October 1960

The presence of evil in the world is undeniable. While many philosophies and religions try to make sense of the world by denying its existence, the human experience quickly refutes their ideas. The Christian may not be challenged by the specious claim that evil does not exist. However, the Christian worldview is challenged with the question of the origin of evil. Does the Bible give an account for the origin of evil? In this sermon on evil from Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “The Origin of Evil,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones declares that this is an important question for Christians to consider. He says that an understanding of the origins of evil will reflect an understanding of God. Since the apostle Paul has been teaching on these evil spiritual forces, Christians need to consider where these evil principalities and powers originate. Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides extended teaching on the topic by looking at various Old Testament passages, including Genesis. Dr. Lloyd-Jones combines this teaching with clues given in the New Testament about the personality of the chief strongman, Satan, and argues for a pre-cosmic fall. Dr. Lloyd-Jones maintains that in order to make sense of the world today, the Christian must look back to eternity past. Listen in as he instructs on this perplexing but all important topic on the origin of evil.

What does the prophet Jeremiah say to the church of today? According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon on Jeremiah 2:8 titled “The Only Authority,” the prophet Jeremiah reminds of the importance of God’s authority in one’s life. Jeremiah decried the corrupt and abusive priesthood of Israel that sacrificed to false gods and did not worship the only true God of Israel as they had been commanded to do. The leaders of Israel had also rejected God and His law. What does this mean for the church of modern times? Just as many in the time of Israel who were supposed to lead the people of God and teach them rightly had gone astray, the church of today has many who claim to be leaders but reject the truth of God’s Scriptures and teach against orthodox Christianity. Whether it is higher criticism of the Bible or attacks on the deity of Christ, many teachers in the church oppose the very teachings of God. The answer to this problem is always the same: the church of Jesus Christ must teach the true message of God’s word despite what the world says. Faithfulness to God requires that Christians believe not what is popular, but what is revealed in God’s word.

What comfort is there for the believer in knowing the Holy Spirit yearns for their sanctification? What privilege do believers have knowing that the Holy Spirit is so concerned for them? This is one reminder by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his sermon on Romans 8:14 titled “The Spiritual Outlook.” In this message, he explores further what the apostle Paul means by being “led by the Spirit of God.” As the Spirit operates on the mind, heart, and will of the Christian, He gives full and final emancipation from sin. But how may a person know whether the Spirit is leading them? Dr. Lloyd-Jones supplies guidance on this vital question. In short, the Spirit leads Christians to a total new outlook on life; a spiritual outlook. Does the Christian desire God’s glory? What about love for the people of God? How do they respond sin? Do they actively engage in the mortification of the deeds of the body? The Spirit always leads in the direction of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones both challenges and encourages the church in this teaching on the work of the Holy Spirit.

Is it not madness to spend an entire message devoted to describing the devil? After all, is not Satan merely folklore and myth? Many sophisticated people today would conclude that focus on the spiritual realm at all is a sheer waste of time but Christians cannot shy away from what Scripture teaches. They acknowledge that their authority on spiritual matters is not themselves but the word of God. As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds, to talk about these things is the most practical thing a Christian can do because they are looking at the real cause of the present state of the world. The Christian has been given the ability to see the true nature of the conflict. In this message on Ephesians 6:10–13 titled “The Enemy Described,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones dwells on Paul’s description of the devil and makes inner biblical connections to his person and work. By examining the Scriptures on the topic, Dr. Lloyd-Jones equips Christians to understand the devil’s purpose and his kingdom of darkness. He encourages fearful saints to take fresh courage and understand the ancient foe well, knowing they have been given the power and resources by God to stand against the enemy and principalities and powers.

Is Christianity a joyless religion based on strict law keeping? Sadly, many people think that the teachings of Jesus Christ are just this. But in this sermon on Jeremiah 2:7 titled “A Depraved Nature,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows that this is wholly opposed to what the Bible actually teaches. In the Scriptures is found a God in whom people are to take joy. The Christian life is a call to follow Jesus and to love one another; it is a call to find peace in the salvation of Christ. This life is not about keeping commandments first and foremost, but it is about trusting in Jesus. All the sins that the Bible forbids are the sins that alienate people from God and make them slaves. Freedom and joy have the same source: Jesus Christ. Scripture presents a beautiful picture of life in Christ that allows Christians to really enjoy the gifts of God in creation rather than abuse them for fleeting pleasure. The message of this sermon and the Bible is to follow Jesus and find joy in Him. People are not only saved by faith in Jesus, but they also find their rest in this life in Him.

Critics sometimes claim that the Holy Spirit does violence against human will when He leads people to salvation. Since the apostle Paul teaches that the assurance of adoption is based upon this sovereign work of the Spirit, is it then true that the Spirit is culpable of such violence? In this sermon from Romans 8:14 titled “Leading and Guidance,” the answer given by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones is a resounding no. By parsing out the language of the Scriptures, he demonstrates that the Spirit’s leading is not a violent power, but a persuasive power. Moreover, the guidance of the Spirit cannot be segregated from the testimony of truth found in the Scriptures. The Spirit’s work of leading and guiding in sanctification is then directly tied to both the Bible and the saving work of Jesus Christ. Regardless of what any person may say about a vision or an experience, if the teaching cannot be found or reconciled with the Scriptures, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that it is a false teaching. Romans 8:14 is a brilliant passage on the assurance of standing as children of God and the sovereign leading of the Spirit. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds the implications of the Spirit’s work for the Christian life.

There is a sharp difference between the symptom and the disease. History teaches that humanity is stuck focusing on the symptoms instead of the disease. In their quest to understand evil and various forms of paganism, fatalism occupied the minds of people in ancient times. Modern people are too sophisticated to believe their problems can be located in the spiritual realm, so they locate the problem in lack of education and ignorance. The belief is that the spread of culture and rationalism is the cure to all problems. Some Christians are likewise guilty of such optimism in the human spirit. To believe in a real devil and spiritual foes is ridiculed. Blinded by hubris, modern humanity marches forward with education with all the hope of “progress” as comfort. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:11–12 titled “The Enemy,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones contests such ideas by reminding the listener of the apostle Paul’s words, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world…” Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives a scathing critique of the solutions many put forward today while grounding believers in the sure truth of God’s word. The listener will find courage, comfort, and confidence as they listen to this helpful sermon on the Christian and the true nature of the disease.

What is the source of suffering and misery in this world? In this sermon on Jeremiah 2:6 titled “A Ruined Mansion,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses this question and more. Humanity is like a ruined mansion, a dark shadow of what it once was. People were made to be a friend of God, but now they live in sin and filth. Humanity has sinned and fallen from the original state of happiness and peace into despair because it has willingly rebelled against God. They are now an enemy of God and subject to the wrath of God. What then is humanity’s hope? It is certainly not in itself. Hundreds of years of human history has only shown that people cannot save themselves. This is why God had to send His own Son into the world to die in the place of sinners. Jesus Christ suffered and died a bloody death on the cross for all. All that trust in Him are saved and made children of God. God’s answer to the plight of humanity is to take their place. This sermon calls all to forsake their sins and flee to Christ. There is no guarantee that anyone will live another hour; for this reason all must come to Christ this day.

What is the doctrine of sonship? How might Christians practically deny this important doctrine? How may they be sure they are children of God? In this sermon on Romans 8:14 titled “The Father’s Children,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the teaching of sonship in various ways. The New Testament takes keen interest in sonship, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, because it is the great motive for sanctified living. Christians glory in the truth that the Father has taken special care in them as His children. However, they may practically deny their sonship in their prayer life if they are convinced it is more spiritual to offer distant or cold prayers because of God’s holiness and majesty. Dr. Lloyd-Jones cautions against this extreme by appealing to the adoption as His children. With full assurance, he says, Christians can offer prayer to God because His presence is always with His children. Since they are led by the Holy Spirit into this relationship with the Father, they can be sure of their adoption. No matter faults or failures, they are sons and daughters of God. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds the apostle Paul’s beautiful message on Christian salvation – the adoption as His children.

Secularists sometimes acknowledge the value of Christianity upon society. They can appreciate the morals and values it can instill in a society’s citizens. Often, however, it is not true Christianity they want, but a version of Christianity that is palatable to their pluralism. They want a Christianity that speaks to moral problems, but it cannot speak to those problems as the only solution, just as an optional solution. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10–11 titled “The Only Way,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones confronts the popular idea that the Christian message is too narrow. In his defense of biblical Christianity, Dr. Lloyd-Jones demonstrates why Christianity’s exclusive claim to fix the moral problem is correct. The church must stand in defense that it has the only message that can solve moral problems of society. In saying Christianity is capable of solving moral problems of society, Dr. Lloyd-Jones is careful to distinguish true Christianity from misunderstandings of what Christianity is. Christianity is not moralism with its reduction of the Christian message to imitation of ethical teaching. Nor is it monasticism with its escapist mentality. Rather, Christianity is the call to be strong in the Lord with the power of His might where God has placed the believer.

It is common to encounter disbelief, skepticism, and disdain for Christianity from unbelievers. Driven by a fear of this criticism, some Christians retreat from conversations about God and the gospel. In this sermon based on Jeremiah 2:5 titled “Life Without God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps equip his listeners to know how to handle such criticism with grace and confidence. As he analyzes the position of the skeptic, he challenges their unbelief with his own questions regarding their unbelief and dismissal of God. Asking the unbeliever to consider their rejection of God, he focuses particularly on their rejection of the morality found in the Bible. What exactly is the unbeliever’s objection to morality? What rational foundation could there be for holding to such a belief? Biblical morality, he argues, seeks the flourishing of humanity and the world, so the rejection of morality is both foolish and irrational. It leads to worldwide chaos and tension. If the unbeliever were to turn in belief to the God who created them, they would realize the height of their foolishness. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches on countering the foolish unbelief of this world with the light and clarity of the gospel.

Does the Christian ever long for Heaven? How often do they think of glorification? Christians often discuss sanctification and do not realize that it is only a part of the process for the end goal of glorification. Glorification can be understood because of the assurance in Christ Jesus. In this sermon on Romans 8:14 titled “Sons of the Living God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says the theme of Romans 8 is not sanctification, but rather the assurance of a Christian’s salvation. It is the absolute security of the final perseverance of all who have been justified by Jesus Christ. As Paul works through this chapter to Romans, he has been outlining several reasons for this assurance. In Romans 8:14, he come to the assurance in terms of sonship with God, which Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues is also the theme of the whole of Scripture. Because glorification is the final goal for all Christians, God would never allow something to prohibit His people from getting there. Dr. Lloyd-Jones discusses four points: not all are children of God, Christians are children of God, what this sonship means, and the consequences of this sonship. He leaves the listener with an encouraging message: because Christians are sons and daughters of God, they can look out into this world and never experience despair or panic because they belong to the family of God.

Readers of Paul will soon recognize that he is a skilled and deliberate letter writer. In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10 titled “Introduction,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones comes to the final section of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and reminds the listener that his final point is no mere afterthought. This passage is crucial for understanding the Christian life. Dr. Lloyd-Jones masterfully surveys the message of Ephesians and makes thematic connections between what Paul has said previously and what he writes in this passage. While the apostle Paul has been reminding Christians who they are and how they have come to this point, it is vital for them to know the nature of their opposition. Since the devil is a real and powerful enemy, Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares that any doctrine of sanctification that does not take a stand against him into account will fall short of biblical teaching. Moreover, any teaching about the Christian life that depicts it as sentimental and not as a battle not only misrepresents the Christian message, but often is a sign of a cult. There is a struggle that wages against the Christian and they must be ready and willing to fight this glorious battle. Listen to Dr. Lloyd-Jones as he encourages all to fight the war of the Christian life.

Everyone must consider what they are chasing in life and if it will last. In this sermon in Jeremiah 2:13 titled “Fountain of Living Waters,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones states that all seek satisfaction from a worldview that is either like a cistern of stagnant water or a fountain of flowing, living water. What characterizes the cistern “way of living”? First, it is entirely human-made — all authority is subject to change depending on the shifting opinions of humanity. Second, all the effort for happiness is dependent upon oneself. They are expected to find what makes one happy and chase it with all they have. Third, this way of thinking is so limited because it reduces everything to rationality, even beautiful emotions such as love and joy that cannot be measured. This way of approaching life cannot satisfy—there is no hope. But Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that Jesus offers a fountain of flowing, living water designed to satisfy the deepest longings of the soul in Himself. In contrast to the cistern, this living water is rooted in God’s unchanging authority, providing a bedrock upon that which one can establish their life. Crucially, this living water has accomplished all the work because no one could not earn it on their own — Jesus’s offer of salvation accomplished through His death and resurrection to atone for the sins of all humanity is offered to the Christian. Take a deep drink from this living water and find eternal life.