In the Likeness of Christ
A Sermon on John 1:16
Originally preached Dec. 29, 1963
Scripture
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Sermon Description
How does the Christian know they have been forgiven and given new life? In this sermon on John 1:16 titled “In the Likeness of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones elaborates on the traits of the Christian who has received salvation. He explains that no one has received the fullness of Christ if they do not also acknowledge their own sinfulness. The person who thinks they are healthy has no mind to receive the counsel of a doctor. Similarly, the person who thinks they are good and moral has no interest in forgiveness. The person who has received forgiveness and life from Christ has been enlightened by the Holy Spirit to see that the heart is wicked and deceitful, and in need of forgiveness. Furthermore, this Christian realizes their dependence upon God for this new heart and new life. They see that, in themselves, they can do nothing to save or make themselves holy, but that by God’s Word and Spirit may have a life marked by the fullness of Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers numerous Biblical tests that can bring clarity and hope in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- Man is sinful by nature with an evil heart, not just in actions. Sin is a matter of the heart's motives and desires, not just external actions.
- Man does not know himself or God apart from Christ's wisdom. We can only know ourselves by looking at Christ, the perfect man.
- All religion and man's efforts are useless to justify himself before God. Man is spiritually dead and unable to do any good before God.
- Man is a slave to the devil and sin by nature. Man is in bondage and needs to be set free.
- Man is helpless, hopeless, and condemned apart from Christ. Man deserves condemnation and hell.
- No one receives Christ's fullness who has not realized their own emptiness. We must realize we have no righteousness or goodness of our own.
- We must realize our utter dependence on Christ and owe everything to His grace. We should be amazed at ourselves and what Christ has done in us.
- There should be evidence of Christ's likeness in us, especially humility, obedience to God, and dependence on the Spirit.
- We should have a love for and knowledge of God's Word like Christ. The Word should be our wisdom and guide.
- If we react positively to these tests, we have received of Christ's fullness. We know Him, have His peace and joy. Christ is in us.
Sermon Q&A
What Does It Mean to Receive of Christ's Fullness According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
How does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones interpret John 1:16 in his sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones interprets John 1:16 ("of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace") as meaning that believers owe everything they are and hope to be to Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that without Christ and His incarnation, we would be left to ourselves—dead, lost, and empty. The phrase indicates that Christians partake of and receive from the fullness that has always resided in Christ, who has been made unto believers "wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption" as Paul states.
According to Lloyd-Jones, what is the first necessary condition for receiving Christ's fullness?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the first necessary condition is realizing our own emptiness. He states: "No man has received of the fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has not yet realized his own emptiness." We can only receive Christ's fullness when we understand our bankruptcy and complete emptiness. Being filled with self prevents receiving Christ's fullness. This self-emptying involves recognizing our sinful nature, spiritual deadness, enslavement to sin, and complete helplessness before God.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe man's natural condition according to Christ's teaching?
Lloyd-Jones describes man's natural condition as: - Sinful not merely in actions but in the heart: "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" - Spiritually dead: "Youeth, he quickens, who were dead in trespasses and sin" - Slaves of the devil: "You are of your father the devil" - Entirely helpless and hopeless: like the man who cries "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death" - Condemned and deserving of hell, with no righteousness of our own
What positive evidences show we have received of Christ's fullness?
According to Lloyd-Jones, positive evidences that we have received Christ's fullness include: 1. Conscious awareness of our complete dependence on Christ 2. Being surprised and amazed at ourselves and the changes in us 3. Having a growing likeness to Christ, particularly in: - Concern for God's glory as our highest priority - Humility and self-abasement - Endurance and patient suffering - Obedience to God even at great cost - Dependence on God through prayer - Being led by the Holy Spirit - Love for and reliance on God's Word
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the connection between Christian transformation and Christ's fullness?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Christian transformation can only be explained by having received of Christ's fullness. He states: "The Christian life is a very surprising life. There is another influence. There is another presence. There is another person." When someone becomes a Christian, they find themselves thinking differently, evaluating things differently, and taking new views of things they once valued or condemned. These changes cannot be self-produced but can only be explained through Christ working in them. He teaches that this transformation reveals we have "a new nature" and "is a sign of life," comparable to how "the newborn babe desires the milk, and the very desire is a proof of the fact that he is alive."
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.