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In the midst of a world filled with unhappiness and calamity, how can one possibly find joy? In this sermon on Acts 2:46–47 titled “Christian Joy,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones offers this type of lasting joy that the apostles experienced in the early church and cannot come from entertainment, momentary pleasure, or even the contemporary church, but instead from the truth found in God’s word. How wonderful it is to have the kind of freeing joy that is based not upon efforts, but on what Jesus has done. The type of joy expressed in this message is contingent upon the Christian’s recognition of who they are apart from Christ, an awe for the Lord in His might, and a thankfulness for what the Lord has laid up for all those who believe. This joy brings the believer to praise and glorify the Lord. Happiness is not the goal but a result of those that seek after righteousness. As the disciples seek after righteousness, Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes, they are able to maintain joy in all circumstances because of the freedom they have received from the time they were delivered from sin. It is this kind of authentic joy that distinguishes true Christianity.
While the Christian life is to be one of joy, it is common for Christians to feel depressed. Why is this? In this sermon “That Your Joy May Be Full” from Ephesians 3:14–21, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues exploring the reasons for spiritual depression. One reason many fall into spiritual depression is that they fail to realize what they were meant to be, what is available for them, and what God intends. Relying on initial experiences of forgiveness, this person fails to go on in their faith and grow in their knowledge and understanding. This leads the individual to their biggest problem: they don’t really know the love of God. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains God’s intention for the Christian and how one might receive what intended for them. This should not leave the believer with a feeling of hopelessness, but rather an eagerness and joy as they see what they can become. When they understand the truth that Christ dwells in them, they are ravished by Him and love Him. What is the Christian destiny and where are they heading? The Christian will spend eternity enjoying God. Today, the downcast soul must fight spiritual depression through regaining this robust view of who they are and where they are heading.
In this sermon from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on John 1:16, listeners are told that joy is the mark of a Christian. This joy spoken of in the book of John is that God’s children receive joy when they receive the fullness that comes through salvation in Jesus Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones elaborates that the most effective evangelism program in existence is the joy of Christians. He argues that one of the biggest problems in the church is the lack of rejoicing among believers. He also says that any joy that is not in Christ is of a counterfeit nature. Since only true joy is to be found in God, any other joy is not genuine as it is found in the self. Paul tells in Philippians 3 that Christian confidence cannot be found in the flesh. If anyone could have been confident in the flesh, it was Paul who was a most educated and prominent man. Rather, confidence must be found in Christ. We must count any gain as loss for the sake of Christ. This, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches, is the essence of Christian joy. Christians are to rejoice in the wonderful works of God’s Son on their behalf. They are to rejoice because in receiving the fullness of God upon salvation, they receive Christ’s righteousness.
Is it wrong to seek after joy and pleasure? Those pursuits are nothing new to humanity as it chases after lasting happiness in art, music, and drama. This pursuit of pleasure and joy has become even more prominent in modern times. But as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains in the sermon “Great Joy in that City” on Acts 8:8, humanity’s pursuit of pleasure is often driven by sinful desires and passions. This is seen in rampant drug usage where people seek to escape the ills of the world by numbing their minds. This is in complete antithesis to Christian joy that is brought by the Holy Spirit and the redemptive work of God in their lives. This is the only true joy and it comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ that alone can transform this world, not as an escape from the world’s problems. It comes from believing the truth about the world, oneself, and God. It is real joy that comes from being at peace with God and having eternal life in Christ Jesus. This is the joyful message that the church is to bring to the whole world: though all are sinners in rebellion to their God, God has sent his only begotten Son into the world to pay the wages of sin and provide the only way of salvation.
What is the Christian’s reaction to the gospel? In this sermon from Romans 10:16–17 titled “Faith and Joy,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones declares the first action of a Christian is to obey. There is a difference between people who merely hear the gospel and those who take action from it. Some listen and forget and some listen and do. He declares that this is the primary reaction to the gospel. The secondary reaction is joy. Dr. Lloyd-Jones raises a powerful question: if Christians are supposed to be lights in this world, why are so many caught up in their own problems and gloom? He says that Christians should be the happiest people on earth. He gives examples of some of the most joyous people in the New Testament: the Philippian jailor, the shepherd who found his sheep, and the woman who washed Christ’s feet. These are all people who, in different ways, heard the good news and responded appropriately. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that Christians have great cause to rejoice as they have been forgiven of much sin and are promised an eternal inheritance with God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that in light of those joyous New Testament believers, perhaps Christians today should reevaluate their reaction to the gospel and reconsider the life they’ve been given.
How can one know God? This is one of the most important questions to ask. Some say that people must look to themselves and others say that human reason will reveal God. But in this sermon from John 4:13–14 titled “True Christian Joy,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues that these are wrong. The only sure way to know God is through revelation. God through His Holy Spirit not only reveals His words to His apostles and prophets, but He inspires their very writings of this revelation. This has immense significance for all Christians because by this they have assurance of who God is and what He has done. They are not left without a word from God. By looking to God’s word, one can know that they have been forgiven and made children of God. This ensures the true joy that comes from knowing Christ. All false religions tell to look to the self for happiness and peace, but it is only Christianity that shows that peace comes from outside the self. This should encourage all those suffering from depression and sorrow because it tells that God is the true source of peace and not the self; one must simply look to God.
Where is joy found for Christians? In this sermon on John 4:13–14 titled “Emotion and Emotionalism,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows how a joy that is simply based on emotions is not the joy that Christ gives. True and lasting joy comes about when Christians put their trust in Jesus and come to a full assurance of salvation. Knowing that God is wholly for His people in the sending of His Son to die for them is what gives Christians hope in this life. This assurance of joy is not simply the result of emotions, but it gives a true basis for emotions. There is nothing to fear from emotions in themselves, but only the misunderstanding of emotions in the Christian life. Cults and false religious teachers often appeal to emotions to gain converts and control them; this is wholly opposed to the truths of the gospel that provide a basis for true joy in the life of Christians. True emotions can be expressed many ways for Christians, provided that they have a basis in God’s truth. This sermon is a comfort for all who are searching for joy because it proclaims Christ as the true and lasting hope.
Does the world care about Christ? It never will if the joy and peace of Christ isn’t seen and alive in the church today. This lack of obvious joy, claims Dr. Lloyd-Jones, flows from a failure to reflect on the gospel. Listen as this sermon on John 1:10–12 unfolds the three central components to the Christian faith: knowing, believing, and receiving. These truths illustrate that this is God’s world and that though there is darkness in the world, God sent His son to save His people from that darkness. When Jesus is received and the power of His sacrifice for sin is believed, salvation occurs. Any Christian lacking in joy will rekindle their passion by considering these things, and dwell on the fact they are completely forgiven in Christ. Feelings are dictated by thoughts and knowledge and, therefore, an accurate understanding and belief in these truths will lend oneself to experience and demonstrate great and genuine joy.
The Christian is much more than a moral, good man because he has received goodness, and a final and full satisfaction. In this sermon on John 4: 13-14 titled “Rejoice in the Lord,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones takes a close look at the joy and satisfaction that the Holy Spirit gives to Christians. He begins by emphasizing that all non-Christian men continuously seek emotional satisfaction that philosophy fails to give them, however Christians experience this satisfaction because the Holy Spirit has given it to them. Thus, Christians exclaim, “rejoice in the lord always and again I say rejoice”. In this sermon on rejoicing in the Lord, Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives examples of Christians who have had this “joy unspeakable” and have shown this joy through their writing, preaching, and hymns. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also emphasizes that all Christian’s have experienced this unspeakable joy, but it has changed peoples life’s differently. Christian faith does not produce a universal type, although all Christians undergo the same universal process. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes by saying that the Christian response to the Holy Spirit’s workings should be to have joy, satisfaction, and to “rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice”(Philippians 4:4).
Is the Christian experience one of rejoicing, love, hope, and assurance of faith? Is that life marked by delight in God’s commands and promises? While God has promised great joy and hope to believers, Christians often follow the way of the Israelites when they doubt, complain, and live in a constant state of uncertainty. In this sermon on Psalm 78:41 titled “Limiting God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches that when the Christian follows this way, they limit God’s power, grace, and glory rather than showcasing His excellencies to the world. Complaining and heavy hearts declare to the world that the way of God is cumbersome and sorrowful. It says the commands of God are difficult and God is not concerned with the Christian’s joy. Follow along with Dr. Lloyd-Jones as he provides the “tests” of assurance, joy, delight, and peace to evaluate hearts in light of the life-giving promises of the Holy God. Listen and be reminded that God provides great joy that cannot be shaken to the believer who earnestly seeks the presence of the Triune God as their source of delight and life. Take comfort in knowing that an assurance of salvation is given as a means of joy and comfort for the believer and be challenged by Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s reminder that the believer who does not hold fast to these promises is limiting the Holy One of Israel.
What should the Christian’s immediate and continual response be to the gospel and salvation? The response should be one of joy! “Rejoice evermore” is more than an emotion; it is a settled reality of all who are saved. In this sermon on 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones challenges his listeners with the direct command to rejoice evermore. A Christian is to rejoice evermore for this is the will of God. The command to rejoice is given through the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians. He states that a clear and defining characteristic of the Christian is that of joy. Having experienced the joy that came with his own conversion, the Apostle Paul now instructs all believers that this is the mark of their Christian lives. However, rejoicing evermore is a tall order. Dr Lloyd-Jones recognizes this and asks: “How are we to do this? How can we rejoice in all things? Should we wait on or work up some type of feeling?” He reminds the listener that the Christian maintains a constant attitude of joy by taking their growing knowledge of the truth and applying it by the Spirit. Salvation and the growing knowledge of the vast implications of the gospel when applied by the Spirit will enable the Christian to rejoice evermore.
What does it mean to have a broad perspective on life? Many criticize Christianity for being closed-minded and leading to a narrow life, but in this sermon on Psalm 118:5 titled “A Small Life,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows that Scripture has a different view of the Christian life. Rather than being narrow and closed-minded, the Christian is the one who truly understands the world and who has true and lasting joy because they know God. The Christian trusts in Jesus Christ for the salvation from sin. The Christian has received joy and lives in this joy because God has given a great gift of grace. The narrow life is the life that has no hope after death and no joy in life’s Creator. This sermon is a call to obey the gospel of God by believing in Jesus Christ and to find true and lasting peace as a child of God. Anyone who has not renounced the old life of sin, come to Christ and forsaken themselves to come to God is on the path to destruction apart from God and His goodness. There is no salvation and true peace part from faith in Jesus Christ.
How is one filled with assurance and unspeakable joy? Listen in as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks into this glorious matter of “The Baptism of the Spirit (6)” from John 1:26–33. “You can be a Christian without assurance, but you cannot be a witness without assurance,” he states. This is the work of equipping witnesses who are assured of their salvation, knowledgeable of the truth, and joyful in God’s promises. Follow the various examples from history and revivals that demonstrate the initial humility that births such an intense desire to express the joy, happiness, and peace of God. “From the depths, they are lifted to the heights,” he shares as he offers an intriguing and persuading argument for the Christian life that ought to be characterized by a joyful basking in salvation – released from the guilt, power, and pollution of sin – so that no one is found dragging themselves to God’s house, rather overflowing in joy. “A melting of the heart for joy, that God should spread abroad His love for the hearts of men,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones says. One cannot know God’s love without loving God, but it is first God who gives this ability to love. Two of the greatest tests of the work of the Spirit is a person’s desire to glorify Christ and understanding of the truth.
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.
What causes Christians to be lethargic and lose the joy of their salvation? What steals the enthusiasm for spiritual growth? These are certainly questions evangelical Christians should be concerned about but many Christians are skeptical of talk about the “experience” of the Holy Spirit. In this sermon on Ephesians 1:13 titled “Sealed with the Spirit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones suggests the joy in Christ – the experience of that joy – might not be present in a Christian life because they do not fully grasp the truth about the sealing of the Holy Spirit. Since they do not know what they are missing, they do not seek it nor ask the Lord for it. The listener is taken through a detailed examination of the meaning of the apostle Paul’s teaching on the Holy Spirit, beginning with the effect of the Holy Spirit upon the Lord Jesus Christ in His life and ministry. Dr. Lloyd-Jones interacts with two competing views regarding the sealing of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Listen closely as Dr. Lloyd-Jones systematically walks through Scripture, illustrating both the meaning and the timing of the apostle’s teaching on the sealing of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian.
What robs a Christian of joy? In this sermon on Colossians 2:8 titled “The Danger of Error,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones highlights error and heresy as contributors to a joyless life. These thieves demand knowledge beyond what God has revealed, and leave the Christian feeling empty and hollow. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explores the ancient heresy known as Gnosticism, relating it and applying it today. This counterfeit religion must be fought against, and error must be avoided. Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides practical advice on how to avoid such heresy and, in doing so, highlights heresies of his own day. Certain characteristics are woven throughout religious falsehoods which, when understood, alert Christians of their error. Countering these hollow philosophies, the believer must beware of the lust of the mind and be content with what God has revealed in His word. Anything that goes beyond the Scriptures simply puffs up one’s mind instead of exalting Christ. While there is certainly an initial thrill, heresy and error leave the person joyless and empty. Joy comes not from philosophy, but from Christ. The fight for joy is therefore a fight to exalt Christ. Christ is supreme and true.
What does it mean for someone to say “to live is Christ”? In this sermon titled “For Me to Live is Christ (1),” regarding John 1:16, Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on where the Christian’s joy is found. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the futile unbelievers’ mindset is a pursuit of one’s own joy and happiness through selfish means that does not satisfy the soul. Living for Christ’s glory, however, is the deepest and most fulfilling of all pursuits. Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that to be a Christian is not only to believe the truth about God, but also to receive Christ’s fullness. A person can receive of this fullness by repenting of sins and placing faith in Christ. Through this wonderful act, Christ imputes and imparts His righteousness to the Christian’s account, thereby declaring them justified before God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones tells that the secret of deep joy in Christian living is the mind of Christ. Referencing Paul’s writing in Philippians 2, Dr. Lloyd-Jones tells his listeners a marvelous truth, namely that Christ has given His mind upon the Christian’s salvation. With this Spirit-empowered perspective, the Christian can live for God’s glory with strength and fullness.
“It is our fatal tendency to rejoice in the wrong things in connection with our spiritual life and experience.” Humans are so quickly impressed with spiritual success and dangerously blinded by pride. How fast they forget the true joy that their names are recorded in the book of life and heaven is guaranteed. In this sermon on Luke 10:20 titled “Grace Not Gifts,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches the listener not to rejoice in gifts but in God’s grace. He explains why people experience fluctuations in their Christian life, with seasons of great security and joy followed by seasons of pride, sadness, and unsteadiness. There is a profound difference between gifts and grace, and the result of the security found in knowing God’s children’s names are written in heaven.
Does the Christian rejoice in God’s grace? Does what they learn about the Creator really fill them with joy? In this encouraging sermon titled “The Gift of Grace,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the contrast between the law of God and the grace of God. The law of God is designed to condemn. It brings conviction, correction, and ultimately serves as judge. Grace is God giving what is not deserved. It is His grace that forgives, supports, restrains, protects, and preserves. At salvation, the law of God becomes the guide by which to glorify God. The listener is encouraged to discover the riches of His glorious kindness, which puts the law inside hearts and minds, enabling the Christian to live the holy life God intends for His people. Enter into the joy of grace, to experience it as His children were meant to.
Man’s search for happiness may seem like an impossible quest amidst this often tragic life. His pursuit only leaves him hopeless and in despair but Scripture has the answers. In this sermon on Psalm 1:1–2 titled “Man’s Search for Happiness,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones leads through the first two verses in Psalm 1, and explains how God reveals His prescription for true peace and lasting joy. Far beyond the temporal emotion of happiness, there is a lasting joy that characterizes the life of one who follows God's prescribed plan. By contrasting the two alternatives and discussing the theory and the practice (both the negative and the positive), one discovers the biblical view—that humanity always seeks happiness in the wrong place, and that there is no true happiness apart from God.
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