The Peace of God
A Sermon on John 1:16
Originally preached July 5, 1964
Scripture
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Sermon Description
The gospel of Jesus Christ brings peace to all who believe and trust in it. This is not only peace with God, but it also gives the Christian peace knowing that they trust in a God who can free them from sin and evil. In the sermon “The Peace of God,” listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims that Christ can and will complete the work He began in His people. They have access to God on the basis of what Christ has done in their stead and through the working of the Holy Spirit. The glorious truth of this message is what grounds and upholds the Christian life. The Christian can abide in Christ because of what He has done for them as their great Savior. This is not to say that there are not any struggles in the Christian life. As the Savior’s life was marked by willful suffering, so too the Christian life is marked by a willingness to suffer for God. Therefore, when they suffer as Christians, they can do so knowing that they can always rely on God to give them strength to suffer in a way that honors God. They go before the throne of God on the basis of Christ, pleading their case before God Almighty. It is this gospel that grants true peace for all who believe.
Sermon Breakdown
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The text for the sermon is Philippians 4:6-7 which says “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
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The sermon also references John 1:16 which says “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” The sermon shows how Philippians 4:6-7 is an outworking of John 1:16.
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Christians have received of the fullness of Christ which is what makes us Christians. It is not just belief but receiving his fullness.
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The sermon asks the question: How can we know we have received of his fullness? There are many ways to test this including through scripture, examples, lives of saints, etc.
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Philippians gives glimpses into Paul’s spiritual life and how the fullness of Christ manifested in it. This shows how it should manifest in our lives.
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Philippians 4:6-7 shows that those who have received his fullness will have peace and rest in their mind and heart.
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Scripture does not promise an easy life but promises we will have troubles. We are not promised freedom from trials but promised to not be victims of them.
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We are told to be anxious for nothing and not be worried or overwrought by anything. This is a tremendous statement.
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This peace does not come through fatalism, philosophy or psychological tricks but through the method given in scripture.
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The method for having peace is given in Philippians 4:6-7: prayer, supplication with thanksgiving. Prayer means worship and access to God which is only possible through Christ.
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We can supplicate or bring our petitions to God through Christ who gives us access. We can do this with confidence and assurance through Christ.
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We are able to pray with thanksgiving because we know God loves us, the blessings we have received, God’s concern for us, his unchanging purposes and promises, and his power.
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God gives us his peace which surpasses understanding. This peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ like a garrison. Christ is the garrison and God’s peace is the sentinel guarding our hearts and minds.
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Examples of this peace are seen in Psalms 3 and 4 where David has peace in the midst of his enemies because of God. Isaiah 26:3 also speaks of perfect peace for those whose minds are stayed on God.
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We can do nothing but pray, supplicate and give thanks to God who will give us peace guarding our hearts and minds in Christ. To him be glory!
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones's Sermon on Peace and Anxiety
What specific Bible passage does Dr. Lloyd-Jones focus on in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on Philippians 4:6-7, which states: "Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." He pairs this with John 1:16, "and of his fullness have all we received and grace upon grace."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define what it means to be a Christian?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, being a Christian is not merely a matter of belief. While belief is essential, what truly makes someone a Christian is that they have been born again, given power to become sons of God, and have become partakers of the divine nature. A Christian is someone who has received of Christ's fullness, who is in Christ, and in whom Christ dwells.
What common misconception about the Christian life does Lloyd-Jones address?
Lloyd-Jones addresses the misconception that becoming a Christian means having no more troubles or problems. He explains that Scripture never promises an easy life for believers. In fact, Christians might expect more difficulties than others because the devil pays special attention to believers. What Scripture does promise is not freedom from trials, but freedom from being a victim to anxiety and worry in the midst of those trials.
What is the biblical method for dealing with anxiety according to the sermon?
The biblical method for dealing with anxiety involves several steps: 1) prayer (approaching God in worship and fellowship), 2) supplication (bringing specific requests to God), 3) thanksgiving (expressing gratitude for God's love, past blessings, and promises), and 4) receiving God's peace which then guards our hearts and minds. This approach is fundamentally different from worldly methods like fatalism, psychological tricks, or tranquilizing drugs.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the concept of the "peace of God" in this sermon?
Lloyd-Jones explains that the peace of God "passeth all understanding" - it is unfathomable and amazing. It's not peace with God (reconciliation) but God's own peace that He gives to believers. This peace acts as a sentinel or guard that "garrisons" our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, protecting us from anxious thoughts and worries. It's a divine peace that comes not from our own effort but as God's gift to those who approach Him with prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving.
Why does Lloyd-Jones emphasize thanksgiving as part of prayer?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes thanksgiving because it shifts our focus from our current problems to God's unchanging character and past faithfulness. When we thank God, we remember His love demonstrated in Christ, the blessings we've already received, His ongoing concern for us ("to Him it matters concerning you"), and the sureness of His promises and purposes. Thanksgiving helps us approach God with the right perspective, recognizing His goodness even amid difficulties.
How does Lloyd-Jones connect the concept of "fullness" in John 1:16 with peace in Philippians 4?
Lloyd-Jones connects these passages by showing that the peace promised in Philippians 4 is part of "the fullness" we receive from Christ mentioned in John 1:16. He explains that receiving Christ's fullness enables us to live as Christ lived - with tranquility, peace, and rest amid life's trials. The ability to approach God in prayer, to trust Him completely, and to experience His peace are all manifestations of having received of Christ's fullness and "grace upon grace."
What does Lloyd-Jones say about the inability to control our thoughts and emotions?
Lloyd-Jones acknowledges that we cannot control our hearts and minds by our own strength. He describes how anxiety causes our thoughts to go "round and round" and how our imaginations can run wild with worry when we try to sleep. This inability to control our thoughts is why people turn to drugs, alcohol, and other coping mechanisms. However, God's solution is His peace that garrisons our hearts and minds in Christ, providing protection that we cannot manufacture ourselves.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use Old Testament examples to illustrate God's peace?
Lloyd-Jones refers to David in Psalms 3 and 4, showing how David could lie down and sleep peacefully despite being surrounded by enemies because "the Lord sustained me." He also quotes Isaiah's promise that God will "keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee." These examples demonstrate that even Old Testament saints experienced this divine peace that comes from trusting God completely in threatening circumstances.
What is the significance of Christ being our "garrison" according to the sermon?
Lloyd-Jones describes Christ as the fortress or garrison in which believers dwell securely. When he explains "the peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus," he pictures Christ as the protective fort and God's peace as the sentinel walking around it, guarding against every attack from every direction. This imagery emphasizes both our position in Christ (security) and the active protection of God's peace working on our behalf.
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.