God Is Faithful
A Sermon on 1 Corinthians 1:4-9
Originally preached Sept. 15, 1957
Scripture
4I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 5That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 6Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 7 …
Sermon Description
Is it possible to be confident and filled with a sense of assurance about the state of the Christian church today? The Apostle Paul had great confidence and certainty in the faithfulness of God as he wrote to the church in Corinth: “God is faithful.” Do Christians desire the assurance that Paul seems to have in his writings? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches this sermon as an introduction to 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 so that the listener may be helped and strengthened both at the current state of the Christian church, and in evaluating the manner in which Christians live. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asserts that Paul’s confidence is based upon the fact that he knows that salvation is entirely of God. Paul did not have confidence in the Corinthians or himself, but in God and His grace alone. It is God who calls His people up from spiritual death into His salvation. The Christian has been called and quickened by God and can have confidence today knowing that it is God who calls, confirms, and keeps each Christian because He never starts something without finishing it.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon opens by introducing 1 Corinthians 1:9 as the main text and focus - "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."
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The sermon establishes that Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthians to address many problems in the church. Despite this, Paul opens with a statement of confidence and assurance in God.
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The sermon asks how Paul can be confident given the state of the Corinthian church and the difficulties of life. The answer is that Paul's confidence is in God, not man.
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Salvation is entirely of God. It starts with the grace of God, not man. God called us and chose us.
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God gives us spiritual gifts, knowledge, and confirms our faith. He will sustain us to the end.
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God preserves us from error and sin. He allows trials but provides escape. He will make us blameless.
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Our confidence is in God's character. He is faithful and unchanging. He always finishes what He starts.
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Despite the problems in the church, we can be confident because God is in control and will fulfill His purposes.
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In summary, the sermon teaches that we can be confident in times of difficulty because our salvation and security rest in God alone, not man. God is faithful and sovereign.
Other Sermons
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.