O God. Thou Art My God (1)
A Sermon on John 3:8
Originally preached March 6, 1966
Scripture
8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Sermon Description
In this sermon on John 3:8 titled “O God. Thou Art My God (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches about the difference between Christianity and religion. He communicates that though religion might look good outwardly, the true Christian will have an inward transformation as well. This inward transformation takes place through the power of the Spirit who goes where He wishes. There is no point, preaches Dr. Lloyd-Jones, in hyper-analyzing where the Spirit comes and goes. Rather, Christians must simply have faith that God will do what He wishes, and what He wishes is best. Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches about the importance of the inward transformation of a person who is truly a believer in Christ. A believer recognizes that faith is not religion, but founded rather in the truth and character of God. In this sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that the greatest enemies of the church are religion and philosophy. These infrastructures contain many people and convince them that their participation and activity is what merits them eternal life. Rather, it is repentance and faith in Christ that brings life. He preaches also that when a person truly longs for God, books do not satisfy them. Books may show them how to further revel in God’s glory, but the true person of God must live a life of submission to Him.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon passage is John 3:8 - "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit."
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The sermon message is about the difference between religion and true Christianity. Religion relies on external actions and duties whereas true Christianity relies on an inner knowledge of God through being born again by the Spirit.
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The first test of true Christianity is loving the brethren. The second test is loving God and desiring to know Him personally. This is in contrast to just having an intellectual knowledge about God.
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When someone is born again, they realize religious interests and activities are not enough. They desire a personal knowledge of God more than religious duties or even blessings and experiences from God.
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Being born again means realizing knowing God personally is the chief end of salvation. This is eternal life according to John 17:3. This is an immediate, direct knowledge of God's presence.
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Examples of people who knew God personally include Enoch, Abraham, Jacob, and Moses. David also knew God's presence and power in the sanctuary and longed for that presence even in the wilderness.
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Paul's desire was to know Christ personally in Philippians 3:10. This is an inner, experiential knowledge that goes beyond theoretical knowledge.
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When someone is born again, they know that knowing God personally is possible in this life. They are no longer satisfied with anything less. They desire God Himself above all else.
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The devil cannot produce a desire for personally knowing God. Only God can implant this desire through the new birth. This is an ultimate test of true Christianity.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon on Being Born of the Spirit: Questions and Answers
What is the main topic of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon based on John 3:8?
The main topic of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon is the distinction between mere religion and true Christianity, focusing on being born again or born of the Spirit. He explains that many people spend their lives "seeking blessings, trying to advance in the Christian life, but were always in trouble because they really have never started in it." His central text is John 3:8: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. So is everyone that is born of the Spirit."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between religion and Christianity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguishes between religion and Christianity by explaining that religion is external, formal, and focused on activities, duties, and institutions, while true Christianity is an internal, personal relationship with God based on new life. He states, "Throughout the centuries, religion has been the greatest enemy of the Christian truth and the Christian faith. And the tragedy is that you can have religion in the church and that the Christian church can just become a form of religion." True Christianity involves being born again and becoming "a partaker of the divine nature."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as evidence that someone has been born again?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, evidence that someone has been born again includes: 1. Loving the brethren (fellow Christians) 2. Loving God and having an increasing desire to know God personally 3. Desiring a personal relationship with God more than religious activities or duties 4. Seeking God Himself more than theological knowledge or doctrines 5. Desiring God more than just His blessings or experiences 6. Having a hunger for direct, personal communion with God
He emphasizes that "the man who is born again is a man who knows that this is possible. He's got that within him that cries out for the Father."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones put the test of loving the brethren before the test of loving God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains this order by quoting 1 John 4:20: "If a man say, I love God and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" He argues that this is the practical, experimental order rather than a theoretical one. If you cannot love the brothers and sisters in Christ whom you can see, it's questionable whether you truly love God whom you cannot see. Therefore, love for fellow Christians is a preliminary test before examining one's love for God.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the difference between knowing about God and knowing God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes a crucial distinction between knowing about God (theoretical knowledge) and knowing God personally (experiential knowledge). He says: "The distinction that I'm drawing is the difference between desiring to know things about God and the desire to know God himself." He compares it to reading about meeting the Queen versus actually meeting her - the purpose of knowing protocol is to facilitate the actual encounter. Similarly, theology and doctrine should lead to personal communion with God rather than being ends in themselves. He cites John 17:3 where Jesus says, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as enemies of true Christianity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies two primary enemies of true Christianity: 1. Religion - "Religion has been, throughout the centuries, one of the greatest enemies of the Christian faith" 2. Philosophy - "Next to it, I would undoubtedly put philosophy"
He explains that religion focuses on external practices, ceremonies, and institutions, while philosophy is interested in knowing about God intellectually rather than knowing Him personally. Both can keep people from the true essence of Christianity, which is a personal relationship with God through being born again.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use the analogy of a child to explain spiritual maturity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses the analogy of the difference between a child and an adult to explain spiritual maturity. He points out that children tend to be interested in people for what they can give them (gifts, entertainment, amusement), while mature adults value people for who they are as persons. Similarly, spiritual immaturity is shown by focusing primarily on God's gifts and blessings, while spiritual maturity is demonstrated by desiring God Himself above His gifts. He states: "A sign of life and a sign of growth in the life particularly is this very thing we are talking about, that one desires to know God himself more than one desires to be blessed."
What biblical examples does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use to illustrate personal knowledge of God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides several biblical examples of personal knowledge of God: 1. Enoch who "walked with God" - more than just living a godly life 2. Abraham who was "the friend of God" 3. Jacob at Bethel who said "This is the house of God... the very gateway of heaven" 4. Moses at the burning bush and later when he told God "If thou go not up with us, send us not up" 5. David in Psalm 63 crying "O God, thou art my God" while in the wilderness 6. Paul in Philippians 3:10 saying "that I may know him"
These examples show people who had direct, personal communion with God rather than just knowing about Him.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the one thing the devil cannot counterfeit?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that while "the devil can counterfeit experiences and gifts and most other things," there is one thing he cannot counterfeit: "a desire for a personal knowledge of God." He explains that "the devil can give you an interest in theology and encourage it" making you "proud of your vast knowledge," but cannot produce the genuine desire for personal communion with God. This desire can only come from God Himself "through the Spirit" implanting "within us a seed of this divine life." This makes it "one of those ultimate tests" of whether someone is truly born again.
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.