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The doctrine of good angels is one of the great doctrines of the Christian faith.. Angels were created by God before the creation of man, they appear throughout the Bible, and the good angels serve God in many capacities. Listen to this sermon from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones as he explores Scripture regarding angels and the God who created them. NOTE: There is no recording of the subsequent lecture titled “The Devil and the Fallen Angels.”
The Bible tells that creation is evidence for the Creator. It shows His majesty and power. However, people have failed to see His majesty in His creation. People should be able to appreciate the beauty of creation, but instead miss seeing God’s glory in it by only seeing facts. In this sermon “A Little Lower than the Angels,” from Psalm 8:4, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks on the failure to see God in His creation, specifically His creation of humanity. He begins with the question “What is man?” to show how humanity has learned to answer this question apart from the creation of God. Some overestimate humanity, putting people above God. Others underestimate humanity, thinking of the human race as nothing of importance at all. He then moves on the biblical and right view of humanity: that it has been created in God’s image. People were made to glorify God and be in communion with Him. However, humanity turned its back on God by becoming slaves to sin, causing a distorted view of who they are. The good news is that Jesus came to save them from sin and help them become the people God created them to be in His image. He concludes by encouraging the Christian to see this truth and glorify God for it.
How does one make sense of today’s world? What message do Christians have for those around them? According to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, Christians have been given the ultimate revelation that gives an unique, supernatural perspective of everything. What natural humanity cannot see or understand, God has revealed to the Christian this profound mystery: God is reuniting together all things in Christ. In this sermon on Ephesians 1:10 titled “All Things Reunited in Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expands upon this cosmic theme. While he maintains the orthodox position in rejecting universalism, Dr. Lloyd-Jones also pushes against the narrow view that only the redeemed and angels are part of God’s universal purpose. Instead, he argues, all of creation, excluding fallen people and fallen angels, will be united in Christ in perfect harmony at the end of the ages. Christians are face to face with a reality beyond personal salvation. Paul is taking the reader to a place finite minds can barely consider. Hear Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain this great truth and see what it means for engagement with the world.
Christians tend to only think of the atonement of Christ’s death for sin. In this sermon on the Rule and Reign of Christ, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches that there are many aspects of God’s creation which are affected by the death of Christ. One must not think forgiveness of sin is the only benefit from the atonement. Even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has been affected by His work on the cross. What is the listener to make of these things? Dr. Lloyd-Jones surveys the Scripture in order to show how common benefits or common grace comes to humanity as a consequence of the Lord Jesus Christ’s death. Listen as he preaches on the blessings unbelievers and angels receive as a result of the atoning work of Christ. Hear as Dr, Lloyd-Jones considers the special and new glory the Lord Jesus Christ receives in the incarnation. It is only as a result of His obedient death on the cross that He receives this peculiar glory. Finally, as one witnesses the crucifixion, they learn about Christ’s mediatorial kingship and what it means for the church as He rules and reigns over it.
What is the mystery of godliness? In this sermon on Ephesians 6:18–20 titled “The Mystery of the Person of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims that God was “manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up to glory.” Christianity is all about the person of Christ Himself. The essential question is this: “what do you think about Christ?” Until one is clear about this, they cannot be clear about anything else. It’s no surprise that this is the very point where the devil has focused his greatest attacks. It is absolutely vital to be clear about who He is, because in Him is the only hope for the world. The gospel is not about humanity trying to arrive at an understanding, but God miraculously intervening, supernaturally entering in to the problems of humanity and doing His work through the person of Christ. In John’s Gospel, he made it clear in the purpose statement who Jesus was: “that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.” The mystery of godliness is uniquely and marvelously this: that divinity and humanity is equally in one person who came to live and die to reconcile humanity to God.
Opening his sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reads from Galatians 1:8. Within, the apostle ridicules the early church for believing another gospel, a gospel from man. But Paul makes himself clear: whoever teaches a different gospel from what Christ revealed, be it an angel or man, let that person be accursed. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that even today, false gospels are preached by men all over the contemporary world. The Bible is put on a shelf, and people forget its sound doctrine. The Christian message is adapted to fit man’s view of the world. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the perilous problem with this practice. When man changes the Christian Gospel, or creates his own, he removes God from the picture. With God gone, man must rely on himself for his salvation and redemption. But, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, the truth of the Bible has revealed that man will never be enough. It is not man who can save his soul but the blood of Jesus Christ. That is the true Gospel. The beauty of the Christian Gospel is that Christ comes to us in our sin, and He offers whoever believes upon Him unmeasurable grace and eternal life.
All people have thought about the end of time and what will happen at that point. What does Scripture teach? In this sermon on the final judgment, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the final judgment as the final solution to the world’s trials, yet many people run to temporary fixes while ignoring this key doctrine. Some reject the idea of this judgment because they cannot reconcile it with the truth of God being loving. Others, however, reject it because they don’t see the need for it since their fate will already have been determined on earth. However, Scripture is clear that it is the day when the verdict will be announced, not determined. It will be a very public event. What is its purpose? Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that it is ultimately about the glory of God. Many people wonder about who the judge will be, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones demonstrates from Scripture that it will be the Lord Jesus Christ. He will judge not only humans, but also the angels who rejected Him in the beginning. What about verses that refer to other judgments? Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers these questions and more, using the topic of the final judgment as a means to help the listener grow in their appreciation of the glory of the Lord.
In Acts 5:1-11, Annanias and his wife Sapphira were judged by God for lying to the Holy Spirit. This sermon explains that God is active and rules in this world. As Creator, He has the right and the power to do as He wills with His creation. In this sermon on Ananias and Sapphira, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on Acts chapter 5 and shows that while many modern men hate the idea of a supernatural spiritual realm, the Bible reveals the existence of angels, demons, and the devil. This is a part of the world we live in and the Bible clearly teaches this from beginning to end. But God is sovereign over all of it, both the spiritual and the material aspects of reality. In His commentary, Dr Lloyd-Jones explains that we must not shy away for what Scripture teaches regarding the existence of the spiritual realm. The church must be active in its opposition to evil in all its forms and ways. There is a war between God and Satan, between good and evil, and between light and darkness. This is a cosmic war that takes place amongst us but we have hope in the power of God and his gospel. In the gospel, Jesus triumphs over all sin and evil, and through his Spirit we have the power to fight against all evil and darkness in this world.
What is the greatest manifestation of the wisdom of God? In this sermon on the manifold wisdom of God from Ephesians 3:10 titled “The Wisdom of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points to the church. The church, that is Christianity and the salvation that it proclaims, is the greatest manifestation of God’s wisdom ever witnessed. Even the angels in Heaven see it and are amazed. It is this manifestation of God’s wisdom that Dr. Lloyd-Jones discusses first in a series of three propositions from this text. His second proposition is that the church is the median through which the variegated wisdom of God shines like light through a prism into its many beautiful colors. From these two propositions, Dr. Lloyd-Jones dives deeper and gives two conclusions to be considered. First, consider that the church was a part of God’s plan for His creation from the very beginning, not an afterthought as some believe. Second, consider that the church is not temporary as some have suggested, but is the final expression of God’s people on earth. Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s third and final proposition from this text is the consideration of how God has shown His wisdom throughout history. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages believers to meditate on and consider God’s wisdom through the ages, in the Bible and in all of history, and most importantly, to consider the greatest manifestation of His wisdom, salvation through Christ.
In this sermon on Hebrews 2:11 titled “Not Ashamed to Call Them Brethren,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the wonders of Christ and His shared inheritance with the redeemed. The theme of the book of Hebrews is the preeminence of Jesus Christ. The wonder of the gospel is that Jesus is not ashamed to call His people brethren. Though they are but humans, the Lord God calls them brethren because of the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims that humans are the sanctified, and Jesus is the sanctifier. Yet He became a little lower than the angels in order to redeem them back to Himself. He became man while not ridding Himself of His Godhood. Because of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial condescension to humanity, His people can share in His wonderful, eternal, and glorifying inheritance. Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that although God has made Himself one with His redeemed, He is also entirely separate. Jesus Christ is the bridge of the expansive gap between God and humanity. Jesus made a way for people to come to Him; He made a way for them to be brethren. And Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call them brethren. Dr. Lloyd-Jones wonderfully articulates that when Jesus came, the lawgiver came unto the law. He took upon the form of a servant. Because of this, He can be called Jesus the brother.
What is the purpose of miracles? Can they happen today? In this sermon on miracles from Acts 7:30–33 titled “The God of Miracles,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the power of God to supernaturally work through miracles and providence. He cannot be comprehended by finite creatures apart from the Holy Spirit’s illumination. Modern humanity rejects God, refusing to submit to the One who stands above and beyond all humanity and who reserves the right to do with them and all of creation as He pleases. Humanity wants a god they can understand and grasp, not one who is the ultimate authority, directing and ordaining all things. Sinful people do not want to believe in angels, demons, or miracles because their hunger for imperial evidence views them as non-scientific or irrational. However, these reasons for denial are only excuses to avoid accountability to God’s holy standard. With the message of the gospel comes the strong warning of condemnation that will fall on all who reject God. On that final day all will bow their knees before the throne of God and there will no longer be any objection to God’s law and reign. They will no longer sneer at the word of God and its miracles. All who reject the gospel of God and His only Son will perish without any hope. Only by believing in the gospel can any rebellious sinner be saved.
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