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Sermon #5559

Flesh or Spirit?

A Sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:16

Originally preached June 11, 1961

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Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:16 ESV KJV
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. (ESV)

Sermon Description

The world cannot be changed, but “The only way Christianity helps is it changes us.” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones takes a different view of oneself and of humanity as a rebel against God. The most important question to ask is, “what do you think of Christ?” Christianity is Christ and Christians are called to be ambassadors for Christ and will be held accountable for their lives. Christians cannot take risks as “your eternal destiny depends on your view of Christ.” In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:16 titled “Flesh or Spirit?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses how the Spirit of God must unveil one’s eyes to their standing before God. No one can come before God justified on their own; they are but a child before Him. Rejoice that God humbled Himself to come to this earth. It is not the mere death of a martyr. Jesus died in our place. Christ alone triumphs in His shame. How can anyone become righteous before God if their best works are but filthy rags and damnation? Be reconciled to God in faith.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The apostle Paul is writing to the Corinthians about facing death and the afterlife. He says that as Christians, we can face death with confidence because we know what awaits us after death - eternal life with God.
  2. Paul says that before becoming a Christian, he viewed Jesus and others in a worldly way, "after the flesh." But now he views Jesus in a spiritual way, through the Holy Spirit.
  3. There are two ways to view Jesus: "after the flesh" or "after the spirit." Viewing Jesus after the flesh means seeing him as just a man, a teacher, or a martyr. Viewing him after the spirit means seeing him as the Son of God and savior.
  4. Those who view Jesus after the flesh see his death as a tragedy or failure. But Christians see his death as a triumph - God sacrificed his son to save us from our sins. Jesus defeated sin and death.
  5. Jesus came not just to teach us but to save us. He came to reconcile us to God and give us eternal life. He will come again to judge the world.
  6. We must see Jesus as the Son of God and our personal savior. If we reject him, we perish. But if we believe in him, we have eternal life.
  7. We must ask God to open our eyes to see Jesus in his glory and understand his love for us. We must surrender our lives to him.

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.