Delivered for Our Offences
A Sermon on Romans 4:23-25
Originally preached Jan. 22, 1961
Scripture
23Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25Who was delivered for our offences, and was …
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Romans 4:23–25 titled “Delivered for Our Offences,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines why one cannot take the teachings of Jesus as moral philosophy to improve the world, but instead examine who the person of Jesus is. Jesus did not come into this world to be a moral teacher, but instead came so that the wrath of God could be satisfied in His death so that all could be forgiven. Humanity’s biggest problem is not the fears of this world, but the fact that all will soon die and face God. On that day when one dies, how will they stand before God? Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that all are guilty of not loving God as they should, and that they can do nothing in themselves to get rid of sin. It is in this truth that one can rightly examine why Jesus came, and that the greatest problem is not the chaos of the world, but the sin inside hearts.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon focuses on Romans 4:23-25 which talks about Abraham's faith being credited to him as righteousness.
- The sermon emphasizes that this passage applies not just to Abraham but to all who believe in God.
- The sermon highlights that the world is in a precarious state due to the existence of atomic bombs and the possibility of war. However, our greatest problem is our sin and offense against God.
- Our sins have separated us from God and hid his face from us. We cannot remove our sins through our own efforts.
- God sent his son Jesus to deal with our sins. Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification.
- We must believe in Jesus, who was raised from the dead, to have our sins forgiven. Jesus died for our sins and was raised so we could be justified before God.
- Jesus, who was fully God and fully man, died for our sins according to the will of God the Father. God delivered Jesus over to death for our sins.
- God cannot forgive our sins without punishing them. Our sins were punished in Jesus, who bore them on our behalf. Jesus willingly took our sins upon himself.
- Jesus' resurrection shows that he conquered sin and death. It also shows that God accepted Jesus' sacrifice for our sins. Jesus' righteousness is credited to us, and we can approach God through him.
- We can have peace with God and no longer fear death if we believe in Jesus, who died for our sins and was raised for our justification. We can become children of God.
- The only way to be reconciled to God and have eternal life is through faith in Jesus, who died for our sins and was raised from the dead.
Sermon Q&A
Key Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Romans 4:23-25
What is the central message of Romans 4:23-25 according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the central message is that salvation is entirely of God. He emphasizes that "the one and only way of salvation is altogether and entirely of and from God." The passage reveals how God has taken action to deal with our offenses through Christ's death and resurrection, when we could do nothing about them ourselves.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the meaning of "offenses" in this passage?
Lloyd-Jones explains that "offenses" refers to our sins and transgressions against God. He elaborates: "The greatest of all offenses is not to give to God the glory that is due to him and to his holy name." He describes offenses as not worshipping God, not living for Him, not thanking Him, taking His gifts for granted, and disobeying His commandments.
Why does Lloyd-Jones say that understanding our offenses is more important than the state of the world?
Lloyd-Jones makes the surprising claim that understanding our offenses is "much more important than the state of the world" because even if all wars and threats of destruction were removed, we would still be guilty of offenses against God and would still have to meet Him. Our eternal destiny is at stake regardless of world conditions, making it ultimately more important.
What is the cause of the world's problems according to the sermon?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the world is in its current troubled state "because of offenses." He explains: "The world is as it is because it is not receiving the blessing of God." Our sins have created a barrier between us and God, preventing His blessing, which is why there is rivalry, jealousy, envy, divisions, and preparations for war among mankind.
How does Christ deal with our offenses according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ deals with our offenses by taking them upon Himself: "God himself has taken my offenses and has put them on Christ his son, and he died on account of my offenses." Christ was "delivered up" to death by God as a punishment for our sins, which is the only way our offenses could be removed and we could be reconciled to God.
What does it mean that Christ was "raised again for our justification"?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ's resurrection confirms that God's justice was satisfied by His death. When Christ rose, it demonstrated that His sacrifice was sufficient to atone for our sins. His resurrection enables our justification, which means "God regards me as if I were just." Additionally, Christ's righteousness is attributed to believers, and through Him we can approach God with confidence.
What does Lloyd-Jones say about the world's approach to Jesus?
Lloyd-Jones criticizes those who focus solely on Jesus' teaching or example while missing the central purpose of His coming. He states: "If you think you can get people who are not Christian to live the Christian life, you don't know the first thing about Christianity." He emphasizes that Jesus didn't primarily come to teach us to live better lives but to deal with our offenses through His death.
What is the only way to be reconciled to God according to the sermon?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the only way to be reconciled to God is through faith in Christ and His finished work: "There is no way to God except in and through the Lord Jesus Christ." We must believe in "him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification."
How does salvation bring peace in a troubled world?
Lloyd-Jones explains that salvation brings "peace, perfect peace in this dark world of sin" because "the blood of Jesus whispers peace within." When we know we're reconciled to God, we can face world tensions, wars, and even death "without fear, without terror, without alarm," knowing we're God's children regardless of what happens in the world.
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.