A New Creation
A Sermon on 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Originally preached Dec. 6, 1953
Scripture
9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And …
Sermon Description
The world celebrates the power of humanity. Human achievement gains the highest order of praise. From the cities built to the industry created, human inventions and achievements are truly remarkable. No one can deny the wonders of the human mind. In spite of this progress, however, humans are left powerless. As a matter of fact, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out, human progress highlights the inability to solve their main problem. Wars increase. Corruption is woven into institutions. Violence does not cease. While people can build a civilization, the facts do not show that humanity has any real power. What all need is the power of God. What humanity needs is regeneration, a new life. In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 titled “A New Creation,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones displays God’s purpose to save people from their corruption, and to make them children of God. This happens as the Holy Spirit works in a person and causes them to see and know God. Christianity is not just a better life––it is God working out His purpose in His people. He produces a rebirth in the Christian as the mind and intellect is renewed. The believer desires things they have never before desired. The new person’s greatest desire is to know God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. It is not a philosophy but based on history and acts in history.
- The gospel alone can solve the moral problems of the world. It has changed society and produced order out of chaos throughout history.
- God does the work of the gospel through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We must have both to have the gospel.
- The Holy Spirit first arrests and stops us, then convinces us of our sin, then shows us our helplessness to save ourselves, and then leads us to faith in Christ.
- We must be convinced of our sin, see our need for Christ, and believe He died for our sins personally to be saved.
- The Holy Spirit applies Christ's work to us. He washes, sanctifies, and justifies us. This means being set apart from sin to God.
- The Holy Spirit produces the new birth in us, giving us a new nature and forming the nature of Christ in us. We become new creatures with a new mind, new desires, and a new will.
- The new birth gives us a new view of life, joy, man, and the purpose of life. We now love God's law and hate sin.
- The new birth changes us radically but not perfectly. It renews our whole being - mind, heart, will. The law is now in our hearts.
- The new birth gives us a love for God and His law and a hatred for sin. We mourn over our past sin.
- The gospel is for the weak and sinful, not the righteous. It cleanses and changes the foulest sinners.
- The new birth is just the beginning of the Spirit's work in us. He continues to change us into Christ's image.
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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.