Preaching and Salvation

A Sermon on Romans 10:14-17

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Scripture

Romans 10:14-17 ESV KJV

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, …

Sermon Description

In this sermon on salvation from Romans 10:14–17 titled “Preaching and Salvation,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones dives into some of the fundamental questions of Christianity: How does one receive salvation? What is the eternal position of those who have not heard? How should the gospel be preached? These questions are important to faith and occur frequently in the mind of the believer. They may be a prevailing source of uncertainty or perhaps doubt. But Dr. Lloyd-Jones quenches these points of uncertainty by focusing on this passage and the interpretation of Paul’s discourse. He goes back to the basics, proclaiming that salvation comes to those who cry out to the Lord. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the dynamic role of preaching and says that it is important because, as Paul writes, believing comes through hearing the good news. The world today is filled with doubt regarding the path to heaven. Is Christ the only way? Dr. Lloyd Jones answers this by drawing upon Scripture and other Christian theologians and shedding light onto the unbeliever’s path, specifically those who have never heard the gospel. Are they beyond the reach of salvation? Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones returns to the Christian fundamentals. Hear the good news preached again and be reminded of God’s sovereign power and incredible love.

Sermon Breakdown

The apostle Paul is continuing his argument from Romans 9 about why the Jews are rejecting the gospel.
In Romans 10:14-17, Paul gives two answers for how someone becomes part of the "whosoever" that calls on the Lord:
1. The preaching of the gospel to all (Jews and Gentiles) - verses 14-15
2. The word is made effective to those who believe - verses 16-17
Verses 14-15 show that the gospel must be preached to all in order for people to call on the Lord. No one can believe in someone they have not heard of.
Verses 16-17 show that not all who hear the gospel obey it. Faith comes by hearing the word of God.
Although Paul's immediate concern is showing why he preaches to Gentiles, he also lays out some important principles:
1. Verses 14-15 provide the basis for missionary work and preaching the gospel to all nations.
2. The position of those who have never heard the gospel is the same as infants who die - it is a mystery of God's sovereign election. Salvation is through Christ alone, but God is not limited in how He can save people.
3. Verses 14-15 show the normal way God saves people is through preaching the gospel, but God can save in other ways too, like illuminating someone's mind directly.
We should be humble about these mysteries instead of putting forward our own speculations. Salvation is God's work.

The Book of Romans

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.