The Spirit in Christians
A Sermon on John 1:12-13
Originally preached Feb. 17, 1963
Scripture
12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Sermon Description
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian? Many Christians do not have a very high view of the third person of the Trinity. In this sermon on John 1:12–13, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the role of the Holy Spirit in giving Christians assurance of their new life in Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that transforms the lifeless old man into a glorious new creation made for God. It is the Holy Spirit that opens believers’ eyes to see the truths of Scripture and its meaning for their lives. It is also the Holy Spirit that guides believers into the knowledge of the salvation of God. All Christians can and should have the knowledge that they are loved by God and called to be His children. This sermon tells the glorious truth that all who believe in Jesus can be saved and forgiven of all their sins, and they can know that they are forgiven by the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle John reminds Christians that the purpose of Jesus coming into the world was so that those who believe in him can become children of God.
- It is important for Christians to know with certainty that they are children of God.
- The first sign that someone is a child of God is that they believe in the name of Jesus, accepting his deity and atonement.
- Children of God have a relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- Children of God are aware of being led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit puts pressure on them and constrains them.
- The Holy Spirit convicts and upbraids Christians, not allowing them to backslide or be complacent in their faith.
- The Holy Spirit disturbs the lethargy and laziness of Christians, pushing them to action and spiritual growth.
- The Holy Spirit provides general guidance to Christians through putting ideas in their mind and arranging circumstances. He guides both positively and negatively.
- The Holy Spirit provides particular guidance to Christians, leading them to read the Bible, pray, and live their daily lives in a Godly way.
- The Holy Spirit gives Christians a spiritual enjoyment of reading the Bible, allowing them to see how it applies to their own lives.
- The Holy Spirit urges Christians to pray and helps them in their weakness, even making intercession for them with groanings when they can't find the words.
- Even imperfect, doubting Christians can be assured they are children of God if they see even a few of these signs in their lives. Spiritual growth and maturity takes time.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Knowing You Are a Child of God
What are the main signs that prove someone is a child of God according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there are several signs that prove a person is a child of God:
- Believing in Jesus Christ's deity and atonement
- Having a relationship with the Father
- Being led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14)
- Being convicted and upbraided when going astray
- Experiencing the Holy Spirit's guidance, both positively and negatively
- Being drawn to the Bible and finding it speaks directly to you
- Being drawn to prayer and experiencing the Spirit's help in prayer
- Having "groanings which cannot be uttered" when overwhelmed in prayer
As Dr. Lloyd-Jones says: "Any one of these things that you know to be true should give you certain absolute knowledge that you're a child of God."
How does the Holy Spirit lead the children of God according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Holy Spirit leads God's children through:
- A "constraining influence" or pressure - "You are aware that the hand is upon your shoulder"
- Conviction and upbraiding when we go astray - "If you're a child of God, you won't be allowed to go on like that"
- Disturbing our lethargy and laziness
- Positive guidance - putting ideas in our mind and arranging circumstances
- Negative guidance - restraining us from certain paths (as with Paul in Acts 16:6-7)
- Leading us to the Bible with spiritual (not merely intellectual) enjoyment
- Moving us to prayer and helping our infirmities in prayer
As Lloyd-Jones states: "The nonchristian isn't guided like this. He's not aware that he was brought to that place and to that position."
What is the difference between intellectual and spiritual enjoyment of the Bible?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there is an important distinction between intellectual and spiritual enjoyment of Scripture:
Intellectual enjoyment: - Can be like "doing crossword puzzles" - May be treated as a hobby - Focuses on knowledge acquisition - Often leads to pride - Leaves the person unchanged
Spiritual enjoyment: - The Bible speaks directly to you about yourself - Makes you feel the Bible is describing you, not just historical figures - Humbles you rather than puffs you up - May make you "doubt whether you're a Christian at all" - Results in personal transformation
Lloyd-Jones explains: "When the spirit leads us to the Bible, and when the spirit is illuminating the page and our minds at the same time as he does with the child, the first thing you are conscious of, that the Bible, after all, is speaking to you."
How does the Holy Spirit help believers in prayer according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that the Holy Spirit helps believers in prayer in these ways:
- By giving us a desire to pray - "The spirit urges us to prayer, moves us to prayer"
- By helping our "infirmities" when we don't know what to pray for (Romans 8:26-27)
- By making "intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered"
- By enabling us to express ourselves to God even when we can't formulate words
- By allowing us to find relief in simply "sobbing and sighing" before God
Lloyd-Jones says this experience is unique to God's children: "The child of God knows something about this. He still can't formulate his prayer. But, you know, sometimes he utters an 'oh' from the very depth of his being, and there's more meaning in that than all the words he's ever uttered in all his prayers."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the perfection of these signs in a believer's life?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes it clear that believers don't need to exhibit these signs perfectly:
- "I'm not suggesting that of necessity... you should find all these signs and tests present in you in all their fullness."
- "An imperfect child is still a child."
- "You needn't be perfect to be a child of God. But the vital question is this. Are there any evidences of the fact that you are a child in you?"
- "Incomplete, incoit, undeveloped, unworthy in many respects? Very well. The question is, are they there?"
- "The fact that you are dissatisfied is in itself indicative of the fact that you are a child."
Lloyd-Jones comforts believers by stating: "If the devil comes to you and says, 'ah, well, there are the signs of a child, and you haven't got them perfectly,' you say, 'no, I haven't got them perfectly, and that's what worries me. And because I'm worried about it, therefore I am a child.'"
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.