Peace With God
A Sermon on Ephesians 2:17
Originally preached March 11, 1956
Scripture
17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Sermon Description
What some describe as loneliness is actually a lack of peace with God. It is a worldwide problem that often goes undiagnosed and is the most pervasive disease on the planet. In this sermon on Ephesians 2:17 titled “Peace With God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains Paul’s words to the Ephesian church, primarily focusing on the necessity of peace with God. An important emphasis Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes is that Christ now preaches through the apostles what he was preaching in His own ministry: Jews and Gentiles alike are sinners and need peace with God. Jews in the New Testament made the fatal moralistic mistake of equating knowledge with obedience. Likewise, Gentiles fell short in that they chose to disobey the Lord with their sinful lifestyles. Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses vivid imagery to help listeners understand the reality of humanity's natural state of turmoil with God. He illustrates that the ocean is being pulled upon both by magnetic forces from the moon and the gravitational pull from the earth. This in turn causes massive turmoil and unrest in the ocean. This is similar to humanity’s natural state. Humanity is not at rest; it is at war with God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones ends his sermon on an encouraging note: humans bear many burdens they need not bear simply because they have not brought them before the Lord. Listen in as Dr. Lloyd-Jones helps understand peace with God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is speaking about how God has brought Jews and Gentiles together in the church through Jesus Christ.
- Jesus Christ broke down the barrier between Jews and Gentiles by dying on the cross. His death abolished the law and commandments that separated Jews and Gentiles.
- Jesus Christ created one new body, the church, out of Jews and Gentiles.
- Jesus Christ reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to God through his death on the cross.
- The question arises of how Jesus Christ's work is applied to people. This verse answers that it is through preaching.
- There is disagreement over whether "preaching peace" refers to Jesus's earthly ministry or the apostles' preaching after his ascension. There are arguments for both views.
- The important point is that the Christian message proclaims peace with God to both Jews and Gentiles.
- Man's fundamental need is peace with God. Without God, man is restless and unhappy.
- The wicked are like the restless, troubled sea, casting up mire and dirt. They have an inner turmoil and no peace.
- The cause of man's restlessness is being subject to opposing forces: conscience/memory of God vs. sinful nature.
- The result of this inner turmoil is that the wicked are never satisfied and always restless. They try to escape through pleasure or busyness but cannot find peace.
- The need for peace with God is universal, for both Jews and Gentiles. Both are equally in need of reconciliation to God.
- Nearness to God is relative, not absolute. Both moral, religious people and openly wicked people need the gospel. Both lack peace with God.
- The test of one's standing with God is whether one knows God, not one's morality or religious observance. Many outwardly good people do not know God.
- Only Jesus Christ can provide peace with God through his atoning death. He reconciles man to God and provides inward peace.
- One must receive Christ's peace by faith in him. Then one can have confidence to come before God and leave one's anxieties with him.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Peace with God in Ephesians 2:17
What is the meaning of "came and preached peace" in Ephesians 2:17?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there are two possible interpretations of the phrase "came and preached peace" in Ephesians 2:17. The first view suggests it refers to Christ's earthly ministry as recorded in the Gospels. The second view, which Lloyd-Jones favors, is that it refers to "Christ's preaching through the apostles" after His death, resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Lloyd-Jones notes that during His earthly ministry, Jesus primarily confined His work to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel," but through the apostles after Pentecost, the message went to both Jews and Gentiles alike.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as mankind's fundamental need?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that mankind's fundamental need is peace with God. He states, "Our fundamental proposition is that men's supreme and fundamental need is the need of peace with God. Man out of relationship with God, man in sin is restless and wretched and unhappy." He illustrates this with Isaiah's powerful metaphor that "the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt." This restlessness comes from being pulled between two forces—the conscience which is a memory of original righteousness, and our fallen sinful nature.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the restlessness of people without God?
Lloyd-Jones describes people without God as being in constant unrest, like the sea that is always in motion due to opposing forces. He explains: "What's the cause of this? Well, it's exactly the same explanation in a spiritual sense as the explanation of the state of the sea." People are pulled between the conscience (which reminds them of God) and their fallen nature with its lusts and passions. This creates a perpetual restlessness that manifests in various ways: - The "pleasure mania" of people trying to escape their inner turmoil - The need for constant stimulation and entertainment - The "mire and dirt" of sin that becomes increasingly evident in society - The inability to find true satisfaction or rest
Who needs the message of peace according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, everyone needs the message of peace—both those who are "afar off" (obvious sinners) and those who are "nigh" (seemingly religious, moral people). He emphasizes that the terms "far off" and "near" are only relative distinctions, not absolute ones. The apostle Paul and the Philippian jailer might seem worlds apart morally, but "in reality the two men were identical" in their need for salvation. Lloyd-Jones warns that many people who appear to be "near" the kingdom—respectable, moral, churchgoing people—are actually still outside it and need peace with God just as desperately as the most obvious sinner.
How does one obtain this peace with God according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that only Christ can give true peace. He states: "Christ, and Christ alone offers and can give this peace to all who see their need of it." This peace comes through: 1. Christ's work on the cross where "he abolished the enmity" between God and humans 2. Taking our sin upon Himself—"not only the vile, foul, open, flagrant sin, but the sin of self-righteousness" 3. Reconciling us to God through His blood 4. Giving us access to God through prayer—"The way is open for you to go to God" 5. Providing "peace with God, peace with others, peace within"
Lloyd-Jones concludes by inviting his listeners to receive this peace: "It is the free gift of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Have you got it? Are you rejoicing in you? It can be yours now and evermore."
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.