What Does "For Sin" Mean in Romans 8:3-4 According to Lloyd-Jones?

What did Martyn Lloyd-Jones believe the phrase "for sin" in Romans 8:3 means?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the phrase "for sin" in Romans 8:3 means "as an offering for sin" or "as a sin offering." He points out that various Bible translations recognize this meaning, with some including it in the text (Revised Version) and others offering it as a marginal alternative (Authorized Version, Revised Standard Version, Scofield Bible). Lloyd-Jones demonstrates that in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament), the same Greek phrase was commonly used to translate the Hebrew term for "sin offering," particularly in passages from Leviticus and Numbers.

Why does Lloyd-Jones reject the interpretation that Jesus merely condemned sin by living a holy life?

Lloyd-Jones rejects this interpretation for two key reasons:

1. If Jesus only came to express disapproval of sin by living a holy life, He would have done nothing more than what the law had already done. The law was already given to express God's disapproval of sin and reveal His holiness.

2. The context shows that more is being addressed - specifically how believers are freed from condemnation. The meaning must be connected to Christ bearing our sins and being punished in our place.

How does Lloyd-Jones explain the meaning of "condemned sin in the flesh"?

Lloyd-Jones explains that "condemned sin in the flesh" means God passed judgment upon and punished our sin in the body of His Son. He points out that the word "condemned" is the same word used in verse 1 ("no condemnation") and can't mean "destroyed" (as some perfectionists claim). Rather, it means our sins were laid upon Christ in His incarnate state and punished in Him. Lloyd-Jones calls this "the heart of the gospel" - that God punished our sins in His incarnate Son, thereby remaining just while being able to justify believers.

What does the phrase "that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us" mean according to Lloyd-Jones?

Lloyd-Jones teaches that this phrase has both a justification and sanctification aspect:

1. First, it means the law's righteous demands have been satisfied in Christ - He kept the law perfectly and bore its punishment, so the law can no longer condemn believers.

2. Beyond justification, Lloyd-Jones insists it also refers to sanctification - the actual transformation of believers who now begin to live righteously. He criticizes commentators who stop at justification, arguing that the text's context (Romans 7:4, 6) clearly shows believers are meant to "bring forth fruit unto God" and "serve in newness of spirit."

How does Christ's death as a sin offering enable believers to fulfill the righteousness of the law?

According to Lloyd-Jones, this works through several steps:

1. By nature, we are all under the dominion of sin.
2. The law both condemns us and aggravates our tendency to sin ("the strength of sin is the law").
3. Christ's death as a sin offering satisfies the law's demands, removing its power to condemn us.
4. When the law's power is removed, sin loses its strength over us.
5. Additionally, we are united to Christ ("married to another") and receive His life and power.
6. Through this union with Christ and the indwelling Spirit, we begin to fulfill the righteousness of the law - not perfectly, but progressively in sanctification.