A Change of Heart
A Sermon on Romans 10:9-10
Originally preached Nov. 29, 1963
Scripture
9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Sermon Description
Is salvation merely an intellectual endeavor that begins and ends with the mind or does it include the heart? In this sermon on Romans 10:9–10 titled “A Change of Heart,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines what the apostles preached in their missionary journeys and what true salvation looks like. Throughout the New Testament, the apostles preach that saving faith is not only in the mind, but that it must include a change of heart. In the Old Testament, God promises to change the heart of stone into a heart of flesh. The question now is not whether or not the mind believes, but if the heart believes that Jesus is Lord. In today’s age many believe that one must only make a decision in order to be saved. Yet if this decision does not stem from a heart burdened by sin and seeking repentance from God, then it is not saving faith. Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows the hope of salvation that can only be given by God through the Son, a salvation that is so miraculous it changes a wicked heart into one that loves God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul makes a statement in Romans 10:9-10 that saving faith involves both believing in one's heart and confessing with one's mouth.
- The "heart" refers to the center of one's personality, including one's emotions, feelings, and intellect. Saving faith involves more than just intellect.
- Unbelief is also a matter of the heart, not just the intellect. Many unbelievers ridicule Christianity not just intellectually but emotionally.
- The Roman Catholic Church teaches that one becomes a Christian simply by assenting intellectually to the Church's doctrine. This is the opposite of what Paul teaches.
- "Sandemianism" was an 18th-century teaching that said if you accept teaching intellectually and confess it with your mouth, you are saved, even without any inner experience. This view can lead to a lack of spiritual life and power.
- Some today think you can reason yourself into becoming a Christian or that making a decision or confession alone saves you. But Paul says faith must be "with the heart."
- Mere theological knowledge or orthodoxy is not enough. You must have a living faith in Christ, not just believe facts about him.
- Constantine's conversion of the Roman Empire led to many nominal Christians without changed hearts. The Church has never been the same.
- Regeneration, or a changed heart, is essential to salvation. No one can have saving faith without it.
- Many Scriptures show that faith and salvation are matters of the heart, not just the intellect (Ezekiel 36:25-27; Romans 2:28-29; Acts 16:14; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 3:12; 1 Peter 1:22).
- Our hearts must be purified and opened by God to have true faith. We must love God with our whole being (Mark 12:30).
- Mere belief in God is not enough; even demons believe in God (James 2:19). We must have faith from the heart.
Sermon Q&A
Lloyd-Jones on Saving Faith: Key Questions and Answers
What does Lloyd-Jones mean by "believing with the heart" versus mere intellectual belief?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, "believing with the heart" means that true faith involves the entire person, not just intellectual acceptance. He states: "The heart in the scripture stands for the very center and seat of personality. And the point the apostle is making is that our belief must be with the heart, not only, not merely with the intellect." True saving faith penetrates to the core of one's being and transforms the whole person, not just their thinking.
Why does Lloyd-Jones say unbelief is a heart problem rather than an intellectual problem?
Lloyd-Jones argues that unbelief stems from the heart rather than the intellect because the real issue isn't intellectual objections but moral resistance. He cites Psalm 14:1, "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God," emphasizing that "That's where the trouble rarely lies." He notes that even intellectual skeptics reveal their heart issue through "the very animus, the element of ridicule that comes into their writings and their speeches," proving "their trouble is still in the heart."
What historical examples does Lloyd-Jones give of intellectualism replacing true faith?
Lloyd-Jones provides several historical examples: 1. Emperor Constantine's conversion, which was "entirely intellectual" and led to a compromised church 2. Roman Catholic teaching that "you become a Christian by giving your assent to the doctrine of the church" 3. Sandimenianism (18th century), which taught that intellectual acceptance and verbal confession were sufficient without any feeling 4. The "moderatism" period in the Church of Scotland that resulted in a "powerless and lifeless condition" 5. C.S. Lewis's approach, which Lloyd-Jones characterized as believing "you could reason yourself into the christian faith"
What is regeneration and why does Lloyd-Jones insist it's essential for saving faith?
Regeneration is the divine act of giving a person a new heart and nature. Lloyd-Jones defines it using Ezekiel 36:25-27, where God says, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." He states emphatically: "There is no such thing as a saving faith without regeneration and a renewal of the heart." Lloyd-Jones believes "the main explanation of the state of the christian church today is the neglect of the doctrine of regeneration."
How does Lloyd-Jones interpret Acts 15:9 about "purifying their hearts by faith"?
Lloyd-Jones argues that Acts 15:9 ("purifying their hearts by faith") is often misunderstood as referring to sanctification. He explains it actually refers to conversion/regeneration: "The trouble with every believer is that his heart is darkened, and it therefore needs to be cleansed. And there's only one way, and that is by faith." He notes that the context is about how people are saved, not sanctified, and that "the tense is the heirest [aorist]. It's a single act," referring to the moment of conversion when God cleanses and renews the heart.
What is the danger of "decisionism" according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones warns against "believism or decisionism" as "the tendency to force people to a decision" and then declaring them saved based solely on that decision. He states: "The mere repetition of a formula doesn't save a man. He must believe it in his heart." The danger is creating false converts who have made a verbal confession without genuine heart transformation. This leads to churches full of nominal Christians who may affirm correct doctrine but lack spiritual life.
How does Lloyd-Jones distinguish between believing doctrines and believing in Christ?
Lloyd-Jones makes a crucial distinction: "We are not saved by believing in doctrines. We are saved by believing in a person." He explains, "You must know the truth about him, but you mustn't believe the truth about him without believing in him. You mustn't allow the doctrines to conceal the blessed person." This "theological intellectualism" can lead to being "a perfectly orthodox theologian and yet have no spiritual life at all."
What does Lloyd-Jones see as the proof of genuine saving faith?
The proof of genuine saving faith, according to Lloyd-Jones, is that "it comes out of the heart" and produces love. He concludes his sermon by saying, "The proof of saving faith is that it comes out of the heart. And so you love the Lord your God. And if there isn't an element of love in it... it is not truly saving faith." True faith produces a change of heart that results in love for God, not merely intellectual assent or theological correctness.
The Book of Romans
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.