Divisions in the Church
A Sermon on Divisions in the Church from Ephesians 4:4
Originally preached June 16, 1957
Scripture
4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Sermon Description
There is no question that the church tends to be divided over many different issues— some are important, but many are centered more around preferences than essential doctrines. In this sermon on divisions in the church from Ephesians 4:4, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches about divisions in the church and how a right perspective on human nature and on the Holy Spirit brings unity to believers and the church. The Holy Spirit not only prepares people to become Christians, but He makes them Christians as well and puts the seal of God on those who believe in Him. Realizing this hope of the Christian calling provides something for believers to unite around. Another type of division that is common within the church regards the natures of people’s conversions and the depth of sin from which they were saved. Many believers feel that the depth of their relationship with the Lord is related to the intensity of their salvation experience. However, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains why this is not only unbiblical, but also a hindrance to community within the church. He says, “We must not dwell on what we’ve been called from, but we must dwell on what we’ve been called to.” By focusing on the equally sinful condition before the Lord, the complete dependency on Him, and on the hope of the calling as Christians, Christians can avoid these dissensions that so easily tear the Christian body apart.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is instructing the Ephesians on how to maintain unity in the church.
- God's purpose is to unite all things in Christ, starting with the church. The church shows God's wisdom to the world.
- The unity of the church reflects the unity of the Trinity - one God in three persons.
- Paul discusses the unity created by the Holy Spirit - one body, one Spirit, one hope.
- The Holy Spirit calls us to one hope - our future with God. This hope promotes unity.
- We must not dwell on our past or present differences, but focus on the one hope ahead.
- Looking back at our past lives, conversion experiences, or current differences causes division.
- Forgetting the past and pressing forward to our heavenly calling brings unity.
- Our one hope is a life free from sin, with Christ, and like Christ - reigning with Him.
- We have the same destiny, expectation, and foretaste of heaven - so we should be united.
- Setting our hearts on heaven, not earthly things, protects the unity of the Spirit.
- We share one faith, one hope, one journey to God - so we should be one, without division.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Ephesians 4:4
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the "one hope" in Ephesians 4:4?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the "one hope" of our calling refers to the glorious future destiny that all Christians share. This hope includes being completely free from sin, being with Christ, seeing Him as He is, becoming like Him, and reigning with Him in the new heavens and new earth. As he states, "We are going forward to a life which is entirely free from sin... There is a day coming when we shall all be faultless and blameless, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing." This shared hope is one of the foundations of Christian unity.
Why does focusing on the past cause divisions in the church according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, focusing on our past before conversion causes divisions because it emphasizes our differences rather than our unity in Christ. He explains: "It is because we fail to keep our eye on the hope of our calling that there are so many divisions and distinctions and misunderstandings." When Christians emphasize what they were called from (Jew, Gentile, different social classes, different sins), they create distinctions that Christ has abolished. He advises, "We must not dwell on what we were called from, we must rather dwell on what we are called to."
What example does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give about conversion experiences causing division?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares an anecdote about two blind men healed by Jesus in different ways - one from Mark 8 and one from John 9. He imagines them meeting and arguing about their healing experiences, with one questioning the legitimacy of the other's healing because it didn't match his own experience with the clay mixture. Lloyd-Jones concludes that because they were both looking back at their experiences, "two religious denominations came into being at once. The muddites and the antimudites." This illustrates how focusing on the method of conversion rather than the fact of conversion creates unnecessary divisions.
How does the Holy Spirit create unity in the church according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Holy Spirit creates unity by performing the same work in all believers. He states, "Everything that the Holy Spirit does to us makes us one." The Spirit convicts all of sin, shows all their helplessness, regenerates all with the same new life, and makes all partakers of the divine nature. Additionally, the Spirit seals all believers and serves as an "earnest" or down payment of their shared inheritance. Lloyd-Jones also points to revivals as evidence of the Spirit's unifying work, noting they are "the same thing" regardless of where they occur because "it's the same spirit."
What three things does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say Christians should not dwell on if they want to maintain unity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three things Christians should avoid dwelling on: 1. "We must not dwell on what we were called from, we must rather dwell on what we are called to" - our past lives and identities before conversion 2. "We must not even dwell upon our conversion experiences" - the specific way we came to faith 3. "We must not even dwell on what we are now" - our current differences in age, status, etc.
Instead, he urges believers to look forward to the hope of their calling, which is the same for all Christians.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the future state of believers in glory?
Lloyd-Jones describes believers' future glorified state with several key elements: - Complete freedom from sin: "There is a day coming when we shall all be faultless and blameless, without spot or wrinkle" - Physical transformation: "He's got power to change this, our vile body or this body of our humiliation and fashion it like unto his glorious body" - Being with Christ: "We shall see him as he is, and we shall enjoy him together" - Becoming like Christ: "We shall all be like him" - Reigning with Christ: "We shall all not only be with him, but we shall be reigning with him, kings and priests, unto God forever and ever" - Living in a renewed creation: "There shall be a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness"
What practical advice does Lloyd-Jones give for maintaining unity in the church?
Lloyd-Jones advises believers to actively focus on their shared future hope rather than past or present differences. He quotes Paul's words to the Colossians: "Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth." He explains this means to "set them there as you set your compass, as you set your camera. Set your affections. Keep them there. Set them. Keep them constantly gazing at him." He also encourages Christians to see themselves as "strangers and pilgrims in this world" rather than getting divided over present political or social issues, and to press forward like Paul who said "forgetting those things which are behind, I press forward."
What is the relationship between the Holy Spirit's work and our hope according to the sermon?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the Holy Spirit's work and our hope are intrinsically connected because the Spirit both prepares us for our future inheritance and gives us a foretaste of it. He explains that the Spirit not only brings us into the body of Christ but also "seals us, and then he acts as an earnest." This earnest or down payment is "a foretest of the inheritance... an installment which is given me here and now as a guarantee that I'm going to have it all." Thus, our present experience of the Spirit points forward to the full hope of our calling, making it natural that the apostle would connect "one Spirit" with "one hope" in Ephesians 4:4.
What scripture passages does Lloyd-Jones use to illustrate the forward-looking nature of Christian faith?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones cites numerous passages to show how the New Testament emphasizes looking forward: - John 14:1-2: "Let not your heart be troubled... In my father's house are many mentions" - Romans 8:18: "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18: "Our light affliction... worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen" - 2 Corinthians 5:1: "If our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God" - Titus (likely 2:13): "We look for the coming of that great Lord and our savior" - 1 John 3:2: "We know not yet what we shall be, but that we do know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him" - Philippians 3: References to pressing toward the mark and Christ changing our bodies
Why does Lloyd-Jones believe that having a heavenly focus helps to preserve unity?
Lloyd-Jones believes a heavenly focus preserves unity because when Christians look forward to their shared destiny, earthly distinctions fade in importance. He explains that in heaven, "Nobody will be interested to know whether you were once a jew or a gentile or a barbarian or a scythian bond... whether you'd been born in a great family or whether you'd been born in a slum." When believers focus on their common hope rather than their differences, they realize that "our destiny is one... our expectation is therefore one." This shared perspective prevents divisions based on temporal matters like politics, social status, or denominational differences, which he calls "old things that should be left once and forever." The focus on eternity helps believers recognize what truly matters.
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.