Renewal of the Mind
A Sermon on John 1:12-13
Originally preached March 17, 1963
Scripture
12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Sermon Description
Christ died not only to forgive the Christian’s sin but also make them into children of God. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues discussing the tests of faith for the Christian in John 1:12–13 and gives the positive test that the Christian not only puts off sin but puts on righteousness. He specifically hones in on the renewing of the mind that every Christian experiences. The Christian is to be mortifying sin but the work is not complete there; they are also to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. Dr. Lloyd-Jones illustrates and explains how the Christian’s mind is set on heavenly things while the unbeliever’s mind is set on the desires of the flesh. Dr. Lloyd-Jones not only admonishes Christians to be renewed in their minds but also encourages that they are born of God because they are being renewed and led by the Spirit to put to death the misdeeds of the body. Furthermore, Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds and encourages the Christian that the world is still living with minds conformed to the pattern of this world, but the Christian’s mind is set free to be set on the glories of Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- We must know we are children of God through faith in Christ. This is the greatest gift of salvation.
- It's important we are certain of this truth. Our relationship to the Son, the Father and the Spirit are key to this.
- One test is whether we are led by the Spirit. The Spirit leads us to mortify the deeds of the body.
- We looked at mortification of sin negatively last week. Now we'll look at it positively.
- We build up resistance to sin by thinking spiritually. We renew our minds and know God's will.
- We must know the ultimate purpose of salvation is to be conformed to Christ's image. Not just forgiveness or happiness.
- We must understand our position spiritually. We are new creatures, born of God, dead to sin, and destined for glory.
- We must reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. Recognize the truth of our position in Christ.
- We must live up to our position and destiny in Christ. Purify ourselves as He is pure. Do our duty.
- We must start each day focused on our identity in Christ, not on avoiding sin. We belong to God's kingdom.
- Let your light shine as a child of God. Don't conform to the world but be transformed in your mind.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers about Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Becoming Children of God
What does it mean to be led by the Spirit according to Romans 8:14?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones' explanation of Romans 8:14, being led by the Spirit is evidenced particularly by the mortification of the deeds of the body. He states: "For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. So you see, one of the best tests for discovering whether we are truly being led of the spirit is, are we mortifying the deeds of the body?" This is a key test for determining if we are truly children of God.
What is the difference between the negative and positive aspects of mortifying sin?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains this using an analogy of infection. The negative aspect is "avoid contact with any such case" - avoiding sin and temptation (like "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness"). The positive aspect, which he considers more important, is "build up your resistance" - actively strengthening your spiritual life. He states, "We don't stop merely at the negative, but we go on to the positive. And in many ways, of course, the positive is the more important of the two."
What does it mean to be "renewed in the spirit of your mind"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws a distinction between the mind itself and "the spirit of the mind." He explains: "The thing that really differentiates men from men is not so much the amount of brain or even the consistency, the Constitution as such. The thing that rarely differentiates between men and men is the spirit of the mind. It's that controlling power and factor that organizes the activity." When a person becomes a Christian, they still have the same brain, but the organizing principle and direction of that mind is changed - "the spirit of your mind."
What is the ultimate purpose of salvation according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that salvation is not merely about forgiveness or making us happy. The ultimate purpose is complete transformation: "The object of salvation is not to save us from hell alone and just leave us outside the gate that goes to hell. Not at all. It's to put you into heaven." He quotes Ephesians 5 where Christ gave himself for the church "that he might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish."
How should Christians understand their position spiritually?
Christians should understand that they are entirely new creations, born of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes: "You are a new creation. You're not simply a man who's trying to live a better life than he used to live before. You're a new man. You've been made a child of God." He explains that Christians have died with Christ, been buried with Him, and raised with Him - they have been taken out of the realm of sin and placed in the realm of God, light, and Christ.
What does it mean to "reckon yourselves to be dead unto sin" in Romans 6:11?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones clarifies that this doesn't mean using positive affirmations like a "coaism" to convince yourself sin has no power. Rather, it means to "recognize" or "realize" a spiritual fact: "It means recognize. Realize that you are actually dead to the realm of sin and its power because you have died with Christ." The believer doesn't belong to the realm of sin anymore but has been transferred to a different realm.
How does worldly thinking differ from Christian thinking?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrasts these mindsets: "The man who's conformed to this world thinks" about retirement, enjoyment, possessions - their outlook never extends beyond this life. Even moral worldly people limit their thinking to earthly matters. In contrast, the Christian "is not conformed to this world. He's transformed by the renewing of his mind... I'm only a pilgrim in this world. I'm only a stranger here... Heaven is my home. I am making in the direction of heaven."
What illustration does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use to explain the Christian's motivation for holy living?
At the end of the sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses Lord Nelson's famous message before the Battle of Trafalgar: "England expects that every man this day will do his duty." He applies this to Christians: "Realize who you are. God expects heaven expects. The country you belong to expects that you this day will do your duty." Our motivation should be our identity as citizens of heaven, not merely avoiding sin.
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.