A State of Warfare
A Sermon on Isaiah 40:1-2
Originally preached May 2, 1954
Scripture
1Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.
Sermon Description
The Christian life is altogether the work of God, not humanity. God’s word is from Him and to those waging warfare against Him. In this sermon on Isaiah 40:1–2 titled “A State of Warfare,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses sin, peace, and the mark of a true Christian that separates them from all others. Humanity is not what it was meant to be—iniquity is a perversion and wrongness that completely misses God’s mark. No one can buy or learn peace. The world searches for peace by their own means, but sin is a hard taskmaster. The greatest folly of humanity is thinking that they can bring real peace within themselves or outside of themselves, while forgetting God. This sermon is unlike many other messages—it is a message of comfort, not a call for anyone to save themselves but to receive a new life and be made into a new creature. The mark of God’s own people is a unique recognition and confession of their own sin. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones calls all to a standard of biblical ownership, so that they no longer shift the blame for personal sin to God, others, or circumstances.
Sermon Breakdown
- The message comes from God. God is speaking and addressing his servant, Isaiah.
- The message is for those in a state of warfare - in trouble, weary, and burdened by sin. Life is difficult and overwhelming.
- The cause of this warfare is iniquity (perverseness, wrongness) and sin (missing the mark, not doing what we ought to do). Man is not what he was meant to be.
- The message to those in this state is comfort. God speaks to the heart and meets us where we are.
- The message is pardon - forgiveness of sins. Though we deserve punishment, God is satisfied by the death of Christ. Our sins have been dealt with.
- The message promises a change in condition - the end of warfare. We are given new life, a new nature, new desires, and new power. Blessings abound.
- The message is for God's people - those who recognize their sin, don't blame God, and are amazed by His grace.
- The message is the gospel - reconciliation, pardon, new life, and relationship with God.
Old Testament
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.