Spiritual Gifts (2)
A Sermon on Romans 12:6
Originally preached Feb. 18, 1966
Scripture
6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Sermon Description
Perhaps no topic in evangelical circles stirs more controversy than the nature and function of spiritual gifts. There can sometimes be a great divide between ‘cessationists’ and ‘continuationists’ on the “unusual” gifts. In this sermon on Romans 12:6 titled “Spiritual Gifts (2),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks with clarity and boldness on the topic. In arguing for the continuation of all the gifts – including the unusual gifts – he answers specific objections posed by ‘cessationists’. One unique feature of this sermon is Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s reminder to all camps of the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in both the dispensing of gifts and withholding of gifts. The Spirit alone determines the manifestation of all gifts but the Spirit can be quenched. This difficult balance is maintained in this message where he warns that quenching the Spirit results in not just a lack of unusual gifts, but also the hinderance of the “regular” gifts. Moreover, he helpfully answers one of the most practical questions in the Christian life: how does one know their particular gift? With practical application and in-depth teaching on prophesy, tongues and miraculous gifts, Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds on the great doctrine of spiritual gifts.
Sermon Breakdown
- The gifts mentioned in Romans 12 are spiritual gifts, not natural gifts. They are given by God's grace alone.
- These gifts are only given to believers. Believers should covet these gifts to edify the church, not for personal gain.
- Believers should be satisfied with whatever gift God gives them and not be jealous of others' gifts.
- These gifts did not cease with the apostolic age. Many of the gifts like ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, and showing mercy are still evident today.
- The absence of certain gifts today may be due to the low spirituality of the church, not because those gifts have ceased. We must be careful not to limit God's Spirit.
- God's sovereignty means He can give or withhold gifts as He wills for His purposes. We cannot predict or prophesy how He will act.
- Church history shows God has given both regular gifts that are commonly evident and unusual, exceptional gifts, especially during times of revival.
- To know your gift, seek to know God, submit to Him, and your gift will become evident. The church can also help confirm your gift.
- The gift of prophecy is the inspired delivery of a message from God, including warning, exhortation, instruction, judgment, and revealing secrets.
- Prophecy differs from preaching and teaching in its immediacy. Prophecy is a spontaneous revelation, while preaching and teaching involve study and preparation.
- Prophecy can come through preaching or teaching when God gives an unprepared, inspired message. Prophecy may be given to women, though they are not permitted to preach or teach.
- We must be careful and humble in approaching these spiritual gifts, not limiting God but also avoiding foolish fanaticism. We need God's Word and Spirit to guide us.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About Spiritual Gifts in Romans 12:6?
What is Dr. Lloyd-Jones' view on whether spiritual gifts have continued beyond the apostolic age?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones firmly believes that spiritual gifts have continued beyond the apostolic age and are still relevant today. He argues against those who claim these gifts ended with the apostolic period or with the completion of Scripture. He points out that many of the gifts listed in Romans 12:6-8 (ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, showing mercy) are clearly evident in the church today. Lloyd-Jones states: "If any of these gifts have been in evidence throughout the history of the church, and still are, well, then, why not all? It's a fair question to put." He also suggests that a lack of manifestation of certain gifts might be due to "the low state of spirituality of the church" rather than their cessation.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones categorize spiritual gifts in his sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones divides spiritual gifts into two main categories:
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Regular gifts - Those that are "constantly, normally in evidence and in manifestation, apart from days of backsliding and of quenching of the spirit." These include most of the gifts mentioned in Romans 12 (excluding prophecy): ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, and showing mercy.
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Unusual gifts - The exceptional or extraordinary manifestations that appear less regularly. These would include miracles, healings, and certain manifestations of prophecy, which tend to appear more prominently during times of revival or special outpourings of the Spirit.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define the gift of prophecy in this sermon?
Lloyd-Jones defines prophecy as "a direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit" given to a person to deliver "a word from God, or the word of God" to the church. Citing 1 Corinthians 14:3, he explains that prophecy involves "speaking unto men to edification and exhortation and comfort."
He further describes it as "the inspired delivery of warning, exhortation, instruction, judging and making manifest the secrets of the heart." What distinguishes prophecy from preaching or teaching is what he calls "immediacy" - it is something given directly in the moment rather than prepared through study. While preaching and teaching involve careful preparation and systematic presentation, prophecy is something "revealed" spontaneously.
How can Christians discover their spiritual gifts according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides several practical insights on discovering one's spiritual gifts:
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The gift will manifest itself naturally: "They just find themselves singing. That's what happens. They don't sit down and say in a kind of vacuum, now, I wonder what my gift is."
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Focus on seeking God, not the gift: "All you and I have got to do is this. We've got to seek to know him and we've got to submit ourselves to him. We've got to tell him that we don't care what we do nor what we are, as long as we are his and are functioning as he wants us to do."
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The church confirms gifts: "Other people can confirm which is your gift, and it is one of the duties of the christian church as a whole to do this." The church can both question claims people make about gifts they think they have and help people recognize gifts they don't realize they possess.
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Don't worry about identifying your gift: "It is wrong of you to be worried about it. Don't be worried about it." Many who are concerned may already be exercising their gifts without realizing it.
What warning does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give about interpreting Scripture regarding spiritual gifts?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns against interpreting Scripture based on our own experience rather than testing our experience by Scripture. He states: "One of the greatest dangers, it's always seemed to me, is this, that we interpret the scriptures in the light of our experience instead of testing our experience by the teaching of the scripture."
He cautions against two extremes: those who say all extraordinary gifts ended with the apostles, and those who insist everyone must manifest certain gifts (like speaking in tongues). He considers both positions to be "making manmade rules" that are "equally unscriptural."
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in distributing gifts: "We don't decide these things. Our business, our duty, is to be open always to his gracious influences and to what he may decide to do." He warns that creating rigid systems can lead to "quenching the Spirit" as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5.
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.