Book of Ephesians
Page 4 of 4
The Greatness of His Power
Are Christians guilty of underestimating the need for God’s power? At first it may sound like a silly question. After all, any Christian will rightly affirm their daily need of God’s power. But while Christians may correctly affirm the continual need of God’s power in their lives, many times they will assume initial belief in the gospel is easy. Conversations among some Christians often assume anybody who wants to believe the gospel can do so. This is a grave mistake says Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this message. To do so tragically misunderstands the need for God’s power to believe. It misunderstands the consequences of sin and the power of the new birth. Mankind with his darkened mind, proud heart, and deadly prejudices against the gospel must experience regeneration if there is any chance of his coming to faith in Christ. Does unregenerate man need God’s power? It is foolish to think otherwise given these theological truths. Listen as Lloyd-Jones expands on this topic and opens our eyes to our desperate need of God’s grace.
Power to us-ward Who Believe
Hardly anyone claiming the title “Christian” would deny the need for God’s power in salvation. There is, however, a fundamental difference between the person who says salvation is the power of God in addition to something I do, and those who say salvation is God’s power working in me and through me. The latter has roots in the apostolic testimony, the former does not. Neither is this a a mere linguistic quibble, says Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, but our very assurance is at stake. In this sermon Lloyd-Jones says Paul is not simply concerned with God’s power towards us, but His power in us. This is ultimately the final grounds of our assurance. When we consider all that glory entails, especially standing before a holy God and seeing Him face-to-face, how can we ever have confidence that we will be fit to stand? Given that the world, sin, and the devil are constantly at war against me, how will we ever overcome? Lloyd-Jones shows how the Apostle Paul’s prayer calls our minds to the resurrection power of God in order to assure us that glory will be attained by God’s saints. It is God and by His power alone Christians are made and not even death will keep us from glory.
His Power from Beginning to End
Do you need God’s power just a little bit? Is it only God working as we ask Him to work that sustains us as Christians? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues in this message we would not stand a single hour if it wasn’t for the power of God. The Christian life is only sustained by the continuing working of God in us. The Doctor makes a compelling case from Scripture that this must be so. If we consider what we are up against in our daily life, we are forced to acknowledge we are in desperate need for God’s power to work in us. The power against us - the world, the flesh, and the devil - is tremendous. It is only matched and exceeded by God’s power. But it is not enough to simply think we need power against these forces. This would be difficult enough. There is also a call by God towards holiness and to keep the law of Christ. We are foolish to think we will attain perfection and glory on our own power or with little power from God. Rejoice as you listen to this powerful sermon on the nature of God’s power working within His people.
The Church which is His Body
One of the most exalted ways the church is depicted in Scripture is through the metaphor of the Body of Christ. Not only is it an exalted picture of the church, but the church as the Body of Christ is one of the most intimate metaphors of the New Testament church. As Dr. Marytn Lloyd-Jones says in this sermon, the metaphor of the Body of Christ demonstrates the church is in union with Christ, Christ is the Head or source of the church, and Christ fills His body with life. Our understanding of the doctrine of the church would be severely handicapped if this picture were not in the Scriptures. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines this metaphor in great detail and with great passion. In this message you will hear the Doctor preach on our source of unity and holiness. Lloyd-Jones also challenges a popular view of sanctification which regards any working on the part of the believer as misguided. Listen as these themes are brought together in such a way as to challenge the members of Christ’s Body to remember our great source of power as we mortify sin and resist the devil.
The Final Consummation
Can a Christian ever err by focusing on the future glory too much? Is it possible to spend so much energy looking to the future that we underestimate the present power of Christ? These questions are suggested in this powerful sermon by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Some evangelical Christians are capable of forgetting the current rule of Christ. Forgetting that the Son of God is at the right hand of God, in honor and authority, can cause our hearts to become anxious about our present conditions. We forget that God the Father has already handed over all authority over the entire cosmos and he is unfolding history. We must balance our anticipation of Christ’s visible rule with his current invisible reign. There is great assurance for the church, as well, when we contemplate Christ’s current rule over the cosmos. We are reminded that the Father gave over all things to Christ for the church. Therefore, what is true of Christ now is true of His church now. There is no need to vie for a position of honor, the church has that through our union with Christ. Listen as Lloyd-Jones brings together many important themes of Christian doctrine in order to encourage the saints.
About 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.