The Christian and the World
A Sermon on John 3:8
Originally preached Feb. 13, 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 “The Christian and the World”, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the main differences between a religious man and a child of God. Just as Jesus had something inside of him that Nicodemus realized he didn’t have, the Christian has something that moral people do not, namely, the Holy Spirit. When a man has the Holy Spirit living in him he begins to be humbled and instead of seeing himself as great and powerful, he sees himself as sinful and powerless. The religious man however, is not able to see this and has much pride. Additionally, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Christian can see through the world and can see the sin and ungodly attributes in the world; however, the religious man does not see through this and has a desire to be a part of the world. The Christian also finds that he has lost his taste for worldly things, and although he will still be tempted at times, the worldly things are outside of him. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also explains the difference between a religious “worldling” and a back-sliding Christian, and recognizes that the worldling has better actions than a black sliding Christian however the worldling is just following the law and his heart is not changed. The back-sliding Christian however is always miserable because he feels as if he has broken relationship with God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes by emphasizing that the moral man is always self-satisfied, however the born again man knows that “they are what they are by the grace of God”.
Sermon Breakdown
- Being born again is the most important thing in the Christian life. It is what separates being religious from truly being a Christian.
- Nicodemus illustrates the difference between being religious and being born again. He was a good, moral, religious man but did not understand spiritual things.
- When one is born again, it is the biggest thing in their life and influences them greatly. They are humbled, repentant, and have new life.
- Those born again desire for others to have the same experience.
- Those born again begin to see through the world. They recognize the world is dominated by the devil and includes both good and bad things. The world will pass away.
- Those born again lose their taste for the world. They do not have to force themselves to avoid worldly things. Their tastes have changed.
- Growth in grace leads to hatred of the world and self. Not a physical hatred but a hatred of all that opposes God.
- Those born again recognize they have been delivered from the world. They are in the world but not of it.
- The difference between a backsliding Christian and a religious worldling is a difference of spirit. The Christian will be miserable in their sin because they sinned against love, not just law.
- Those born again hate themselves and their life in the world. They recognize their own sinful nature and reliance upon God's grace.
- Those born again dare not trust in themselves but rely wholly on Christ. All confidence in self is gone.
- Self is hated, and there is a desire for Christ to increase as self decreases.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Being Born Again
What are the signs that someone is truly born again according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the signs of being truly born again include: it becomes the most obvious thing about the person; they are conscious of being humbled; they have a fundamental seriousness about life; they experience new life within them that causes them to be surprised at themselves; others notice the change in them; they gain spiritual understanding; they desire more of this new life; they have a desire for others to experience the same thing; they begin to see through the world; they lose their taste for worldly things; they develop a hatred for worldliness; they become conscious of being delivered from the world; and they come to hate their old self and life in this world.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between being religious and being truly Christian?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes a clear distinction between being merely religious and being truly Christian. He points to Nicodemus as the perfect illustration of this difference. A religious person may be moral, good, and follow religious practices, but they're still part of the world system. In contrast, a born-again Christian has experienced a supernatural rebirth. The religious person attempts to improve themselves through willpower and morality, while the truly Christian person has experienced a fundamental transformation through God's intervention. The religious person may avoid certain sins but doesn't recognize "the world" in the biblical sense, whereas the born-again person sees through the world's deception and has been delivered from its power.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "the world" in his sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "the world" in the biblical sense doesn't mean the physical universe but rather "the whole outlook of men upon life without God." It includes everything without God - both what the world calls good and what it calls bad. Worldliness means thinking of yourself and life without reference to God. This world-system is dominated by the devil (whom the Bible calls "the god of this world" and "the prince of the power of the air"). It can include cultured, moral, and even religious life that doesn't have God at its center. The world appears attractive but is ultimately empty and passing away.
How does a born-again person relate to sin differently than a religious person?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, when a religious person sins, they feel they've broken a law or failed to keep up to their moral code - their reaction is primarily legal. In contrast, when a born-again person sins, they feel they've sinned against Love, not just against law. The Christian realizes they've offended the One who loves them and gave them new life. This is why the religious person experiences remorse (feeling bad about breaking rules), while the Christian experiences true repentance (heartbreak over wounding a relationship). The born-again person also comes to feel that sin is "a nuisance and an annoyance" that doesn't truly belong to their new nature, even though they still struggle with it.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about self-confidence in the Christian life?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that when a person is born again, they lose the self-confidence and self-satisfaction that characterizes religious people. The born-again person realizes "I am what I am by the grace of God." They understand that without God's grace, they would be nothing. As the hymn says, they "dare not trust their sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name." The Christian comes to see the deceitfulness of their own heart and loses all self-righteousness. Instead of being proud of their religious accomplishments, they acknowledge their complete dependence on Christ, saying "I am nothing, thou art all, I would be daily taught."
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.