The Emptiness of the Christless Life
A Sermon on Ephesians 4:17-19
Originally preached Feb. 2, 1958
Scripture
17This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their …
Sermon Description
There have been many great moral teachers and philosophies throughout the ages, but in the end, they are all insufficient to make people truly moral and transform society. In this sermon on emptiness from Ephesians 4:17–19 titled “The Emptiness of the Christless Life,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that this is because morality (as it is commonly understood) and godliness are often in conflict with one another. Morality (as found in Scripture) is not simply a list of what one should and should not do, but it is a way of living in light of who God is and who He has revealed Himself to be. It is strictly revelation and not speculative. The modern world presents morality as the path of least resistance, relying wholly on the fallen reason of humanity. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns, this is why the world is unable to provide a meaningful answer to the deepest and most important questions in life. Morality and the nature of human life are only understood in light of God’s revelation as found in His word to humanity. That is where one can see who they are and what they must do to be saved.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul addresses the Ephesians in a solemn manner to call attention to an important matter. He says “this I say therefore and testify in the Lord”.
- By saying “testify in the Lord”, Paul means he is speaking with the authority of an apostle and the matter is divinely authenticated.
- Paul is testifying that the Ephesians must no longer walk as the Gentiles do. The word “walk” refers to the whole of one’s life, inward and outward.
- The Ephesians were once Gentiles themselves, so Paul is saying they must no longer live like the other Gentiles who have not become Christians.
- Paul describes the way the other Gentiles live as “in the vanity of their mind”. This means their life is empty, futile, aimless, and pointless.
- The “mind” here refers to the whole soul - intellect, affections, conscience, will. It refers to their entire outlook on life and way of living.
- Paul goes on to describe the cause of this vain life in verse 18 and the consequences in verse 19. But here he makes a general statement about their condition.
- This description applies not just to the pagan world then but also to the modern world today without Christ. Life without Christ will always be empty and vain.
- The philosophers and intellects of the ancient world did not lead to any real understanding or satisfaction. Their views on religion, history, death, and morality were utterly futile.
- The apostle John says the only victory over this vain world is through faith in Christ. Faith opens our eyes to the emptiness of the world.
- We must be thankful God has shone into our hearts and given us understanding.
Sermon Q&A
Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Ephesians 4:17-19: Understanding the Vanity of the Worldly Mind
What did Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the key distinction between Christians and non-Christians in Ephesians 4:17?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasized that Christians are "entirely new men and women" through regeneration. He stated: "What makes him a Christian is that he has been born again. He's been given a new nature, he's a new creation. He's altogether different from what he was before." This profound change means Christians can no longer walk as the other Gentiles walk. He highlighted the word "henceforth" (or "no longer") as containing "the whole of the gospel" - indicating the definitive break between the past unregenerate life and the new life in Christ.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define "the vanity of their mind" in Ephesians 4:17?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "vanity" means "emptiness" or "futility" - something "which doesn't lead to the goal." It describes a life that is "aimless, pointless, lacking direction." When Paul refers to "mind," Lloyd-Jones clarifies that this isn't merely intellect but "means the whole soul of men" including "thought, will and susceptibilities... reason, understanding, conscience, affections." He summarizes it as "their entire outlook upon life, their whole reaction to life and their way, therefore, of living life."
According to Lloyd-Jones, why can't morality exist without godliness?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones asserts that "you cannot have morality without godliness," which he identifies as "the whole trouble in the last 50 years." He explains how previous generations emphasized godliness first, from which morality naturally flowed. However, modern attempts to preserve morality while abandoning godliness have failed: "You've got education and everything you can provide, if there isn't godliness at the back of it, your morality will collapse. And the modern world is just an illustration of that." This is why purely moral societies have been ineffective despite their best efforts.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones connect the ancient pagan world described by Paul to modern society?
Lloyd-Jones draws direct parallels, stating that we're "not simply going to look at pagan society in Ephesus nearly 2000 years ago. We are going to be looking at London today, Paris, New York, any one of them." He describes modern life as equally "empty, futile, aimless" despite all its sophistication. Like the ancient world which had philosophy but no true direction, modern society has "all its talk about art and its intellectual interests... its sophistication," yet remains spiritually empty. He concludes that "life without Christ is always empty" regardless of the era.
What three categories does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use to analyze the condition of the unregenerate mind?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three sections in Paul's analysis: 1. The general condition - "the vanity of their minds" (verse 17) 2. The cause of the vanity (verse 18) 3. The consequences of the vanity (verse 19)
In this particular sermon, he focuses primarily on the first section - the general condition of emptiness and futility that characterizes the unregenerate mind and life.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the apostle Paul's authority in this passage?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Paul is speaking with divine authority, not merely personal opinion. He points to the phrase "testify in the Lord" as indicating Paul is "speaking as one who is in communion with the Lord" and "delivering a divinely authenticated commission." Lloyd-Jones contrasts this with 1 Corinthians 7 where Paul explicitly states when he's giving personal opinion. Here, Paul speaks "with the full authority of an apostle" whose words "were divinely inspired" and have "the authority of God."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the only solution to society's moral problems?
Lloyd-Jones argues that merely denouncing moral decline or creating moral organizations is "futile and foolish." He states: "The business of the gospel is to deal with the situation in the only way in which it can be dealt with radically, and that is to preach this gospel of regeneration, this power of God unto salvation." Since the problem is "in the heart of men," only "a message that can deal with the heart of men" is adequate. He concludes that the gospel of regeneration is "the only hope for society."
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.