Faith Glorifying God
A Sermon on Romans 4:18-22
Originally preached Oct. 11, 1957
Scripture
18Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, …
Sermon Description
What is faith? In this sermon on Romans 4:18–22 titled “Faith Glorifying God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones dissects the negative and positive aspects of the nature of faith through the illustration of Abraham presented in Romans 4:18–22: “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” Abraham’s faith was not one that looked to itself, nor to his circumstances, but its essence was to give glory to God. He considered the nature of God – the God who never makes His promises lightly, never changes His mind, and is fully capable of doing what He has promised – and Abraham applied that knowledge to his circumstances. In one’s own experience, though they may find they are weak in faith, all they need do to strengthen it is to follow the example of Abraham and many others put forth in Scripture as examples of great faith. The Christian must grow in their knowledge of God – objectively, as He’s revealed Himself in the Scriptures and personally, through prayer and time spent in His presence – and apply that knowledge to the particulars of their lives. Faith is simply holding onto the faithfulness of God.
Sermon Breakdown
- Faith prevented Abraham from being weak.
- Faith prevented Abraham from staggering in unbelief at God's promises.
- Abraham was made strong in faith by giving glory to God.
- Abraham gave glory to God by considering God's attributes like eternity, majesty, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, righteousness, justice, truth, holiness, and unchangeability.
- Abraham deduced from God's attributes that God does not make promises lightly or change His mind. God is able to fulfill His promises.
- There are degrees of faith from weak to strong. Weak faith is still faith.
- Two factors determine the strength of faith: knowledge of God and applying what we know.
- We must recognize the difference between faith and foolishness. We can misunderstand God's promises and the character of faith.
- Faith is not something we can choose to "go in for." It is a gift from God.
- Faith is not persuading ourselves we believe or just saying we believe. It is a quiet confidence and resting in God.
- Faith does not look at itself. It looks to God. The measure of faith is the measure of knowledge of God.
- Faith glorifies God, not self. There is nothing hectic or excitable about faith.
- To have strong faith, read the Bible, know God's promises and character, meditate on God, pray, and apply faith in practice.
Sermon Q&A
What Is the Essence of Faith According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What is the primary essence of faith according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the primary essence of faith is "that which gives glory to God." He explains that faith glorifies God by "realizing something of the truth about him and worshipping him because of that and committing ourselves to him." Abraham exemplified this by contemplating God's attributes (eternity, majesty, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, righteousness) and trusting Him despite his circumstances. Faith is ultimately about keeping our eyes steadfastly on God rather than on ourselves or our problems.
How did Abraham's faith glorify God in the sermon?
Abraham glorified God by considering who and what God is. He contemplated God's attributes - His eternity, majesty, glory, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, righteousness, truth, holiness, and unchangeability. From these attributes, Abraham deduced that: 1) God never makes promises lightly or thoughtlessly, 2) God never changes His mind, and 3) God is able to perform what He promises. Based on this knowledge of God's character, Abraham concluded that nothing else mattered - not his aged body, not Sarah's barrenness - because God had spoken and would fulfill His promise.
What are the degrees of faith mentioned in the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that there are degrees or variations in faith: - Weak faith (yet still real faith) - Little faith (as Jesus called Peter's) - Faith like a grain of mustard seed - Great faith (like the Syrophoenician woman) - Strong faith (like Abraham's) - Full assurance of faith
He compares this to the difference between a child's strength and an adult's - both have strength, but in different measures. The sermon emphasizes that even weak faith is still genuine faith, though it may not be as developed.
What are the two main factors that determine the strength of our faith?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the two main factors that determine the strength of our faith are:
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Our knowledge of God - This is the most important factor. Abraham's great faith came from his great knowledge of God. The more we know about God's attributes and character, the stronger our faith can be.
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The application of what we know - It's not enough to have theoretical knowledge; we must act upon it. Lloyd-Jones references Jesus asking the disciples "Where is your faith?" - they had faith but weren't applying it to their situation. Strong faith requires both knowledge and application.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones differentiate between true faith and false concepts of faith?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes several key distinctions:
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Faith is not something you can "go in for" like a hobby or activity. It's not something you can suddenly decide to take up.
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Faith is not the same as natural human trust (like sitting on a chair). That's merely applying "the law of mathematical probability," not faith.
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Faith is not just saying or trying to persuade yourself that you believe. It's not straining or creating tension.
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True faith is "in-wrought in us" - it's given by God, not something natural. It's spiritual, not natural.
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True faith produces "quiet confidence in God" and "quiet resting upon God" without strain or tension.
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True faith doesn't look at itself or talk about itself; it looks only at God and His faithfulness.
What practical advice does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give for developing stronger faith?
To develop stronger faith, Dr. Lloyd-Jones advises:
- Read your Bible thoroughly to gain knowledge of God's character and promises
- Study the examples of faith in Scripture (like in Hebrews 11)
- Meditate on what you've learned and "keep on speaking to yourself about it"
- Develop a personal knowledge of God through prayer and spending time in His presence
- Apply what you know in practical situations
- Focus less on your "little faith" and more on God Himself
- Pursue holiness and obedience, as "you can't have strong faith without holiness and without obedience"
The sermon concludes that as we focus more on knowing God rather than on our faith itself, we'll find our faith growing stronger.
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.