Privileges and Responsibilities
A Sermon on Ephesians 2:19
Originally preached May 13, 1956
Scripture
19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Sermon Description
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?
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is describing the privileges of membership in the Christian Church.
- He uses several figures to describe the Church: a body, a state/kingdom, a family, a temple.
- We are looking at the Church as a state/kingdom. We are fellow citizens with the saints.
- We considered the general privileges of this citizenship last week. Now we will look at further particular privileges.
- We enjoy all the benefits of this kingdom. We have a king concerned for our welfare. God blesses us with every spiritual blessing.
- We have a right of access to the king. He is interested in each citizen and ready to listen.
- The resources of the kingdom are shared among citizens. We pray for each other, sympathize with each other, and bear each other's burdens.
- The kingdom provides protection for its citizens. The name of the Lord is a strong tower. God protects us and will repay those who harm us.
- We have responsibilities as citizens of this kingdom. We should take pride in the kingdom and not be ashamed of it.
- The kingdom comes before self. We should be surrendered to the king's service as soldiers are.
- We are now strangers and pilgrims in the world. Our citizenship is in heaven. We don't belong to the world.
- As strangers, we represent our king and country. Our conduct should match the Gospel.
- We should defend the kingdom, its laws, and its principles. We must study to defend the faith and be ready to give an answer.
- The kingdom is under attack, and we are called to play our part in defending it. We should desire to see the kingdom extended.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.