approach God and the Savior with reverence and respect. Paul further warns that God will likewise dismiss those who refuse to acknowledge God and dismiss Him. Those that do this are in danger of hell, a place without God and without restraint. Dr. Lloyd-Jones hopes that by hearing this great message of warning the listener will be encouraged to live a life with a burden for the souls of humanity. The righteous blood of Christ can make even the vilest clean again, give hope in that gospel, and the desire to share it with others.

In this sermon on Ezekiel 36:25 titled “Ye Shall Be Clean,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells listeners that all humans are born into slavery to sin. The first reality that sinners must come to in order for them to be saved by God is their sinfulness. Sinners stand dirty before God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches the good news of the gospel; that all who come to Jesus Christ and repent shall indeed be cleansed by His holy blood. Since God is light and there is no darkness at all in Him, sinners must be first cleansed before entering Heaven. The wonderful news is that Christ washes His people clean as soon as they turn to Him and repent. The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world specifically to atone for sins. He did not only teach or provide an example, though He did do these things. He came to be the propitiation for the sins of the world. Dr. Lloyd-Jones exhorts that the only way that a sinner can enter Heaven is through the eternal blood of Christ, which is sufficient to atone for all sins.

What is the grounding of the Christian faith? In this sermon on Acts 7:1-47, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the great reality that the Christian faith is anchored in time and history. God sent His Son into the world at a specific time and place to die and rise for sinners so that they would be redeemed. After Jesus ascended, He sent His Holy Spirit to empower His disciples to spread the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth. This supernatural power is what made the Church what it was in the time of the apostles, and the Holy Spirit continues to work in the Church today so that it can reach the world. The Church can be bold because it has a message that is grounded in history. The Holy Spirit continues to work in the Church so that the whole world can hear of what God has done in His Son. But, "what does Jesus dying upon the cross have to do with me?" someone may ask. The answer is simple: Jesus died and rose from the grave so that all who believe in Him might be saved and made children of God.

God will punish sin. Sin never escapes His notice and He will pour out His wrath on it. In this sermon titled “Their Foolish Heart was Darkened,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd- Jones furthers the study of God’s wrath in this sermon on Romans 1:18–20 and shows the inexcusability of sin. Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns that humanity cannot plead ignorance since God put in the heart a universal knowledge of right and wrong, His existence, and His holy standard. In what ways has this knowledge been revealed? It is in both general and special revelation. In great detail, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains what these two types of revelation look like and how unbelievers suppress the truth and fight against it. The fundamental cause of rebellion is pride and overall wickedness. Atheists claim there is no God, but are only denying what He put both in their hearts and in all of creation. The next step after pride is for the Lord to lead hearts out of darkness. The Bible says that without Christ, there is darkness, but because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, there is now light with the Lord.

Many people vie for the opportunity to be a citizen of a great nation, but Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones dives into the reality that Christians have a far greater privilege and responsibility as citizens of the kingdom of God. In this sermon on Ephesians 2:19 titled “Privileges and Responsibilities,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the magnificent realities that entail being made a citizen of the kingdom. God is actively pursuing the good of each and every member of the kingdom. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes, “All the resources of the Godhead are for us.” Accordingly, Christians have been given all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places and find their pinnacle in access to God Himself. Dr. Lloyd-Jones turns the sermon to discuss some of the responsibilities of the Christian. By way of illustration, if a person is in the army, they are going to be expected and required to live, look, and act a certain way, and it will be the greatest joy to do so. They want to represent their king and kingdom well. How much greater is the weight of responsibility for the Christian who was brought into the kingdom by the blood of their King?

What is the gospel and how does it reveal God’s glory? In this sermon on Ezekiel 36:24 titled “Out of Babylon into Canaan,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches how one’s blindness to the truth about sin is what enables them to continue in it. God’s punishment of sin is very clear. The gospel comes in where all hope seems lost. God set out to restore His own name that humanity profaned. This is not merely an act of morality and kindness, nor is it the choice of anyone; it is entirely the work of God. Learn of the immense distance between the depth of sin and the height of God’s glory. God deserves the praise of ten thousand tongues. Nothing less than the power of God can do such amazing work; all of humanity could not conjure up enough power to make one single person a Christian. All must stand in the power of God, rather than the wisdom of humanity. The first thing the world needs to be delivered from is their ignorance of God. Sin puts people in the wrong relationship with God, but salvation restores them to what ought to be as humanity was made for paradise.

The wrath of God explained in Romans 1:18 is aimed at everyone who continues in sin. In this sermon titled “Ungodliness,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd- Jones outlines two key descriptions of sin from this verse: ungodliness and unrighteousness. One should be careful that these descriptions are always associated in this order and never mentioned apart. Ungodliness convicts all humans of sin because it shows how far they fall from the measure of God. Unrighteousness furthers guilt, showing how even in relationship with God and others, all have failed immensely and stand condemned. Paul warns that all will one day be judged on their response and relationship with God. The social gospel has no answer to God’s wrath and nothing apart from Christ can reconcile sinners to God. Only hell awaits those who continue in transgressions, broken in their relationship with God, and awaiting His punishment. Yet because of Jesus Christ, there is hope for all who surrender and repent of sin.

In a time of instability, it can seem like there is no foundation. Each nation has its own issues and is destined to end at some point. However, is there a nation that will last forever? In this sermon on Ephesians 2:19 titled “Heavenly Citizenship,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out there is a kingdom that will last forever—the kingdom of God— and Ephesians 2:19 gives this hope. According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, if the church understood the reality of their citizenship and the nature of the kingdom, she would be heading towards revival. The church is called to understand the reality of the kingdom and rejoice in it. So what is the nature of this kingdom? According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the kingdom implies that the people contained in it are separate. Also, it means the church is bound by the same allegiance to each other and to the King. However, this is not a kingdom that can be entered into by mere outward allegiance; it takes “new birth” by the Spirit and redemption by the “precious blood of Jesus.” Christians are brought into a spiritual kingdom and birthed into it by the Spirit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that while it may seem like the church is underwhelming, on the day that Jesus returns and the church is united, that will not be the case.

Is humanity responsible for all the evil in the world? The Bible says that humanity was made in the image of God and they were made upright, but they sinned and become corrupt when they put their own wisdom above that of God. Ever since, all the children of Adam and Eve have been born in sin and corruption. In this sermon on Ezekiel 36:16 titled “The Act of Rebellion,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that this sinful nature lies at the heart of all false worship and rebellion. What is the cure for humanity’s sinful and depraved nature? Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that it is none other than the death of God’s own Son upon the cross of Calvary. Human depravity is so thorough that it must be removed by Jesus Christ dying for sinners so that they would be clean. No moral improvement, no amount of education, and no good deeds can ever atone for sin. Only Jesus can cleanse from all sin and make anyone holy before God. All must repent and believe upon the crucified Son of God in order to be freed from death and the power of Satan, and transferred into the kingdom of God. All self-righteousness and self-justification must be abandoned at the foot of the cross where Jesus bled and died so that sinners might have eternal life.

When one thinks of God’s wrath, they often think of unrelenting rage. There are times in Biblical history when the punishment for sin was met with God’s mighty fist and proves this. However, in the sermon “The Wrath of God Revealed,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones offers that God’s wrath is rather His complete hatred of sin. Romans 1:18 points out that God’s wrath against unrighteousness has been revealed with the full authority of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines several evidences to prove how and when that the wrath is revealed. One evidence is that all people have a sense of right and wrong, and it is found in the conscience which often gives remorse over wrongdoing. God’s wrath may be immediate physical consequence of sin or His wrath could be postponed until the appointed time. Regardless of when, God will punish sin. One thing is to be sure, God’s wrath will come. It is shown in God’s perfect example of sending His Son to the cross. The cross proves that the wrath of God is only satisfied when the wages of sin are paid. The Old Testament illustrates this with the sacrifices that picture what Christ did on the cross. Before the love of God on the cross can be seen, the wrath must first be seen. It is only by understanding the depths of the wrath that one can understand the depths of His love.