Two Views of Life
A Sermon on 1 Peter 4:1-5
Scripture
1Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of …
Sermon Description
They are only two kinds of people in this world: those that live according to Christ and those that live according to the principle of sin. In this sermon on 1 Peter 4:1–5, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds the teachings of the Apostle Peter on the divide between the way of the world and the way of Christ. Because all are born in sin and depravity, they are, by nature, slaves to darkness and sin. They live a life that is for the passing pleasures of this world, not for what is eternal and godly. Those who have been saved by Jesus have been saved out of this world and are no longer slaves to immorality and sin. They live for Christ and not for themselves. These two ways of living correspond to two eternal destinies and for those who do not believe in the Gospel, there is only wrath and judgment. But for those that repent and believe upon Jesus, there is salvation and true peace. In this sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones speaks not only of humanity’s wretched condition, but also of God who gives grace freely to all who believe in Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon begins by focusing on 1 Peter 4:1-5 which discusses living for the will of God versus living for the lusts of men.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones then discusses how life can be divided into three sections: time past, the present moment, and the rest of our time. The rest of our time is limited and will eventually end.
- There are two ways to live the rest of our time: according to the will of God or according to the lusts of men. Living for the lusts of men is a wasted life focused on excess and worldly pleasures. Living for the will of God is a life focused on sacrificing for others as Christ did.
- At the end of life, there will be a judgment where we will be judged based on how we lived our lives. We will either inherit the kingdom of God or be left outside.
- On our own, we would continue living for the lusts of men as we always have. But Christ's sacrifice provides a way for us to be forgiven of our past sins and given new life to live for God. We can be born again and given a new nature.
- If we believe in Christ, we will live the rest of our time differently - for the will of God rather than the lusts of men. We will be new creatures with a new life and outlook.
- The world will not understand the change in us, but it is the miracle of God through being born again by the Spirit.
- Though the rest of our time on earth is short, if we believe in Christ we can live it for God's will and have eternal life with Christ after death.
Other Sermons
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.