Joy. the mark of a Christian
A Sermon on John 1:16
Originally preached June 14, 1964
Scripture
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Sermon Description
In this sermon from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on John 1:16, listeners are told that joy is the mark of a Christian. This joy spoken of in the book of John is that God’s children receive joy when they receive the fullness that comes through salvation in Jesus Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones elaborates that the most effective evangelism program in existence is the joy of Christians. He argues that one of the biggest problems in the church is the lack of rejoicing among believers. He also says that any joy that is not in Christ is of a counterfeit nature. Since only true joy is to be found in God, any other joy is not genuine as it is found in the self. Paul tells in Philippians 3 that Christian confidence cannot be found in the flesh. If anyone could have been confident in the flesh, it was Paul who was a most educated and prominent man. Rather, confidence must be found in Christ. We must count any gain as loss for the sake of Christ. This, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches, is the essence of Christian joy. Christians are to rejoice in the wonderful works of God’s Son on their behalf. They are to rejoice because in receiving the fullness of God upon salvation, they receive Christ’s righteousness.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Christian's joy is always in the Lord. It is not dependent on circumstances but on who God is and what He has done.
- We rejoice in God because of who He is - the Son of God, the eternal Word who became flesh to save us.
- We rejoice in what God has done - He humbled Himself, died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven. All for us.
- We rejoice in the change God has produced in us. We have been delivered from mechanical, external religion that depends on works.
- We have been delivered from confidence in the flesh - relying on our ancestry, knowledge, zeal, and own righteousness to save us.
- We now worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. We have been born again into God's family.
- We now have the perfect righteousness of Christ - not our own righteousness from the law. Our sins are forgiven and we have peace with God.
- The Christian life is one of joy and rejoicing in the Lord - who He is, what He has done, the change He has made in us, and what He has delivered us from.
Sermon Q&A
What Does it Mean to Receive of Christ's Fullness According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What is the main theme of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon in relation to John 1:16?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones centers his sermon on John 1:16: "And of his fullness have all we received and grace for grace." The main theme is that to be a Christian means to receive of Christ's fullness, which inevitably transforms a person's life. This transformation should be evident to others and serves as the most powerful evangelistic testimony. Lloyd-Jones argues that the main problem in Christianity today is not the unbelieving world but rather Christians who don't manifest the fullness of Christ they claim to have received.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the joy that should characterize Christians?
According to Lloyd-Jones, joy is an inevitable result of receiving Christ's fullness. This joy is specifically "in the Lord" - not merely happiness based on circumstances or temperament. Christian joy comes from: 1. Rejoicing in who Christ is and what He has done 2. Rejoicing in the transformation He has produced in us 3. Rejoicing in our deliverance from mechanical religion 4. Rejoicing in our new identity as children of God
This joy is independent of circumstances, which is why Paul and Silas could sing praises at midnight in prison with their feet in stocks.
What contrast does Paul make in Philippians 3 regarding his former life?
In Philippians 3, Paul contrasts his former religious life with his new life in Christ. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul once boasted in: 1. His religious credentials (circumcised on the 8th day) 2. His ancestry (stock of Israel, tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of Hebrews) 3. His religious zeal (as touching the law, a Pharisee) 4. His persecution of the church 5. His blamelessness according to the law
But now he counts all these things as loss for Christ, finding his identity and righteousness in Christ alone rather than in external religious practices or heritage.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between mechanical religion and true Christianity?
Lloyd-Jones makes these key distinctions: 1. Mechanical religion is external, focused on forms, ceremonies, rituals, and specific times and places 2. True Christianity involves "worship in the spirit" - an internal, living relationship with God 3. Mechanical religion depends on human effort ("confidence in the flesh") 4. True Christianity depends on Christ's work and righteousness 5. Mechanical religion produces burden, fear, and uncertainty 6. True Christianity produces joy, freedom, and assurance
Lloyd-Jones states that "religion is almost invariably the greatest enemy of the christian faith" when it remains merely external and mechanical.
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, what impact should Christians who have received Christ's fullness have on the world?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that Christians who truly manifest the fullness of Christ will have a transformative impact on the world around them. He references the early Christians in Acts who "turned the world upside down" despite being few in number and having no worldly power or influence. He points to Acts 2, where the early believers were "filled with gladness" and had "favor with all the people," which resulted in many being added to the church daily.
Lloyd-Jones argues that when Christians actually manifest the fullness of Christ they've received, people who previously saw no point in Christianity will take notice and be drawn to investigate this transformative power. He states that "the greatest evangelistic agency in the world is living Christians."
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.