The Light Shines in the Darkness
A Sermon on Light and Darkness from John 1:5
Originally preached Oct. 14, 1962
Scripture
5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Sermon Description
What happens when the joy of salvation begins to fade? How does the joy of salvation deliver us from the darkness of life? The apostle John confronts this critical threat. In this sermon on light and darkness, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows us how this modern day problem exposes lethargy in the believer's heart, the failure to rely on the Holy Spirit, and the depths of darkness from which we are saved. It's not until we understand the depths of our sin that the church can fathom the greatness of the Word becoming flesh. The world is in a current state of darkness that has pervaded every aspect of human history since the Fall. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that this darkness is twofold; it is not only a state of ignorance that mankind is in, but that the darkness is also within man's heart, as manifested by his love of sin and hatred of Christian doctrine. However, God has sent believers the Holy Spirit, who through enlightening the believer's eyes to the truth about God and the glory of His salvation, enables them to be lights themselves in the persistent darkness.
Sermon Breakdown
- The world is in darkness due to the fall of man. Man is ignorant of God, himself, and the meaning of the world.
- The darkness is not just around man but in him. Man's mind, desires, and will have become twisted. Man thinks, desires, and does evil.
- The darkness in man makes him incapable of recognizing the light, even when it's shown to him. Man cannot see the light of Christ.
- Not only can man not recognize the light, he hates it and despises it. Man hates the light of the gospel and the doctrine of Christ.
- Despite man's darkness and hatred of the light, the light of Christ continues to shine. The light has shone through the Old and New Testaments, through prophets and apostles, and through the church.
- For Christians, the light has shone into our darkness. We have been enlightened and brought to know Christ, who is the light.
The Book of John
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.