Separated Unto Him
A Sermon on Acts 2:37-47
Originally preached Feb. 7, 1965
Scripture
37¶ Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of …
Sermon Description
In his exposition of Acts 2:37–47 titled “Separated Unto Him,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones tells of true repentance and salvation found with Christ. To believe in Christ is to reject outward religious tradition and put faith in the truth of Jesus Christ. Humanity is born in a terribly dangerous position before God, a position of darkness and rejection of His gospel. The evil that fills the heart remains until, as Paul said in Ephesians, “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved.” When a person repents, it is only then that true happiness begins. This inward happiness comes from being forgiven and knowing the great relief of being loved by our King. From that moment on, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes, the believer’s life is separated from this evil world and separated into and unto the kingdom of God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon begins by emphasizing the importance of studying the book of Acts to understand what the Christian church is and what it means to be a Christian.
- The sermon then outlines some false views of Christianity, including:
- Christianity as merely an intellectual exercise
- Christianity as purely emotional
- Christianity as primarily about good works and service
- The sermon argues that these views are contradicted by Acts 2, which shows that Christianity is something that happens to us through the call of God and the work of the Holy Spirit.
- Those who respond to God's call have their position and status before God changed - they go from being lost to being saved. This is an ongoing process with past, present and future aspects.
- Christianity becomes central to the lives of Christians, rather than just being added on. It involves and transforms a person's whole being - mind, heart and will.
- The characteristics of the Christians in Acts 2 show what true Christianity is like: belief in the truth, joy, fellowship, devotion to the apostles' teaching, meeting together, praising God, favor with others.
- The sermon concludes by asking whether we are truly Christians like those described in Acts 2. Becoming a Christian involves realizing we are not Christians; confessing our sin; believing in Jesus, his death and resurrection; and being baptized in his name.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About Being a Christian?
What does it mean to be a Christian according to Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, being a Christian is not merely attending church occasionally or having religious habits. True Christianity involves a complete transformation where one is "translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son." A Christian is someone whose entire position before God has changed - they have been saved from condemnation, are being saved from sin's power (sanctification), and will ultimately be saved completely (glorification). Christianity becomes central to their entire life, not peripheral, affecting their mind, heart, and will.
What are the common misconceptions about Christianity that Lloyd-Jones addressed?
Lloyd-Jones identified several misconceptions about Christianity: - That it's merely an intellectual interest or hobby - That it's purely emotional without intellectual substance - That it's just about good works and serving humanity - That it's a reluctant, miserable duty performed out of fear - That it's something that ruins or spoils life with restrictions - That it's something you add to your life rather than something that transforms your entire life
He described the popular misconception as "a solemn task which makes us more or less miserable and stands between us and what appears to be a life of freedom and abandonment and enjoyment."
How does the Book of Acts describe the first Christians?
According to Lloyd-Jones' exposition of Acts 2:37-47, the first Christians were characterized by: - They "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship" - They broke bread together and prayed together - They had "gladness and singleness of heart" - They praised God and had "favor with all the people" - They were willing to share with one another and meet each other's needs - They continued "daily with one accord in the temple" - They were characterized by joy rather than misery
This picture stands in stark contrast to the gloomy misconception of Christianity.
What are the three tenses of salvation according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that salvation has three tenses:
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Past tense (Justification) - "I have been saved" - The Christian is saved from the condemnation of sin and the guilt of sin. Their position before God is changed instantly when they believe.
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Present tense (Sanctification) - "I am being saved" - The ongoing process where the Christian is gradually being saved from "evil nature," "evil tendencies," and "the relics and remnants of sin" that remain.
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Future tense (Glorification) - "I shall be saved" - The final state when the Christian will be completely delivered from the power and pollution of sin, becoming sinless and perfect in the world to come.
How does true Christianity affect the whole person according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones emphasized that Christianity engages the entire person:
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The Mind: A Christian intellectually understands and believes specific truths. "A Christian is a man who can tell you why he is a Christian." They have "received the word" intellectually.
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The Heart: Christianity produces genuine joy and gladness. The early Christians "did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God." They "gladly received the word."
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The Will: Christianity produces commitment and steadfastness. The early Christians "continued steadfastly" and were baptized, making a public commitment. The will becomes "operative" in the Christian life.
Lloyd-Jones rejected the idea that Christianity is just intellectual, just emotional, or just about willpower. It engages and transforms the complete person.
The Book of Acts
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.