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Sermon #1077

Second-hand Religion

A Sermon on John 1:26-33

Originally preached Oct. 11, 1964

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Scripture

John 1:26-33 ESV KJV
John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day he …

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Sermon Description

In this sermon “Second-hand Religion,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from John 1:26–33. He tells his audience that no one can merely receive the fullness of Christ from the tradition of religion. According to John the Baptist, passive participation in Christian tradition gets the soul nowhere. Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that following practical religious steps are not enough for salvation. This can include baptism, church attendance, prayer, and even preaching. Dr. Lloyd-Jones communicates that without a true, heartfelt, and deep acceptance of the gospel in one’s soul, one gets no closer to heaven. He also condemns the idea that intellectual appreciation or acceptance are enough to be filled with Christ’s fullness. One who appreciates the Christian for his deep faith is not credited Christ’s righteousness for doing so. One who accepts the existence of God and the truth of the doctrines of the Christian faith is not a believer unless they have repented of their sins and turned to Christ to be filled. In this sermon, listeners are encouraged to be filled with the fullness of Christ by repenting of sins and obeying God’s decrees.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. A traditional religion or birthright is not enough. We cannot rely on the fact that we have always been brought up in the faith or that we were born into a Christian family.
  2. We must examine ourselves to see if we have a "secondhand faith" that is merely inherited or intellectual rather than a personal, living faith.
  3. John the Baptist's message was searching, challenging, and convicting. It called people to honesty, repentance, and action.
  4. If we have never been deeply troubled about whether or not we are truly Christians, we likely are not Christians. Christianity is not meant to be superficial or complacent.
  5. We must allow God's word to search us, try us, and expose us instead of making excuses or hiding from the truth. God desires "truth in the inward parts."
  6. When the Holy Spirit brings conviction of sin, we will cry out "What shall we do?" in recognition of our helplessness and need for salvation.
  7. Repentance involves action, not just feelings. We must "bring forth fruits worthy of repentance." It is not enough to feel stirred in a meeting but then do nothing.
  8. We must look into the "mirror" of God's word and see ourselves as we really are, then continue looking until we are utterly humbled and ready to receive the fullness of Christ.
  9. The message of John the Baptist exposes us to ourselves, delivers us from hiding, and prepares us to receive Christ. We must listen to his message to experience God's fullness.

Sermon Q&A

What is the Fullness in Christ According to Lloyd-Jones' Sermon?

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses a profound theological question in this sermon on John 1:26-33. Here are answers to key questions about his teaching on the fullness of Christ.

What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the ultimate purpose of Christ's incarnation?

According to Lloyd-Jones, the ultimate purpose of the incarnation—the coming of the Son of God into the world—is found in John 1:16: "that we might receive of his fullness." He states clearly that "the whole object and purpose of everything that God has done in Christ Jesus is, as it's put in the 16th verse, that we might receive of his fullness." This receiving of Christ's fullness and "grace upon grace" is what defines a true Christian.

What is the difference between John the Baptist's baptism and Christ's baptism?

Lloyd-Jones explains that John the Baptist made a critical distinction: "I indeed baptize with water, but there standeth one among you whom ye know not... The same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." The key differences are:

  1. John's baptism was merely preparatory and introductory - "You're not in the building yet. You're only in the vestibule."
  2. John's baptism was external and physical (with water only)
  3. Christ's baptism is internal and spiritual (with the Holy Spirit and fire)
  4. John describes himself as "the friend of the bridegroom" while Christ is "the bridegroom"

What are the hindrances to receiving Christ's fullness according to Lloyd-Jones?

Lloyd-Jones identifies several major hindrances that prevent people from experiencing the fullness Christ offers:

  1. Relying on traditional religion: "Begin not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father." Many assume they are Christians simply because of nationality, upbringing, or cultural heritage.

  2. Mechanical, lifeless faith: "Your whole idea of this matter is so mechanical. It's something quite lifeless. It's machine like. Indeed. It's like stones." This creates "a lifeless, mechanical stone like kind of religion and of conformity."

  3. Sacramentalism: The false belief that "as long as we submit to something or something is done to us, that that automatically and inevitably puts us right." This includes relying solely on baptism, confirmation, or communion.

  4. Second-hand faith: "A kind of mechanical reception of what other people believe and what other people have taught and said" without personal experience.

What steps must one take to receive Christ's fullness?

Lloyd-Jones outlines several necessary steps:

  1. Be searched by God's Word: "If you've never been forced to face yourself and to examine yourself deeply, you are not a Christian."

  2. Be completely honest: "As long as you're explaining things to yourself and explaining them away, as long as you're making excuses... you'll just never know anything of his fullness."

  3. Allow yourself to be convicted: One must come to the point of asking "What shall we do then?" like the Philippian jailer who cried, "What must I do to be saved?"

  4. Take action through repentance: "Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that "repentance always includes action" and that "it's not enough just to feel convicted."

  5. Receive Christ's baptism with the Holy Spirit: After fulfilling these preparatory conditions, one must receive "this baptism with the spirit," which is the fullness Christ offers.

Why is the church today not as powerful as the early church according to Lloyd-Jones?

Lloyd-Jones makes a pointed diagnosis about why the modern church lacks impact: "The early church turned the world upside down. And they hadn't got all our gadgets and machinery and advertising and money and wealth and all the rest of it. Why the difference? Well, you see, the difference was they had the fullness. They were filled with the spirit. That's the sole difference." He suggests that today's church has been "living on capital" from previous revivals, "repeating phrases, but the life has gradually gone out."

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.