A Life of Darkness
A Sermon on John 8:12
Originally preached May 29, 1960
Scripture
12¶ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Sermon Description
Why does humanity love sin? In this sermon on John 8:12 titled “A Life of Darkness,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the fallen nature that is captivated and controlled by sin. This sinful nature is ever present and resides within every human. It controls everyone’s heart, mind, and will. The modern humanist who attempts to save by education and moral teaching is doomed to fail; not because these are not good things, but because they do not take account for the fundamentally fallen state of the human soul. This sinful principle is why there is so much darkness and suffering in the world, and it explains why the experience of sin is universal and common to all humankind. But God has acted in time and history to bring humanity out of this wretched state by sending His only Son to achieve salvation for all who repent and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who receive salvation are not only adopted into the family of God and made right, but they are also given a new nature that is free from sin and depravity. They are free to love God and neighbor because the truth of God has radically transformed and reoriented their every desire and thought.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon text is John 8:12 - "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
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Jesus makes an extraordinary and exclusive claim that he alone is the light of the world. Christianity is exclusive.
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The world is in darkness due to sin and evil. There is darkness outside of us in the world and darkness inside of us in our sinful nature.
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The darkness outside of us is the way of the world, the mindset of the world, the outlook and atmosphere of the world which is against God. It leads to a shameful, ugly and unfruitful life.
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The darkness inside of us is our sinful nature - the lusts, passions and desires within us that lead us to sin. We are born with a sinful nature that loves darkness and hates light.
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As a result of the darkness within and without, all of us by nature walk in darkness. The world is in chaos and confusion.
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There is no hope or solution for the darkness apart from Jesus Christ. Education, moral codes, and human effort cannot dispel the darkness.
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Jesus dispels the darkness by giving us light and life. He gives us new life by regenerating us - giving us a new nature, heart and disposition.
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The new life gives us a new attitude to God, to ourselves and a desire for righteousness. We are freed from the dominion of Satan and given strength and power through the Holy Spirit.
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We simply need to go to Jesus in our weakness, failure and sin and ask him for this light of life. It is all of grace, not of works. Jesus alone can save us from darkness.
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.