Assurance and Sanctification
A Sermon on John 1:16
Scripture
16For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Sermon Description
How can one be sure of their salvation and that they belong to Christ? In this sermon on John 1:16, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on the nature and relationship of assurance and sanctification. He shows that assurance does not require a perfect life, nor does assurance give license to live in sin but the assurance which is found in God’s word begins with a recognition of new life in Christ. This recognition keeps Christians from either seeing assurance as a result of perfect sanctification or seeing assurance as license for no sanctification. But biblical assurance is a product of a heart that has been transformed by Christ, and this life is then lived out in the power of the Holy Spirit. Christians can have knowledge of their assurance by living a Spirit-empowered life of love and faith. The devil often uses false assurance to deceive and destroy people, but by seeking to live a life of faith and obedience lived in the power of God, Christians can have a true knowledge of their relationship with God. This knowledge should encourage Christians to seek to live a life of love toward God and neighbor. It should compel them to hate sin and love righteousness and lead Christians to a deeper love of Christ and His gospel.
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.