The Way of Sanctification
A Sermon on John 1:12-13
Scripture
12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.
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
How does a Christian walk by the Spirit? How do they destroy sin by the power of the Spirit? In this sermon on John 1:12-13 titled “The Way of Sanctification,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones identifies the hatred of sin as a primary characteristic of sanctification. It is vital and essential for a Christian to mortify - to put to death - the sin continuing to reside in their bodies. The Spirit leads them to put sin to death and also provides the power to do it. It is only through his enabling power that the Christian can avoid sin and recognize its foul and utter darkness. In fact, if a Christian puts themself in the way of sin, admonishes the Doctor, they should not be surprised when they are caught in sin. Three truths help the believe walk practically by the Spirit in the way of sanctification. First, realize and acknowledge the foulness of sin and God’s hatred for it. The works of darkness are unprofitable and unfruitful. Second, the believer must frequently preach to themselves the truth of the gospel. And third, they must reject sin in total when it first appears.
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.