The Kingdom of Christ and God
A Sermon on Ephesians 5:5
Originally preached Nov. 2, 1958
Scripture
5For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Sermon Description
“All believers are called to be saints,” states Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. This principle is well-supported from Scripture, yet there are some who teach that only a select few Christians should be recognized as saints. This is a key point because it recognizes the work of God in the lives of all who believe in Him, not just a select few. In this sermon on Ephesians 5:5 titled “The Kingdom of Christ and God,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones demonstrates that the goal of salvation is to make one holy, not happy. Though happiness is a byproduct, it is not the main goal. This, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, differentiates Christianity from cults. Many people today profess to be believers but are selling a Christianity that makes people wealthy and happy, the complete opposite of Jesus’s promise that His followers are called to obedience and would sometimes even suffer for His sake. The kingdom of Christ and of God are the same, which means that true believers will follow the commands of Christ. Yet, some take this to mean that salvation is brought about by good works. Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents the biblical case for why this view is unbiblical and helps explain that salvation produces good works but does not derive from them.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul issues a solemn warning in Ephesians 5:5 that no immoral or impure person has an inheritance in the kingdom of God.
- Paul says "you know this" to emphasize that this truth should be self-evident to Christians. However, Christians often need to be reminded of this truth.
- There are many reasons why Christians may not fully grasp this truth:
- We tend to be subjective in our faith and focus on our own happiness rather than God's holiness.
- We are adept at rationalizing and excusing our own sins.
- The devil subtly persuades us that our sins are not really sins.
- We must look at God's view of sin and evil, not our own subjective feelings. God is holy and cannot tolerate sin.
- This warning is frequently repeated in Scripture, showing its importance. Many examples are given from 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, 1 John, and Revelation.
- The warning means that those who habitually and characteristically engage in such sins will not inherit the kingdom. It does not mean that anyone who commits such a sin once is excluded.
- The kingdom belongs to both Christ and God. The standard of holiness has not changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Christ did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.
- Some argue this is "preaching the law" and not grace, but grace and law cannot be separated. We are saved by grace through faith but called to holiness.
- This does not contradict justification by faith. Justification is one step in the process of salvation that includes regeneration, sanctification, and glorification. If we are justified, we will experience that whole process, though imperfectly.
- Warnings like this help test whether our faith is genuine and also help in our sanctification by convicting us of sin. Our reaction shows whether we are truly in the kingdom.
- If we have the hope of heaven, we will purify ourselves. If not, we show we have no inheritance in the kingdom. There is no contradiction between warnings and grace. Grace completes the work it begins.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers about Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Ephesians 5:5
What is the main verse that Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds in this sermon?
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on Ephesians 5:5, which states: "For this ye know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous men, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." This verse provides a solemn warning about who will not inherit God's kingdom, which forms the foundation of his sermon.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between justification and sanctification?
Lloyd-Jones explains that justification and sanctification are part of one continuous process. He emphasizes that "God doesn't justify a man and leave him." When God justifies someone, He also brings them into a process that includes being washed, sanctified, and ultimately glorified. These elements cannot be divorced from one another. If someone claims to be justified but shows no evidence of sanctification in their life, Lloyd-Jones suggests they may not truly be justified at all.
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the ultimate object of Christianity?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the ultimate object of Christianity is holiness, not happiness. He states emphatically: "What is the ultimate object of this Christian message, this Christian faith? And there can be only one answer to that. It is to make us holy, not to make us happy. Happiness is a byproduct in Christianity. It's not the central thing." This focus on holiness is what distinguishes Christianity from cults that primarily aim to make people happy.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the kingdom of Christ and of God?
Lloyd-Jones explains that the kingdom of Christ is also the kingdom of God - they are one and the same kingdom. He suggests that the apostle Paul uses this phrasing to emphasize that the kingdom Christ has opened to us is God's kingdom, where "God is the center and the soul, in which God is everything, and everything in it must be like God, and God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." This kingdom has the same holy standard throughout.
What dangerous heresy does Lloyd-Jones warn against in his sermon?
Lloyd-Jones warns against the heresy that Christ came to make salvation easier by removing the demands of God's law. He calls this "the most subtle, dangerous heresy that can ever be offered to men and women," noting that it characterizes much of modern evangelism. He emphasizes that Christ didn't come to destroy the law but to fulfill it, and that the standard of holiness remains the same in the kingdom of Christ as it was in the Old Testament.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the purpose of solemn warnings in Scripture?
Lloyd-Jones explains that verses containing solemn warnings serve two purposes: first, they are tests by which we can examine ourselves to see if we are truly in the faith. Second, they are part of God's method of sanctifying believers. He states: "These great warnings, these threatenings, these alarming statements, these are the things that God uses to sanctify us." When true believers hear these warnings, they are moved to greater holiness.
What distinction does Lloyd-Jones make about who will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Lloyd-Jones distinguishes between someone who temporarily falls into sin versus someone whose life is characterized by sin. He clarifies that the verse does not mean "that any man who falls into any one of these sins is eternally excluded from the kingdom of God." Rather, it refers to those "whose whole life is characterized by that kind of behavior" - those for whom sin is their habitat, their way of life, the realm in which they are comfortable.
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as a common problem in how people approach salvation?
Lloyd-Jones identifies that many people approach salvation subjectively rather than objectively. He explains: "We all tend to be so subjective in our approach to this question of salvation and of redemption. I mean by that that we always start with ourselves, and so often we end with ourselves. We want something. And especially we want happiness." This subjective approach leads people to forget the more important aspect of their relationship with God.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the evidence that someone truly has hope in Christ?
Lloyd-Jones cites 1 John 3:3, which states that "Every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure." He explains that the person who truly has hope in Christ naturally works toward purification and holiness. This internal transformation is the evidence of genuine salvation, in contrast to those who merely say "Lord, Lord" with their lips but do not demonstrate changed lives.
How does Lloyd-Jones address the concern that his teaching promotes justification by works?
Lloyd-Jones acknowledges that some might think he's teaching justification by works, but he clarifies that "God justifies the ungodly" by faith alone. However, he explains that this justification is only the first step in a process that includes regeneration, sanctification, and glorification. His point is that those who are truly justified will inevitably show evidence of being in this sanctification process. If there's no evidence of sanctification, it suggests one was never truly justified in the first place.
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.