The Realm of Righteousness
A Sermon on Romans 14:17
Originally preached Feb. 23, 1968
Scripture
17For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Sermon Description
Why do Christians find themselves consumed with less important matters? They often make partial truth encompass truth and the things of less importance are taken out of balance. The church at Rome did this with eating and drinking. The contemporary church does this in doctrine as well as with its various movements – the ecumenical movement, holiness movement, or evangelistic movements. What is the corrective? In this sermon on Romans 14:17 titled “The Realm of Righteousness,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s answer is to point back to the center. As the center is established, every part must align with it. What is the great center of Scripture? The apostle Paul in Romans 14:17 provides the answer: the kingdom of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones traces the kingdom of God throughout the biblical narrative, noting the emphasis Christ gives to the kingdom. Dr. Lloyd-Jones works from a comprehensive definition of the kingdom, noting the general reign of God in the visible church, in addition to the reign of Christ in the hearts of His people. The day is coming when the saints will reign visibly with the king. In light of this, why are Christians consumed with small things like eating and drinking? Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges this fascination with matters much smaller than the kingdom.
Sermon Breakdown
- The kingdom of God is the central theme of the Bible. It refers to God's rule and reign.
- In the Old Testament, the kingdom of God was seen in the nation of Israel. In the New Testament, it is seen in the Christian church. Ultimately, it will be fully established when Christ returns.
- We must never forget the kingdom of God. When we do, we get distracted by minor issues and divide the church.
- Parts of truth and parts of ourselves must not be isolated from the whole. They only have meaning in relation to the kingdom of God.
- We must compare Scripture with Scripture and ensure our interpretations do not contradict the whole.
- We must not make any part of truth central in place of the kingdom of God. Parts are not meant to be at the center.
- Our minds alone, hearts alone or wills alone should not be engaged with the truth. Our whole selves must be involved. A theoretical, emotional or dutiful Christianity is imbalanced.
- To correct imbalance, we must remember the kingdom of God. We must start with centralities, not parts. We must see parts in light of the whole.
- The kingdom of God is within us because Christ is within us. But we will also reign with Christ in the kingdom. We have an exalted future place in the kingdom.
- We must view all matters in light of our identity as citizens of the kingdom of God with an exalted future. Otherwise, we make peripheral issues central and harm the kingdom.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding the Kingdom of God: Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Key Teachings
What is the main principle Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes in Romans 14:17?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes the vital importance of balance, proportion, and perspective in the Christian life. He explains that Paul's statement "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost" is a reminder that Christians often become distracted by minor matters while losing sight of what's truly central. He states, "Most of the troubles in the church always arise through our failure to preserve a sense of balance," comparing this to how the Pharisees tithed mint and spices but "omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith."
What rules does Dr. Lloyd-Jones provide for maintaining proper spiritual balance?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides four key rules: 1. Parts and portions of truth only have importance in their relationship to the whole, not in and of themselves 2. The parts must never be considered in isolation 3. Whatever we think of any individual item must always be consistent with other parts of Scripture 4. We must never so emphasize a part as to make it all-important and place it at the center
As he states, "If you isolate any one of these things and consider it on its own, you're bound to go wrong. And people have gone wrong. Aberrations have always come into being as the result of these various matters being considered in isolation."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define the Kingdom of God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines the Kingdom of God as "the rule of God, the reign of God." He explains that this kingdom is manifested in multiple ways: 1. In the Old Testament, it was seen in the nation of Israel 2. Currently, it is visible in the Christian church 3. It will be manifested fully and visibly when Christ returns 4. It is also present "within every one of us who is a Christian"
He emphasizes that "The Bible ultimately is concerned about the kingdom of God" and that "wherever [Christ] reigns in a human heart, the kingdom of God is there."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about divisions in the church?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that "division in the church is a scandal, it is sin. The church is to be one, and she's to be visibly one." He explains that divisions typically come "owing to the failure of people to realize that there are things which have relative importance, and because they fail to remember this and to take things in their right context, they've gone astray." He attributes the formation of many denominations and movements to this failure of balance and perspective.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say Christians should compare Scripture with Scripture?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that comparing Scripture with Scripture is essential because "heresies have come into being because people have fixed on a particular statement and have elaborated a doctrine on that without taking the trouble to see that it contradicts other statements in the scripture." He emphasizes that "there must never be any contradiction" because "all the parts of truth form an harmonious whole." When we fail to compare Scripture with Scripture, we risk creating theological positions that contradict other clear biblical teachings.
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.