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Faith and Knowledge

Ephesians 4:13

What is the end goal of the church? How are believers and members of this church supposed to reach this goal? In this sermon on Ephesians 4:13 titled “Faith and Knowledge,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides helpful commentary. The overall plan is that the church becomes perfect as this is the final state of the church. The church, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, will only reach this point after each individual member has reached the potential of spiritual growth that God has mapped out for them. Yet, he also teaches that there will be inequalities in this individual growth: “There is not the same amount in each, but each is full.” Dr. Lloyd-Jones helps understand that it is like completely filling two water bottles of different sizes— though they differ in the quantity of water that is held in them, they are both full. This, he says, is the end goal— but how is the church supposed to get there? First, it must achieve unity of faith through building up the body of Christ, the work of the ministry, and by growing in Christlikeness through sanctification. Second, it must attain the knowledge of God. This knowledge, explains Paul, goes far beyond mere intellectual assent of biblical doctrine because it involves really knowing God. When coupled together in a believer’s life, these two pathways serve to greatly grow believers in their relationships with the Lord.

All the Fullness of God

Ephesians 3:19

Every day the Christian needs spiritual strength to resist temptation and persevere in righteousness. Every day they need the power of God working in their life. In this sermon on the fullness of God from Ephesians 3:19, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps the listener understand this great need from Paul’s words. Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on verse 19 and shows what it means to be filled with all the fullness of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones helps listeners understand the difference between incommunicable and communicable, giving several examples. God’s incommunicable attributes include His eternity, immutability, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, and more. His communicable attributes are His holiness, righteousness, goodness, love, mercy, compassion, and more. Paul is expressing that God’s people are to chase after God’s communicable attributes and strive to exemplify them in their lives. The incommunicable attributes, though inexplicable, allow the Christian to bask in the glory of God’s majesty and incomprehensibility. If one pursues these communicable attributes, they are putting on the new self and chasing after the fruit of the Spirit. Pursuit of these qualities is proof of a regenerate heart and the presence of Christ in their life. In literal terms, being filled with the fullness of God means unity with Christ. The believer is in Christ, and Christ is in the believer. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages the listener with the word of God.

Exposed by the Light

Ephesians 5:7-14

How should a Christian act toward the darkness that is not pleasing to the Lord? How are Christians to interact with those who do not follow Christ? In this sermon on Ephesians 5:7–14 titled “Exposed by the Light,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides some helpful insights to aid believers in working through these complex issues. Throughout the centuries, some Christians have argued for a sort of lifestyle that withdraws them completely from interaction with the world. Yet, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out, this robs the gospel of one of its main victories— that Christians are able to live a different life in the same world as a witness to those who don’t yet know Christ. How can one do this? First, they are to break completely with sin— they once were partakers of these activities, but now are to walk as children of the light. This exhortation reminds that sanctification is a process, not a one-time “product.” Second, Christians must not even be interested in the unfruitful works of darkness. Yet, this point often raises an interesting question: how should Christians balance having company with unbelievers without becoming like them? Since Christians are called to live among them and to be a witness, how can they maintain these values without compromising their faith? Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides helpful commentary on this that aids in thinking through how to best live out the faith.

Giving Thanks Always Unto God

Ephesians 5:20

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of the most important parts of prayer is thanksgiving. In this sermon on Ephesians 5:20 titled “Giving Thanks Always Unto God,” he says that one of the clearest gauges of spiritual maturity is how much of prayer is spent in thanksgiving. All who know God as Lord and Savior should live lives marked by continual Spirit-filled praise for all that God has done in and through Jesus Christ. It is by God’s loving grace that His people know Him and are partakers of all the blessings of Christ Jesus the Savior. Christians have new life and hope only in Jesus, and only come to know Christ through the grace of God in sending His Holy Spirit. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones elaborates, Christians can give thanks even for the hardships in life. This can be seen in Acts when Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown in prison but continue to sing praises to God. This is because it is God who sovereignly works in and through all things to bring about His purposes for His people. No matter what trials and tribulations Christians are experiencing, and no matter how bad the circumstances are, they can always give thanks to the God who has delivered them from sin, who loves them, and guards them through all of life.

Food and Drink

Ephesians 6:10-13

Christians over the centuries have found solace in the fact that this world is not the end. Realizing the things in heaven that await God’s people is an incredible source of encouragement. Believers have no need to be troubled by this life because they know that their real life is still to come. And yet, they are still called to live as Christians in this world until then, remembering that they are representatives of God. At times, this can seem impossible. How can they become stronger in the Lord and in the power of His might so that they can live as Christ calls them? In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Food and Drink,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on practical steps the Christian can take to grow in the Lord. Just as infants need food to become strong, so the Christian must eat spiritual food regularly so that they can grow in the Lord. Jesus said that He is the bread of life and the drink that will cause Christians to never thirst again— the greatest longings are only satisfied in Him. He alone must be the sustenance, and they must run to Him over and over again to gain the strength that they need to live. How can one do this? Dr. Lloyd-Jones implores to spend time talking with Him and reading His word. This, he says, is how Christians can strengthen themselves for the daily spiritual battles they face.

Who Does the Fighting?

Ephesians 6:10-13

Christians are called to fight a spiritual battle but how are they to fight? What role do they play in this struggle? Are they to be passive, or are they alone to be the ones engaging the enemy? In this sermon on fighting in the Christian life from Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “Who Does the Fighting?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on spiritual warfare and the responsibility that Christians have to be fighting in their lives. The phrase “Let go and let God” is popular today among many Christians, but is it Biblical? Are they to just surrender to God and let Him fight all of their battles? Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents strong arguments from Scripture that demonstrate otherwise. He argues that if this was the case, many of the exhortations seen in the New Testament to believers are unnecessary. Many passages in Scripture instruct the Christian to play an active role in fighting spiritual warfare—to resist the devil, put to death the deeds of the flesh, stop lying, fight the good fight, and many other such encouragements. God’s word is consistent and clear— followers of Jesus are commanded to take action. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also notes that this is a relatively new doctrine, and one that ignores Christian teaching on this subject that has been accepted for thousands of years. Because of these reasons, he says, Christians are to understand that their role in spiritual warfare is an active one.

True and False Zeal

Ephesians 6:10-13

Why do people have a hard time finding the proper balance in life between too much activity and too much rest? Society today is saturated with the message that people should always be doing something in order to be productive. Yet others would say that life should be lived casually and restfully. What does Scripture say? In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “True and False Zeal,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains why this battle is so important for a follower of Christ. One way that Satan attacks is through one’s view of their own actions. He tries to keep them from finding the balance between the two extremes of activity for the kingdom of God. What are these extremes? The first is called antinomianism, which is an interpretation that disregards instructions in Scripture as things to be obeyed. On the other side is legalism, a view that demands a strict lifestyle with no room for obedience based on principle. Either of these views, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, will lead to a general slackness in one’s Christian walk and a failure to apply the truth to oneself. Christians are called to follow Christ and to demonstrate their love for Him by obeying His commands, but they must not allow this to build a worldly zeal within — rather, they must overcome this scheme of the devil by realizing that they must obey God out of a desire to please Him and know Him better.

Life Without God

Ephesians 2:1-3

Without God, there is no hope, no peace, and no relief from the guilt and stain of sin. In this sermon on life without God from Ephesians 2:1–3 titled “Life Without God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones thoroughly explains the pervasiveness of the state of sinfulness derived from the absence of God’s presence. The only remedy, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, is the exceeding greatness of God’s power toward His believers. Christians will only understand how significant God’s grace is when they realize the depths from which God saved them and the heights to which He has raised them. Only then can Christians truly be thankful for Christ’s intervention on their behalf. This sermon is unique in that Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares a personal example of his unbelieving state and his life without Christ. He shares that he used to be consumed with the lust of the flesh in that he desired to debate and sound clever in front of his peers. While preparing this sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares that he felt an immense hatred for himself and his previous state of existence. This personal story exemplifies the principle Dr. Lloyd-Jones began the sermon with: understanding the depravity of believers’ previous state and contrasting it with God’s immensely merciful treatment of souls is the only way Christians can understand true grace. Without Jesus, people are doomed to perish while pursuing the flesh. With Him, people will be raised to life with God forever.

Grieve Not the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 4:30

What does it mean to “grieve the Holy Spirit?” In this sermon on grieving the Holy Spirit from Ephesians 4:30, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks of Paul’s statement that encompasses all the particulars that he had been talking about in the preceding verses. Importantly, it also serves to differentiate Christian ethics from any other ethical tradition. If a Christian’s morality is not rooted in this purpose and understanding of sinning against God, then it is not Christian at all. Paul’s point is this: any wrong living grieves the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is the seal of the Christian’s inheritance and indwells those who are saved. All sin runs counter to the character of God and grieves Him greatly. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that when one becomes a Christian, their relationship to God becomes one of love instead of one as a lawbreaker. Thus, when one sins, they must not be grieved because they have broken His law, but rather because they have sinned against His great love for them. Understanding this, it is easy to see why it is such a serious thing to sin and grieve the Holy Spirit. How can this be countered? Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that the Christian must constantly be aware of the Lord’s presence. As people are reverent around royalty, Christians must remember that God is constantly with them and act accordingly. This will drive them to a desire to honor and please Him with their lives.