Heavenly Citizenship
A Sermon on Ephesians 2:19
Scripture
19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Sermon Description
In a time of instability, it can seem like there is no foundation. Each nation has its own issues and is destined to end at some point. However, is there a nation that will last forever? In this sermon on Ephesians 2:19 titled “Heavenly Citizenship,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out there is a kingdom that will last forever—the kingdom of God— and Ephesians 2:19 gives this hope. According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, if the church understood the reality of their citizenship and the nature of the kingdom, she would be heading towards revival. The church is called to understand the reality of the kingdom and rejoice in it. So what is the nature of this kingdom? According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the kingdom implies that the people contained in it are separate. Also, it means the church is bound by the same allegiance to each other and to the King. However, this is not a kingdom that can be entered into by mere outward allegiance; it takes “new birth” by the Spirit and redemption by the “precious blood of Jesus.” Christians are brought into a spiritual kingdom and birthed into it by the Spirit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that while it may seem like the church is underwhelming, on the day that Jesus returns and the church is united, that will not be the case.
Sermon Breakdown
- Christians are separated and distinct from the world
- Christians share a common allegiance to Christ as king
- Christians belong to an eternal kingdom with its capital in heaven
- Christians are fellow citizens with the saints of old like Abraham, Moses, and Paul
- The kingdom of God will ultimately conquer the kingdoms of this world
The Book of Ephesians
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.