The Mystery of His Will
A Sermon on Ephesians 1:8-9
Originally preached Jan. 30, 1955
Scripture
8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
Sermon Description
Can anyone discover the mysteries of God? Does God hide His will from humanity? As the apostle Paul expands his teaching on God’s grace, he moves from election and predestination to “mystery." In this sermon on Ephesians 1:8–9 titled “The Mystery of His Will,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones warns that this mystery is no incomprehensible mystery as taught in the ancient religions, reserved only for a select few. Nor is it a vague teaching, antithetical to propositional truth as many contemporary Christian movements want to make it. Instead, biblical mystery is something hidden from natural humanity, yet God has fully revealed it. It is an open secret that sinful humanity cannot see. It is a truth that God must reveal to individuals. This has great implications for evangelism. The gospel is comprehensible to anyone, no matter their intellect, as long as God reveals it to them. Dr. Lloyd-Jones insists that this is the work of the Holy Spirit who opens the eyes of men and women to the revelation of Jesus Christ in the Scriptures. Faith is not opposed to reason, but reason alone cannot bring someone to God. The mind of a person, at its best, is inadequate; God must bring them to this truth. All desperately need His grace.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon is focused on Ephesians 1:8-9. The apostle Paul is describing the riches of God's grace.
- Verse 8 should be translated as "which he has caused to abound toward us" rather than "wherein he hath abounded toward us." This focuses on God's grace rather than God himself.
- The phrase "in all wisdom and prudence" in verse 8 should be connected to grace, not God. It describes how grace has abounded toward us.
- There are three possible interpretations of "in all wisdom and prudence":
- God exercised wisdom and prudence in causing grace to abound
- God made the mystery of his will known through wisdom and prudence
- God's grace abounded toward us in wisdom and prudence (the preferred interpretation)
- "Mystery" does not mean something incomprehensible or only revealed to a select few. It means something undiscoverable to the natural mind but revealed by God.
- The scriptures alone are the authority on spiritual truth, not human wisdom or progress. The work of the Holy Spirit is essential to understanding them.
- God's grace and revelation are available to all, regardless of intellect or status. No one can reach the truth through human ability alone.
- We should glory in nothing and no one but God, who devised this way of salvation.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Ephesians: Questions and Answers
What does the term "mystery" mean in Paul's writings according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the term "mystery" in Paul's writings does not mean something inherently incomprehensible to the human mind. Rather, it refers to something that is "undiscoverable to the unaided human mind." It's not that the truth cannot be understood, but that the human mind by its own efforts and endeavors can never arrive at it without divine help. As Lloyd-Jones explains, "It is a mystery in the sense that men, with his unaided human form, mind and intellect can never discover it. But when it is revealed, he is able to do so." The Christian truth is not something that remains incomprehensible, but rather "an open secret" to believers because "God in his grace and kindness has been pleased to unfold it and to reveal it."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the meaning of "wisdom and prudence" in Ephesians 1:8-9?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "wisdom and prudence" represent two different aspects of spiritual understanding. "Wisdom" refers to knowledge and understanding, dealing primarily with the intellect. "Prudence," however, goes beyond mere intellectual understanding. Lloyd-Jones states that prudence "means a state of mind which includes the affections as well as the understanding." He offers alternative translations such as "insight" or "spiritual discernment," describing it as "the ability to discern spiritual apprehension of the excellence of the things of God and a corresponding affection towards them." Together, these terms indicate that God's grace enables believers not only to understand spiritual truth intellectually but also to embrace it affectionately with their whole being.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the relationship between modern advances in knowledge and understanding spiritual truth?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphatically states that "advances in knowledge and in science and the advance of the centuries make not the slightest difference" to our ability to understand spiritual truth. He directly challenges the notion that modern developments in science (like "neophysics") necessitate new theological approaches. Lloyd-Jones asserts, "The mind of men at its best was never adequate... It was a mystery nearly 2000 years ago. It is equally a mystery today. And neophysics doesn't make the slightest difference." He argues that modern scientific discoveries are "quite irrelevant" to understanding the fundamental truths about "God, man, sin," and salvation. His position is that spiritual truth is not dependent on human intellectual progress but on divine revelation and illumination.
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, why is the Holy Spirit essential for understanding Scripture?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential because the natural human mind cannot grasp spiritual truth on its own. He states plainly: "I don't care who you are, nor what you are. If you're not enlightened by the Holy Spirit, you will not understand the scriptures. You cannot. It's impossible." Lloyd-Jones cites 1 Corinthians where Paul writes that "the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God." He explains that understanding comes only through the Holy Spirit's operation, which gives believers "the mind of Christ." It is God's grace that has "abounded toward us" by giving "the power to understand and to comprehend" spiritual truth, which otherwise remains a mystery to the natural mind.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the democratic nature of the gospel regarding intellectual capacity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the gospel is accessible to all people regardless of intellectual capacity because spiritual understanding comes from God, not human intelligence. He states, "Intellect or the absence of intellect does not make a vital difference. The understanding which is given by God through the Holy Spirit is open to all." He points out that "not many wise, not many noble are called" and that God has deliberately chosen "the foolish things, the ignorant, the hopeless" to receive His truth. Lloyd-Jones celebrates that this makes the gospel universally accessible: "You can go this morning to the heart of central Africa and you can visit a tribe that can't read nor write and has never had any learning. And you can take this great epistle to the Ephesians and present it to them, and they can believe it. Why? Because God enlightens them through the Holy Spirit."
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.