His Power from Beginning to End
A Sermon on Ephesians 1:19
Originally preached July 3, 1955
Scripture
19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Sermon Description
Does the Christian need God’s power just a little bit? Is it only God working as He is asked to work that sustains Christians? In this sermon on Ephesians 1:19 titled “His Power from Beginning to End,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues in this message that Christians would not stand a single hour if it wasn’t for the power of God. The Christian life is only sustained by the continuing working of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes a compelling case from Scripture that this must be so. If one considers what they are up against in their daily life, they are forced to acknowledge that they are in desperate need for God’s power to work in them. The powers against the Christian – the world, the flesh, and the devil – are tremendous. It is only exceeded by God’s power. It is not enough to simply think one needs power against these forces. This would be difficult enough. There is also a call by God towards holiness and to keep the law of Christ. It is foolish to think Christians will attain perfection and glory on their own power or with little power from God. Rejoice while listening to this powerful sermon on the nature of God’s power working within His people.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul prays for the Ephesians to know the exceeding greatness of God's power in believers.
- This power is essential for believing and continuing in the Christian life. Without it, we are hopeless and helpless.
- We often fail to realize the greatness of our salvation and the power involved in it. We focus too much on forgiveness and not enough on the power of God.
- The power of God was shown in raising Jesus from the dead. The same power works in believers.
- We need to know this power because of the forces against us: the world, the flesh, and the devil. They are powerful and we can't overcome them without God.
- We are called to keep God's commands and live like Jesus. We can't do this without God's power in us.
- God's power is in us and works through the Word and the Spirit, affecting our will and desires.
- God will complete the work he started in us. He disciplines us when we go astray to bring us to perfection.
- We should know this power and calling to find comfort, strength, and assurance. God is working in us until we stand before him in glory.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on God's Power in Believers: Questions and Answers
What is the main focus of Paul's prayer for the Ephesians according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main focus of Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:19-23 is that believers would know "the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe." He emphasizes that Paul is praying that the Ephesians would have "the eyes of their understanding enlightened" so they can realize the tremendous power of God that is already at work within them as believers. This power is the same divine power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at God's right hand.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe many Christians fail to experience joy in their faith?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones believes Christians often fail to experience joy because they "have not realized the greatness of the salvation into which we have been brought." He observes that New Testament Christians had a "lyrical quality" about them, as seen in epistles like Philippians with its theme of rejoicing. Instead, many modern Christians give an impression of depression, as if Christianity is a burden. This failure to realize the greatness of salvation leads to "an absence of a sense of wonder" about what God has done and is doing in the believer's life.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between God's power and our ability to believe?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that God's power is "absolutely essential even to believing." He states that we cannot start the Christian life without this power, as our natural condition makes it impossible to turn to God with a willing heart. He calls it "a remarkable fact in this world that there's anybody at all who is a believer in the christian faith. It's a miracle." Nothing but the power of God makes us believers, and the same power enables us to continue in the Christian life.
What are the main forces that Christians must battle against, according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christians must battle against three main forces: 1. The world - with its subtle power of worldliness, its outlook, and its values that are contrary to God's ways 2. The flesh - which manifests in lethargy, laziness, physical limitations, and the force of habits 3. The devil - whose power is "second only to that of God" and who walks about "as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour"
Only the exceeding greatness of God's power working in believers enables them to stand against these powerful forces.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones correct the misconception about when God's power begins working in a believer?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones corrects the misconception that Christians can "go on as a Christian without this power of God, and that he suddenly comes to a realization of his need and asks for it and gets it." He calls this view "unscriptural." Instead, he teaches that from the very moment of conversion, God's power is already at work in the believer. The issue is not getting this power later in the Christian life, but rather realizing that it has been there all along. As he states, "You cannot be a Christian for a second if the power of God doesn't sustain you."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones compare God's work in creation with His work in salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones compares God's work in natural creation with His work in the "new creation" (salvation). Just as God not only created the world but continually sustains it ("If God withdrew his power from the world that he's made, it would collapse immediately"), similarly in salvation, "God not only makes a man anew" but continually sustains him by His power. He rejects the idea that "God makes a man anew and then leaves him to himself" as "an utter fallacy." In both creation and salvation, God initiates and then continually sustains by His power.
What gives Dr. Lloyd-Jones comfort and assurance in his Christian life?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones finds his comfort, consolation, strength, and assurance in knowing "that God is working in me. And that he will never cease to work in me until I stand before him in glory." He is comforted by the truth that God "which hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." This assurance comes from knowing that God's power is actively working in believers to bring them to perfection, and He will not abandon this work until it is complete.
How does God's power work in believers according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, God's power works in believers through His Word and through the Holy Spirit. He explains that this power "manifests itself and works in us" by affecting our will and creating desires within us. The power of God "generates prayer" and stimulates spiritual activity. As he quotes from Isaac Watts, "His power subdues our sins." God's Spirit enlightens His Word and our understanding. Sometimes this work happens even when we are unaware of it, and God may use difficult circumstances to awaken us if we ignore His promptings.
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.