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Sermon #5280

The Character of God

A Sermon on Isaiah 40:25-28

Originally preached July 11, 1954

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Scripture

Isaiah 40:25-28 ESV KJV
To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he …

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Sermon Description

What separates humanity from God? In this sermon on Isaiah 40:25–28 titled “The Character of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones responds that the answer is God’s holiness. Because all of humanity is sinful and fallen, they are alienated from God. Sinners cannot approach God or stand before Him because they are unclean and unholy. How then can anyone come before God? The answer is found not in what humanity can do, but in what God does. For God is both the just and the justifier in the salvation of humanity by sending His Son into the world to die in the place of sinners. Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, was born of a virgin and died in the place of sinners, bearing their sins upon Himself. All who believe in Christ receive the great benefits of salvation and are made right before God. How can anyone stand before a holy God? The answer is that they stand before God by standing in the righteousness of Christ Jesus and are found by God to be in Christ. The great truth of the gospel is that although people are sinful and vile, God makes them clean by sending His Son to die in their place on order that they might have life everlasting.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The prophet Isaiah addresses people's doubts about God's ways in light of suffering in the world.
  2. People question whether God is able to help them or whether He cares to help them. They feel God's promises are not being fulfilled.
  3. The prophet answers that people have a faulty view of God's character. They do not understand His holiness, unchangeableness, and wisdom.
  4. God is holy - He is completely righteous and just. Everything He does is in accordance with truth and right. People do not like to think of God as holy because they want God to overlook sin.
  5. God is unchangeable - He does not get tired or weary. He is in control of everything and sustains all of creation. Though He is great, He knows each person intimately.
  6. God's wisdom is beyond human understanding. He has an eternal plan and purpose that we cannot fully grasp. We only see a part, but God sees the whole.
  7. The cross demonstrates all these attributes. It shows God's holiness in punishing sin, His unchangeableness in carrying out His word, and His wisdom in providing salvation.
  8. We must humble ourselves before God's holiness and wisdom, repent of our sins, and receive His grace. God can do as He chooses, and we have no claim over Him.

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.