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Sermon #1034

The Promise of the Spirit

A Sermon on John 1:16

Originally preached Nov. 17, 1963

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Scripture

John 1:16 ESV KJV
For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (ESV)

Sermon Description

What could be better than living with the incarnated Son of God? What could be better than audibly hearing His voice and feeling the wounds He bears from the cross? Remarkably, Jesus said that the sending of the Spirit would be better than if Jesus stayed on Earth bodily. In this sermon from John 1:16 titled “The Promise of the Spirit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses the glorious truths surrounding the sending of the Spirit and its impact on Christian theology and practice. He traces the activity of the Spirit from Genesis through Acts to see how the giving of the Spirit at Pentecost was a vital gift from Christ to His Church. The Spirit was involved intimately with creation and in giving strength and wisdom to the people of God, but only in the new covenant is the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit found as the new norm for the people of God. This giving of the Holy Spirit is intimately connected to the Christian’s understanding of the new heart and the sanctification of the Christian.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon focuses on John 1:16 which states "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace."

  2. The sermon analyzes this verse in depth and examines what it means to receive from Jesus's fullness through the Holy Spirit.

  3. The Old Testament prophesied that God would pour out His Spirit. Examples include Isaiah 44:3, Isaiah 59:21, Joel 2:28-29, and Ezekiel 36:25-27.

  4. John the Baptist also prophesied that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Examples include Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, and John 1:33.

  5. Jesus himself promised the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Examples include John 7:37-39, John 14:16-17, John 15:26, John 16:7, and Acts 1:4-5.

  6. The Holy Spirit was given after Jesus was glorified through His death, resurrection, and ascension. The Spirit was given as a reward to Jesus from the Father, and Jesus gave the Spirit to His people.

  7. The outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost was the fulfillment of God's promise. It was foretold throughout the Old Testament and by John the Baptist and Jesus.

  8. The outpouring of the Spirit was not about regeneration but rather an increased abundance and measure of the Spirit. Believers in the Old Testament and the disciples before Pentecost already had the Spirit, but at Pentecost the Spirit was poured out in greater power.

  9. Because of Jesus's fullness, He purchased for us the blessing of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. We must examine ourselves to see if this fullness is evident in our lives.

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.