A Child-Like Relationship
A Sermon on John 1:12-13
Originally preached Feb. 3, 1963
Scripture
12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Sermon Description
What does it mean to be a child of God? The Bible gives many examples of the benefits of being a child of God, and how those children can know that they are truly members of God’s family. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says in this sermon on John 1:12–13 that one of the greatest evidences that they are truly born from God is that they will love what God loves. If they believe in Jesus and have been truly born again, they will love and pursue what God loves and desires. Just as natural children love what their parents love, so do spiritual children love what God loves. A person can look at their life and ask, “am I pursuing the things of God? Am I fleeing sin? Am I forsaking the world?” While the Bible never denies that Christians sin, it tells that Christians live a life of continual repentance and battle against sin. The Christian does not let it continually dominate their lives. This sermon calls all to ask the question, “am I a child of God? Am I trusting in Jesus Christ for my salvation?” If not, it is a call to believe and be born of the Spirit as a child of God.
Sermon Breakdown
- We are examining John 1:12-13 to understand our heritage as Christians.
- Verse 12 says that those who receive Jesus and believe in Him are given the right to become children of God.
- Verse 13 says these children are born of God, not of human will.
- We must examine ourselves to make sure we are truly children of God.
- The first test is our relationship to Jesus, the Son. We must receive and believe in Him.
- The second test is our relationship to God the Father. We must feel love, respect, and pride for Him.
- The third test is our interest in God's affairs and creation. We should see the world as God's, not just scientific phenomena.
- The fourth test is our awareness of God's purpose for the world. Mature Christians understand God's plan of redemption and salvation.
- The fifth test is our concern for God's church and kingdom. We should grieve over the state of the church and pray for revival.
- The sixth test is our anticipation of God's final triumph. We should long for Christ's return and God's kingdom.
- The seventh test is our desire to please God. This grows as we mature, from focusing on benefits to obeying out of love.
- The eighth test is that we do not continue in sin. We may stumble, but we do not make a practice of sinning. Our lives are fundamentally holy.
- The ninth test distinguishes backsliders from false believers. Backsliders will return to God; false believers remain in sin until death.
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.