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Sermon #1009

The Spirit in Christians

A Sermon on John 1:12-13

Originally preached Feb. 17, 1963

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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 role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian? Many Christians do not have a very high view of the third person of the Trinity. In this sermon on John 1:12–13, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the role of the Holy Spirit in giving Christians assurance of their new life in Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that transforms the lifeless old man into a glorious new creation made for God. It is the Holy Spirit that opens believers’ eyes to see the truths of Scripture and its meaning for their lives. It is also the Holy Spirit that guides believers into the knowledge of the salvation of God. All Christians can and should have the knowledge that they are loved by God and called to be His children. This sermon tells the glorious truth that all who believe in Jesus can be saved and forgiven of all their sins, and they can know that they are forgiven by the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The apostle John reminds Christians that the purpose of Jesus coming into the world was so that those who believe in him can become children of God.
  2. It is important for Christians to know with certainty that they are children of God.
  3. The first sign that someone is a child of God is that they believe in the name of Jesus, accepting his deity and atonement.
  4. Children of God have a relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
  5. Children of God are aware of being led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit puts pressure on them and constrains them.
  6. The Holy Spirit convicts and upbraids Christians, not allowing them to backslide or be complacent in their faith.
  7. The Holy Spirit disturbs the lethargy and laziness of Christians, pushing them to action and spiritual growth.
  8. The Holy Spirit provides general guidance to Christians through putting ideas in their mind and arranging circumstances. He guides both positively and negatively.
  9. The Holy Spirit provides particular guidance to Christians, leading them to read the Bible, pray, and live their daily lives in a Godly way.
  10. The Holy Spirit gives Christians a spiritual enjoyment of reading the Bible, allowing them to see how it applies to their own lives.
  11. The Holy Spirit urges Christians to pray and helps them in their weakness, even making intercession for them with groanings when they can't find the words.
  12. Even imperfect, doubting Christians can be assured they are children of God if they see even a few of these signs in their lives. Spiritual growth and maturity takes time.

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.