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Sermon #3012

Jesus Christ; Our Lord

A Sermon on Romans 1:3-5

Originally preached Dec. 9, 1955

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Scripture

Romans 1:3-5 ESV KJV
concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about …

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Sermon Description

Christians are forgiven of sin so that they may follow their Savior. Some today reject this notion that one must submit to Jesus as Lord. They argue salvation is by grace, and therefore obedience is not necessary. While salvation is completely by grace through faith, the Christian faith must not be separated from obedience to Jesus. Can one accept Jesus as Savior and not as Lord? In this sermon titled “Jesus Christ, Our Lord” from Romans 1:3–5, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers that question with a resounding no. The earliest Christians were persecuted over the word “Lord.” For them, Jesus was not only Savior, but he was also Lord. The very nature of believing the gospel becomes an issue of submission. Christians are commanded to believe, and thus obey the gospel. Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows that the only way one can accept Jesus is in this full sense: as both Savior and Lord. Faith is obedience to the word of God. If the word of God is rejected, then God is also rejected, making Him a liar. Receiving the gospel is, therefore, to obey Him and receive Jesus as Lord. The entire Christian faith depends on the recognition of this and this is what makes one a Christian. This is the work of God: that the Christian believes on Him who He has sent –– Jesus Christ, the Lord.’

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The apostle Paul tells us that the gospel is concerning God's Son, Jesus Christ.
  2. Jesus Christ came according to the flesh as the seed of David, but was also declared to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.
  3. The name "Jesus Christ our Lord" represents who He is - Jesus (the Son of Man and Savior), Christ (the anointed Messiah and prophet, priest and king), and Lord (the Son of God and ruler of all).
  4. Paul ascribes this full title to Jesus because:
  5. Paul is what he is (a Christian and apostle) because of the grace and calling of Jesus Christ.
  6. Paul does what he does (preach the gospel) because Jesus Christ called him to bring about "the obedience of faith" among the Gentiles.
  7. Paul does what he does for the sake of Jesus Christ's name and glory.
  8. "The obedience of faith" means believing in and obeying the gospel, not just obeying as a result of faith. Faith itself is obedience to God's word.
  9. Sin is primarily disobedience and refusal to listen to God, not just wrong actions. The gospel calls us to obedience and to listen to what God says about Jesus.
  10. We should believe in Jesus not just to be delivered from problems but because God commands us to believe in His Son. Not believing is disobedience and calling God a liar.
  11. Faith is obedience to God's word. Not believing is disobedience. We are all sinners because we have all disobeyed God's word. Christians are those who have obeyed by believing in Jesus.

Sermon Q&A

What Does "Jesus Christ Our Lord" Mean in the Bible According to Lloyd-Jones?

What is the full meaning of "Jesus Christ our Lord" as explained by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, "Jesus Christ our Lord" is a complete title that carries profound significance. He explains that this title contains three essential elements:

  1. "Jesus" - emphasizing His true humanity and role as Savior ("He shall save His people from their sins")
  2. "Christ" - identifying Him as the Messiah, the Anointed One who fulfills the prophesied roles of prophet, priest, and king
  3. "Lord" - acknowledging His deity and supreme authority over all creation

Lloyd-Jones notes that this was the "great name and the favorite name which the New Testament writers apply to our Lord," appearing ten times in Romans alone. This title was central to early Christians, who were willing to face persecution and death rather than deny that "Jesus is the Lord."

Can believers accept Jesus as Savior but not as Lord according to Lloyd-Jones?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphatically rejects the idea that someone can accept Christ as Savior without accepting Him as Lord. He states:

"The only way, my friend, in which you can accept him is in this full sense... You can't divide the person, this one and self. Same person is always Jesus Christ and Lord. You can't say he's only Jesus or only Christ... No, no. The person is indivisible."

Lloyd-Jones calls the teaching that you can take Jesus as Savior without taking Him as Lord "nothing but sheer heresy." He argues that such teaching wrongly divides the person of Christ and incorrectly separates justification from sanctification. He warns: "if you think that you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ without realizing that he is your Lord, I wouldn't hesitate to say that your belief is of no value."

What does Lloyd-Jones mean by "the obedience of faith"?

Lloyd-Jones explains that "the obedience of faith" does not simply mean "the obedience which faith produces" or "the obedience to which faith leads." Rather, it means "an obedience which consists in faith" or "an obedience of which faith is the central principle."

He emphasizes that sin is fundamentally disobedience to God—"refusal to listen to the voice of God." Therefore, faith itself is an act of obedience to God's command to believe in His Son. As Lloyd-Jones puts it:

"Faith is obedience to the word of God. Not to believe is disobeying the word of God, rejecting him, making him a liar."

He cites several biblical passages supporting this view, including John 6:28-29 where Jesus says "this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent," and 1 John 3:23 which states that God's commandment is "that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ."

Why does Lloyd-Jones emphasize the title "Lord" when referring to Jesus?

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes the Lordship of Christ because:

  1. It affirms Christ's deity - "when the New Testament says that Jesus is Lord, what it's really saying is that Jesus is Jehovah"

  2. It acknowledges His supreme authority - Christ has been "exalted above every power and authority, above every name that can ever be thought of"

  3. It expresses our relationship to Him - "our Lord" indicates that "we belong to him. We are his slaves... We have been bought with a price"

  4. It is central to genuine faith - "You cannot believe in him except as your Lord, as well as the Jesus who saves you"

Lloyd-Jones argues that the Lordship of Christ is not an optional add-on to Christian faith but is essential to it. This recognition of Jesus as Lord is what distinguished early Christians and led many to martyrdom rather than denying this truth.

How does Lloyd-Jones connect the problem of sin with faith in Christ?

Lloyd-Jones provides a profound analysis of sin and faith, explaining that:

  1. Sin is fundamentally disobedience to God - "Sin primarily is rebellion against God... Sin is refusal to listen to the voice of God"

  2. The original sin was questioning God's word - "The original sin of men did not consist in murder or adultery... It consisted just in this that he stopped listening to the voice of God"

  3. Faith is the opposite response - "If sin is disobedience, what is right? It is obedience"

  4. Belief in Christ is God's command - "God commands you, nothing less. He calls for obedience. He commandeth all men everywhere to repent"

  5. Rejecting Christ is rejecting God - "If you don't believe it, you're making God a liar. You're rejecting the word of the holy eternal God"

Lloyd-Jones warns that viewing Christianity merely as a solution to personal problems misses the point. The primary reason to believe in Christ is not self-help but obedience to God's command to believe in His Son.

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.