Creation and Common Grace
A Sermon on the Holy Spirit's role in Creation and Common Grace
Originally preached Jan. 8, 1954
Scripture
Sermon Description
When did the Holy Spirit begin His work? Was it only after Pentecost or was He active and present before that important day? In this sermon on the Holy Spirit’s role in creation and common grace, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explain his method of approach when coming to difficult doctrines or statements in Scripture, including the topic of the Holy Spirit. Unpacking the biblical evidence, one can say with confidence that the Holy Spirit was manifest before the day of Pentecost. He was manifest in the creation of the world; that is, He operated in creation by sustaining it. The Holy Spirit is also manifest through common grace. Common grace, Dr. Lloyd-Jones tells the listener, is the general blessings applied to all according to the pleasure and will of God. Common grace is seen everywhere. The culture is filled with common grace and aids in understanding of how God works to maintain order by government rule and restraining sin, as well as the joy and pleasure experienced through art, music, and science. The conscience found in everyone is manifest in morality and religion that pervades the cultures. But the morality, politics, religions, and beauty are not the main point. All of these things, these marks of common grace, glorify God because it is only through the Spirit that the gifts are distributed to humankind.
Sermon Breakdown
- The early part of the sermon is missing but the topic is the Holy Spirit and Peter's sermon in Acts 2.
- There are statements implying the Holy Spirit had not yet come but also statements showing the Holy Spirit's activity before Pentecost.
- The Holy Spirit was active in creation, sustaining creation, and common grace.
- The Holy Spirit moved upon the face of the waters in Genesis 1:2, showing activity in creation.
- The Holy Spirit sustains creation. Without Him, creation would perish. Isaiah 40:7 and Psalm 104 show this.
- Common grace refers to general blessings God gives all people. The Holy Spirit gives moral influence, restrains sin, maintains order, and promotes civil righteousness through common grace.
- The Holy Spirit gives light to all people through conscience and natural understanding. This is common grace.
- The Holy Spirit established governments and the powers that be to restrain sin. This is common grace.
- Public opinion and culture come from the Holy Spirit's common grace. They improve lives but don't save.
- Common grace delays judgment, prolongs life, strives with humanity, and restrains the worst sin.
- The Holy Spirit strives with humanity through conviction of sin but people resist. Genesis 6:3, Acts 7:51, Romans 1 show this.
- The Holy Spirit restrains sin through governments and a general sense of morality and religion in the unsaved.
- The Holy Spirit gives common blessings like sun and rain to all people, saved or not. Matthew 5:44-45, Acts 14:15-17, 1 Timothy 4:10 show this.
- Next time: Complete evidence of the Holy Spirit's pre-Pentecost activity and explain what happened at Pentecost.
Great Biblical Doctrines
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.