Has religion become something “formal” that is only done on certain occasions? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says this one of the greatest of all curses. Listen to this sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “The Church and the World” about how a Christian’s interaction with the world is their “witness.” Scriptures depict the Christian as a rejoicing person. No one can be an accurate and adequate witness of God without first receiving the Spirit’s power described here through baptism. The world often characterizes evangelicals as being so inwardly focused that they are not concerned about the world, but this is a myth. Dr. Lloyd-Jones touches on the “social gospel” and the gradual drifting of focus and influence of the church over time. Why does the church have such little influence today? This sermon pulls from the illustrations of the past to see how the influence of individuals has churned up the power to “turn the world upside down.” What is the business of the function of the church? It is to produce Christian people; this is where focus has been lost. The Christian must know what they believe, so that they can be the witness God has called them to be. By living differently, Christians can provide a radically different explanation for the difficult realities – death, calamity, hardship – and by this, to be the salt and the light of the earth.

“Perhaps the greatest danger of all is to interpret the Scriptures in the light of our own experiences, rather than the other way around,” preaches Dr. Lloyd-Jones. In this sermon on the Baptism of the Spirit from John 1:26–33, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones declares two main ways to go wrong in relating experiences to Scripture. First is claiming that things are beyond or contrary to Scripture. Second is being satisfied with something less than Scripture and reducing to the level of one’s own knowledge and experience. The Christian is called to listen and evaluate personal experiences on the basis of Scripture. The danger of the church today is the whole of Scripture’s teaching being reduced to what humanity is and thinks. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones engages with John’s gospel, he asserts that one can be a believer in Christ without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This seeming contradiction is teased out from both the Old and New Testaments. Fundamentally, the Spirit must convict and give the ability to believe, for no one can be a Christian at all without the work of the Spirit. In the interest of an individual’s personal point of view, the devil gets people to bypass portions of Scripture and Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges his listeners to forsake this way of reading the Bible.

Listen to this sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “Baptism by the Spirit (2)” as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones makes the first of a series of propositions in regard to the baptism of the Spirit. He claims that someone can be a true believer without being baptized by the Spirit; how can this be? Certainly, no one becomes a Christian without the work of the Holy Spirit in them, but Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues these are fundamentally different. He stresses the importance for a balanced doctrine in dealing with the entirety of the Scriptures – what is read in the whole of the Scripture is what should be expected, but the disregard for portions of Scriptures is not acceptable. Follow the promises that are fulfilled in the Book of Acts and see how it is through the light of this book that the epistles are to be read. Questions of an unusual certainty in one’s assurance and saving faith are addressed, confirmation is examined, and the evidence of the life of Christ is illuminated. “There is nothing which is more fatal than to fail to see that the teaching of the epistles always presupposes the history which we have in the book of Acts of the Apostles.” Follow along as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones considers this.

Consider regeneration, assurance, baptism, and revival in this troubled age and listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones engages them these as he addresses the second general principle of the baptism of the Spirit from John 1:26-33. In this sermon titled “Baptism in the Spirit (3),” he asks if this baptism is something that happens to the believer. Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls for a revival of the church that first starts with seeing one’s own need for personal revival, so that they may know the blessings of salvation and be effective witnesses in an age of trouble and confusion. “Anyone who is satisfied with the church as it is today seems to be blind to the New Testament,” says Dr. Lloyd-Jones as he focuses in on the experimental nature of this baptism through various examples from the New Testament. There is not immediacy for all who believe, but definiteness for those who “receive” the Spirit and this is a given element, never the result of human work. The listener is encouraged to trace the mysterious act of regeneration in the depths of one’s soul alongside the obvious outworking of the Spirit and consider how revivals and the authority of the Spirit are obvious to those on the outside. Listen closely as the glory of Christ is boldly proclaimed ­– a benefit added to those in Christ, for the sake of His name.

How is the baptism of the Holy Ghost defined? In this sermon on John 1:26­–33 titled “Baptism of the Spirit (4),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers this question and addresses both the direct and indirect work of the Spirit. Great caution is given toward the tendency of Christians today to reduce everything to the ordinary but there is nothing ordinary about such an amazing divine work. The outworking of the Spirit is seen through the prophecy of Joel and the examples from the New Testament to be clear, immediate, and direct in nature, far from being rooted in the reflection of humanity. The Spirit of God bears witness to confirm the regenerated cry of a believer to God as “Abba, Father.” Dr. Lloyd-Jones greatly cautions his listeners not to confuse such extraordinary work with that of the ordinary as this is the danger of quenching the Spirit. Such clear, unmistakable, and phenomenal work of the Spirit is the third principle in this series of “The Baptism of the Spirit” from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. He addresses how the problem of restraint and the Lord’s sovereignty are connected to baptism and clearly defines the outworking of such a baptism.

Engage with Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones as he continues his series on “The Baptism of the Spirit (5)” from John 1:26–33. In this sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones considers the difference between John the Baptist’s ministry and Christ’s ministry, along with the great sin of quenching the Spirit. While the Spirit’s direct and indirect work are both important, the focus here is on the direct, special, and unusual work of the Spirit that is seen to equip believers to be witnesses of the gospel. The main function of the baptism of the Spirit is primarily for the purpose of witness and this sermon shows how both subjective and objective experiences serve to manifest this reality. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asserts that the pronounced characteristics are an unusual sense of the presence of God and an assurance of the love of God to those in Jesus Christ.

How is one filled with assurance and unspeakable joy? Listen in as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks into this glorious matter of “The Baptism of the Spirit (6)” from John 1:26–33. “You can be a Christian without assurance, but you cannot be a witness without assurance,” he states. This is the work of equipping witnesses who are assured of their salvation, knowledgeable of the truth, and joyful in God’s promises. Follow the various examples from history and revivals that demonstrate the initial humility that births such an intense desire to express the joy, happiness, and peace of God. “From the depths, they are lifted to the heights,” he shares as he offers an intriguing and persuading argument for the Christian life that ought to be characterized by a joyful basking in salvation – released from the guilt, power, and pollution of sin – so that no one is found dragging themselves to God’s house, rather overflowing in joy. “A melting of the heart for joy, that God should spread abroad His love for the hearts of men,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones says. One cannot know God’s love without loving God, but it is first God who gives this ability to love. Two of the greatest tests of the work of the Spirit is a person’s desire to glorify Christ and understanding of the truth.

What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Is it a saving experience? In Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s exposition of John 1:26–33 titled “The Spirit’s Power in the Church,” he expounds on the outward biblical markers of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and argues for its essential (but not salvific) need in the church. He notes this need because the only true knowledge of God comes through the Holy Spirit. After discussing the internal markers of being baptized by the Holy Spirit (such as a sense of God’s holiness, humility, assurance of the love of God, etc.) in the previous sermon, he moves on to address the outward. First, he argues that a Biblical marker is often a physical phenomenon, such as a shining face. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones notes stories such as Stephen and Moses, and also recounts stories in church history. Second, he argues that baptism can be seen through the power dispensed to men and women in private conversations and preaching. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones bemoans the academic preaching that surrounds the church and notes that the disciples had all the facts when Jesus ascended, but Jesus knew they needed the Holy Spirit. He ends with asking the listener: “do you know anything of this power?”

The Holy Spirit makes God’s children into profound witnesses for the gospel. Imagine Peter’s ministry after Pentecost. Think of Paul in Cyprus. These men were characterized by ability in speech, authority in performing miracles, and a boldness unmatched in proclaiming the truth about Jesus Christ. Even the Lord Jesus himself commenced His ministry by being baptized by the Holy Spirit. In short, without the Holy Spirit, the church is unable to perform its unique calling of representing Christ to the world. In his sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “The Gifts of the Spirit (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones not only teaches on this necessity of the Holy Spirit, but enters into a topic of grave controversy: are signs, wonders, and miracles only for the early church? Do signs, wonders, and miracles authenticate the gospel message the same way they did before the completion of the New Testament canon? Dr. Lloyd-Jones models a charitable engagement with alternative views and fairly surveys key arguments and the biblical passages they put forth. With a firm posture, Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides answers to several cessationist arguments. Whether the listener is unfamiliar with the debate on the gifts of the Spirit or well-initiated into it, listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones deals openly and reasonably in this controversial topic.

As with every controversy in the church, one side pushes and another side emerges and wants to push back equally hard. It is difficult to find the right balance in the midst of such controversy. The gifts of the Holy Spirit—and specifically whether or not signs, wonders, and miracles should be expected in the church—is one of the most controversial topics of the past fifty years. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones not only boldly enters into the controversy, but he strikes the right balance in the midst. In this sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “The Gifts of the Spirit (2),” Dr. Lloyd-Jones continues his response against those Christians who argue that the gifts of the Spirit ended after the apostolic age. He deals with common objections, noting the lack of biblical evidence, as well as the flaws in argumentation. The balance by Dr. Lloyd-Jones is struck as he objects to Christians who say miracles would be more common if only the church had enough faith. Moreover, the church needs to “claim” these miracles. Soberly, Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws attention to the sovereignty of the Spirit and rejects any ability within humanity to “claim” a special and unusual work of God. Listen and learn about the sovereignty of the Spirit and the need for Him to work today.

What does one do if confronted with miraculous spiritual events? In this exposition of John 1:26–33 by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones titled “Testing of the Spirits (1),” he begins the discussion of how to process and test the spirits. First, Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that, throughout history, revival (which he deems as “many people being baptized in the Holy Spirit”) may or may not be accompanied by miraculous gifts, and is actually more often than not lacking these miraculous occurrences. However, in light of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes several errors. First, some people say that the baptism always has to be accompanied by the miraculous gifts, but it is arrogant to say the Holy Spirit has to work that way. Next, there are those who deny the miraculous gifts and quench the Spirit. This, too, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is unbiblical. Lastly, there are those who accept all things without testing anything, which Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues can be dangerous. The Christian must accept and test. In light of this, Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that they must not rely solely on feelings, nor the credibility of people, but should examine what is being taught. The Christian must not be surprised if Satan attacks those closest to the Lord.

With all the opinions on truth in the world, how is the Christian supposed to determine which ones are correct? In this sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “Testing the Spirits (2),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides a helpful framework for thinking through how Christians can be discerning when analyzing different truth claims. First, they must use reason. God does not tell His children to “check their brains at the door” when they are saved. Instead, He calls them to exercise wisdom and discernment. He gave tools to use and that includes reasoning abilities. Next, Christians are to use the Scriptures and compare everything alongside of Scripture. He then provides some general principles that can be applied as they look to identify false truth claims. First, he says, the Christian must be very cautious of any idea claiming to be truth that is relatively new. Second, they must reject teachings that blatantly contradict the teachings of Scripture. Third, they must use their reasoning and be skeptical of anything that appears to be overly spectacular. Dr. Lloyd-Jones elaborates on these points and helps the believer think about how to sift through the countless truth claims being advanced in the culture today.

Various predictions on the future have been made over the last several years regarding the end times, the rapture of the global church, or some other event in the future. How should Christians respond to these claims? Are there questions or criteria that can help as they analyze such truth claims? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides some of those in this sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “Testing the Spirits (3).” Christians must be very cautious when evaluating such claims and must measure a “prophet’s” word against Scripture. How do they know if someone is a true prophet? The Bible says they know someone to be a true prophet if what they predict comes to pass. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds his listeners that regular mental faculties that God has given the Christian, coming alongside the Scriptures, provide enough to “discern the spirits” as Scripture instructs. What are some other helpful criteria? First, be wary of any idea that exalts the self to a place of prominence. Second, when the physical aspect of a spiritual experience is emphasized, be cautious. Third, be careful of those things that only happen after they are mentioned— the danger of what Dr. Lloyd-Jones refers to as the “power of suggestion” is very real, and must be avoided. He closes with a reminder to discern the spirits and to embrace and hold to the simplicity that is in Christ.

With “Testing the Spirits (4),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues his sermon series in John 1:26–33 on testing the spirits where he expounds on its importance for Christians and how they can be wise and discerning with what they see and hear. Having spent many sermons working through general principles to guide this process, Dr. Lloyd-Jones puts forth what he sees as the ultimate test in discerning the spirits. In 1 Corinthians 12:3, Paul declares that any spirit is not of God if it says anything contrary to the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord. This is because it directly contradicts the rest of Scripture— in many ways, it would function to cause the claims of Scripture to fold in on itself, and this is not to be. This testing of the spirits is often thought to be applied when analyzing ideas from outside Christian circles, but this is not always the case. Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides examples of people who accepted things as being from the Lord when they were not. Not everything that claims to be a message from God is, and believers must be wise to understand the differences and live accordingly. Many stories exist of people who wrongly thought they had messages from God, causing much difficulty that could have been easily avoided by comparing it with the teachings of Scripture. This sermon provides a helpful look at how Christians can avoid this mistake.

What is the place of spiritual gifts in the life of believers and the church? How should Christians approach the command to test the spirits? In this sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “Testing the Spirits (5),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps the church think through these questions and how to apply the answers to life. “The general purpose of our baptism with the Holy Spirit is evangelism,” he says. What are the main points of the Scriptural texts that address spiritual gifts, such as in 1 Corinthians? First, gifts should never be used as an end in and of themselves— all gifts are temporary and, as is written elsewhere in Scripture, are to be used for the benefit of others. One of the primary reasons for these texts was because a spirit of competition had entered in among the believers, and they were becoming so distracted that they were losing sight of the bigger picture. The main reasoning for these gifts is to glorify the Lord. The second point, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is evangelism. The third is the edification of the body. Some Christians live in pursuit of these gifts, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers a helpful reminder— do not seek the gifts selfishly, but rather indirectly by pursuing the Lord and trusting that He will give what is needed to accomplish His purposes.

In this sermon from John 1:26–33 titled “The Gift of Tongues,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones brings light, clarity, and wisdom to an often misunderstood topic. In compelling exposition, he explains the dangers, nature, and origin of speaking in tongues. The listener should come away from this sermon with a greater depth of understanding on this often overlooked or over-emphasized gift of the Spirit. Given the rise of Pentecostalism and the ever-present danger of abusing the miraculous spiritual gifts, it is important to give attention to what God has spoken in His Word in regards to the gift of speaking in tongues. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that speaking in tongues cannot be initiated by humans — as with the gift of healing, it is up to the Lord to determine when and where this takes place.

What is the relationship of the baptism of the Holy Spirit to the other things that the Holy Spirit supplies and how He acts and moves? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones takes on the topic of sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit and shows the ways in which they do, and do not, have a relation to each other. Being baptized by the Holy Spirit occurs for Christians when they are born again and are made new through saving faith in Jesus Christ. Thus, it is an instantaneous, one-time event. Sanctification, however, is a life-long process of being shaped into the image of Christ that starts at salvation, but does not end until that believer is brought face-to-face with the Lord after they die. In preaching this sermon from John 1:26–33 titled “Spirit Baptism and Sanctification,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes his argument as to why there is no direct correlation between baptism of the Holy Spirit and sanctification, specifically because the baptism of the Holy Spirit is mostly for boldness and power in witnessing. Although spiritual gifts at the church of Corinth were evident, Paul wrote a scathing letter to them because they were not pursuing the Lord, and thus were not progressing in their sanctification. Yet, despite all this, Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents his case for why there is a clear, indirect relationship. He unpacks this and more in this helpful sermon on baptism of the Holy Spirit and how it affects the day-to-day lives of the followers of Christ.

Scripture teaches that Christ, through having died, risen, and ascended to the right hand of God, has purchased a glorious inheritance that is waiting for all those who believe in Him. But how do God’s people know this inheritance is waiting for them? In this sermon titled “The Sealing of the Spirit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains from John 1:26–33 that God seals His people with His Holy Spirit as a guarantee. This sealing is something most believers would be familiar with in theory, but how many could explain what it actually is? Some base their explanation on their own experience, directly connecting the seal of the Holy Spirit to the work of producing the fruits of sanctification or to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But both of these explanations pose problems to the understanding and experience of the work of the Holy Spirit. Drawing from various pertinent Scriptures, Dr. Lloyd-Jones brings forth the meaning, purpose, and comfort of the sealing of the Holy Spirit in believers’ hearts as a sign of ownership, security, and, ultimately, an authentication and confirmation for the believer of all God has promised.

What is so important about the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Why does it matter for Christians whether it is a one-time event or not? In this sermon on John 1:16–33 titled “Spirit Baptism and Scripture,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the difficult issue of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He says that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not experienced by all believers, and ought to be distinguished from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Examples of what it means to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit can be seen in the apostles after Pentecost –– they went from being frightened to bold ambassadors for the gospel of Jesus Christ. While not all Christians receive this baptism, all who believe in the gospel are saved and can know the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. Believing the gospel is of most importance. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that one can live and die without ever receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and enter the kingdom of God. Yet if one does not believe in the gospel, they will not be saved.

What does it mean to thirst after righteousness? Does one achieve righteousness on their own or does God help them? In this sermon titled “Seeking Baptism in the Spirit (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from John 1:26–33 to tell of the free gift of God: His Spirit. When the Christian repents of their sins and trusts in Christ, they instantly qualify to share in the inheritance of the saints. Christ has accomplished this good for His people. What then must the Christian do once they are saved? Dr. Lloyd-Jones helpfully explains that they should seek to please God. If the Christian loves God, they will seek to please Him by obeying Him. The Christian’s righteousness is not achieved by them, but by the Spirit’s work. They are not to grieve the Spirit by persisting in something if they feel conviction regarding it. Additionally, God’s children are not to quench the Spirit by not following the general direction God is giving their lives. God is willing to bestow Himself upon anyone who asks, and this is truly the greatest gift in the universe. Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that the Christian must let God know the desires of their heart. If the desires are right and God is sought in them, He will graciously give all things.