Colossians — Chapter 1

In his sermon on Colossians 1:3–7 titled “The Only Gospel,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones begins by asking a fundamental question: What is Christianity? In Paul’s introduction to his letter, he writes of the great news of the gospel the church received from one of the apostle’s friends. Paul affirms that this gospel is the true gospel. This central belief, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, is precisely opposite of why so many are outside of the church. Today, there is confusion regarding Christianity’s core, a confusion that often persists within churches themselves. False teachers abound, and the truth is not preached. The truth of Christianity rests in the gospel, the good news given from Christ to His disciples. This is the truth that changes a person, causing them to see life differently. No longer is he or she living for the world, but living for God. And unlike worldly authority, he says, this gospel rests on the authority of the Lord. Salvation did not come through humanity; it came through God’s Son Jesus Christ. In closing, Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds Christians to worship God for His loving grace and mercy.

In this sermon on Colossians 1:3–7 titled “A Body of Truth,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on a fundamental question: What is Christianity? Paul writes to the early church in Colossae, congratulating them on their love for God’s people. He also affirms the gospel they heard from Epaphras, a fellow servant of God and a friend of Paul’s. The church in Colossae, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, was not so different from the other early churches in the New Testament. It was most likely a collection of new believers, united by the gospel, meeting in a home to discuss and study the Old Testament. This, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, is what Christianity is about. It is not about catching a feeling, as if Christianity were a disease. He says the core of Christianity is the gospel. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says it is about understanding and explains that Christ came for the redemption of sin, and whoever believes in Him has eternal life. Although Christians may argue among themselves, this incredible doctrine should remain central. In closing, he invites those who have yet to receive this salvation to accept God’s grace.

In this sermon on Colossians 1:3–7 titled “The Heavenly Hope,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on where Paul addresses the Colossae church, encouraging the congregation on their acceptance of the good news. This good news is the gospel, the core of Christianity. It is not a feeling or emotional state, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says. It is a truth passed down from Christ and the disciples. In short, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, the good news is a selection of doctrine, a body of truth that Christ came to redeem the world from the punishment of sin. In light of this revelation, the believer should take joy in the hope that is laid up for him or her in heaven. It is this hope that declares Christianity as different. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that Christianity is not here to solve the problems of the world or to give people practical ways to improve their life. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that Christianity is concerned with a person’s soul, their eternal destination. The world will remain evil until Christ’s return, but until He comes, this hour is the time for people to accept God’s incredible grace and seize His profound love.

In this sermon on Colossians 1:3–8 titled “Changed by the Gospel,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reads the encouraging words of Paul where he describes a summary of the gospel for the church in Colossae. However, Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out what the good news has done to this early church. The gospel has changed them. Paul praises their faith in Jesus Christ, but he also celebrates their love for their Christian brothers and sisters. This new spiritual fruit is no doubt from the power of the gospel, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says. Once the believer has placed his or her faith in Christ, they are a new creation. God opens their eyes to the sin in their life, and moreover, gives them the power to change. Of course, that person is not perfect and will still stumble. But the believer no longer loves old habits. That person loves Christ instead. He or she would much rather be with believers than the highest company. This, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, is one of the marks of a saved person. That person’s life is different than it was before Christ. The old life is dead, and God has made a new creation within, a new life that reflects the mercy and grace of the Lord.

In this sermon on Colossians 1:2–11 titled “No Longer Slaves,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones seeks to convey the true gospel by asking the listener to test their faith by asking some basic questions. Has this gospel brought forth fruit? Hear how faith shows a person who they are and learn the freedom of living triumphantly in this present and evil world. Regeneration gives the ability to find joy in tribulation, not merely survive. This Gospel is not one of escapism, wishful thinking, stoicism, fatalism, or realism, but instead enables believers to face facts exactly as they are. Regeneration gives someone an entirely new relationship to this world. No longer are they “of the world.” Without this gospel, all are slaves in this world and bound by culture. This life is only vanity and evil, and at its very best, it is still only temporary. Christians are pilgrims in this world who must be concerned for their soul and what is beyond this world, rather than for mere worldly prospects. Christ will come to put this world right. Join Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in saying, “I am what I am by the grace of God.” Find peace with God and the peace of God; nothing can separate His children from His love.

In this sermon on Colossians 1:12 titled “His Workmanship Alone,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the necessity of praise in the life of all Christians. There is no other response they could give after receiving this great salvation that made them a Christian. In His grace, God brings His people out of the world and its sinful ways and offers forgiveness and adoption through His Son. One must never think that they can be saved by their own works or merits, for all are in sin and saved only by grace. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that no one can contribute anything to their salvation. This is why Christians are to worship out of a heart of thankfulness and praise. The greatest tragedy is that there are those who do not praise God because they do not know Him. This sermon calls all to forsake themselves, trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and rest in His mercy. There is no other way of salvation but through Jesus Christ.

In this sermon on Colossians 1:13 titled “The Power of Darkness Conquered,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines some common views of humanity and what the Bible declares. The lack of gratefulness in a person is due to a lack of understanding of who God is and what He’s done. The real issue is ignorance of one’s own current state and condition. The evil in this world is not founded in just a handful of people; everyone is gripped by the power of the devil. All need deliverance from this power of darkness because they are blind to it. Satan’s rule is one of confusion, tyranny, and slavery; it is not a real kingdom. The world is ignorant of God and the devil schemes to prevent people from learning about God, but Christ has conquered Satan in every respect. Christ is the master over the devil and the only one who can free people from Satan’s grip. Once in Christ, no one can ever be separated from God again—they may fall, but they will never remain separated.

The sinful state of the world can be explained by understanding the truth that humanity is alienated from God. Because of the sin of Adam, the whole human race is subject to corruption and immorality. This is why humanistic approaches to fixing the world are all misguided and will ultimately fail. What then is the cure for human sin and alienation? In this sermon on Colossians 1:21–22 titled “Separated From God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides the answer in what God has done for the world in His Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible tells that God has sent Jesus into the world to die for sinners and to reconcile them with God. Only this divine love can overcome humanity’s natural hatred of God and His law. Only Jesus can overcome sin and misery by His death and resurrection. Those who believe in Jesus and trust Him for their forgiveness of sins can have full assurance and confidence that God loves them. Believers are to seek to love God and their neighbor; they are to pursue a life of holiness that reflects the God they serve. This gospel is not only the true way of salvation, but it alone can give peace with God in this life and in the next.

In this sermon on Colossians 1:14–20 titled “God and Sinners Reconciled,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speak of how Paul writes about a believer’s redemption through the blood of Christ and the reconciliation he or she has with God. However, Dr. Lloyd-Jones is interested in God’s side of this reconciliation: how is it possible that He would redeem humanity? By its very nature, humanity exists as separate from God, ever since the original sin in the garden. Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines holiness as it pertains to God in that God is without blemish, totally perfect and utterly true. So then, how can the perfect God interact with imperfect people? Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that God sent His Son in order to reconcile people in their sin, and that Christ’s death on the cross would cover those who put their faith in Him. Humanity is then restored to their original image of God. When God looks upon believers, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, He does not see the sin. God sees the likeness of His Son. And as a result, God’s righteous wrath, His holy judgement, is withheld, and humankind’s relationship with Him is restored.

In this sermon on Colossians 1:14 titled “God So Loved,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on clarifying the role of Christ in the gospel. And the question Dr. Lloyd-Jones seeks to answer: Why did Christ come? The answer, as Paul also points out, is that Christ came to redeem people from their sin. However, this great task is different from the other things God has done, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says. God’s redeeming act is not like creation, where He only had to speak. Salvation is much greater, more personal than creation. God sent Christ, with the body and blood of a man, to die so that His blood may cover those who believe. But Dr. Lloyd-Jones reveals that most of the world does not see Christ this way. The world sees Christ as a great pacifist, His death as the ultimate example of pacifism. Others see Jesus as a great moral teacher. However, Dr. Lloyd-Jones dispels these claims, for it is not pacifism or teaching that saves a soul. Salvation is only possible through Christ’s death on the cross. And in response to such a great gift, he encourages those who believe to praise God for such unfathomable love.

Who is Jesus? Many think of Jesus as the baby born in Bethlehem sung about in Christmas carols. Others think of Him as a great prophet and teacher. While these are both true to a degree, neither captures the fullness of the biblical teaching in all its glory. In this sermon on Colossians 1:18 titled “The Eternal Son of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows that Jesus is in fact the very image of God. Jesus is uncreated, eternal, and omnipotent. All things were created in Him, through Him, and for Him. He is the eternal son of God who upholds the whole universe by the power of His word, yet He became a man in order to save sinners and make them fellow heirs with God. He died upon a cross in the place of sinners, and rose from the dead on the third day. While many do not like this Jesus, this is the Jesus of history explained in the Scripture. This is the Jesus that not only saves sinners, but also redeems the whole world. It is only the true Jesus Christ that can save sinners and make them holy before God.

Is salvation about individuals or the world? Many criticize Christianity for focusing only on the individual and ignoring the rest of the world. In this sermon on Colossians 1:20 titled “The Only Message of Hope,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says Christianity is about both the redemption of the individual and the whole world through Jesus Christ. Jesus died not only to save sinners, but also in order to reverse all the effects of sin and evil in the world. The apostle Paul tells that all of creation groans, awaiting the time of final redemption. This final redemption is when Christ returns physically and bodily to bring the new heavens and the new earth. This means that redemption, while starting in individuals, changes the whole world. Salvation is always a matter of personal redemption, but it is the beginning of universal redemption. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, those who have put their faith in Christ are the first fruits of this new world.

Why is God’s love amazing? It is not only because it is redemptive and transforming, but according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, God’s love is amazing because of what it cost Him. God only forgives through His Son, Jesus Christ. It was by Jesus dying upon the cross of Calvary that God brought about redemption and forgiveness for His people. Salvation comes to all freely, but it cost God His Son upon the cross. Now all who believe in Jesus are freed from sin’s power, wrath, and the condemnation of God. It is only the gospel of a crucified King that can overcome a sinful person’s natural hatred of God. It is only Jesus’s death on the cross that brings true peace and reconciliation with God. In this sermon on Colossians 1:21-22 titled “Love So Amazing,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that by sending Jesus to the cross, God not only saves individuals but brings about the redemption of the whole world. Jesus’s death reverses all the effects of the fall and transforms this current evil world to the new heavens and the new earth.

What makes false teachers dangerous? It is the fact that they turn people away from Christ Jesus. In this sermon from Colossians 1:28 titled “The Warning,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones warns about the dangers of false teachers and the need for the true gospel. There were those in the early church who taught dangerous things, such as the need for other beings to stand as mediators between people and God. The apostle Paul denounces them, and proclaims the truth that Christ alone can save from sin. The gospel is found in Christ’s ability to save sinners, and He is able to save to the fullest. Those who have trusted in Jesus do not need any other Savior, nor do they need another priest to lead them to God. What is the gospel message that false teachers deny? It is the message that all are fallen and in sin. Because of this, they are under the judgement of God. But Christ died for sinners in order that all who believe in Him are saved from the righteous judgement of God. There is no other message of salvation; Jesus is the only way to God.