To See Him Who Is Invisible
A Sermon on John 1:12-13
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
How does living in the assurance of God’s love for the Christian change their life? If the life of Moses is considered, a person of faith is one who is confident that they belong not to this world, but to the people of God. In this sermon on John 1:12–13, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains how Moses turned his back on his old life as a prince with all its power and glory to be counted amongst the people of God. He was willing to suffer as an Israelite because he knew who he was. It is no different in the life of New Testament believers. [MOU1] Those who are confident in their place in Christ are willing to suffer for Him, even to the point of death. Those who doubt that they are God’s children will have a hard time suffering for Him and His gospel. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows that the matter of assurance is a profoundly practical question that impacts how the Christian lives in the world and lives for the gospel. The glorious truth of the gospel is that all can know that they are saved. All who believe in Jesus can know that they are resting in God, and that God is wholly for them.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Christian is always facing two possibilities: God or the devil, heaven or hell, the spiritual life or the worldly life.
- The Christian evaluates everything based on the Gospel. This was the secret of Moses - he didn't act based on intuition or impulse but based on a process of choosing and reckoning in light of God's revelation.
- Moses was able to do what he did because of assurance and certainty in his faith. He knew God's purpose, plan of salvation, and calling on his life.
- Moses endured "as seeing him who is invisible" - he knew God's character and promises. This is the key to the Christian life.
- We have an even greater assurance and access to God through Christ and the Holy Spirit than Moses and the Old Testament saints. We must seek to know God and walk with Him.
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.