Security in Christ
A Sermon on Romans 5:10
Originally preached Jan. 31, 1958
Scripture
10For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Sermon Description
Unconfessed sin will make a Christian doubt their salvation and security in Jesus Christ. It is most important in times like this that they look to Scripture for the promises of God. Paul explains in this sermon on Romans 5:10 that God’s children are eternally safe and secure in Christ Jesus because of the work that He did on the cross. In the sermon titled “Security in Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses this assurance by focusing on this one verse in Romans. First, God sacrificed His Son on the cross to be the propitiation for sin. That act removed the enmity between God and saved humanity who were previously enemies with God. God chose not to impute their trespasses on them. Instead, He imputed the trespasses on Himself and imputed to His people His righteousness. If God did such an act as this to show His love, how much more would He continue that good work in His people? This new relationship with Christ means that His people are grafted into Christ and nothing can change that status.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is repeating what he said in verse 9 to provide more details and reassurance.
- The love of God is a theme that can never be exhausted. There will always be more to say about it.
- Paul wants us to have assurance of our salvation. He is developing an argument to prove we are eternally secure.
- We must understand the terms "enemy" and "reconciled" objectively, not just subjectively. They refer primarily to our position before God, not just our feelings.
- As "enemies," we were in a state of war and enmity with God. He looked on us with wrath.
- To be "reconciled" means God's attitude toward us has changed. His wrath is turned away. He looks on us with love and forgiveness.
- Reconciliation starts with God, not us. Our changed attitude is a result, not the cause. God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ.
- We were reconciled by the death of Christ, not just by his life or teaching. His death was essential to satisfy God's justice and turn away wrath.
- God's justice demanded the punishment of sin. The cross was the only way for God to be just and justify sinners.
- If God did the greatest thing (reconciling us while enemies) he will certainly do the lesser (saving us now that we are reconciled).
- We are now "in Christ's life." We have been grafted into him. We are in union with him and draw life from him.
- Because Christ lives, he continues to intercede for us, forgive us, and keep us. We are eternally secure in him.
- We are members of Christ's body. What happens to us happens to him. We share in his victory and security.
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.