Judicial Blindness
A Sermon on Romans 11:7-10
Originally preached Oct. 30, 1964
Scripture
7What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded 8(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) …
Sermon Description
The passages in Scripture that refer to God hardening someone’s heart or blinding them to the truth can be confusing. This can be a troubling passage and topic for many people because it often leads to more questions than answers. In this sermon on Romans 11:7–11 titled “Judicial Blindness,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides helpful answers and a good starting point for people wrestling through this issue. Dr. Lloyd-Jones refers to this blinding as a “judicial blindness” where God ceases striving. There are many instances recorded in Scripture where God removed His control and allowed negative things to happen so that people would learn. Yet there is a step beyond this when sometimes God is even said to harden someone’s heart. Those who are hardened and blinded are unable to do or believe anything outside of their current state. Is this a punishment or is it at random? Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides his opinion for how this progresses — in short, that disobedience against God leads naturally to the hardening of the person’s heart. Ultimately, he says, the doctrine of election makes sense of this topic that can be so difficult to navigate. Listen as he guides the listener through this challenging passage.
Sermon Breakdown
- Wrong seeking is extremely dangerous. We must seek God in the right way through Jesus Christ alone.
- Judicial blindness refers to God withdrawing his grace and hardening the hearts of those who continually reject him. This is a form of punishment.
- God does not create sin or directly harden hearts. He simply withdraws his grace which naturally allows our sinful hearts to become hardened. He does this to demonstrate the evil of sin.
- Examples of judicial blindness include Pharaoh, Israel at the time of Jesus, and potentially the church today. Affluence and comfort have led much of the church astray.
- We should stop presenting the truth to those who continually blaspheme and reject it. We should continue praying for them but stop actively engaging them.
- Revivals are completely in God's hands. We cannot manufacture revival through our own efforts and techniques. Revival comes when God softens hearts, not when we do certain things.
- We should continue praying for revival and have comfort knowing that God is in control. Our duty is to continue preaching the gospel.
Sermon Q&A
What is Judicial Blindness in Romans 11 According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Romans 11:7-10, judicial blindness is a critical doctrine that helps explain why Israel as a nation did not receive salvation despite seeking it. Here's what he teaches about this concept:
What is judicial blindness according to Lloyd-Jones?
Judicial blindness refers to a spiritual condition where God allows certain people to become hardened in their unbelief, making them incapable of believing the gospel. As Lloyd-Jones explains, "The rest were blinded. God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear."
How does God bring about judicial blindness?
Lloyd-Jones outlines several ways this happens:
- "God ceases to strive" with people who continually resist Him
- God "withdraws all the restraining influences" as explained in Romans 1
- God allows an actual "hardening" process in the most severe cases
Is judicial blindness only punitive?
Lloyd-Jones explains: "It is chiefly a form of punishment. In other words, it works like this, that light, rejected in and of itself, produces hardening and hardness." However, he suggests there's also something more than punishment happening - God is demonstrating through these cases "the enormity of sin, its terrible character."
Does God create sin in people through judicial blindness?
Lloyd-Jones is adamant: "God did not create sin. It is impossible that he should do so. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. God didn't create sin. God never made any man a sinner."
Rather, God takes existing sin and resistance and magnifies it: "All that God does in this process of judicial blindness is that he exaggerates it, as it were. It's like putting a microscope, a high powered microscope, upon it."
What practical applications does this doctrine have?
- It helps explain the widespread rejection of Christianity in modern society
- It suggests there's a point when we should stop presenting the gospel to those who blaspheme
- It corrects the view that revivals can be manufactured through human techniques
As Lloyd-Jones concludes: "It is God who gives revival. God hardens. God softens... This is our comfort. You see that God is always in control."
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.