Submitted to the Will of God
A Sermon on Romans 1:7-15
Originally preached Feb. 3, 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
Perhaps the pastoral question most often asked by the Christian church concerns the will of God. Christians want to know what decisions they ought to make. They want to make plans, but are often perplexed and overwhelmed by the prospect of making the wrong decision. Many faithful believers have desires, intentions, and longings for their lives, but hesitate and/or doubt because they wonder if these things are in accord with the will of God. In short, faithful Christians often ask: “How do I know the will of God? How can I be guided by God’s will?” As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says of the apostle Paul in this sermon titled “Submitted to the Word of God” on Romans 1:7–15, nothing is more characteristic of Paul than his submission to God. It would be appropriate then to learn from the great apostle on this topic. Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlines several principles from the apostle Paul’s life which teach about unfulfilled desires, longings, plans, hinderances, open doors, shut doors, and prayers. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes the importance of Christians using minds, reason, common sense, godly counsel, and circumstances in order to determine and interpret God’s will in their lives. A fundamental characteristic for determining God’s will for the Christian is the Holy Spirit’s witness to their spirit. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains what this means and how the Christian can fully submit to the will of God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul tells the Romans certain things about himself and his prayer life. Although he does not explicitly state doctrine, he introduces vital and precious doctrine.
- Paul refers to God as "my God." He has a personal relationship with God and accesses him through Jesus Christ.
- Paul has a ministry of intercession where he prays for others constantly, including the Romans.
- Paul submits himself completely to the will of God. He wants to visit the Romans but will only do so if it is God's will.
- Paul has an intense desire to see the Romans. He longs to see them and has planned to visit them for years.
- Paul will only act if it is the will of God. He prays to be "prospered" by God's will to visit them. He waits for God to make the way clear.
- Paul accepts hindrances as God's will. God uses hindrances to guide his servants. Hindrances have prevented Paul from visiting the Romans.
- Hindrances for Paul include: work to be done where he is, sickness, circumstances outside of his control, Satan, and the Holy Spirit's direct leading.
- The Holy Spirit directly leads Paul by forbidding him from going to Asia and not allowing him to go to Bithynia. Paul is sensitive to the Spirit's leading.
- Although hindered, Paul continues praying to visit the Romans. He does not give up or become discouraged.
- God led Paul to do great things through hindrances, like preaching in Europe after being forbidden from Asia and Bithynia.
- Paul eventually reached Rome in chains as a prisoner, not as he had planned. Man proposes but God disposes.
- Christians must submit themselves completely to God's will. They should make their requests known to God but say "if it be thy will."
- The Christian life is full of surprises, prohibitions, restraints, and hindrances as God's will unfolds. Peace comes from submitting to God's will.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Submission to God's Will
What did Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the importance of submission to God's will?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones taught that complete submission to God's will is vital for Christian living. Based on Paul's example in Romans 1:7-15, he emphasized that believers must have desires and plans but always hold them loosely, subject to God's direction. Lloyd-Jones noted that "there is only one place of safety, there is only one place of peace, there is only one place of perpetual joy, and that is to be entirely submitted in all things to the will of God." He stressed this submission isn't passive but active—we can have intense desires while still saying, "Not my will, but Thine."
How did Paul demonstrate submission to God's will according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, Paul demonstrated submission to God's will in several ways: 1. He had an intense desire to visit Rome for many years (he "longed" to see them) 2. He had made plans to visit Rome on his way to Spain 3. Yet he always qualified his plans with "by the will of God" (Romans 1:10) 4. He continued praying about his desire even when hindered 5. He accepted hindrances as part of God's guidance 6. He remained sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading, even when it contradicted his logical plans
Lloyd-Jones noted that Paul's eventual arrival in Rome as a prisoner demonstrated how "man proposes, but God disposes."
What did Lloyd-Jones teach about hindrances in the Christian life?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identified several types of hindrances that God uses in guidance:
- Ministry priorities - Paul was hindered from visiting Rome because he needed to complete evangelism elsewhere first
- Physical limitations - Illness or other circumstances that prevent action
- Satanic opposition - Satan can "dig a trench" to prevent progress (1 Thessalonians 2:18)
- Direct spiritual prohibition - The Holy Spirit can forbid an action internally (Acts 16:6-7)
Lloyd-Jones emphasized we should "not despise hindrances" as they may be God's way of redirecting us to something better, just as Paul's prohibition from preaching in Asia and Bithynia led him to Europe instead.
What is the proper approach to seeking God's guidance according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones outlined a process for seeking God's guidance:
- Use your mind and reasoning - "God has given us minds...and we are meant to use them"
- Pay attention to circumstances - "God will open a door, and God will shut a door"
- Consult with others - "You can consult other people if you like"
- But ultimately listen to the Holy Spirit's inner witness - "The most important and the most crucial of all is this witness of the Holy Spirit in our spirits"
Lloyd-Jones used the analogy of a train: everything may be ready (reasoning, circumstances), but the train doesn't move until "the signal drops" - the inner assurance from the Spirit. He warned: "Even though everything else may seem favorable, the Holy Spirit finally can prohibit a thing or not suffer it."
How does Lloyd-Jones connect prayer with submission to God's will?
Lloyd-Jones taught that persistent prayer should always accompany submission. He highlighted how Paul continued praying about visiting Rome despite years of hindrances. Lloyd-Jones encouraged believers not to "become discouraged...almost annoyed with God" when prayers aren't immediately answered, but to follow Paul's example who "still goes on praying, making his request known unto God, expressing his heart's desire."
He emphasized that prayers should always include "if it be thy will" like Christ's prayer in Gethsemane: "If it be possible, let this cup pass by nevertheless, not my will, but thine." This combination of persistent prayer with willing submission was "the ultimate secret of this man's life and his great usefulness in the kingdom 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.