The Glory of the Cross
A Sermon on the Glory of the Cross from Galatians 6:14
Scripture
14But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Sermon Description
When people look at the world today, they see a world that is torn apart by much grief, suffering, and loss. And yet, they often fail to see the reason behind the pain that exists. In this sermon on the glory of the cross from Galatians 6:14 titled “The Glory of the Cross,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones works through understanding suffering and the characteristics of the world to help better comprehend the glory of the cross. He says that the world and what it stands for are the causes of all its tragedies. He defines the world as that which is apart from and/or without God. What are the characteristics of the world? The world is driven by an unquenchable lust and desire, such as for money, power, and sex. These have driven people to live for themselves, and this has led to the sin in the world. It can only be overcome through the cross. It does this by showing what the world really is and how empty its pursuits are. In His ministry on earth, Jesus made this a central part of His ministry, emphasizing things that were total opposites from the world. Everything that is opposed to God will suffer eternal destruction, and this is the glory of the cross—it is the only thing that satisfies, and it is the only salvation.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is declaring his position and contrasting himself with false teachers who boast in the flesh.
- Paul says he will only glory in the cross of Christ. The preaching of the cross is the essential message of Christianity.
- There are only two positions regarding the cross: it is either offensive or we glory in it. Paul glories in it because it has changed his life and it is the most glorious thing he has known.
- We glory in the cross because of what we see in it as a spectacle: the Prince of Glory died on it.
- We must ask why Christ died on the cross. It was not merely the act of men but was prophesied and purposed by God before creation.
- The cross is the center of God's plan of salvation. It reveals God's wisdom, solving the problem of how God can be just and forgive sinners.
- The cross displays God's grace, righteousness, holiness, immutability, and love. We see all of God's attributes harmonized in the cross.
- God did not spare His Son but poured out His wrath on Him so He would not have to pour it out on us. This demonstrates God's love for us.
- Our eternal destiny depends on our view of the cross. We must glory in it to be saved, seeing it as everything.
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.