December 1967

Preaching this Christmas sermon titled “A Gospel for Sinners” from Acts 8:25, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that the greatest message the world can hear is the gospel. The gospel tells of what Christ has done for humanity. It tells that God loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die in the place of sinners who deserved judgment and condemnation. This is not a message of sentimentalism and shallow love, but it is one that proclaims the great power of God in salvation. Only by a direct act of God can sinful people be made righteous and holy before God their creator and king but humanity scorns and mocks this message. They think that the belief in a messiah who dies on a cross is utter foolishness and stupidity. They see it as backwards and barbaric; that it is not rational for anyone to believe. But the gospel is not according to the world’s wisdom, as God’s ways are not human ways. All human pride and arrogance are destroyed by the message that they are fallen sinners, dead and unable to save themselves from the wrath they so justly deserve. In Christ all the wisdom of God is made manifest.

Is communion and fellowship with the Lord possible? How does the Christian gain this experience? In this sermon on John 4:27-30 titled “Nearer My God to Thee,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones assures the believer that it is possible to encounter God and enjoy fellowship with him. Not only is it possible, it is his desire that the Christian should know him and draw near. The means to do this are given in Scripture: diligently seek the Lord in the Scriptures, partake in the Lord’s Supper to realize his spiritual presence, pray and ask God to reveal himself, and be obedient and responsive to his encouragements. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that now, more than ever, Christians have the time and means to seek the Lord but they must create and fight for this time. They must not allow themselves to be overcome by other responsibilities as if drawing near to God is the lesser priority. Set aside everything else to commune with the Lord and experience his fellowship.

Can people do anything to save themselves? Are all good deeds really worthless? In this sermon on “Simon the Sorcerer,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims the powerful gospel from Acts 8:18–24, showing that it does not matter how many good works one does or how religious they are: human effort is powerless to save. The severity of sin cannot be undone by good deeds and righteous works. Those who believe it can do not understand the reality that sin absolutely corrupts. Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes sin’s impact on humanity as every aspect of a person, their heart, will, and soul is corrupted. The message of the Bible is not good religiosity but it is one of supernatural regeneration and new birth. Salvation is obtained by Christ’s death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave. It is applied to everyone who believes by the Holy Spirit, giving them new life. Those like Simon the magician who see salvation as something that is simply a choice fundamentally distort the biblical notion of salvation. They detract from the supernatural aspect of salvation and from the work of God. The church must preach both the necessity of the new birth, as well as the supernatural aspect of salvation. They must make clear that desires alone do not save, but it is the Spirit working to give faith that saves.

While all Christians are Christian in the same way – through regeneration –not all are identical in every respect. There is, as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains, ethnic diversity as well as differences in personality and temperament. But the apostle Paul classifies Christians in another manner in Romans 14. He classifies them based upon maturity: the strong and the weak. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in this message on Romans 14:13–16 titled “Consider Others,” draws attention to the great principle that governs the Christian life: never put a stumbling block in front of a weaker brother or sister in Christ. Based upon the common membership in the family of God, the stronger Christian must remember their Christian brother or sister is more important than different opinions. Following Paul, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones warns of the danger of grieving a brother or sister by causing confusion and leading them to violate their conscience. When one grieves their brother or sister, they are no longer walking in love but seriously endangering their spiritual condition. The supreme argument of the apostle is that while Christ was willing to give up His life for the sinner, the strong hesitate whether they can give up meat for weaker members. Ponder Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s unique answer to the challenge of life together in the family of God.

What is the nature of a true biblical spiritual experience? Some people avoid all appearances of “religious ecstasy” while others are so overcome by a desire to experience God that they have an unhealthy spiritual life filled with subjectivity. In this sermon on John 4:27–30 titled “The Spiritual Experience,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the true nature of the spiritual life in Christ. He says that religious experiences are not something that can be made up on the spot or conjured up via human emotions. It is something that is brought about by God. One should also not discount the power of God to work in lives, for all throughout the Old and New Testaments God manifests Himself to His people. The Christian must always be receptive to what God has done and is doing in their lives. This sermon covers a topic that is important in the daily lives of Christians. It calls Christians to examine their spiritual lives to see if they are seeking to create ecstatic religious experiences rather than trusting God, or if they are suppressing what God is doing in their lives. Either way, this is a timeless message for all of God’s people.

In a sermon on the authority of the believer, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones asks: can a person perform the actions of a believer, yet not be saved? There are many people in the church who mistakenly believe they are saved because they were born into a certain family, uttered some phrases, or even were baptized. In spite all these things, they have never truly been redeemed. These people are deceived into thinking that they are true Christians merely by their external actions. This is one of the greatest threats to Christianity in all ages and periods of history. This is no less true in the early church as seen in the book of Acts. It is there that we meet Simon the magician. He heard the gospel, confessed faith, and was baptized. Later it is revealed that he was a false convert, exposed by his desire to buy power from the Holy Spirit. This is why Christians must test themselves and examine their fruit in order to see if their faith is true and not false like that of Simon. Faith can be tested by examining not only one’s confession of faith, but the fruit of one’s life. True believers will walk in the light, submit to Scripture, and love their brothers and sisters.

How does one approach difficult problems and issues in the church? Do they see how each part relates to the whole or simply attack the problem directly? In his sermon on Romans 14:13–15 titled “Clean or Unclean?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones calls for paying attention to the apostle Paul’s method in dealing with one of the premier problems in the early church. After one pays attention to the apostle’s method, they also need to follow his teaching. Dr. Lloyd-Jones brings out the Lord’s teaching on loving one another and combines it with Paul’s words found in Romans. As the church disagrees on matters indifferent – like whether a Christian should eat meat – the love commandment becomes all the more appropriate. One’s opinions, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, may be right but if they have forgotten love for their fellow Christian then the right opinion may be a cause of serious trouble. But what is the apostle Paul’s teaching on clean and unclean food? Are Christians prohibited from eating certain foods? Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones navigates the intricacies of the Mosaic Law and the tension of the early church between Jew and Gentile.

When a person rejects God, it is because they often reject anything that cannot be personally experienced. This is the materialism of the secular humanist that rules out all the supernatural realm and spiritual realities. This is the mindset of those who have no place for salvation, spirits, and ultimately, for God. In this sermon “The Supernatural Realm” on Acts:8­­–14, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones exposes the false belief system of those who rationalize their sin based on evolution and blind causation. They reject the superstitions of religion in favor of science and rationalism. But as Dr. Lloyd-Jones states, science and evolution offer no explanation for the deepest and most important questions in life. God’s Word says that the world does not know God and that it is blinded by sin. The so called “wisdom of the world” is foolishness when compared to the word of God. It is only in God’s word that one can see the truth about themselves and the world. It tells that all are fallen and sinful by nature, and wholly opposed to all the things of God. But most importantly, God tells of what He has done in His Son, Christ Jesus. Jesus died a sinner’s death so that all who believe in His name will be saved. This is the salvation of the world; not evolution, not science, and not humanism, but the Son of God who gave Himself for sinners.

As the lordship of Christ is universal, so also is the judgment of Christ. Evangelical Protestants rightly champion Scripture’s teaching on the assurance believers have as they face the final judgment seat of God. The Christian rejoices in the assurance that there is no condemnation from God the Father for those in Christ Jesus. However, as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds in this sermon on Romans 14:10–12 titled “Jesus Christ, the Judge,” Christians often neglect the truth that believers will face another judgment. This is not a final judgment but a judgment of rewards. By bringing out the distinction between Christ’s final judgment and rewards judgment, Dr. Lloyd-Jones protects the church against antinomianism, loose living, and quarreling in the church. As the church at Rome had become factious by judging each other over indifferent matters, the apostle Paul appeals to Christ’s judgment. In doing so, he reminds them who is the true and final judge in all matters. Christians should temper these types of judgments as they are brothers and sisters in Christ. The family of God – those born again by the Holy Spirit and adopted as His children – are not ultimately concerned about proving each other wrong on matters of indifference. Certainly family members are not to denounce and be angry toward a sibling but instead they are called to love, express concern, and help.