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Sermon #1049

Sanctification and Prayer

A Sermon on John 1:16

Originally preached March 1, 1964

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Scripture

John 1:16 ESV KJV
For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (ESV)

Sermon Description

How should Christians live in this world? How do they demonstrate that they are children and heirs of God? In this sermon on prayer and sanctification from John 1:16, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on the great doctrine of sanctification in the life of the believer. Sanctification is the process whereby the Christian is delivered from the world and prepared for the glory that awaits them. It is Jesus Christ being formed in them. Very practically it means living a life in the spirit and not in the flesh. As the Holy Spirit leads, guides, directs, and restrains the Christian, he also enables them to understand truth. This Spirit-led life is characterized by prayer for prayer is vital to sanctification. The believer will often find themselves in circumstances they don’t understand and are at loss for what they should do. In this infirmity, this moment of uncertainty, the Spirit is present and helps intercede on their behalf. It is the great privilege of the Christian to come before God and have fellowship with him through prayer.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon text is John 1:16 - "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." This verse summarizes the blessings of the Christian gospel.
  2. Salvation is found only through Jesus Christ. Everything we receive as Christians comes from Him.
  3. We have been looking at Jesus's fullness in detail and how that fullness is applied to us. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says Jesus has been made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.
  4. We are now looking at how Jesus is made unto us sanctification. Sanctification is the process of being delivered from the world and prepared for heaven.
  5. Sanctification is defined as "the renewal of the whole man after the image of God, enabling him more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness." It is Jesus being formed in us and His righteousness being imparted to us.
  6. Sanctification is vital to live as Christians in the world and show we have been delivered from the world. We must consider how to live sanctified lives.
  7. The Holy Spirit regenerates us, baptizes us into Christ's body and works in us to restrain sin, convict us of sin, guide us and direct us.
  8. The Holy Spirit enables us to understand God's Word which sanctifies us. "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John 17:17.
  9. Prayer is also essential for sanctification. We should pray always and not faint. Luke 18:1.
  10. Prayer is difficult and there is nothing harder in the Christian life. We need to look at what Scripture teaches about prayer.
  11. Prayer is defined in Ephesians 2:18 as access to the Father through Jesus by the Spirit.
  12. We can only come to God through Jesus's blood and sacrifice. His death provides the only way of access to God in prayer.
  13. Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us we can come boldly to God's throne of grace through Jesus, our sympathetic high priest.
  14. Hebrews 10:19-22 also tells us we enter God's presence through Jesus's blood and death. He has opened the way for us.
  15. We would never be able to pray without Jesus's fullness and grace. Prayer is only possible through Him.
  16. The sermon then looks at the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer. The Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us with groanings when we don't know how to pray. Romans 8:26-27.
  17. The sermon discusses praying in the Spirit. Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray in the Spirit with all kinds of prayers.
  18. The Spirit can pour out a spirit of grace and supplication on us. Zechariah 12:10. The Spirit enables us to pray when we feel unable.
  19. Real prayer is praying in the Spirit, with freedom, warmth and abandon. It is not repeating empty phrases.
  20. We should allow the Spirit to lead us in prayer through Scripture or other means. Nothing compares to passing from deadness in prayer to life through the Spirit.
  21. The essence of prayer is realizing our nothingness, God's glory and our need of Jesus to access the Father through the Spirit.
  22. We should go boldly to God's throne of grace to receive mercy, grace and strength. This is vital for sanctification.
  23. The sermon closes with a hymn.

Sermon Q&A

What is the Meaning of "Grace for Grace" in John 1:16 According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on John 1:16, "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace," this verse represents a comprehensive summary of all the blessings of the Christian gospel. Lloyd-Jones explains that it means:

  1. Salvation is entirely, only, and altogether in and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
  2. All we receive comes from Christ
  3. Everything we are as Christians is entirely derived from Him
  4. This fullness of Christ is applied to us through the work of sanctification

As he states, "All we receive, we receive from him, and everything that we are as Christians is entirely derived from him."

How Does Dr. Lloyd-Jones Define Sanctification in His Sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines sanctification as the process through which believers are delivered from the world and prepared for future glory. He quotes the Westminster Confession's definition: "the renewal of the whole man after the image of God, enabling him more and more to die unto sin and to live unto righteousness."

He further explains sanctification as:

  1. "The Lord Jesus Christ being formed in us"
  2. Christ's righteousness being "imparted unto us, infused into us"
  3. Being "made conformable unto the image of his dear son"
  4. A progressive process (not a one-time experience) that is "worked out in us and through us"
  5. Different from justification - "his righteousness has been imputed to us, put to our account, that's justification. But now we are dealing with his righteousness being imparted unto us"

Why Is Prayer Essential for Sanctification According to Lloyd-Jones?

In his sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents prayer as absolutely essential to sanctification for several reasons:

  1. It is communion with God - "going to the source and the fount of every blessing"
  2. It is "going to the fountainhead of all grace"
  3. It enables us to receive "of his fullness... grace upon grace"
  4. It is vital to stand against spiritual attacks - "The world, the flesh and the devil are against the Christian"
  5. Christ himself stressed its importance - "he addresses his own immediate followers, and he stresses for them the importance of prayer"

Lloyd-Jones notes: "There's nothing more difficult in the whole of the christian life than prayer. And yet it's vital to our sanctification."

How Does the Holy Spirit Help Believers in Prayer According to Lloyd-Jones?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Holy Spirit helps believers in prayer in several ways:

  1. The Spirit "helpeth our infirmities" when we don't know how to pray
  2. He "maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered"
  3. He enables us to pray "in the Spirit" - with freedom, warmth, and spiritual energy
  4. He helps us when we're "baffled and bewildered" and don't know what to ask for
  5. He transforms our groans and sighs into meaningful prayer that God understands

As Lloyd-Jones states: "The Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered... You don't know what you're saying, but God knows, and God cares, and God unfolds you in the arms of his love."

What Role Does Christ Play in Enabling Our Prayers According to the Sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christ plays a crucial role in enabling our prayers:

  1. He provides access to the Father - "through him we both have access by one spirit unto the Father"
  2. He has opened "a new and living way" into God's presence
  3. His blood gives us "boldness to enter into the holiest of all"
  4. He serves as our High Priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses
  5. He cleanses our conscience so we can approach God with confidence

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes: "You'd never be able to pray were it not for his fullness. Were it not for the Lord Jesus Christ in all the plenitude of his saviourhood, prayer would be an utter impossibility."

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.