The People of God
A Sermon on 1 Peter 2:2
Originally preached Feb. 25, 1962
Scripture
2As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Sermon Description
How can one go through life without stumbling? It is not hard to see that the world is full of sin, pain, and suffering. How is one to live in this evil world? In this sermon on 1 Peter 2:2 titled “The People of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives a simple answer. They must look to God and His word. No one can look to themselves and human reason because all are under sin and its curse. Because Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the garden to rebel against God, all of creation is under sin and bondage. Humanity is naturally in a state of rebellion against God and His righteous rule. It is only by God’s grace that anyone is saved from sin and brought to a true knowledge of God, free from the self-destructive nature of their own sin. By looking to God’s word, people can have a sure foundation. For in it, God has revealed the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. All who trust in Jesus are saved from all sin and condemnation. This sermon calls all to ask these most important questions: “Are you trusting in yourself for salvation? Or are you trusting in Jesus Christ, the only one who can bring us through this life, and save us on the last day?”
Sermon Breakdown
- God created the world and everything in it perfectly.
- Evil entered the world through the fall of Satan and his angels, then the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.
- As a result, man became separated from God, fearful, and imperfect. Man's powers and instincts became disordered and self-serving.
- God cursed the ground and banished man from Eden as punishment for sin. Man has been trying to return to paradise ever since through his own futile efforts.
- God's plan is to call out a people for himself from fallen humanity. He began this with Abel, then the line of Seth, then Abraham and his descendants.
- God made Israel his chosen people, promising them rest and safety if they obeyed. But they repeatedly failed and went into exile.
- Jesus came as the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel. Through faith in Christ, both Jews and Gentiles can be part of God's people.
- The church is God's people in this age, called out of the world to be holy and peculiar. Christianity is not about reforming society but calling people to be God's own.
- God's ultimate purpose is to restore the universe to perfection. He will defeat Satan and purge creation of all sin and evil. His people will inhabit the new creation.
- Those who believe this message and are part of God's people will never be confounded, no matter what happens in this life. They know God is in control and will fulfill his promises.
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.