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None Should Boast

Romans 11:18-22

Now that Christ has come, what is the relationship between Jews and Gentiles? This is the question Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones seeks to answer in this sermon on Romans 11:18–22 titled “None Should Boast.” Christ Jesus has come and instituted the new covenant – the fulfilment of all of God’s Old Testament covenants. In the new covenant, there is no longer a distinction between Jew and Gentile, for all are made one by believing in Christ and in His death, burial, and resurrection. Paul makes it clear that the Jews have not been rejected in total, but only those Jews who do not believe in Jesus Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that it is a mistake to think that the Gentiles are part of the new covenant because of anything they have done. Paul goes on to make it perfectly clear that salvation is always by grace and grace alone. Nothing either Jews or Gentiles can do can ever make them part of the people of God. It is by the grace of God given in His Son Jesus Christ that anyone can know God and love Him. Gentiles have no ground for boasting because it is all the grace of God and not human works or merit.

Apostle to the Gentiles

Romans 11:13-15

In this sermon on Romans 11:13–15 titled “Apostle to the Gentiles,” Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones works through the teaching of Paul to the Gentiles. Different interpretations of these controversial words by Paul are examined and the various out-workings of each are addressed. He explains the difference between translation and interpretation. Paul preaches as an apostle to the Gentiles and he emphasizes this office, perhaps with an ultimate and ulterior motive for the salvation of the Jews. Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses these questions along with the false notions that surround both the Jew and the Gentile. Evangelism, teaching, and warning are all essential to Paul’s word to these people and for today’s believers. Is the gospel different for Jew and Gentile? Listeners are encouraged to be diligent in study and see the full blessing that God has offered through Christ, embracing the word of God and the hope of the gospel that is now available for every human, no matter the race, gender, or ethnicity. Salvation has been purchased through the blood of Christ for the purification of more than just the Jews.

Pride

Romans 11:18-22

Why is pride so dangerous? What about pride undermines the gospel and leads people into self-deception and deceit? In this sermon on Romans 11:18–22 titled “Pride,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the need to learn God’s word so as to fight against pride. Pride undermines the gospel because it makes people focus on themselves and their own works, justifying themselves. According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the great sin of many of the Jewish people who wanted to return to the law was the sin of pride. They sought to find salvation in their own identity and works but this is wholly opposed to the message of Jesus. Jesus Christ tells that one must forsake any chance of saving themselves. He tells that no works can makes one right before God. Pride makes the person look at what they do for their worth; Jesus makes them look to Him to find worth. Paul warns the church of his day about the danger of falling away from the gospel and looking to works to justify oneself. This is still a temptation for many Christians and for this reason, believers must always flee from self-righteousness and look to Jesus Christ and what He has done as Jesus alone saves.

Imprecatory Psalms

Romans 11:7-10

Why are there imprecatory Psalms in the Bible? This is the question that Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones takes up in this sermon on Romans 11:7–10 titled “Psalms.” He says that Scripture never teaches that God creates evil or sin but He does create the consequences of the sinful actions of humans. When Scripture speaks of God visiting judgement upon evil, one should not think that this is God doing something evil but He is punishing the wicked for their evil deeds. The same thing is true in the case of David when he prays for God to judge the wicked. This is not David being vindictive, but rather it is him asking that God act in accordance with His character to protect the righteous and punish the wicked. For God is holy and just; He cannot even look upon evil doers. This is seen in the highest form when Jesus died upon the cross at Calvary. There, God’s justice was fully manifested in His judgement upon sin in Christ but His mercy also was displayed in saving sinners. This is the great truth that God is both the just and the justifier. There is truly no unrighteousness with God.

Blessings Become a Curse

Romans 11:7-10

How can something that the Lord created as a blessing become a curse? In this sermon on Romans 11:7–10 titled “Blessings Become a Curse,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers this question by preaching from the words of Paul when he refers to the law and the people of Israel. Paul acknowledges that the Jews were earnest and genuine in their search for salvation but they went about it in the wrong way. The passage says that those who were elect did in fact obtain it but that the Lord hardened the others. Israel was blinded and God gave them the spirit of slumber regarding the true message of the gospel. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the passage by saying that the very blessing of the word of God, the law, was once a blessing but became a curse to the Jews. They had the wrong thinking about so many things and despite their best efforts, they still did not truly know Christ and did not receive salvation. The only way to receive this blessing is by faith. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also explains in great detail several other Old Testament passages which show the ignorance of the Jewish people and how they did not understand the gospel.

Life From the Dead

Romans 11:13-15

What is the future of the Jewish nation? According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon on Romans 11:13–15 titled “Life From the Dead,” one does not have to wonder since God prophesied through the apostle Paul that there will be a great day when Israel is saved. While they may have stumbled, this was only temporary in order that the gospel might go to all the nations of the Gentiles. God has promised that there will come a day when the dead come to life; that is, when the spiritually dead Israelites receive the gospel of Jesus Christ and believe in Him. All Christians ought to pray and seek the day when God moves and causes a great revival amongst the people of Israel. Furthermore, Paul warns Gentile Christians from becoming prideful and boastful towards the Jewish people, for both Jew and Gentile are justified by faith in Christ as a gift from God. How should this message change the way Christians live now? Christians ought to seek to evangelize the people of Israel because they know that there will be a day when God causes a great revival amongst them. The church ought to pray and eagerly await the day when God fulfills His promise and brings many national Israelites into the church of Jesus Christ.

Final Perseverance

Romans 11:16-22

Can Christians lose their salvation? There are few more contested and more important theological questions in Christianity. Many believers are plagued by doubts because they fear that they may fail to work out their own salvation and be eternally lost in hell. In this sermon on Romans 11:16–22 titled “Final Perseverance,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones offers solace to any fearful Christians. He says that the Bible never teaches that true believers can lose salvation. This is for the simple reason that it is God through His Son Jesus Christ who saves. Christians are not even saved by faith, first and foremost, but ultimately by Christ who grants them their faith. Jesus loves His people and He is both able and willing to guard them from ever falling away. What about those passages that speak of the need to persevere? The Holy Spirit uses many means to build up Christians in faith and joy and these passages that warn Christians not to fall away are one of these means that God uses to preserve those He loves. What about people who say they are Christians and stop believing? There are many who are self-deceived and think that they are saved, but their life shows that this is not a true work of God. The glorious truth of the gospel is that Jesus saves all those that He loves and He will lose no one.

The Mystery of Israel's Future Revealed

Romans 11:25-27

God’s sovereignty and humanity’s responsibility can be difficult to reconcile, especially when reading different passages in the Bible that seem to be contradictory. In this sermon on Romans 11:25–27 titled “The Mystery Revealed,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones leads through a phrase-by-phrase analysis of one such passage. The word blindness here, he says, is actually better translated as “hardened.” What does Paul mean by saying that Israel has been hardened? Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides reasons and evidence as to why this most likely refers to the majority of the Israelite nation as a whole, not every individual Israelite, since some of the Jews were indeed saved and thus were shown not to be hardened. As the rest of this passage states, this blindness was only temporary— God established it and God took it off at the fullness of the Gentiles. To better understand this oft-confused phrase, Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents the various views and why it makes sense that Paul is making another broad reference, this time indicating a majority of Gentiles. The passage ends by saying that “all Israel will be saved.” This meaning, too, has been hotly debated throughout church history. Dr. Lloyd-Jones demonstrates his reasoning as to why he believes it is not referencing all the elect Jews as a whole, nor the elect Jews and Gentiles combined, but a different group altogether. Listen as he methodically steps through this difficult passage to help the listener better understand its meaning and application for their lives.

Did God Reject His People?

Romans 11:1-4

Has God cast away the Jewish people? After several passages concerning the fate of the Jewish nation, in this sermon on Romans 11:1–4 titled “Did God Reject His People?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones unfolds how Paul asks this question and then follows his answers with several pieces of evidence. Paul says that there is no way the Lord has cast out His chosen people because Paul himself is an Israelite. Paul is saying this not just as a nationalist or proselyte, but he shows his historical lineage which proves he is of Jewish descent. It is possible that some Jews will be saved because Paul was saved. There are a large majority of Jews that do not believe the true gospel. God did not cast them all away because He foreknew them. This means that God foreordained them and knew that they would be believing Christians. The Jews were a group of people that God took special interest in and had a special affection for. Israel was set apart by God for a purpose. If God cast them out, this would mean that God changed His mind and Christians know that the Lord does not change His mind as it is not part of His character.

A Remnant According to Grace

Romans 11:1-6

In this sermon on Romans 11:1-6 titled “A Remnant According to Grace,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues his exposition of the apostle Paul's answer to his rhetorical question "Has God rejected His people?" (Rom 10:1). The apostle, after having discussed the first proof that God has not rejected His people - the case of his own conversion - now turns to a second example from history; the case of Elijah. During the reign of wicked King Ahab and Jezebel, Elijah fears he is the only faithful one left in Israel and that all hope for God’s church is lost. Elijah cries out to God in alarm asking why it seems as though God has forsaken him and Israel. God responds by telling him that he has not forsaken him or Israel but that He has saved seven thousand for himself. Another instance Dr. Jones brings out in his sermon is when God brought Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah before he destroyed it. Some conclusions that Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws from this passage is that “we must learn to face every situation in life in a Scriptural manner.” Secondly, Dr. Jones also brings out the idea that we should never get involved too personally in such matters of the church; we must not sulk under our Juniper tree like Elijah and “let the devil persuade you that the church is yours. The church isn’t yours, but it is God’s.” Lastly, Dr. Lloyd-Jones persuades us to remember that even if the whole world is against us, we must not go along with the crowd, no matter the numbers. Thus, God’s purposes are sure and we must not worry. God will always keep His remnant.

Introduction

Romans 9:1-33

The expression “missing the wood through the trees” is particularly appropriate when approaching a new section of sacred Scripture. While it is tempting to focus on individual subsections in Romans 9–11, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones encourages keeping an overall big picture in mind. In this sermon Romans 9:1–33 titled “Introduction,” he provides a helpful overview of these key chapters. Dr. Lloyd-Jones demurs from well-loved interpreters who elevate the doctrine of predestination and election as central to chapters 9–11. He also objects to placing the question of salvation for Jews and conflict with Gentiles at the center of this section. Instead, he argues for a much bigger central theme of this section. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says Paul is harmonizing the ways of God. What is found in this section, in other words, is Paul’s way of harmonizing the Old Testament with the New Testament. There is no contradiction in God’s purposes as Paul talks about the old covenant in relation to the new. Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares his justification for this conclusion by drawing attention to Romans 11:33–36 and the apostle’s doxology. Listen as he traces the central theme of Romans 9–11 as well as subsidiary themes of this important section of Scripture.

Free in Christ Jesus

Romans 6:11

Should a Christian fear death? In this sermon from Romans 6:11 titled “Free in Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that those who are in Christ will never taste spiritual death and that is one of the most comforting truths for a Christian. Paul explains in Romans 6:11 that Christians can count themselves dead to sin but alive in Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points to several key truths in this verse: the whole relationship to sin has changed; sin no longer has dominion over the Christian, even though they have contact with sin in their bodies; they are no longer under the law and its condemnation; and the dominion of death no longer remains. A Christian no longer sins as a slave, but sins voluntarily as a free person. Not even the devil himself can make a Christian a slave to sin and its consequences. Christians are indeed dead to sin’s realm, rule, and reign.

God of Jew and Gentile

Romans 10:11-13

How does someone receive salvation? Paul says in Romans 10:11–13 that the first principle of salvation is belief and more specifically, belief in Christ Jesus. Paul just told the church in Rome that they must confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord and now he says that they must believe in Him. All who believe will never be put to shame. Although the law and the devil may work against the Christian, the Lord has conquered all these things so that nothing in the whole cosmos could shame His people. In this sermon on Romans 10:11–13 titled “God of Jew and Gentile,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out that this specific passage thoroughly and completely emphasizes that salvation and belief are open to whoever calls on Christ, meaning that it equally applies to the Jews and the Gentiles. All are born under Adam, which means that all people groups are under the same condemnation. Paul is sharing that despite what they previously thought, the Jews have no special standing in regard to salvation. The hope is that all people are saved by believing in Christ. Once that is done, God’s salvation is perfect and secure for all eternity.

Redemption History

Romans 13:11-14

As Christians compare Christianity with other moral and ethical belief systems, philosophies, and religions in the world, many of them have an equal emphasis on love of neighbor. What then distinguishes the Christians’ call to fulfill the royal law of love from others? In Romans 13:11–14 the apostle Paul provides a beautiful insight into the Christian motivation to love neighbor as he writes to Christians in Rome about the doctrine of eschatology. It is in this doctrine that the believer finds the grounding to live a radical life of love of neighbor. In this sermon on Romans 13:11–14 titled “Redemption History,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds that no other moral system knows anything about the doctrine of last things. In this sermon, he brings out the practical implications of the doctrine of eschatology. Dr. Lloyd-Jones’ stress on the intimate relationship between the life to come and its impact on the Christian life today moves eschatology beyond the often sensationalized prophesy paperbacks to the nitty-gritty of Christian love. While not neglecting the importance of general history, he calls Christians to understand redemptive history because that is what the Bible is interested in. Listen to Dr. Lloyd-Jones as he calls Christians to follow Paul’s call for radical love of neighbor by looking at redemption history, especially regarding Christ’s second coming.

The Deceitfulness of Sin

Romans 7:10-11

Sin is deceiving, but just how does it deceive? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches the sermon on Romans 7:10–11 titled “The Deceitfulness of Sin” and further dissects just how powerful and persuasive sin can be in a Christian’s life. Paul confirmed in his letter to the Romans that no one can find life by the law and instead can actually find death. This is because sin is death and the law shows the sin in lives. Paul is careful to clarify that the law is good as long as it is used lawfully. However, despite one’s best efforts, sin uses the law and condemns. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains four ways in which sin deceives: it makes one feel that God is against them; it makes them feel that the law is unreasonable in its demands; it praises the sinner and makes them think highly of themselves; and it even deceives about sin itself. In order to be vigilant, Christians need to ensure that they are not easily persuaded by the powerfulness and deceitfulness of sin.

Glorying in God

Romans 5:10-11

Is the Christian finding glory in God? Is He their delight? In this sermon on Romans 5:10–11, Paul has already confirmed that salvation is assured in Christ Jesus and so this means the Christian should have joy in Christ Jesus and what He has done. Christians should glory both in their salvation and in God as the giver of salvation. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones goes as far as to say that true Christian faith always leads to glorying in God. He states that things such as trusting in oneself rather than God, failure to mediate on the things of God, and not reasoning with Scripture could all be causes for a failure to properly glory in God. Not glorying in God is a sign of unbelief and a sin and unbelief is the chief of all sins. A Christian should be in constant examination of themselves to ensure that they are always glorying in Christ. All self-examination should lead to rejoicing.

This Great Salvation

Romans 10:11-13

What is Scripture all about? What makes the writings of the Old and New Testaments unique? In this sermon on salvation from Romans 10:11–13 titled “This Great Salvation,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on how Paul appeals to the Old Testament prophet Isaiah to show that salvation is for all who believe, both Jew and Gentile. Scripture reveals the one unified plan of salvation brought to pass in Jesus Christ. It speaks as one voice to humanity and declares that God has acted in Jesus Christ so that sinners can be saved. Those who want to do away with the Old Testament are in great danger of not only disregarding God’s holy Word, but they are also in danger of perverting the message of salvation. The whole Old Testament looks forward to when Jesus would come and die to save Jews and Gentiles. The message of Scripture is not an irrelevant one; it is the only message of salvation and forgiveness of sins.

Jew and Gentile; no Difference

Romans 10:11-13

People love to make distinctions between themselves and others, between their tribe and other tribes. Fallen hearts tend to make these distinctions so as to elevate themselves above others, especially in religious matters. The apostle Paul has tirelessly labored in Romans to emphasize that there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile –– all sin falls short of the glory of God. If one does not follow the apostle here, they will construct different ways of salvation that appeal to the flesh. One may think being moral, good or kind is the way of salvation. But God’s way of salvation has always been the same — those who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. There is no distinction between Jew or Gentile in any sense, whether in sin or salvation. In this sermon on Romans 10:11–13 titled “Jew or Gentle, No Difference,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds Paul’s teaching and brings contemporary application. Specifically, he applies Paul’s teaching here to dispensationalism and its teaching that makes a distinction between salvation for Jews and salvation for the church. In an amicable spirit, Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the popular movement by rightly connecting the Old Testament teaching on salvation with the New Testament. He emphasizes that there is only one way with one gospel and no distinctions.

The Judgement Throne of Christ

Romans 2:11-16

When the day of judgement comes, will the Jews have preferred treatment since they are God’s chosen people? In this sermon titled “The Judgment Throne of Christ” from Romans 2:11–16, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims that no one will have any possible argument or excuse concerning the day of wrath. God is always just and His judgement is always according to truth. Dr. Lloyd-Jones unfolds this passage, pointing out that Paul has divided humankind into two groups: those who are under the law and those who are without the law. These two groups are the Jews and the Gentiles, respectively. Paul points out that Jews, who were given the law, will be judged by the law. This will be a higher and more severe standard of judgement since having the law means they had more opportunity. This shows how God is impartial and His judgement is fair. In the same manner, those who have heard the gospel and have been able to grow in grace and maturity in the Lord have greater responsibility today.

Strangers and Pilgrims (1)

Romans 13:11-14

It can be easy to lose faith in oneself when feelings change quickly. In this sermon on Romans 13:11–14 titled “Strangers and Pilgrims (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds that regardless of feelings, one’s position is sure if they are a follower of Jesus. Feelings come and go but thankfully they do not influence one’s position or relationship with Jesus since it is centered in Him and His work, not theirs. Christians are charged throughout Scripture that they are to be different from the world because of the change they have undergone in Christ. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, Paul calls believers to walk as children of the day, yet he mentions that the day is still to come— how can it be both? As he explains, Christians are already in the day because they are believers. Even though it is in the future, Christians are there in spirit because they are followers of Christ. Paul’s point is that their citizenship is in heaven and must act like it. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains how the knowledge of one’s conversion ought to drive their actions and how this concept of the “now and not-yet” applies to today.