Grounded in Love
A Sermon on Ephesians 3:17
Originally preached Feb. 10, 1957
Scripture
17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Sermon Description
What is foundational to a Christian’s life? Of all the traits that believers are aiming for, what is one of the most important, key characteristics that is supposed to define a follower of Jesus? In this sermon on Ephesians 3:17 titled “Grounded in Love,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states that the answer is love and explains why this is the case. Paul wrote that Christians are to be rooted and grounded in love, and this love must be foundational to a Christian’s life. The higher a building is, the deeper and stronger its foundation must be, and the same is true with one’s life. Building this foundation takes time and as Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds, there are no shortcuts in the spiritual life. One of the ways to grow in this area is in how one relates to God. If the Christian only thinks of God in intellectual ways, they will never experience the fullness of the riches of knowing Him, and it is this that He intended to naturally flow out into other relationships. How important is love to a believer’s life? A distinctive that sets Christians apart from nonbelievers is that they are called to love their enemies, and thus, love plays a vital role in the witness to unbelievers. It also has an impact on how one handles the circumstances of life because if they are rooted in Christ’s love, they are resting in His sovereignty and plan for the world.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul prays that the Ephesians would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit and have Christ dwell in their hearts through faith.
- This would allow them to be rooted and grounded in love. Their lives must be firmly based on love.
- Love must be the foundation of the Christian life. Without this foundation, Christians cannot know the fullness of God.
- The first principle is the importance of laying a solid foundation. A weak foundation will not support a large building.
- The higher the building, the more important the foundation. The Christian life aims for great heights, so the foundation is key.
- There are no shortcuts in the spiritual life. It takes time to lay a proper foundation.
- Our relationships must be based on love, including our relationship with God and with others.
- We must love God and love one another. We must even love our enemies. This is the foundation of the Christian life.
- Our attitude toward the commandments of the Christian faith must be one of love. We must love God's law and commandments.
- The foundation suggests stability. Our love must not be fitful but solid and unchanging.
- Our love must stand firm against changes in others and in circumstances. True love endures all things.
- Only deep love for God can withstand the trials and stresses of life. Mere belief is not enough. Love is the foundation.
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.