Science; Morality and God
A Sermon on Romans 7:22-25
Originally preached April 16, 1961
Scripture
22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I …
Sermon Description
In 1961 an incredible feat of man took place when man orbited earth for the first time. This momentous occasion held the world in awe. In this sermon on Romans 7:22-25 titled “Science; Morality and God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones urges the listener to pause and reflect on this historical moment. What does it mean and what is its real significance? How does this moment affect us? Many view this extraordinary achievement as proof of the human capability to liberate itself. If man can succeed in this staggering technological advancement, there must be no limit to his power and capacity to make the world perfect. It causes man to be optimistic of its progress. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out, however, an examination of the history of civilization shows marvelous discoveries by man while also confronting us with a staggering fact — whatever man may do in his brilliance to achieve physical greatness, his achievements give a false optimism for his capacity for moral accomplishment. Man cannot escape the worst compulsions of his own nature. He can defeat gravity but cannot defeat his own moral problems. This false optimism, teaches Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is based on a complete failure of man to understand the Biblical message; it is indicative of the failure to recognize our problem of sin. The Bible tells us physical problems like the problem of gravity is outside of man and can be solved. The moral problem, however, is inside man. This force of sin, the power of the devil is in the world and is beyond the power of man. There is also the inner condition of man, which is sinful and affects the whole of man. Man’s twisted and biased heart is bent against solving moral problems. What then can be done? Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on the power of God unto salvation as the only avenue of deliverance.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon begins by acknowledging the extraordinary achievement of the first human spaceflight and orbit of the Earth. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that this is an astounding demonstration of human ability and power.
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However, Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that this achievement does not provide hope or optimism that humanity can solve its moral problems or achieve peace and happiness. Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines several reasons for this:
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Humanity has always had great ability and ingenuity, as evidenced by past civilizations and inventions. However, this has not led to solutions for humanity's moral problems.
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The problems of morality and human nature are internal to humanity, unlike the external problem of gravity that was overcome. The moral problems originate from humanity's sinful nature and bondage to sin.
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The power of sin and the devil is far greater than the power of gravity. This power affects all of humanity's faculties including the mind, heart, and will. No human ability or power can overcome it.
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Even God's law was unable to overcome the power of sin in humanity. It only aggravated humanity's sinful desires and bondage to sin. No human knowledge or ability can solve the moral problem.
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The only solution and power greater than the power of sin is the power of God through Jesus Christ. Christ took on human nature, lived a sinless life, died for sin, and was resurrected - conquering sin, death, and the devil. Through faith in Christ, His power frees us from sin and lifts us up. This is the only hope for humanity's moral problems.
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In conclusion, Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that there is no reason for optimism that humanity can solve its moral problems through its own ability and power, despite its great achievements. The only solution is the power of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Book of Romans
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.