No Longer Children
A Sermon on Ephesians 4:14
Originally preached Nov. 24, 1957
Scripture
14That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Sermon Description
What does it mean to be an “infant in Christ”? What is Paul referring to when he uses this analogy? It is important to remember that anyone who comes into Christ comes into Him as a babe. In this sermon on Ephesians 4:14 titled “No Longer Children,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that it is a vital point to understand since Paul makes it an objective in many of his epistles that the goal of new believers should be to jump into learning more about God and His word before jumping into positions of spiritual influence within their church. Just as children are required to mature before they are handed responsibilities, babes in Christ are not firm enough to be given influence expected of mature believers. Paul calls new believers to seek the knowledge of God in order to grow out of childish tendencies that tend to stagnate new believers spiritually, such as being unstable in doctrine, easily deceived, reacting excessively, and not being able to control his or her own spirit. New believers must understand these tendencies so that they can move past them in order to avoid the tragedy of staying as children spiritually.
Sermon Breakdown
- We all start the Christian life as children. We are born again and come in as spiritual babes.
- As children, we have certain characteristics and tendencies:
- We are unstable and tossed to and fro like waves. We are fickle and changeable.
- We lack self-control and discipline. We react excessively and violently to things.
- We hold views violently and go to extremes. We are in a state of constant turmoil and agitation.
- Children are liable to be misled and deceived. They are carried about by every wind of doctrine.
- Children are like this because of:
- Ignorance. They lack knowledge and standards to properly judge teachings.
- Dislike of discipline. They don't like to be taught slowly and thoroughly. They want novelty and excitement.
- Susceptibility to showmanship. They are taken in by the spectacular and gaudy.
- We must realize we start as children so we can grow out of these tendencies and dangers. We must seek knowledge, discipline, and maturity.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers about Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Ephesians 4:14
What does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones identify as the main issue with Christians who remain in a childish spiritual state?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the tragic issue with Christians who remain in a childish spiritual state is that they "remain exactly where they always were. They end as children. They end where they began. They thought they'd got everything at the beginning. They've never grown." This is particularly tragic because the purpose of the New Testament epistles is to help believers grow. These Christians fail to understand that conversion is a beginning, not an end, and they bypass much of the teaching in the epistles, contributing to confusion in the Church.
What are the characteristics of spiritual children according to this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several characteristics of spiritual children: - Instability - being "tossed to and fro" like waves, with a fickleness and changeableness - Lack of self-control - being "victims of impulses and moods" with little self-discipline - Excessive and violent reactions - responding to situations with extremes rather than balance - Holding views violently and going to extremes - dogmatic in opinions but liable to change them - Being in a perpetual state of mental agitation and turmoil - Liability to be misled and deceived - being "carried about with every wind of doctrine" - Disliking discipline and systematic teaching - Preference for novelty, entertainment, and excitement - Susceptibility to showmanship rather than substance
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize that all Christians start as spiritual children?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that all Christians start as spiritual children because it's a foundational truth of the Christian faith that is often forgotten. He stresses that the Christian life is "a new life" that begins with a spiritual birth, not a continuation or addition to our previous life. Regardless of one's intellectual abilities, professional achievements, or social status, everyone enters the Christian life as a spiritual baby. This principle establishes that in the church, "all divisions and distinctions are abolished" as everyone starts at the same point, needing to grow and mature spiritually.
What makes spiritual children particularly vulnerable to deception according to this sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, spiritual children are vulnerable to deception primarily because of: 1. Ignorance - "It is indeed due to nothing but lack of knowledge." Without knowledge, they lack a standard by which to test teachings. 2. Dislike of discipline and teaching - especially the slow, methodical learning process 3. Attraction to novelty - "Doesn't matter what the new thing is, as long as it's new" 4. Preference for entertainment and excitement over sound teaching 5. Susceptibility to showmanship - being "peculiarly susceptible to showmanship" and impressed by the spectacular rather than the substantial
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones relate the spiritual growth process to teaching?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that good teaching must deal with people as they are, not as they ought to be. He states, "That is, of course, the first great principle of all good teaching that you deal with people as they are and not simply as they ought to be. If we do not bring the truth to people as they are, well, then we have failed as teachers altogether." He uses the apostle Paul as an example of wise teaching, who recognized the current state of believers and worked to bring them from where they were to where they needed to be. The teacher must understand the starting point (spiritual childhood) to guide believers toward mature Christianity - "unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
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.