The Christian Life
A Sermon on Jeremiah 17:5-8
Originally preached May 15, 1955
Scripture
5¶ Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the …
Sermon Description
How can sinful people be blessed by a Holy God? How can sinners come before the throne of God and claim God’s blessings as their own? To the natural person, this is impossible. Sinful people do not believe in a grace that can reconcile God and humanity, so they say one has to work to earn God’s favor. In this sermon on Jeremiah 17:5–8 titled “The Christian Life,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the great truth that blessings come by God’s grace. The ways of God and humanity are wholly opposed so that the Christian life stands in stark contrast to the life of the world. The Christian life is a life of favor with God because of God’s grace, while the life of the world is a life of always striving to earn God’s favor through works, but never attaining it. The gospel calls each and every one to repent of their sins and believe in Jesus for salvation. God’s grace is the only hope in this life because all have broken God’s commandment and sinned against Him, but God’s grace is more powerful than sin. The most amazing truth in the world is that God gives grace freely in Jesus Christ, and this is the gospel.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage under consideration is Jeremiah 17:5-8 which contrasts the cursed man and the blessed man.
- The cursed man trusts in man and flesh, and departs from God. He is like a shrub in the desert that bears no fruit.
- The blessed man trusts in the Lord and makes the Lord his hope. He is like a tree planted by water that bears fruit.
- To understand the blessed life, we must understand how to possess it. There is a "manward" aspect and a "Godward" aspect.
- The manward aspect involves realizing you are a sinner, trusting in Christ alone for salvation, and hoping in Him. You must come to the end of yourself.
- The Godward aspect involves God miraculously saving us by His Spirit. He translates us from darkness to light. He plants us in Christ.
- As Christians, we are new creations with new natures, desires, and lives. We are in union with Christ, receiving His life.
- To have this blessed life, come to the end of yourself, trust in Christ alone, and receive new life from Him. Ask Him for this life. Wait on 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.