Jesus; Our Sinless Saviour
A Sermon on Romans 8:3-4
Originally preached Feb. 12, 1960
Scripture
3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not …
Sermon Description
Why is it important that Christ was truly a man? In this sermon on Romans 8:3–4 titled “Jesus: Our Sinless Saviour,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers this vital theological question and explains how it changes lives. If Christ was not truly a man, how could He die in the place of humans? If Christ was not a man tempted like all humans, how could He relate to their weaknesses? This is why Christ had to come as a true man, and yet He was totally without sin. He had to be born as a man, live as a man, and die as a man in order to be a perfect Savior. The glory of salvation is that God becomes human and dies in humanity’s place upon the cross. This message of good news commands all to believe in Christ alone for forgiveness of sin as there is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ. This leaves everyone to ask if they believe that Jesus died for them and are they trusting in the what God has done in His Son upon the cross. This question is not one of intellectual speculation, but has eternal significance for all of humanity. In this sermon the listener will hear the greatest truth that the world has ever seen in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The law could not save man because it was weak through the flesh.
- God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh.
- The sermon passage is Romans 8:3-4 which gives the reason why the law could not save and what God did about it.
- The sermon passage divides into two main points:
- What the law could not do (v. 3a)
- What God did (v. 3b-4)
- What the law could not do:
- The law was weak through the flesh. It could not enable man to keep it.
- Why the law was weak:
- Man's sinful nature made it impossible for him to keep the law.
- What God did:
- God sent his own Son into the world (v. 3b)
- Why God sent his Son: to condemn sin in the flesh (v. 3c)
- How God sent his Son: in the likeness of sinful flesh (v. 3d)
- The result: the righteousness of the law fulfilled in us (v. 4)
- God sent his Son into the world (v. 3b)
- Salvation is God's work, not man's.
- "His own Son" - the eternal Son, eternally one with the Father
- God sent his Son "in the likeness of sinful flesh" (v. 3d)
- The incarnation was real - Christ had a true human body and soul.
- Christ's human nature was not sinful, though it was like ours.
- Christ's human nature was free from sin but shared some effects of sin (e.g. tiredness, pain).
- Why it was essential for Christ to come "in the likeness of sinful flesh":
- To keep the law and bear its punishment as our representative
- To bear our guilt and sins
- To give us a new, divine nature by uniting it to our human nature
- To become our sympathetic High Priest
- To conquer death
- To silence the devil's accusations against God's work
Sermon Q&A
What Did Lloyd-Jones Teach About Christ's Incarnation in Romans 8:3-4?
What does Romans 8:3-4 teach about Christ's incarnation?
Romans 8:3-4 teaches that God sent "his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh" to condemn sin in the flesh. This phrase is particularly important in understanding Christ's incarnation. According to Lloyd-Jones, this passage shows that Christ had a true human body and nature, but without sin. The text carefully states "in the likeness of sinful flesh" rather than simply "in sinful flesh," indicating that while Christ was truly human, His human nature was not corrupted by sin as ours is.
Why did Lloyd-Jones emphasize "in the likeness of sinful flesh" rather than just "in sinful flesh"?
Lloyd-Jones emphasized this distinction because it addresses a crucial theological point: Christ's human nature was not itself sinful. Some theologians (including Karl Barth, whom Lloyd-Jones specifically mentions) have taught that Christ had a sinful human nature which He overcame. Lloyd-Jones rejects this view as heretical, showing that Scripture consistently teaches Christ was "without spot," "holy," and "knew no sin." The careful phrasing "in the likeness of sinful flesh" preserves both Christ's genuine humanity and His sinlessness.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the virgin birth in relation to Christ's sinless nature?
Lloyd-Jones explains that in the virgin birth, the Holy Spirit "cleansed from sin" that portion of Mary's nature that would develop into Christ's body. He rejects the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception (which teaches Mary was born without sin), affirming instead that Mary herself had a sinful nature like all humans. However, through divine miracle, the human nature Christ received was rendered free from sin. As the angel told Mary, "that holy thing" born of her would be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35).
Can Christ truly understand human temptation if He had no sinful nature?
According to Lloyd-Jones, Christ could and did experience genuine temptation despite having no sinful nature. He offers several arguments: 1) Adam was tempted before he had a sinful nature, proving sinful nature isn't necessary for temptation; 2) Christ experienced the full force of temptation, as Satan likely brought "all his reserves" against Him; 3) Christ experienced human infirmities like weariness, hunger, and sorrow, making Him able to sympathize with our weaknesses. In fact, Lloyd-Jones suggests Christ experienced temptation more intensely than we do.
Why was it necessary for Christ to come "in the likeness of sinful flesh"?
Lloyd-Jones gives six reasons why Christ had to come in human form: 1. To keep and honor God's law as our representative 2. To bear our guilt and punishment in a human body 3. To give believers a new nature by uniting human nature with divine nature 4. To become our sympathetic high priest who understands our struggles 5. To conquer death by passing through it in human form 6. To silence the devil forever by defeating him as a man, proving God's original creation plan wasn't thwarted
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.