Man in Sin
A Sermon on Ephesians 2:1-3
Originally preached Oct. 9, 1955
Scripture
1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among …
Sermon Description
What’s the fundamental problem with humanity? Is it a lack of education? Poor policies in the public sphere? Why are humans the way they are? In this sermon on Ephesians 2:1–3 titled “Man in Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that the problem is much deeper. The problem is this: humanity is dead. Not physically dead––physically, people are very much alive––but in regards to spiritual things, humanity is born dead. Humanity sees no need for God and disregards His word. Spiritual realities are boring to them and they do not find the Bible relevant. As a result, humanity is shaped by the present age under the spiritual realm of darkness and organize their life apart from God. They do not know it because they are dead. The result is eternal death. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that one must know the depths of this problem. As the problem is much deeper than one thought, the solution must be greater than imagined. The delight in the gospel of Jesus Christ comes from understanding this. They were hopeless and dead. Without Christ, there was nothing one could do. Yet God loved them and He has made them alive.
Sermon Breakdown
- Men's state in sin is that of spiritual death. They are ignorant of God, spiritual things and spiritual life. They hate God and spiritual matters. They are unlike God, corrupt and not blessed by God. Their life is miserable.
- Men in sin are governed by the world - its outlook, mentality and organization of life apart from God. They think, act and live according to the world.
- The world in turn is governed by an evil principle, a force of evil that energizes and works in the children of disobedience.
- This evil principle is governed by the devil, the prince of the powers of the air. The devil hates God and wants to ruin His creation. Men in sin are under the dominion of Satan.
- The devil and his forces are unseen spiritual powers that confront even Christians. Christians have to wrestle against them. They are subtle, malignant and clever. They make men think they are emancipated when in fact they are controlled.
- Only the exceeding greatness of God's power can enable Christians to stand against these forces. Without God, no one can stand against them even for a second. All glory belongs to God alone.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions and Answers on Sin and Salvation
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the main purpose of Paul's writing in Ephesians 2:1-3?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the apostle Paul is writing "to display to these ephesian christians and all the other christians to whom he was writing, and therefore to us the greatness and the glory of the christian salvation." He wants the Ephesians to grasp "something of the largeness and the greatness and the majesty of this wonderful salvation" and to be "clear of the greatness of the power of God toward all that believe."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe humanity's spiritual state before salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that humanity's state before salvation is described by Paul as being "dead in trespasses and sins." He emphasizes that this is not physical death but spiritual death, meaning people are "ignorant of God," "not in fellowship with God," "ignorant of spiritual things," and even have a hatred toward spiritual matters. He states, "You were dead, says Paul, and those who are not Christian are still dead," describing it as being "outside the life of God."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say we must understand the doctrine of sin to understand redemption?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that "no men will ever have a true conception of the biblical teaching with regard to redemption unless he's clear about the biblical doctrine of sin." He explains that without understanding sin's depth and nature, we cannot properly understand the incarnation, the cross, or why Jesus had to come to earth and die. He states that "the utter looseness in people's ideas about the death of our Lord is entirely due to this" lack of understanding sin.
What are the four aspects of humanity's condition in sin that Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies from Ephesians 2:1-3?
From the passage, Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies four aspects of humanity's condition in sin: 1. Man's state in sin - being spiritually dead 2. An explanation of why man is in this state 3. What this state leads to in practice 4. How God views man in this state
As he summarizes: "The condition why men is in it, what results in practice, because he's in it, and what God thinks of it. It's all in these three verses."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the biblical view of human nature with other worldviews?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrasts the biblical view with other views by pointing out that the biblical view is: 1. More realistic - "It tells me what I know to be the stark truth about myself" 2. More radical - "It gets down to the depths" rather than just treating symptoms 3. Both more pessimistic initially and more optimistic ultimately - initially pessimistic because it says man "is so bad and so rotten that he cannot be improved" but ultimately optimistic because "though men is down in the depths of sin, the power of God can come and take hold of him and can raise him to the heights."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say controls and governs the life of an unsaved person?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three controlling factors over the unsaved person: 1. "The course of this world" - the mentality and outlook of the world that operates without God 2. An evil principle working in the world - "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" 3. The devil himself - "the prince of the power of the air" who dominates people while making them think they're free
As he explains, "The man who's not a Christian is absolutely dominated and controlled. He's dead in their hands."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define "the world" in the biblical sense?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines "the world" in the biblical sense as "the outlook and the mentality and the organization of life apart from God." He clarifies that it doesn't mean the physical universe like mountains and rivers, but rather "a mentality...an outlook...a view of life without God" where "God is shut right out." He describes it as "man himself viewing and organizing life and controlling life."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the only solution to humanity's condition?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones affirms that the only solution to humanity's condition is God's power in salvation. He concludes his sermon saying, "How do we stand? I say there's only one answer. It's the exceeding greatness of his power to usward that believe the God who saves us is the God who keeps us. And without him we couldn't stand for a second." He emphasizes that we need to be "quickened" (made alive) by God's power, as Paul states: "You hath he quickened who were dead."
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.