Strangers and Pilgrims
A Sermon on John 1:16
Originally preached March 15, 1964
Scripture
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Sermon Description
What is the nature of sanctification? In this sermon on John 1:16 titled “Strangers and Pilgrims,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones tells that sanctification is essential to all Christians. It is not a result of legalism, but of living according to the gospel. The great truth is that Jesus died for sinners and that the Holy Spirit came into the world to give new life. Though all are born in sin, no one is beyond the grace and power of God. There is no sinner so dark that they cannot be made a child of God. As the gospel says, Christians flee worldliness and immorality because they are new creatures in Christ. Christians are called to flee sin and the flesh and to put to death all immorality not in order to be saved, but because they have been saved. There is no place for legalism in the Christian life, but it is the gospel that compels toward holiness. For those that sow in the flesh reap according to the flesh, but those that sow according to the Spirit reap according to the Spirit. The sermon asks: “what are you sowing? Are you trusting in God and in His gospel, or are you still trusting the flesh?” There is no more important question one can ask.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon text is John 1:16 - "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." This verse summarizes the Christian gospel. Everything we have comes from Jesus Christ.
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Jesus Christ has an eternal fullness as the Word that was with God and is God. He came into the world to make this fullness available to us.
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We were estranged from God by nature and needed to be forgiven, reconciled, born again, and made sons of God. Jesus made this possible.
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A Christian is someone who has received from the fullness of Jesus Christ. No one can make themselves a Christian through good works.
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We are looking at how Jesus' fullness is applied to us. 1 Corinthians 1:30 says "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." Jesus is everything to us.
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Jesus is made sanctification to us. Sanctification is the process of being delivered from sin and remade into the image of Jesus. It prepares us for heaven.
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We work out our sanctification, but God works in us to will and to do his good pleasure. The Holy Spirit enables us to understand God's word, helps us in prayer, and enables us to mortify the flesh.
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We must realize the life of sin is incompatible with the life in the Spirit. We were once in darkness but now in light. We can't mix them.
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To go back to sin contradicts what we believe and is a "living lie." We must think through the implications of our faith.
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2 Corinthians 6:14-18 shows we have nothing in common with unbelievers. We must be separate from them.
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We grieve the Holy Spirit when we sin. We claim He lives in us, so we must not grieve Him.
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1 Peter 2:11-12 tells us as strangers in this world to abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul.
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The end of sin is always death. We reap what we sow. Sin leads to corruption.
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Revelation 21:8, 27 and 22:15 warn that the unrighteous will be condemned. We must listen to these warnings.
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Romans 13:12-14 tells us to cast off the works of darkness, put on the armor of light, and make no provision for the flesh. We must starve the flesh.
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1 Peter 4:1-5 tells us we have already spent enough time living in sin. We should live the rest of our time for God's will, not the lusts of men.
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Ephesians 5:11-16 tells us to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them. We must walk carefully and make the most of our time.
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To walk in the Spirit means to walk with Christ, be led by the Spirit, fill our lives with spiritual things, read the Bible and good books, fellowship with other believers, pray, and meditate on God. This will overcome the flesh.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on John 1:16
What does the phrase "of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace" mean?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this phrase from John 1:16 is a summary of the Christian gospel. It means that everything a Christian has comes from the fullness of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has an eternal fullness as the Son of God, and He came into the world to make that fullness available to believers. This grace is described as "grace upon grace" or "grace added to grace," indicating the abundant nature of what Christ provides to those who receive Him.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define sanctification in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines sanctification as "the process whereby we are being progressively delivered from sin and remade in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ." He further explains it as "the process whereby God is preparing us for the glory everlasting to which we are destined." He emphasizes that this is the most practically important subject for Christians, as it involves preparation for seeing God and entering glory.
What is the relationship between God's work and our work in sanctification?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones references Philippians 2:12-13 to explain this relationship: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." He teaches that we are to work out our salvation because the power has been given to us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is in every Christian, providing the power and stimulating us to both will and do according to God's good pleasure.
What does it mean to "mortify the deeds of the body"?
Mortifying the deeds of the body refers to putting to death the sinful actions and tendencies that remain in our physical bodies. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that while Christians have a new nature, they still live in bodies affected by sin until the final redemption. He cites Romans 8:13: "If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." This is an active process where believers, with the Spirit's help, must battle against and put to death sinful impulses.
What is the first principle for mortifying the deeds of the body?
The first principle Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents is to realize that a life of sin and worldliness is utterly incompatible with a life in the Spirit and in Christ. He emphasizes that Christians have been "translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son" (Colossians 1:13). The Christian is an entirely new person with a different outlook. When tempted, Christians should remember this incompatibility and recognize that yielding to sin contradicts their new identity in Christ.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 in his argument for sanctification?
He uses this passage to demonstrate the complete incompatibility between righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness, Christ and Belial, believers and unbelievers. He argues that Christians should recognize these fundamental opposites and not attempt to mix them. The passage culminates in the command to "come out from among them and be separate" and to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."
What does it mean to "grieve the Holy Spirit" and how does this relate to sanctification?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that yielding to sin grieves the Holy Spirit who dwells within believers. He cites Ephesians 4, reminding Christians that the Holy Spirit is in them, is holy, and is tender. Since the body of a Christian is a temple of the Holy Ghost, sinful actions hurt and wound the Spirit. This understanding should motivate believers to resist temptation, as grieving the Spirit undermines the very power that enables Christian living.
How does Peter describe Christians in relation to the world?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlights Peter's description of Christians as "strangers and pilgrims" in this world. This means Christians don't belong to this world anymore - they're away from home, with their citizenship in heaven. While the world is organized to make people forget their souls, Christians recognize that their souls are of supreme importance, more valuable than anything the world offers, including wealth, pleasure, or status.
What practical advice does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give for resisting temptation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers several practical approaches: 1. Remember the incompatibility of sin with your new nature 2. Avoid grieving the Holy Spirit 3. Consider how fleshly lusts war against your soul 4. Realize the destructive end to which sin leads 5. "Make not provision for the flesh" - don't feed sinful desires 6. Avoid books, magazines, films, and places that trigger temptation 7. Walk in the Spirit by spending time in Scripture, prayer, and fellowship with other believers
What does it mean to "walk in the Spirit"?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, walking in the Spirit means walking with Christ, being led and guided by the Spirit. Practically, it involves filling your life with spiritual things: reading the Bible, studying commentaries and books on Christian doctrine, spending time with other believers ("the saints"), seeking the Lord in prayer, and meditating upon Him. It means making provision for the spirit rather than the flesh, doing everything possible to build up your spirit and soul until "the very idea of sin will become abhorrent and hateful to you."
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.