Submit to God's Righteousness
A Sermon on Romans 10:1-3
Originally preached May 24, 1963
Scripture
1Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own …
Sermon Description
Since the inception of the church, Christianity has battled the false belief of justification by works. In its modern Western form, many wrongly understand the gospel to mean going to church, doing good, or being a “nice” person. In this sermon on Romans 10:1–3 titled “Submit to God’s Righteousness,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims that the current Christian culture continues to preach self-righteousness, self-reliance, and self-dependence. In its primitive form, the apostle Paul holds up the Pharisees as the prime example of those who are zealous for doing good works and yet are ignorant of what God’s righteousness requires in the gospel. Their lack of knowledge has set them against the God they claim to serve. They would rather construct their own righteousness than submit to the righteousness of God found in the gospel of Christ. The Pharisees, and many today as well, are trapped in believing they can save themselves. The problem, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is that the last people to believe the gospel and be saved are always those who think that they can save themselves. What is needed is the gospel of grace. What needs to be known and heard is the truth of what the Scriptures say God’s righteousness requires. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones speaks of the tendency towards justification by works and the remedy, submitting to the gospel of grace.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Jews had a zeal for God but lacked knowledge. Their ignorance and lack of understanding led to their tragedy.
- The Jews were ignorant of God's demands and righteousness. They did not fully understand what God required of them.
- The Jews were ignorant that the righteousness they boasted in was their own righteousness, not God's. They wrongly thought they could establish their own righteousness through works.
- The Jews' own righteousness was useless as it was not what God demanded, was based on a false view of man's sinfulness, led to self-righteousness, and ignored what God said about righteousness.
- The Jews were ignorant of God's way of righteousness and salvation through faith in Christ. They refused to submit to God's righteousness.
- The Jews were without excuse for their ignorance as the Old Testament pointed to salvation by grace through faith. The coming of Christ and the preaching of the apostles also pointed to this truth.
- To be saved, one must submit to God's righteousness through faith in Christ. One must stop trying to establish their own righteousness.
- John Wesley is a perfect example of one who was ignorant of God's righteousness and tried to establish his own righteousness through works. He finally understood and submitted to God's righteousness through faith in Christ.
- True Christianity is trusting utterly and only in Christ for salvation. It is the gift of God, not of works.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About Ignorance of God's Righteousness?
What was the main reason for the Jews' rejection of the gospel according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the Jews rejected the gospel primarily because they were "ignorant of God's righteousness." As he states in the sermon, "They being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Their problem wasn't a lack of religious zeal but rather that their zeal was "not according to knowledge." They misunderstood what God truly demanded and therefore pursued the wrong kind of righteousness.
What are the three ways people are ignorant of God's righteousness according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three ways people are ignorant of God's righteousness: 1. They are ignorant of what God's law truly demands (the righteousness God requires) 2. They do not know that the righteousness they boast of is merely their own self-righteousness 3. They are ignorant of God's way of righteousness and salvation (the righteousness God provides)
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the activity of trying to establish one's own righteousness?
Lloyd-Jones describes this as "going about to establish their own righteousness." He explains this is "a strong word" that "carries the whole notion of a strenuous effort, a strenuous endeavor... a toilsome labor." He compares it to Martha being "cumbered about with many things" and to people who "compass sea and land" to make one proselyte. It involves endless religious activity, self-sacrifice, and moral effort aimed at making oneself acceptable to God through personal achievements.
What historical example does Lloyd-Jones use to illustrate someone seeking to establish their own righteousness?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses John Wesley as his primary example, describing how Wesley gave up his fellowship at Oxford, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to preach to natives in Georgia, and undertook many religious activities trying to make himself righteous before God. Lloyd-Jones notes that May 24, 1738 (the very day of his sermon) was the 225th anniversary of Wesley's Aldersgate experience when Wesley finally understood salvation by faith alone.
Why does Lloyd-Jones say self-righteousness is particularly dangerous?
Lloyd-Jones explains that self-righteousness is "of all things, the most hateful in the sight of God." It's dangerous because: 1. It is based on a false view of human ability to satisfy God 2. It denies the biblical doctrine of the fall and human inability 3. It leads to pride and self-satisfaction rather than humility 4. It ignores what God has said about our true condition 5. It blinds people to their need for the gospel 6. It is "the most severe denunciation of any kind of character" found in Scripture
What does it mean to "submit to the righteousness of God" according to the sermon?
According to Lloyd-Jones, submitting to God's righteousness means: 1. Stopping all efforts to establish your own righteousness 2. Giving up, surrendering, and giving in to God's verdict about you 3. Admitting you are in a state of "utter condemnation" 4. Acknowledging that your own righteousness is "as filthy rags" 5. Ceasing to defend yourself or justify yourself 6. Accepting that you are completely helpless to save yourself 7. Gratefully accepting God's provision of righteousness in Christ 8. Doing this immediately, without delay, "just as I am"
How did Lloyd-Jones contrast the "going about" with "submission" in salvation?
Lloyd-Jones presents these as direct opposites. "Going about" involves constant activity, effort, and work to establish one's own righteousness. "Submission" is stopping all that activity and simply receiving what God provides. He uses a military metaphor, saying a person who joins the army must submit to rules and regulations regardless of their individualism. Similarly, salvation requires submitting to God's way of righteousness rather than pursuing our own.
What lessons can we learn from John Wesley's conversion experience?
From Wesley's experience, Lloyd-Jones highlights: 1. Even religious, educated, and moral people need true conversion 2. A person can be zealous but still lack saving faith 3. The doctrine of faith is "intolerable" to religious people because it robs them of their self-righteousness 4. Conversion is often instantaneous rather than gradual 5. True assurance comes only through faith in Christ alone 6. Salvation is entirely of grace, not of works 7. A genuine conversion transforms one's effectiveness in ministry
According to Lloyd-Jones, what is true Christianity?
According to the sermon, true Christianity is knowing that your sins are forgiven and that you are a child of God through complete trust in Christ. As he states in the conclusion: "My dear friend, do you know that your sins are forgiven? Do you know that you are a child of God? That's true Christianity. You trust utterly, only entirely to him. You submit yourself just as you are to God's way of righteousness and of salvation. This is true Christianity. Nothing that we do, it is the gift of God."
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.