January 1967

What is the ultimate experience in this life? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains in this sermon from John 4:13–14 titled “The Spirit of Your Mind” that to know and love God is the highest end in life, and it is the only way of salvation from sin and condemnation. However, the presence of sin keeps humanity from knowing God and his gospel. It stops all from believing in Jesus Christ. It is only by regeneration that fallen men and women can be granted eyes of faith that are able to properly see God, and only by receiving a new nature can they truly know God. This creates an antithesis between fallen sinners who remain slaves to their sinful nature, and those who have been given a new nature by their union with Christ. In brief, Christians seek what is good, holy, and pure as a pattern of life. This desire for righteousness is not dead religion, but new life in Jesus Christ. Those in Christ can fight against sin and temptation, not because they are holy in themselves, but because they are empowered by the Holy Spirit to have victory over sin’s power and influence. Christians can have hope in eventual glorification because Christ has risen from the dead and given them the gift of salvation.

How can one know God’s plan for their life? Are they willing to trust and follow Him even when the outcome is unclear? God’s plans are often different than humanity’s for His ways are above human ways. As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones unfolds Acts 7:17–20 in this sermon titled “The Wisdom of Men,” this fact is seen as God calls Israel out of the land of Egypt and bondage. He does so by blessing them to grow and multiply even as they are oppressed by Pharaoh. In their suffering they turn to God and ask Him to deliver them out of suffering and bondage. God does so through His servant Moses. In a similar way, God uses the presence of sin and the law to cause humanity to flee from their sins and to turn to Christ. This is the reason for many of the hard circumstances in life. It is to make one turn from their efforts and turn to the God who alone can save. This salvation is not of the world’s wisdom, but it is only found in Christ and in His redeeming work on the cross of Calvary and victory from the grave.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues his historical review of the relationship between church and state. Building on his previous sermon, he presses the listener to consider church history in this sermon on Romans 13:1–7 titled “Church and the State (3).” It is important, he argues, because there is no neutral ground. It is all relevant to the life of Christ’s followers and how they live out those lives. Claiming disinterest and avoidance is a great sin. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds on the lives of the Puritans and Separatists (both groups had deep-rooted interest in this topic), he reminds that these two were completely different in their approach towards church and state. Though the Puritans went to America to find relief from religious tyranny, they themselves became the religious and ecclesial tyrants who were intolerant. At the same time the Separatists argued for complete freedom between church and state, wanting the religious freedom to worship as they chose. As these groups are considered, Dr. Lloyd-Jones cautions refraining from severe judgment because they were outworking new ideas and beliefs in a difficult political atmosphere. Listen to his compelling review on church history and be encouraged to think anew on one’s own responsibilities regarding religious freedom.

What is it that empowers Christians to live as followers of Christ? In this sermon on John 4:13-14 titled “The Power Within,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shares that the answer is the Holy Spirit dwelling in believers. All who have believed in Christ have the Holy Spirit indwelling in them, and they have been made new by His power. For this reason, Christians ought to look to what the Bible tells them is the standard for living and for the world. All who believe have overcome the world. Christians cannot simply avoid doing what the world does, but they must strive to please God by living a life according to His commands. This frees believers from the danger of legalism because they look to God’s Word as the standard for what it means to live as a Christian empowered by the Holy Spirit. This sermon forces everyone to ask the questions: “do you have the Holy Spirit? Have you repented of your sins and believed in Jesus Christ?” It is only through trusting in Christ that anyone can have peace with God.

The Christian message is God’s intervention in human history. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims that through it, God can be seen working in and amongst humanity to bring about the salvation of the world through His Son, Jesus Christ. One cannot reject the supernatural and miraculous aspect of Christianity without rejecting the heart of the Christian faith because at the heart of the Christian religion stands Jesus Christ. He was true man and true God, born of a virgin. He lived a life that was filled with many miracles, supernatural interventions and acts of divine providence. He died a death of atonement upon the cross. He was buried and rose from the dead. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes in this sermon titled “The Supernatural Power of God,” modern humanity rejects the supernatural nature and work of Christ, saying it is unscientific and primitive to claim that God acts in a way that breaks the laws of nature. Yet, it is God who invented the laws of nature and nature itself. He lives outside the boundaries He made for humanity. This message is not one of further explanation of the natural law, but of a confrontation with a supernatural call to repent and believe in Jesus Christ.

Does church history hold importance for believers today? Why should Christians look to the past for insight into doctrine instead of looking to Scripture alone? In the second part of his series on the church and the state, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones chastises the arrogance of believers who say church history is not important. In this sermon on Romans 13:1–7 titled “Church and the State (2),” he argues for the wisdom of modern believers’ consideration of men and women of history handling difficult questions of their faith. This is particularly enlightening as one considers the relations of church and state. Dr. Lloyd-Jones continues his historical look at these particular relations through consideration of the view that the church and the state are essentially different and distinct. He provides four distinctions to consider: their difference in origin, the object from which they were instituted, the power given to them by God, and the way their functions are carried out. The teachings of Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin are given special attention by Dr. Lloyd-Jones as their beliefs are foundational to the development of the influential Belgic Confession and Westminster Confession. These confessions have direct implications for Presbyterian congregations today. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds on the value of learning from church history as he continues discussing the relations of the church and the state.

If the world’s problems could be fixed by legislation, moral reform, and education, there is no doubt humanity would have done it. However, as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from Acts 7:17–20 in the sermon “The Futility of Humanism,” while humans claim to be progressing, there is no end to worldwide conflict, war, poverty, and strife. Instead of turning to God in repentance, the world wants only to find relief from the symptoms of sin and the common struggles of humankind. The world wants to believe that there is nothing beyond matter and motion. This is the failed humanistic thinking of the enlightenment idea of religion that holds God and sin as nothing more than intellectually dubious at best, and destructive to humanity at worst. But as Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims, there is nothing new about the humanist unbelief, or this so-called scientific worldview. For all unbelief is really nothing more than the outworking of a sinful heart. All rejection of the historical facts of Christianity are not the result of intellectual reflection, but of blind and prejudiced unbelief. As history has shown, human endeavors to bring about moral transformation and world peace always end in abysmal failure. This is no less true in modern times, for without the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of fallen sinners, no lasting and true transformation can take place.

In this first part of his series on the church and the state, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones lays a historical foundation for understanding the development of the relationship between the two. In this sermon from Romans 13:1–7 titled “Church and the State (1),” he affirms the importance of Christians thinking carefully about their responsibility and attitude towards government and authority. Scripture teaches that the church and government structures are both ordained by God and therefore Christians must maintain a God-honoring posture towards both. Critical to this is having an understanding of how church and state relations developed. In the first three centuries of the early church, believers were living in a pagan world controlled by the Roman Empire. No one was under the illusion that the church and state were one entity. They were at odds towards one another. This changed, Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches, when Constantine came to power and instituted Christianity as the official religion of the state. What followed was a power struggle between church and state. Listen to this compelling sermon by Dr. Lloyd-Jones as he equips his listeners to understand the historical struggle for authority and power that shapes a current understanding of the relationship of Christianity and government.

The Christian gospel holds out a hope for everyone who has received the gift of God. Do you know the gift of God? In this sermon on John 4:13-14 titled “the gift of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells of the satisfaction that God can give to an otherwise hopeless man. He firstly explains that in order to see that we are hopeless without Christ, we have to examine ourselves and realize how much we depend on activities and worldly things instead of God. The world is in total darkness and despair, not knowing its own need for salvation. It pursues nothing but pleasure and the fleeting pleasures of this life. Not even the most complex philosophies offer any lasting satisfaction. All this comes to nothing because on the last day Christ will return and judge those who do not know Him as Lord and Savior. Unless we see our worldly sin, then we cannot receive the wonderful gift of God that he offers freely to us. Then he explains that in order to receive the gift of God and a new life, you have to understand that you need Jesus and the world cannot satisfy your needs. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman “if only you knew the gift of God” and Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this gift is the exceeding riches of his grace and the unsearchable riches of Christ.

Acts 7:7–20 is the account of Stephen who made it his goal to preach Jesus as the Messiah. He wanted the Pharisees to see that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises. The points that Stephen makes are important to hear today as many react to these teachings the same way the Sanhedrin did. Listen to “God and History” as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out these similarities. First, people are unaware of God’s purposes in history. Too often, they ignore the past and lose sight of God’s plans. History is viewed as the activity of humanity rather than the activity of God. Not only has humanity failed to detect God’s plans, but they have also tried to reject them. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out how nothing can stop the plans of God. This is seen in the Bible as God’s plans unfold according to His words. Dr. Lloyd-Jones closes by reminding the listener to trust God, knowing that He has established His plans for the future. Christians can live in hope knowing that they will one day spend eternity in heaven with God. He encourages to simply give the time on earth to God and trust in His plans.