The Meaning of Salvation
A Sermon on John 5:31-35
Originally preached March 16, 1958
Scripture
31If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
32¶ There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. 33Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. 34But I …
Sermon Description
Is there convincing proof that Jesus was the Messiah? In part three of his series on John 5:31–35 in a sermon titled “The Meaning of Salvation,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers this question with a firm yes. The proof comes in the form of testimony from John the Baptist. As he testifies of Jesus as the Messiah, the Lamb of God, he offers one final prophetic affirmation that Jesus is indeed the consolation of Israel. Speaking of Jesus, John declares that He is the one who will come and baptize with the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament speaks of the coming outpouring of the Spirit, and John, as the last prophet, proclaims that Jesus will initiate and send that very outpouring. This fact alone demonstrates that Jesus is the Messiah. John the Baptist called the people to repent of their sins, be baptized in water as a sign of that repentance, and directed them to produce the fruit of repentance in their lives. In this message, Dr. Lloyd-Jones considers if John’s baptism was sufficient and how it compared to the baptism of the Spirit, and how they relate to the gospel and salvation.
Sermon Breakdown
- Jesus was speaking to Jews who were criticizing him for healing a man on the Sabbath.
- Jesus says his witness is true because God the Father testifies about him. The Jews sent people to ask John the Baptist who Jesus was, and John said Jesus was the Son of God.
- Jesus says he is telling them this so they can be saved. Salvation means being delivered from sin and its effects.
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John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus has two main parts:
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Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He does this by dying on the cross for our sins.
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Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. This means Jesus does not just cleanse us externally like water baptism but works within us like fire to purify us and give us new life.
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The baptism of John the Baptist with water was a call to repentance and morality. But Christianity is not just about morality - it is about being made holy by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit enlightens our minds, gives us a desire for God and holiness, and delivers us from the power of sin. He writes God's law on our hearts.
- The Holy Spirit also gives us certainty of faith, joy, and power to live the Christian life and witness for Christ.
- We should ask God to baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Sermon Q&A
What Does John's Testimony About Jesus Reveal According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
What is the significance of John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus in John 5?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, John the Baptist's testimony serves as crucial evidence confirming Jesus' identity as the Son of God. In John 5:31-35, Jesus refers to John's testimony not because He needed human validation, but as He says, "these things I say that ye might be saved." Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus is providing external verification for people who wouldn't believe His claims alone, pointing to John as a credible witness whom the Jews themselves had consulted.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the two main aspects of John's testimony about Christ?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies two key aspects of John's testimony:
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John testified that Jesus is the Son of God - When the Jews sent their delegation to John, he clearly stated he was not the Christ but merely "the voice crying in the wilderness." John explicitly identified Jesus as "the Son of God" after seeing the Holy Spirit descend upon Him like a dove at His baptism.
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John testified about how Jesus saves us - When John proclaimed "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world," he was identifying the sacrificial means by which Jesus would save. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Jesus "saves us by taking our sins upon himself, who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree."
What does it mean that Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and fire?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this distinctive aspect of Jesus' ministry represents the transformative power of true salvation beyond mere forgiveness of sins. He contrasts it with John's water baptism:
"John's baptism is just a call to men to live a right and an upright and an honest life," whereas Jesus' baptism with the Holy Spirit works internally. The Holy Spirit functions like fire that "purifies and cleanses the heart" from within, dealing with "the source of sin in the heart itself."
Lloyd-Jones explains: "You needn't be a Christian to be moral, but you must be a Christian to be holy. Morality simply doesn't do things that isn't Christianity. Christianity is a love of purity and holiness and truth and sanctity."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between John's baptism and Christ's baptism?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes a critical distinction:
- John's baptism (water): External, superficial, cold, focused on moral reformation and repentance
- Christ's baptism (Holy Spirit and fire): Internal, powerful, transformative, writing God's law on the heart
He states: "That's the difference between morality and Christianity. How cold is morality? How correct. And yet not only that, but external, superficial. But fire, the heat, the warmth, the power. And more than that, it's internal. It works within."
What evidence does Dr. Lloyd-Jones provide that Jesus is the promised Messiah?
Lloyd-Jones points to the Day of Pentecost as the "crowning proof" that Jesus is the Messiah. He explains that Old Testament prophets like Joel predicted the Messiah would pour out God's Spirit. When Peter preached at Pentecost, he connected the miraculous outpouring of the Spirit directly to Jesus' resurrection and exaltation.
Lloyd-Jones states: "Here is the argument. There you see, is the ancient prophet that the Messiah, the one who was going to save, would be the one to whom would be given in this abundance this gift of the Holy Spirit to pour forth upon people."
What are the practical effects of the Holy Spirit's baptism in a believer's life?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several profound effects:
- Internal purification: "He works within with the fire of the Holy Ghost. And fire purifies."
- Writing God's law on the heart: "It'll be working as a power within him, delivering him, setting him free."
- Certainty and joy: "The Christian, the man with the Holy Ghost in him is a man who knows in whom he has believed."
- Power to testify: As demonstrated in Peter's transformation from denial to boldness.
- Power to endure suffering: "He gives us power to endure all things, whatever they may be."
- Security in Christ: "My inheritance is safe with God and with Christ, and I am safe."
Why do many people confuse morality with true Christianity according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that many people mistakenly think moral behavior equals Christianity. He offers examples of people who believe they're Christians because they "do a bit of good," are "honest and scrupulous," "honor their bond," or "never accuse anybody falsely."
He challenges this misunderstanding: "There are thousands of people still probably in this country who think that they're Christians for these reasons... But that's not Christianity. That's morality." Lloyd-Jones insists that true Christianity involves an internal transformation through the Holy Spirit that creates a love for holiness, not merely external moral behavior.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones conclude his sermon on the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes with a passionate invitation for listeners to seek this deeper experience of the Holy Spirit. He states that Christ "doesn't merely die to save us from hell. He dies to deliver us from the dominion of sin and of Satan."
He urges his listeners: "Oh, I say, go to him. Ask him for it. Beseech him for it. Cry out unto him for it. You are meant to be more than conqueror over everything that meets you." He reminds them of Jesus' promise that those who ask will receive, encouraging them to "begin to experience the glorious deliverance" available through the Holy Spirit.
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.