From the MLJ Archive

Why is the church so important and is it really necessary for the Christian’s personal walk with Christ? Many Christians throughout history have minimized the church and it continues today. Is the kingdom of God the same thing as the church? According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon titled “The Doctrine of the Church,” most problems flow from not taking the church seriously. The answers start by learning how “church” is used in Scripture. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the church is a visible expression of the kingdom of God, yet it is not the kingdom in all its fullness. All Christians are part of the worldwide church. Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares that it is impossible to be a Christian and not be part of the global church. In the Scriptures, church almost always refers to a local body of believers, and it means “called out ones.” But not everything that calls itself a church is truly a redeemed congregation. It is these individual bodies and individual Christians all over the world that make up the global church. Christians have been called out of the world into the global church and kingdom of God, and this has massive consequences for the Christian life. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones helps the listener understand how to live as an important part of the church and why this is important.

What are spiritual gifts and how does a Christian determine their spiritual gift? In this sermon on spiritual gifts, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones takes the listener through this topic as he preaches on Scripture’s teachings regarding spiritual gifts. These are extraordinary powers that separate Christians from one another and enable them to serve effectively in different ways across the church. Spiritual gifts are not a blessing that some Christians receive— they are promised to all believers. One myth is that the ability of one’s gift is related to its possessor’s spiritual maturity. Dr. Lloyd-Jones takes great pains to dispel this myth and to show that not only do the gifts differ widely from each other, but that they are not determined by the level of one’s spirituality. Theologians for centuries have argued over which gifts were only for the early church, which gifts exist in the church across its existence, and even if any spiritual gifts are still in existence today. Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides a helpful commentary and discussion on these questions, showing the difference between natural gifts and supernatural gifts. What about the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit? Listen carefully as he unwraps this and more in this sermon on the Holy Spirit and His spiritual gifts to the church.

Can a Christian ever lose their salvation? What does it mean to be sealed by the Holy Spirit? This term of “being sealed” is used three times in Scripture. Throughout history, seals have been used to certify, authenticate, and demonstrate ownership over something. It also provides an element of security. How does this concept of a seal relate to the life of a Christian? Those who are followers of Jesus Christ have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, who acts as a certificate and authenticator that He lives in the Christian and submits to God’s purpose and plan. To be sealed by the Holy Spirit also means to have the security of belonging to Christ and an eternal inheritance. He has sealed His people, and thus they are secured as His possession. In this sermon titled “The Sealing and the Earnest,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that part of this security is the Spirit in advance of the promise to be given in full at a later time. What does this mean? This advance of the Holy Spirit is a pledge given by God that He will give the rest of the inheritance to His people when they go to live with Him. Though they can be sealed by the Holy Spirit, they can still grieve Him, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones duly notes. To avoid this, Christians must be willing to live lives in a way that gives full control to God and runs from sin.

Christians can be confused about the role emotions and experiences should play in their faith. Is doctrine the only way through which one learns about God? In this sermon on the Baptism of the Spirit, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives further thoughts and Scriptural exposition on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and on why it is a mistake to rely too much on either experiences or doctrine when thinking through this aspect of Christian faith. By pointing to the examples of Jesus’s disciples, Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that Scripture presents instances of people who believed in Jesus Christ and were saved, yet had not been baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit. The evidence is added to by the fact that several well-known, established Christians have gone decades (in some cases) before being filled with the Spirit— this list includes men like Jonathan Edwards and D.L. Moody. Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that this baptism is available to all Christians, but that many are afraid of being overly-emotional and have cut out all emotion from their walk with Christ. This is an error that is not Scriptural. Those who believe in Christ have received eternal life as a gift— what could possibly cause more joy than that realization?

What does it mean to be baptized by the Holy Spirit? This phrase is often misunderstood by many Christians, and Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones brings clarity to this topic in this sermon on being filled with the Holy Spirit. Many people will say that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the same as salvation. Yet, this implies that the apostles were not saved until Pentecost since that is when the Spirit came on them. Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines the baptism of the Holy Spirit as the initial experience of the glory, reality, and love of the Father. Can one be filled with the Spirit repeatedly? Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents his argument for why he believes this to be the case and why it is the source of power and ability for the believer in Christian service and witnessing. This filling, he says, differentiates an advocate from a witness. Dr. Lloyd-Jones closes out by offering Scripture’s perspective on how to determine if someone is truly filled with the Spirit, and he establishes a foundational principle—revival is the pouring out of God’s spirit, and more than anything, that is needed in order to turn all countries back to Him. Christians have a biblical responsibility to pray for this.

What is the believer’s relationship to sin? In this sermon on sanctification, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses this topic, saying “It is impossible for a Christian to remain in continual sin due to sanctification.” This is a freeing truth. From the moment of conversion, the Spirit of Life dwells in the believer, and they cannot be subject to the carnal. Moreover, this is a promise for all Christians, not just a blessing that some receive and others don’t. And yet, the struggle against sin is still a daily battle for followers of Christ. To help the listener better understand, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that from the moment of salvation, Christians are dead to sin since they have been united with Christ and His life. The Christian spirit is alive to Christ, yet their bodies are still under the bondage and dominion of sin. For those who are discouraged that they will not be able to fight sin, Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers some encouraging wisdom, imploring the believer to go to Scripture and remember the Lord’s promise to be with those who seek Him. Christians are called to fight sin, and with the help of the Holy Spirit living in each believer, they can overcome it.

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, God’s purpose for everything He does is the Christian’s sanctification. In this sermon titled “The Mighty Process of the Holy Spirit,” he outlines three dangers: Christians must not separate justification and sanctification; Christians cannot believe to both receive sanctification at the time of salvation and also at a point in the future; and Christians must be wary of preaching a false evangelism that stops at forgiveness and excludes holy living. The Christian should care about living a life that is pleasing to God because God is holy. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the Christian’s responsibility in sanctification. While the Holy Spirit is at work within them, they must not resist His work. Paul wrote about this in Romans 8 and other passages, teaching that Christians must actively seek to eliminate sin from their lives. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains how Christians can come alongside the Holy Spirit in His work of making them more like Jesus Christ.

Does a Christian ever stop sinning? Is sanctification an experience over a lifetime? In this sermon titled “Sanctification: God’s Work and Ours,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tackles these issues and more in this sermon on the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of a believer. Sanctification is the process by which Christians are changed to be more like Jesus Christ. This begins at the moment of salvation and though they are set apart from the world, Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows from Scripture that sanctification is not a one-time experience or event. The New Testament authors frequently implore readers to fight sin and to avoid unrighteousness. This unmistakably shows that though Christians are saved from their sin, they are not saved out of it, and that becoming like Christ is a process that takes time. What about experiences of radical and sudden transformation that some believers claim to have had? Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that such transformations have nothing to do with Christianity alone. While such experiences can promote and aid sanctification, they are not sanctification themselves because they also are experienced by many others who adhere to different worldviews.

Every Christian still battles with sin. But how should Christians approach this issue? The doctrine of sanctification is filled with hope, and in this sermon on the different views of sanctification, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones guides the listener through the different views of this doctrine. Sanctification means to be set apart for God and His service, to be made holy. Though it doesn’t remove sin, it is the process by which the Holy Spirit removes the pollution of that sin and shifts desires from disobedience to God-honoring behavior. How long does sanctification take, and when in a person’s spiritual journey does it take place? Dr. Lloyd-Jones walks through the various perspectives and aids the believer in reaching a biblical understanding of the answers. Some Christians have asked, “Why does it matter to study a doctrine that doesn’t determine where someone will spend eternity?” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains it is the Christian duty to search for the truth in all areas of life and study. Without knowing the truth, believers can become vulnerable to believing false doctrine and fall prey to heresies. Studying truth helps believers to avoid this, and it aids in growing them closer to Christ. Praise God that He does not abandon His children after saving them, but rather actively molds them into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Adoption is a beautiful picture of selflessness and the strong protecting the vulnerable. To be a Christian means to be adopted into God’s family. Christians are chosen by God and brought into His family through no righteousness of their own. In this sermon on adoption, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains through Scripture how God transfers His people from children of wrath to His family as sons and daughters. Christians have been freed from sin’s bondage and are grafted into God’s eternal family. Some teachers have claimed this to be of no effect and instead support a universal fatherhood of God and universal brotherhood of all people— yet, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones proves, that view is unbiblical. Similar to physical adoption, spiritual adoption has beneficial consequences for the believer: namely, the release from a spirit of bondage and fear into a spirit of liberty, unhindered access to the Father, and God’s present protection, consolation, and perfect provision for every need and the promise of a future inheritance.