Tests of Christian Profession
A Sermon on Ephesians 1:15-16
Originally preached May 8, 1955
Scripture
15Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Sermon Description
How does one know they are saved? The world calls anyone a “Christian” even if they are associated with theism or morality in a Western context. The title has lost its distinctiveness due to the evaporation of its first century meaning. This is a problem for the church, as it is difficult to know who is truly a Christian and who is deceived or ignorant of the meaning. What then is the test of salvation? In this sermon on Ephesians 1:15–16 titled “Tests of Christian Profession,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones suggests the apostle Paul provides the ultimate test as he is giving thanks and petitioning in prayer on behalf of the Ephesians. There are just two things necessary: faith in the Lord Jesus and love for all the saints. Within these two tests, Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds not only the significance of the terms used by Paul, but also the apostolic order in which they occur. It is faith in the Lord Jesus, then love for all the saints. Paul is uninterested in vague sentimentality in the church. Faith (in the biblical sense) in the person of Jesus Christ is non-negotiable. Only after this, but definitely following it, is love for all the saints. Faith and works are joined here.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is writing to the Ephesians, giving thanks for their faith and love.
- Paul heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus and love for all the saints. These are the grounds for Paul's certainty and assurance regarding the Ephesians.
- Faith in the Lord Jesus is the most vital test. It is the central, defining characteristic of Christianity.
- Loving the brethren is proof of new life and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It shows we have been born again and given a new nature.
- Faith in the Lord Jesus comes before love for the saints. We must have right belief before right practice.
- The terms "Lord Jesus" show that Jesus is both God and man. He is the crucified one, the Son of God, the Lord of glory.
- We cannot separate "Lord" and "Jesus." We come to and believe in the Lord Jesus. We cannot accept Him as Savior without accepting Him as Lord.
- Faith in the Lord Jesus means trusting in Him alone for salvation, relying entirely on His work on our behalf. It means having no confidence in ourselves or our own works.
- Loving the saints is proof of loving God. We love them because of the relationship we share through God's love and grace.
- We love all the saints, not just the ones we like or are similar to us. We see them as fellow children of God, regardless of external factors.
- The Christian's interest in others depends on their relationship to God, not on worldly measures of status or worth.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Ephesians 1:15-16
What are the two acid tests of true Christianity according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the apostle Paul presents two "acid tests" that prove someone is a genuine Christian: "Faith in the Lord Jesus" and "love unto all the saints." He emphasizes that these two tests are the essential criteria that allowed Paul to be certain about the authenticity of the Ephesians' faith. The apostle "reduces them all to just two, and we can be quite sure that when he does that, that they are the true tests and what we may call the acid tests."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones stress the importance of the title "Lord Jesus" rather than just "Jesus"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul's specific choice of "Lord Jesus" is significant because it encompasses the full identity of Christ. He states: "You can't separate the Lord and Jesus. The person is one and indivisible." This title recognizes both His deity ("Lord") and His humanity ("Jesus") in one person. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes: "You can't accept him as your savior only and then perhaps later decide to accept him as your Lord. He's always the Lord." This complete recognition of who Christ is represents true saving faith.
What does it mean to have "faith in the Lord Jesus" according to the sermon?
According to Lloyd-Jones, having faith in the Lord Jesus means "that I cast my entire hope upon him and what he has done on my behalf, that I have no confidence in my own life, my own actions, nor anybody else's, that I realize that I'm a hopeless and a last sinner, and that I am saved only because of Jesus' blood and righteousness." It's not merely believing Jesus came to tell us God loves us, but trusting that Jesus Himself is the Savior who accomplished our salvation through His work on our behalf.
Why is "love unto all the saints" a necessary evidence of true Christianity?
Lloyd-Jones explains that loving all saints (fellow believers) is "an absolute proof of life" because by nature, we don't naturally love this way. He says: "The natural man, the man who's not a Christian, the man who's not born again. He has no interest in christian people. He dislikes them, he finds them dull, uninteresting, dowdy." Therefore, when someone genuinely loves other Christians, it demonstrates they've been given "a new nature" and are "born again." It proves the Holy Spirit dwells within them, as only He produces this kind of love.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between true Christian faith and mere religious belief?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that true Christian faith is specifically centered on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, not just general religious beliefs. He states: "You don't even start by asking whether a man believes in God. Even that isn't the acid test. For there are many people in the world who believe in God, but they're not Christians." He points out that Jews, Muslims and others believe in God but aren't Christians. What distinguishes Christian faith is its focus on Christ as both fully God and fully man, who accomplished salvation through His death and resurrection.
What order must the two tests of authentic Christianity come in, and why is this important?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the order must be: first, faith in the Lord Jesus, and second, love to all the saints. He warns against the modern tendency to reverse this order: "That isn't the apostolic order. He's not interested in some vague sentimentality. Faith in the Lord Jesus first." Lloyd-Jones concludes: "Fellowship is never first. Fellowship is always second... first, the apostles' doctrine, faith in the Lord Jesus, then love towards all who belong truly to him." The proper theological foundation must precede genuine Christian fellowship.
How does loving "all the saints" differ from natural human affection?
According to Lloyd-Jones, loving all saints differs from natural affection because it extends to every true believer regardless of external factors. He explains that a Christian "doesn't look at their clothing... general external appearance. That's how men judge, by the external appearance." Instead, the Christian is "only interested in one thing... Is he a child of God? Is he my brother? Is this my sister?" This love extends to "not only some of them, not only the ones you happen to like, but all the saints," regardless of education, social class, or personality.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe we cannot separate Jesus as Savior from Jesus as Lord?
Lloyd-Jones argues that accepting Jesus as Savior necessarily means accepting Him as Lord because "the person is one and indivisible." He states: "You can't accept him as your savior only and then perhaps later decide to accept him as your Lord. He's always the Lord." Lloyd-Jones explains that wanting salvation from sin means wanting "deliverance from the power of sin and everything connected with sin." If Christ purchased us through His death, we naturally give ourselves to Him as Lord: "When you realize that, you must."
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.