The Lord of Death
A Sermon on Romans 14:6-12
Originally preached Nov. 24, 1967
Scripture
6He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, …
Sermon Description
The fear of death grips humanity. Humanity is death’s servant but people in the West live each day suppressing the reality that death is imminent. How does the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ speak to this terror? In this sermon on Romans 14:6–12 titled “The Lord of Death,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on Paul’s teaching that Christ is the Lord over death. Salvation, in other words, is not merely forgiveness of sins, but also deliverance from the last enemy – death. While the Christian experiences freedom from the condemnation of the law through the cross and resurrection of Christ, they also experience victory over the devil, who holds unregenerate humanity under the fear of death. Remarkably, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christians are no longer servants of death, but death is actually the servant of the Christian. Death is an entrance to glory and eternal life with God. Through the victory of the resurrection, all fear of death vanishes. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages with the wonderful truth of Christ’s lordship over death and the victory Christians share because of Him.
Sermon Breakdown
- Christ died and rose again so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
- Christ defeated death itself. Death held all mankind in the grave until Christ came.
- Christ is the first to rise from the dead. He is the firstborn from the dead and the firstfruits of the resurrection.
- Christ defeated the devil, who had the power of death. The devil did not determine when people die but had authority over death because he brought sin and death into the world.
- Christ destroyed the devil's power over death for those who believe in Christ. The devil no longer has power over the redeemed in life or death.
- Christ delivered believers from the fear of death that held people in bondage their whole lives. He removed the sting of death by removing sin and the law's condemnation. He brought life and immortality to light.
- Believers have become lords over death through Christ. Death is the believer's servant, opening the door to glory. Believers should view death this way, without fear.
- Examples of Christians who faced death without fear, knowing they would be with Christ: the poet, the man in extreme pain, D.L. Moody.
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.