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Sermon #3191

Justified and Glorified

A Sermon on Romans 8:28-30

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Scripture

Romans 8:28-30 ESV KJV
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among …

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Sermon Description

In this sermon on Romans 8:28–30 titled “Justified and Glorified,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues to expound the apostle Paul’s golden chain of redemption and comes to the doctrine of justification. He notes there are different aspects of the teaching that many professing believers leave out. For example, justification is not merely forgiveness. Forgiveness of sin is included, but justification is much bigger. Sinners are declared by God to be totally guiltless through the imputed righteousness of Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that understanding justification in this way is not only essential to Paul’s argument, but is vital for understanding union with Christ. If a Christian is justified, they are in Christ and incorporated into Him. Furthermore, Dr. Lloyd-Jones recognizes how the apostle moves from justification to glorification in this golden chain, noting the implied presence and importance of sanctification for the believer. The Christian has the greatest confidence and assurance of eternal future because Paul depicts glorification as guaranteed. They are certain of glorification because it is bound up in God’s plan. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones walks through one of the apostle Paul’s famous passages for comfort and assurance.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. God's purpose is to bring certain people to final glorification and conformity to Christ. This is the background and context for everything.

  2. There are five steps in how God accomplishes this purpose: foreknowledge, predestination, calling, justification, glorification. We are focusing on the first three steps.

  3. Foreknowledge: God has set his love upon and chosen certain people in a special way. He knows them as he does not know others. This is not just awareness of people, but a selective setting of his love and affection. This can also be described as election or choosing.

  4. Predestination: God has marked out and destined these foreknown people for a particular purpose and end. He has mapped out a destiny for them. This does not mean their will is forced, but that God has determined what will happen to them.

  5. Calling: God calls these predestined people to himself in an effectual manner through the power of the Holy Spirit. He quickens them and brings them to life and faith. Without this, no one would believe. This call is necessary for God's purpose to actually be linked to and become effectual in us. Justification always comes through faith, so calling must precede justification.

  6. The natural man is unable to receive spiritual things and is at enmity with God. Without the effectual call of God, no one would believe the gospel. The call comes with power and assurance through the Holy Spirit.

  7. The call does not force the will but changes our nature and gives us a desire for God and his truth. What we once hated we now love. Our will chooses what our nature desires.

  8. Many other Scriptures teach the necessity and reality of the effectual call of God, including John 6:44, Acts 13:48, Acts 16:14, Acts 11:18, 2 Timothy 1:9.

  9. The conversion of Paul is a picture of how the effectual call works. God revealed Christ to him, and he could not help but believe and desire to serve. The Spirit works in a similar way in all believers.

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.