In the Beloved
A Sermon on Ephesians 1:6
Originally preached Dec. 19, 1954
Scripture
6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Sermon Description
How great is the love the Christian receives from both God the Father and God the Son. In this sermon on Ephesians 1:6 titled “In the Beloved,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones considers the measure of this love and its central theme found in Christ who is called the “beloved.” Dr. Lloyd-Jones traces this title throughout the Lord Jesus Christ’s ministry as well as its relation to the doctrine of eternal generation of the Son. Dr. Lloyd-Jones exhorts the listener to see the significance of the incarnation and virgin birth by remembering who Jesus Christ is: the beloved, eternal Son of God. The incarnation is quite unimaginable as God the Father watches his beloved Son suffer so that people might be forgiven of sin. The love of God is on display as the Son empties himself by taking on human flesh. The ultimate height of salvation is that God loves humanity as he loves the Son, because they are united with the beloved. The Christian is called beloved, revealing an intimacy surpassing anything imaginable.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon focuses on Ephesians 1:6 and the phrase "in the beloved". This phrase refers to Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God.
- The sermon first examines what this phrase tells us about the person of Jesus Christ. He is the only begotten Son of God, eternally one with and loved by the Father.
- The sermon then looks at what this phrase tells us about the Father's love. The fact that God sent his beloved Son into the world shows his great love. We see this love in how the Father watched as people rejected, persecuted, and crucified Jesus.
- The sermon examines what this phrase tells us about the Son's love. Though Jesus enjoyed perfect fellowship with the Father, he humbled himself by becoming a man and dying on the cross. This demonstrates his immense love for us.
- Finally, the sermon looks at what this phrase tells us about our relationship to God. Because we are in Christ, God loves us as he loves his Son. We share in the same intimate love and fellowship that Jesus has always enjoyed with the Father.
- In summary, the phrase "in the beloved" is key to understanding the depths of God's love, Christ's love, and our exalted position as the beloved of God through faith in Christ.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on "In the Beloved" - Ephesians 1:6 Questions and Answers
What does the phrase "in the beloved" in Ephesians 1:6 mean?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the phrase "in the beloved" specifically emphasizes that our redemption has been worked out through God's only begotten Son. While Paul could have used "in Christ" or "in Jesus Christ" as he does elsewhere in the passage, he deliberately chose "in the beloved" to highlight the special relationship between the Father and the Son. This term conveys that Christ is "one with the Father, one substance, indivisibly the only begotten of the Father," not merely adopted as we are, but "begotten of the Father, coming eternally out of the Father."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe Paul used the term "beloved" instead of "Christ" or "Jesus" in this verse?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul deliberately varied his terminology to "bring out in its full force and intensity what is, after all, the most wonderful thing of all about this great salvation of ours." The term "beloved" emphasizes Christ's unique relationship with the Father - He is the one "whom God has loved from all eternity" and "the one on whom the whole of God's love and affection are centered and in whom they dwell." Lloyd-Jones insists this term expresses "so perfectly and so completely the relationship between the Father and the Son."
How does the phrase "in the beloved" help us measure God the Father's love?
"In the beloved" helps us measure the Father's love by showing that God sent His eternally beloved Son out of heaven's glory into our sinful world. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks us to consider what it meant for the Father to watch His beloved Son be "reviled," "laughed at," "persecuted," "wounded," and ultimately crucified. He references Romans 8 where Paul writes, "He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes, "He didn't spare the beloved though he had loved him with that eternal love from all eternity and with all the intensity of his holy, eternal nature."
How does "in the beloved" reveal the depth of Christ's love for us?
The term reveals Christ's love by highlighting what He willingly gave up. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, "The beloved in the bosom of the Father from all eternity and enjoying that perfect and mixed bliss" chose to leave that position. Christ "divests himself of these insignia, these signs of his eternal glory" and takes on human nature, experiencing weakness, suffering, misunderstanding, and ultimately the cross where He cried, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Lloyd-Jones emphasizes the paradox that the eternally beloved One experienced abandonment for our salvation.
What astounding truth does Dr. Lloyd-Jones find about believers' relationship to God in John 17:23?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlights the astounding truth that believers are loved by God the Father in the same way He loves His Son. He quotes Jesus' prayer in John 17:23: "I in them and thou in me...and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me." Lloyd-Jones confesses, "if it were not there in the 23rd verse of the 17th of John, I wouldn't believe it." This means that beyond our adoption as sons, "the Father now loves us as he loved the son himself," which is "the ultimate height of our salvation and redemption."
How does understanding "in the beloved" change how we should view our Christian identity?
Understanding we are "in the beloved" transforms our Christian identity by showing we are not just called, chosen, and made holy, but are actually "beloved of God." Dr. Lloyd-Jones references Colossians 3:12 where believers are described as "the elect of God, holy and beloved" and 2 Thessalonians 2:13 where they are called "beloved of the Lord." This understanding should eliminate any complaints about God's treatment of us, as Lloyd-Jones states: "Have you ever been tempted to think that God isn't fair to you? That God's dealing rather harshly and unkindly with you?... Never say that again. That's the most terrible thing you can ever say... This is the truth in Christ. Because he is the beloved. You are the beloved of God."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones warn against regarding our approach to Christmas?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns against approaching Christmas without understanding its true significance. He cautions: "How easy it is to take them [these truths] for granted. To celebrate your Christmas and think you know all about it and yet miss the glory and the significance of it all." Some people merely "sentimentalize" the facts without drawing "any great doctrinal deductions from them," finding only "a certain amount of emotional release" without knowing "the power of God unto salvation." Lloyd-Jones insists we must always combine the biblical facts with their proper interpretation.
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.