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Sermon #1006

Authentic Marks of God's Child

A Sermon on John 1:12-13

Originally preached Jan. 27, 1963

Scripture

John 1:12-13 ESV KJV
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (ESV)

Sermon Description

What is the most wonderful thing about salvation? In this sermon on John 1:12-13 titled “Authentic Marks of God’s Child,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones emphatically responds, “That we are the children of God!” Too often the focus is on the things that are avoided when the Christian is saved, whether it is avoiding God’s righteous judgment, or being saved from eternity in hell. While those things are true and weighty, Dr. Lloyd-Jones would have Christians remember what is gained: the right to become the children of God, and entrance into the kingdom of Heaven. There are several questions that, depending on the answers, prove that if one is indeed God’s child: “Am I concerned about the name of God?” “Do I grieve at sin and blasphemy?” “Do I enjoy creation in a way that reflects my understanding that the world is God’s?” “Do I look forward to Christ’s return?” Dr. Lloyd-Jones examines these questions and more with scrutiny and with the aid of the Scriptures.

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.