Preaching and Salvation
A Sermon on Romans 10:14-17
Originally preached Feb. 21, 1964
Scripture
14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How …
Sermon Description
In this sermon on salvation from Romans 10:14–17 titled “Preaching and Salvation,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones dives into some of the fundamental questions of Christianity: How does one receive salvation? What is the eternal position of those who have not heard? How should the gospel be preached? These questions are important to faith and occur frequently in the mind of the believer. They may be a prevailing source of uncertainty or perhaps doubt. But Dr. Lloyd-Jones quenches these points of uncertainty by focusing on this passage and the interpretation of Paul’s discourse. He goes back to the basics, proclaiming that salvation comes to those who cry out to the Lord. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the dynamic role of preaching and says that it is important because, as Paul writes, believing comes through hearing the good news. The world today is filled with doubt regarding the path to heaven. Is Christ the only way? Dr. Lloyd Jones answers this by drawing upon Scripture and other Christian theologians and shedding light onto the unbeliever’s path, specifically those who have never heard the gospel. Are they beyond the reach of salvation? Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones returns to the Christian fundamentals. Hear the good news preached again and be reminded of God’s sovereign power and incredible love.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is continuing his argument from Romans 9 about why the Jews are rejecting the gospel.
- In Romans 10:14-17, Paul gives two answers for how someone becomes part of the "whosoever" that calls on the Lord:
- The preaching of the gospel to all (Jews and Gentiles) - verses 14-15
- The word is made effective to those who believe - verses 16-17
- Verses 14-15 show that the gospel must be preached to all in order for people to call on the Lord. No one can believe in someone they have not heard of.
- Verses 16-17 show that not all who hear the gospel obey it. Faith comes by hearing the word of God.
- Although Paul's immediate concern is showing why he preaches to Gentiles, he also lays out some important principles:
- Verses 14-15 provide the basis for missionary work and preaching the gospel to all nations.
- The position of those who have never heard the gospel is the same as infants who die - it is a mystery of God's sovereign election. Salvation is through Christ alone, but God is not limited in how He can save people.
- Verses 14-15 show the normal way God saves people is through preaching the gospel, but God can save in other ways too, like illuminating someone's mind directly.
- We should be humble about these mysteries instead of putting forward our own speculations. Salvation is God's work.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Romans 10:14-17
What is the main text that Dr. Lloyd-Jones examines in this sermon?
The main text Dr. Lloyd-Jones examines in this sermon is Romans 10:14-17, which reads: "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent, as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah, Seth lord, who hath believed our report, so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
What is the connection between this passage and the previous section of Romans 10?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the connection is found in the word "then" in verse 14: "How then shall they call on him...?" This indicates a logical progression from what came before. The apostle Paul had established that "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," and now he's addressing how anyone becomes one of these "whosoevers." The connection shows Paul continuing his argument about salvation being available to both Jews and Gentiles through faith rather than works.
What are the two answers Paul gives to the question of how someone becomes a "whosoever"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies two answers Paul gives: 1. First, through the preaching of the Gospel to all people (Jews and Gentiles alike) - covered in verses 14-15 2. Second, through the word being made effective to those who become "whosoever" - covered in verses 16-17
He explains this as the difference between the "general call" that goes out to everyone and the "efficacious call" that leads some to believe.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe this passage's relationship to foreign missions?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls Romans 10:14-17 "the great charter for the foreign mission enterprise." He explains that since salvation is only possible through Christ, and people cannot believe in someone they haven't heard about, the message must be preached to everyone everywhere. This passage provides the biblical foundation and urgent necessity for missionary work—that the good news must be taken to all nations so that people have the opportunity to call upon the name of the Lord.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the primary cause of anyone's condemnation?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the primary cause of anyone's condemnation is the sin of Adam. He references Romans 5:12-21, explaining that when Adam sinned, the entire human race sinned in him. He states: "Every man is born in sin and in condemnation. We have all sinned, and we're all dead in Adam." He emphasizes that people are "condemned already" (John 3) before they even have a chance to reject Christ, contrary to the view that rejection of Christ is what causes condemnation.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones address the question about people who have never heard the gospel?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones rejects two common answers: 1. That people who haven't heard the gospel will be judged by their works (which contradicts justification by faith) 2. That all who haven't heard are automatically saved (which would make missionary work harmful)
Instead, he points to God's sovereign election (Romans 9) as the answer. He argues that while preaching is the normal method God uses for salvation, God can "illuminate men whom and when he pleases" even without external preaching. He believes God can give revelation of Christ to someone who has never heard the gospel message through preachers, just as He can save unconscious infants.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones quote from John Calvin regarding this passage?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones quotes Calvin as saying: "But if any man shall hereby contend to prove that God could not, otherwise than by the means of preaching, infuse or pour his knowledge into men, we deny that to be the meaning of the apostle who had respect only to the ordinary dispensation of God and would not prescribe any law or limitation to his grace." This supports Lloyd-Jones' view that while preaching is the normal means of salvation, it is not the only means God can use.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the logical structure of Paul's argument in verses 14-15?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows how Paul uses a chain of logical questions to work backward from salvation to God's sending: 1. How can they call on someone they don't believe in? 2. How can they believe in someone they haven't heard about? 3. How can they hear without a preacher? 4. How can they preach unless they are sent?
This logical chain establishes that God must send preachers to proclaim the message so that people can hear, believe, and call upon the Lord for salvation.
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.