My God; Through Jesus Christ
A Sermon on Romans 1:7-15
Originally preached Jan. 27, 1956
Scripture
7To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. …
Sermon Description
Conversion is not the end of the Christian journey; it’s the beginning. The apostle Paul was aware of this and longed to visit the Christians in Rome so that he might strengthen them. In this sermon titled “My God, Through Jesus Christ” from Romans 1:7–15, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones displays the apostle Paul’s love for others which stems from his confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. Filled with the Spirit, Paul’s passion is clearly seen as he thinks of others, prays for them, and seeks to visit them. Among many Christians today, the primary concern is for oneself. A person talks about their own personal journey toward God. It’s not uncommon to hear a Christian declare, “I'm just focusing on myself right now.” But is this the way of Christ? Through Jesus, Christians have confidence before God. Christians are no longer simply “seeking God,” but rather seeking to love others through the assurance they have found in Jesus Christ. Listen in as Dr. Lloyd-Jones demonstrates how the gospel motivated Paul, not only with the desire to visit and strengthen others, but to pray for them. As Paul comes to God in prayer, he comes through the one in whom he has such confidence: the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the way of salvation and the Christian desires all others to be built up in Him.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul begins by wishing grace and peace to the Romans from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Paul thanks God for the Romans, especially for their faith which is proclaimed throughout the world.
- Paul expresses his strong desire to visit the Romans in order to strengthen and establish them in the faith. He wants to impart some spiritual gift to them.
- Paul wants to visit the Romans so that he can have fruit among them, just as he has had among other Gentiles.
- Paul serves God with his whole spirit in preaching the gospel of God's Son.
- Paul prays for the Romans constantly, making mention of them always in his prayers.
- Paul emphasizes that he can only thank God through Jesus Christ. There is no access to God apart from Christ.
- Paul demonstrates the importance of intercessory prayer by praying constantly for the Romans even though he has never met them.
- Paul submits himself fully to God's will.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Romans 1:7-15
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the reason Paul longed to see the Roman Christians?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Paul specifically states in Romans 1:11 that he longed to see the Roman Christians "that I may impart into you some spiritual gift to the end that ye may be established." Paul's primary concern wasn't seeing Rome's famous buildings or meeting the emperor, but rather to establish, strengthen, and build up these believers in their faith.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say that conversion is just a beginning and not an end?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that "conversion is not an end, it's a beginning." He points out that if conversion were the end, none of the New Testament epistles would have been written. New believers are described as "babes in Christ" who need to be strengthened, established, fed, and trained. This is why Paul wanted to visit the Roman Christians - to help establish them in their faith.
What dangers do new Christians face that require them to be established in the faith?
According to the sermon, new Christians face several dangers: 1. Attacks from Satan who becomes especially interested in them after conversion 2. Doubts about the validity of their conversion experience 3. Discouragement that can make them "miserable Christians" 4. False teachings that can lead them astray 5. Temptations to sin with the deceptive idea that "it doesn't matter what you do" 6. Being "carried about by every wind of doctrine"
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones find fascinating about Paul's use of the word "first" in Romans 1:8?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones finds it fascinating that Paul says "first" but never follows with "second" or "third." He sees this as revealing Paul's character - that though Paul had "perhaps the greatest mind and intellect that the world has ever seen," he wasn't a slave to formal structure. His heart often controlled him "at the expense of his mind," showing he was "living in the realm of the spirit" rather than being tied to literary forms.
According to the sermon, what is the most vital thing about prayer?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests that the most vital aspect of prayer is the personal relationship with God evidenced by Paul's phrase "I thank my God" rather than simply "I thank God." This personal relationship is the essence of the new covenant where God says, "I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." True prayer requires knowing God personally, not praying to some vague or distant deity.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize Paul's phrase "through Jesus Christ" in his prayer?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that there is "no knowledge of God at all and no access to God at all except through the Lord Jesus Christ." He points out that Paul couldn't even thank God except through Christ. This exclusive claim is essential to Christianity and contradicts any idea of uniting all faiths or suggesting that other religions provide true access to God. Only through Christ as our "great high priest" can we "come boldly to the throne of grace."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe Paul's intercession for others?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlights that despite being incredibly busy with "the care of all the churches" and working as a tentmaker, Paul still found time to pray for others "without ceasing." He prayed regularly for Christians he had never met, like those in Rome. Lloyd-Jones suggests that the proportion of time spent praying for others versus ourselves is "a delicate and subtle test of our growth in grace and our true spirituality."
What danger does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify in modern church worship?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns against paying so much attention to form that we forget substance. He says, "We are so set and so formal today" with structured points and alliteration that we "force the truth into our little system." He cautions that the church may "die of dignity and fail to be a living instrument in the hands of the living God" if we value decorum over the freedom of the Spirit.
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.