A Changed Disposition
A Sermon on John 1:16
Originally preached Feb. 2, 1964
Scripture
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Sermon Description
How does sanctification work? How does a person change? These are important questions for anyone seriously examining their own soul or discipling others. In this sermon titled “A Changed Disposition,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones dissects the particular work of the Holy Spirit in John 1:16. He shows from Scripture that the Holy Spirit is the one that directly ministers sanctification to, and in, the Christian. Furthermore, he shows how this doctrine of sanctification is related to regeneration and justification. He shows that the sanctification of the Holy Spirit is progressive; it happens over time. He also illustrates that this sanctification and regeneration makes a person new at the core, while not changing secondary likes and attributes. Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses Paul as a poignant example. Paul was a zealous and incredible character, both before and after his conversion. His zeal did not change but what changed was his entire aim and controlling disposition. Where he once was zealous in persecution, he became zealous in evangelism and discipleship. Can the Christian state that this is also true of themselves? Have their abilities been reformed and brought under new management and have the direction of their passions changed? Christianity does not need change one’s skills; rather, it subjects every ability to the God who gave them.
Sermon Breakdown
- Christians have received grace upon grace from the fullness of Christ.
- Christians have been given everything they need in Christ, who has been made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
- Sanctification means the process of being renewed in the whole person after the image of God and being enabled more and more to die to sin and live to righteousness.
- Sanctification is not automatic or solely in Christ without any effort on our part. It is also not a sudden experience of perfection.
- Christians have been delivered from sin and the law, so they are no longer in a state of discouragement. They are alive to God under grace, not under law or sin.
- The Holy Spirit's first work is separation, separating us from the world, the flesh, and the devil. This is evident in our initial conviction and drawing to Christ.
- The Holy Spirit's second work is regeneration, being born again. This means we have a new disposition, a new principle of life operating and controlling us.
- In regeneration, we retain our natural powers and faculties but have a new controlling power - the Holy Spirit. This leads to a new outlook and new desires, though we remain the same in other respects.
- The natural man cannot receive or know the things of the Spirit. The spiritual man has understanding and judges all things, though he himself is judged by no one.
- We must be renewed in the spirit of our minds, putting off the old self and putting on the new self, created after God in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
- Sanctification begins with separation and regeneration, not with a single experience of being made perfect. We are new creations in Christ, born of the Spirit.
- As we think, so we are. Our fundamental outlook determines our desires and will. In regeneration, our whole outlook, desires, will, and conduct change.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Sanctification
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the meaning of sanctification?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, sanctification is "the process, if you like, the working of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness." He emphasizes that it's not automatic, not something that is only in Christ and not in us, and not a sudden experience where you pass from pollution to entire sanctification or perfection.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between justification and sanctification?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that while intellectually we should understand justification as coming before sanctification, we shouldn't overdo this distinction to the point of saying "it's possible for a man to be justified without at all being sanctified." He emphasizes that "they all belong together because they're all in him. You can't divide Christ, so you can't really divide these things in a final sense." He calls it "utterly ridiculous to say that a man can be a Christian believer and be justified and have his sins forgiven, and yet sanctification hasn't started at all."
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in sanctification according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that "sanctification is mainly the work of the Holy Spirit." He criticizes popular teachings about sanctification that "often more or less ignore the Holy Spirit" in favor of just saying "hand it all over to the Lord." The Holy Spirit's work includes: 1. Separating us from sin and the world 2. Bringing us into unity with Christ 3. Mediating the fullness of Christ to us 4. Regenerating us (causing us to be born again) 5. Renewing us in the spirit of our mind
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "regeneration" in the sanctification process?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that regeneration or being born again means a person receives "a new disposition, a new principle of life." He clarifies that this doesn't mean our natural powers, temperament, or abilities change, but rather "the thing that controls all these powers and faculties has become new." This creates an entirely new outlook where "the whole bent and direction and orientation of his whole life and thinking is something entirely different from what it was before." He describes it as being "renewed in the spirit of your mind" and quotes 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature, a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say moral teaching alone is insufficient for sanctification?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that "there is nothing that I know of that is so utterly discouraging as mere moral teaching." He explains that moral teaching without spiritual power is "a sheer impossibility" because sin has defeated everybody and "the devil is stronger than any men." He points out that "all idealism ultimately leads to the most profound pessimism or cynicism or hopelessness." The Christian, however, is "delivered from all the discouragement and the final despair" because they have the power of the Holy Spirit to live righteously, not just moral instruction.
The Book of John
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.