Christ; the End of the Law
A Sermon on Romans 10:4
Originally preached May 31, 1963
Scripture
4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Romans 10:4 titled “Christ, the End of the Law,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that this Scripture is the charter for all Christians and it sets them free. In this verse, Paul proclaims that Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness. He means that the law was not temporary but it is eternal. God is not doing away with the law but rather upholding the law. It is an expression of God’s holy character and what He expects of the human race. So how is Christ the end of the law? Christ has fulfilled the law and done this for all who believe in Him. He came into the world as a God-man born under the law, lived a life of perfect obedience to the law, and died to satisfy the punishment of the law. The fulfillment is true because God raised Him from the dead. No one else was able to do this. Christ is the end of the law for all who believe. The moment a Christian believes in Christ, all that Christ has done for them becomes true of them since they have been united with Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Jews were right to realize the seriousness and importance of the law.
- Any teaching of salvation that does not express itself in terms of the law is false.
- Christ is absolutely central and crucial to salvation.
- Christ is the end of the law, not by abolishing it, but by fulfilling it through living a perfect life and dying on the cross.
- The law is eternal and still expresses God's character and what He expects of us.
- Christ alone fulfilled the law; no one else could.
- Christ is the end of the law only for those who believe in Him. There is no universalism.
- To believe in Christ means to recognize you are condemned by the law, but rely on Christ alone.
- When we believe in Christ, all He is and did becomes true of us. We died with Him, so we are dead to the law and not condemned by it.
- There is no condemnation for those in Christ; we are secure in Him.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Romans 10:4
What does "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness" mean?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this phrase does not mean Christ abolished the law. Rather, it means Christ fulfilled the law completely. "Christ is the end of the law in this sense, that he has fulfilled it and that he has fulfilled it for those who believe in him. He is the end of the law in that he carries out the dictates of the law absolutely perfectly and in every respect." Christ satisfied all the demands of the law on our behalf through His perfect life, His death on the cross where He bore our punishment, and His resurrection which proved God's acceptance of His sacrifice.
Why were the Jews outside the kingdom of God according to Romans 10?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Jews were outside the kingdom of God because of their ignorance in several areas: "They were ignorant of the righteousness that God demanded. They were ignorant of the fact that all the righteousness of which they boasted was nothing but their own righteousness, not the righteousness of God." Most critically, "they were ignorant of the truth concerning our Lord and savior Jesus Christ." They didn't recognize Him or understand His purpose, which led to their rejection of Him and consequently their missing the blessings of salvation.
Does the Christian gospel abolish the law of God?
No, Dr. Lloyd-Jones firmly rejects this notion: "It's a terribly dangerous teaching to say that the Christian has got a lower standard... That's sheer antinomianism and it's a terrible sin." He emphasizes that "Christ didn't die in order to lower the standard... The gospel doesn't lower it. It hasn't made things easier as regards the demands of the law. They're there and they're absolute and they're eternal." The law remains God's eternal standard, but for believers, Christ has fulfilled its demands on their behalf.
What does it mean to believe in Christ according to this sermon?
True belief, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, involves recognizing "your utter condemnation," realizing "that all your goodness is vile, that all your righteousness is as filthy rags," and submitting "utterly to him and to his way." It means relying "alone upon the Lord Jesus Christ" and saying "out of a true heart, nothing in my hand I bring simply to thy cross I cling." Importantly, "it isn't just uttering words... it's a genuine belief that comes from the very heart of the man." This genuine faith produces a life change where one denies themselves, takes up their cross, and follows Christ.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones refute universalism in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones directly challenges universalist beliefs by emphasizing the phrase "to everyone that believeth." He states: "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. But to nobody else." He argues against the idea "that God loves everybody and that everybody's going to heaven at the end," calling such teaching "universalism" that contradicts Scripture. He quotes extensively from Jesus' prayer in John 17, which repeatedly refers to specific people given to Christ, not all humanity, and emphasizes that salvation is only for those who believe in Christ.
What is the position of a believer in relation to the law?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that believers are "dead to the law" through their union with Christ. "To believe in Christ means that you've died with him, you've been crucified with him." As a result, "we are not under the law, but under grace." This doesn't mean the law is abolished, but rather that believers are "not under it in the sense that it condemns us." Believers are "forgiven completely," "justified absolutely," "reconciled to God in Christ," and "eternally secure" because Christ has fulfilled the law's demands on their behalf.
Why is Christ's person and work central to the Christian gospel?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ's person and work are absolutely essential because only He could fulfill the law's demands. "The whole of humanity had failed to keep the law of God... There was none righteous, no, not one." He emphasizes that "there is no salvation apart from him" because "nothing but a God-man can deliver you." Without "the incarnation, without the perfect life, without the atoning death, without the resurrection, there is no salvation, none at all." Any teaching about salvation that doesn't center on Christ and particularly His death on the cross is "error" and "a lie."
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.