Faith and Joy
A Sermon on Romans 10:16-17
Originally preached May 1, 1964
Scripture
16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Sermon Description
What is the Christian’s reaction to the gospel? In this sermon from Romans 10:16–17 titled “Faith and Joy,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones declares the first action of a Christian is to obey. There is a difference between people who merely hear the gospel and those who take action from it. Some listen and forget and some listen and do. He declares that this is the primary reaction to the gospel. The secondary reaction is joy. Dr. Lloyd-Jones raises a powerful question: if Christians are supposed to be lights in this world, why are so many caught up in their own problems and gloom? He says that Christians should be the happiest people on earth. He gives examples of some of the most joyous people in the New Testament: the Philippian jailor, the shepherd who found his sheep, and the woman who washed Christ’s feet. These are all people who, in different ways, heard the good news and responded appropriately. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that Christians have great cause to rejoice as they have been forgiven of much sin and are promised an eternal inheritance with God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that in light of those joyous New Testament believers, perhaps Christians today should reevaluate their reaction to the gospel and reconsider the life they’ve been given.
Sermon Breakdown
- We must examine whether there is joy and rejoicing in the Christian church today and in our own lives.
- The early church spread the gospel through the joy and quality of life of individual Christians, not mass meetings.
- People are outside the church today because Christians have failed to impact them like early Christians did. Christians today seem miserable.
- How can we tell if we have truly heard the gospel? There must be obedience and joy.
- The amount of love corresponds to the amount of sin forgiven. We must realize our sin to rejoice in forgiveness.
- We must have a deep conviction of sin to have great joy. Superficial preaching and lack of law work prevent joy.
- We must take time to be holy and have a deep conviction of sin. Quick, shallow decisions prevent joy.
- The depth of joy depends on realizing our sinfulness and hopelessness without Christ.
- We must realize our state by nature - fallen, sinful, under Satan's dominion, under God's wrath, hopeless, and helpless.
- We must realize the true nature of salvation - forgiveness, reconciliation, regeneration, sanctification, glorification, certainty in Christ.
- Christ himself should fill us with joy in who He is and what He has done.
- The devil tries to counterfeit joy. True joy is deep, serious, and comes from knowing we deserved hell but Christ saved us.
- True joy realizes we still groan in this life, awaiting full redemption, though we rejoice in Christ.
- We must ask if we have heard the gospel by whether we have obedience and joy. True faith produces joy.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Romans 10:16-17
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the two tests of true hearing of the gospel?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there are two main tests to determine if someone has truly heard the gospel. The first test is obedience - "They have not all obeyed the gospel" (Romans 10:16). He explains that true hearing leads to obedience "from the heart" (Romans 6:17). The second test is joy or rejoicing - whether the gospel message has made you rejoice. He references Isaiah's words about "how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things" (Romans 10:15) as evidence that true hearing produces joy.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain "faith comes by hearing" in Romans 10:17?
Lloyd-Jones explains that there is a "hearing and a hearing" - meaning there's a superficial, mechanical hearing that's of no value, and then there's what the apostle calls "the hearing of faith." The only hearing that matters is one that produces true faith. He emphasizes that merely claiming to have "heard it before" is insufficient - what matters is whether you've truly heard it in a way that transforms you. True hearing of God's word produces both obedience and joy, which are the fruits of genuine faith.
Why does Lloyd-Jones believe there is a lack of joy in many Christians today?
Lloyd-Jones suggests that the lack of joy in Christians today stems from insufficient "law work" - a lack of deep conviction about sin and one's true condition before God. He states: "Children are coming to the birth too easily," meaning people are rushing into Christianity without truly grasping their desperate spiritual condition. He argues that Christians are "too anxious to count heads" and "too interested in results," leading to superficial conversions. Without a deep realization of one's sinfulness and hopelessness, one cannot experience the profound joy that comes with understanding salvation.
How does Lloyd-Jones distinguish between true Christian joy and false joy?
Lloyd-Jones distinguishes between true Christian joy and the devil's counterfeit joy in several ways. True Christian joy is: 1. The joy of someone who has "looked into hell" and knows they've been saved from it 2. Never glib, artificial, or merely "backslapping" 3. Profound with "an element of awe" 4. A "very serious joy" produced by the Holy Ghost 5. Compatible with "groaning" while awaiting final redemption 6. "Rejoicing with trembling"
By contrast, false joy is "glib and easy and light" with no depth. True joy can exist alongside suffering because it's rooted in eternal redemption.
According to Lloyd-Jones, what elements are essential to produce true Christian joy?
Lloyd-Jones identifies two main elements essential to produce true Christian joy:
First, a living realization of our true condition by nature - understanding that we are: - Fallen with a sinful nature - Under the dominion of Satan and sin - Under God's wrath - Completely hopeless and helpless
Second, a realization of the true nature of salvation: - Free forgiveness and complete reconciliation to God - Regeneration and a new nature - Progressive sanctification and liberation from sin - The certainty of our future glory - The person of Christ himself who made it all possible
He states: "There is nothing that so controls the height of joy as the depth of the realization of our sinfulness."
What does Lloyd-Jones see as the key to effective evangelism?
Lloyd-Jones views true Christian joy as "the whole key to evangelism." He explains that the early church evangelized the world not primarily through mass meetings but through "individual Christians, and by this quality of life" that aroused curiosity and desire in others. He argues that when Christians display authentic joy in Christ, others are "immediately ready to pay attention." Conversely, when Christians appear "glum and unhappy," it's unsurprising that people aren't attracted to the gospel. Lloyd-Jones believes the church's failure to demonstrate joy explains why "the masses of the people [are] outside the Christian church in this country today."
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.