Calling: the Middle Link
A Sermon on Romans 8:28-30
Originally preached Jan. 19, 1962
Scripture
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the …
Sermon Description
As Christians consider controversial topics such as predestination and election, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds that one must beware of their prejudices. Christians have to keep their minds open to understand what the apostle Paul actually says and teaches, even if at the end they do not agree with him. In light of this reminder, Dr. Lloyd-Jones presses into the topic of predestination and argues that God has marked out His people for His particular purpose and end. Taking it a step further, he asks why does the “call” come as the middle link in Paul’s great chain in redemption? Why must it come before justification? He shares that it is because justification is by faith alone and God’s effectual call of the Christian must come before or there would be no movement of the person to trust in Christ. Were it not for the power of the Holy Spirit in calling the person to the Lord Jesus Christ, states Dr. Lloyd-Jones, no one would ever believe the gospel. He then elaborates the work of the Spirit by providing biblical evidence on the nature and character of the doctrine of the effectual call of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones answers several practical objections to this sovereign work of the Spirit. Listen to this sermon on Romans 8:28–30 titled “Calling: the Middle Link” as he gives insight to what he calls the “middle link” – the effectual call of the Holy Spirit.
Sermon Breakdown
- The fundamental purpose of Romans 8:28-30 is to give assurance and comfort to Christians facing troubles.
- Verse 28: All things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. This means everything serves the ultimate good of Christians.
- Verse 29: Those God foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. This means God determined our destiny to become like Christ.
- Verse 30: Those God predestined, He called; those He called, He justified; those He justified, He glorified. This chain shows how God's eternal purpose works out in our lives.
- Justification: A legal declaration by God that we are righteous based on Christ's righteousness, not our own works. It changes our standing before God.
- Glorification: The final step where we are freed from all sin and its effects, including in our physical bodies. We will be like Christ.
- Although these steps are distinct, they are inseparable in reality. They are all the work of God, not dependent on us.
- The past tense verbs show that from God's perspective, all of these steps are as good as done, even glorification. Our ultimate destiny is sure.
- Sanctification is not mentioned because it is a process, not a distinct step, and is inevitable as a result of justification and in view of glorification.
- We should focus on glorification, not sanctification alone. Glorification motivates sanctification.
- It is unbiblical to separate justification and sanctification or to receive sanctification by faith as a second work of grace. Sanctification flows necessarily from justification.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Justification and Glorification in Romans 8
What is the main purpose of Paul's argument in Romans 8:28-30?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Paul's fundamental purpose in Romans 8:28-30 is to persuade believers and give them certainty that "all things work together for good to them that love God." Paul is trying to provide comfort and consolation to Christians facing troubles, trials, and tribulations. The great doctrine here is the final perseverance of the saints - that their ultimate destiny is sure, certain, guaranteed, and nothing can change it. The basis of this whole argument is that this is the purpose of God for those who are "the called according to his purpose."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define justification?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that justification is a legal or forensic term that belongs to the realm of the law court. It means "to declare just and to declare righteous" - the opposite of condemnation. It is entirely an act of God, not our own works. He emphasizes that justification goes beyond mere forgiveness; it means "God declares us to be entirely guiltless" and "regards us as if we'd never sinned at all." In justification, God imputes our sins to Christ, who was punished for them, and imputes Christ's perfect righteousness to us. We are clothed with Christ's righteousness, giving us a new standing and status before God.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe justification is permanent?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that justification is permanent because it is God's act, once and for all, not something that can be broken and reestablished repeatedly. When we are justified, we are placed "in Christ" - incorporated into Him and made part of Him. This relationship is indissoluble. The whole argument in Romans 8 is that this act of justification, being God's act, is irreversible and isn't affected by our future sins because we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ. If justification were merely forgiveness, we could sin again and fall out of relationship with God, but justification establishes a permanent new status.
What does glorification mean according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, glorification means "that we shall be like the Lord Jesus Christ," including even our physical bodies. It means "that we shall be delivered finally and completely from every single conceivable effect of sin and evil. There will not be a trace left." While we are already delivered in the realm of the spirit and soul, our bodies still need to be redeemed, which will happen at the resurrection. Glorification is the ultimate state where we will be entirely delivered - body, mind, and spirit - with no trace of sin or evil left in us.
Why does Paul use past tense for "glorified" in Romans 8:30?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that Paul uses the aorist (past) tense for all the verbs in this chain - foreknew, predestinated, called, justified, and glorified. This tense refers to an act in the past that is already completed. It's particularly striking with "glorified" since Christians know they are not yet glorified in their experience. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul deliberately uses this tense to give believers great assurance - in the mind of God, glorification is as certain as their justification. It's "the most daring anticipation of faith that even the New Testament contains" because it presents our future glorification as an accomplished fact in God's purpose.
Why is sanctification not mentioned in Paul's chain in Romans 8:30?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers several explanations for why sanctification is not mentioned between justification and glorification:
- Sanctification is not a vital step in the argument because it makes no vital difference to our state and status (unlike justification and glorification)
- Sanctification is a process, not a step
- Sanctification is inevitable because of justification - the moment one is justified, the process of sanctification has already started
- Sanctification is inevitable from the standpoint of glorification - it's the preparation for glorification
- To make sanctification a distinct and separate step is wrong and unscriptural
He argues that it's incorrect to teach that one can be justified without being sanctified, or that sanctification must be received separately by faith. Sanctification is implicitly included in being "in Christ."
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.