A True Belief
A Sermon on Hebrews 6:7-8
Originally preached Dec. 31, 1961
Scripture
7For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be …
Sermon Description
Attending church is not sufficient for salvation. The greatest sin of the modern person is that they live as if they own themselves, but they do not. In this sermon on Hebrews 6:7–8 titled “A True Belief,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones declares that no one is their own and He focuses on the illustration of two fields. The whole world was created by God and made for Him. Every life will go on to judgment in relation to their response to this gospel. The value of one soul is such that no one can put too much emphasis on listening. Those who reject this word are utterly hopeless. It is the reaction to the treatment of the gospel that distinguishes Christians from the rest of the world. Listeners are encouraged to contrast the dramatic difference between the two products that are produced and examine that which pleases the creator of this world. The natural life alone is useless before God. The marks of a true believer are repentance and belief in this message of God’s salvation in Christ. It is not enough to simply know the gospel. Everyone must deny themselves and take up their cross, following Him and leaving everything else.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage being discussed is Hebrews 6:7-8 which compares two fields that receive the same treatment but produce different results.
- The two fields represent two groups of people who have heard the gospel. One group produces "herbs" or good fruit representing true belief, the other produces "thorns and briars" representing no change or false belief.
- There are similarities between the two fields:
- They belong to the same owner (God)
- They receive the same treatment (the gospel/Holy Spirit)
- They face the same judgment
- There are differences between the two fields:
- The nature of their response: One produces good fruit, the other does not change.
- The products: One produces useful herbs, the other useless thorns.
- The final verdicts: One receives blessing, the other receives rejection and cursing.
- To produce good fruit (herbs), there must be true belief and repentance proven by:
- Believing and accepting the gospel
- Repenting from sin and realizing our sinful nature
- Following Christ by denying ourselves and obeying God
- Joining the church and living for God's kingdom
- We must examine ourselves to see if we are producing herbs or thorns. If thorns, we are "nigh unto cursing" but can still turn to God.
Sermon Q&A
What is Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teaching About the Two Types of Fields in Hebrews 6:7-8?
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones delivers a powerful sermon on Hebrews 6:7-8, examining the parable of two fields that receive the same rain but produce different results. This passage contains profound spiritual lessons about how people respond to the gospel.
What is the meaning of the two fields in Hebrews 6:7-8?
The two fields represent two types of people who hear the gospel message:
"In that picture, in that figure, the author of this great epistle sums up what he has already been saying in the previous verses in this chapter... the subject with which he is dealing is the whole matter of our relationship to the word of the gospel. He is dealing here with people who had heard it, but he divides them into two groups."
Lloyd-Jones explains that both fields represent people who have heard the gospel, but one field produces useful herbs while the other produces only thorns and briars, illustrating two different responses to God's word.
What do the two fields have in common according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones identifies three key similarities between the two fields:
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They both belong to the same owner (God): "The two fields belong to the same owner. And you and I, whether we are Christian or not Christians, are living in this same world, and we're all under God."
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They both receive the same treatment: "The same rain falls upon the two fields in exactly the same way... Not only that, they both receive the same kind of dressing."
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They both face the same judgment: "They've both got to face judgment. They've both got to face a testing time... And at the end of every life, there is this great examination."
What is the key difference between the two fields?
The crucial difference is in how they respond to the same treatment:
"The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh after punet and bringeth forth herbs... But that which beareth thorns and briars..."
Lloyd-Jones notes that two different words are used: - "Bringeth forth" - indicates something new being produced, a birth, a transformation - "Beareth" - indicates merely what comes naturally, without change
He explains: "This is what he tells us about the nature of the reaction of this second field to the treatment that it has received. It just goes on as if nothing at all had been done to it."
What does Lloyd-Jones say about repentance as evidence of true conversion?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that true repentance is essential evidence of genuine conversion:
"The first proof is repentance. Repent and believe the gospel... It means that you see the nature of sin. It means that you realize not only that you have sinned against this holy God who's made you... but about the nature that ever made you do them."
True repentance includes: - Acknowledging the truth about oneself - Hating sin and condemning oneself - Being anxious to be delivered from sin - Confessing unworthiness before God - Crying out for mercy and pardon
What are the two final verdicts described in the sermon?
Lloyd-Jones contrasts the two ultimate destinies:
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For the unfruitful field: "That which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned." This represents "final, everlasting destruction from the presence of God."
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For the fruitful field: "The earth which drinketh in the rain... receiveth blessing from God." This means becoming God's child and experiencing His blessing both now and eternally.
What hope does Lloyd-Jones offer to those who feel condemned?
Lloyd-Jones focuses on the word "nigh" in the text as offering hope:
"That which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing... Blessed word nigh. It hasn't been cursed yet. It's very near it. It's exposed to it, but it hasn't happened."
He emphasizes that while someone may currently be producing only "thorns and briars," there's still opportunity to turn to God: "If you feel you're still unregenerate, have the old nature and are bearing nothing but briars and thorns. Turn to him now."
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.