MLJ Trust Logo Image
Sermon #4145

The Kingdom of Christ and God

A Sermon on Ephesians 5:5

Scripture

Ephesians 5:5 ESV NASB KJV
For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. (ESV)

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.

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.