Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions on Romans 8:34 and the Resurrection

What does the phrase "yea, rather, that is risen again" in Romans 8:34 signify according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the phrase "yea, rather, that is risen again" in Romans 8:34 signifies the essential and central Christian affirmation. He describes it as "a kind of protest" and "an affirmation" that sums up the Christian hope and glory. The "yea, rather" conveys all the sense of triumph, victory, joy, and exhilaration that characterizes the New Testament gospel. It suggests that while Christ's death is crucial, His resurrection is even more significant for our assurance and hope.

How does the resurrection prove the sufficiency of Christ's work on the cross according to the sermon?

The resurrection proves the sufficiency of Christ's work on the cross by demonstrating that His sacrifice was fully accepted by God. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, the mere fact of death upon the cross would never give us final assurance - we might wonder if the weight of sin was too much even for Him. The resurrection is God's way of proclaiming and announcing to the world that Christ's work was sufficient. He states: "God sets him forth in the fact, the mighty fact of the resurrection, to proclaim that he satisfied all the demands of the law have been fulfilled. The punishment of every single sin has been meted out." The resurrection shows Christ was strong enough to bear our guilt and conquer death itself.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the connection between resurrection and assurance for believers?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the resurrection provides complete assurance for believers. He explains that "The Christian is not a man who's hoping to be saved. The Christian, the true Christian, is a man who knows that he's saved, and who is rejoicing in that knowledge and is full of a spirit of victory and of triumph and of hope." The resurrection removes all uncertainty about whether our sins are forgiven. He says, "There should be no uncertainty in our minds as to whether our sins are forgiven. The resurrection is a declaration of it." This leads to the confidence that "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus."

According to the sermon, how does Christ's resurrection affect our relationship with death?

The resurrection transforms our relationship with death by conquering it as "the last enemy." Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ's resurrection allows believers to "look into the face of death and smile because we know that he is conquered." He references 1 Corinthians 15, where death is "swallowed up in victory," and challenges his listeners: "Do you stand with me this morning and look into the face of death and say, O death, where is thy sting? Can you look into your own open grave and say, O grave, where is thy victory?" He insists that if we truly believe in the resurrection, we should no longer fear death, as Christ has "brought life and immortality to light."

What does it mean that Christ "maketh intercession for us" according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones clarifies that Christ making intercession for us does not mean He's pleading that we might be forgiven - that work was completed on the cross. Rather, Christ's intercession means "looking after our interests." He points to John 17 as the model of Christ's intercessory prayer, where Jesus never mentions sin forgiveness but prays for believers' well-being in the world. Lloyd-Jones explains: "Our Lord knows the kind of world we are in... And he's there at the right hand of God... to obtain for us everything we need, every needed grace, every needed strength." This intercession ensures we receive all the resources we need to face life's challenges.

How does the sermon connect Christ's resurrection to the future resurrection of believers?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that Christ's resurrection guarantees the future bodily resurrection of believers. He emphasizes that salvation is not merely spiritual but includes our physical bodies: "The body is going to be raised. These feeble, frail bodies of ours, subject to tiredness and weariness, subject to diseases and pestilences...are going to be raised." Quoting Romans 8, he explains that "if the spirit of Christ is in you, very well, it's a guarantee that your very body is going to be raised up and quickened and made glorious like unto that of Christ." Christ is "the first born from among the dead," and believers will follow, being transformed to be like Him: "we shall see him as he is, and we shall be like him."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as inappropriate attitudes or misconceptions about the Christian life?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several inappropriate attitudes and misconceptions about the Christian life. He states it's "an utter travesty of Christianity" to see Christians as people who are "painfully, warily trying to make themselves christians, and who spend their time in bemoaning their sins, trying to be better, but ever failing." He also rejects the notion of the church as "a mournful society" or "a gathering of people who've given up certain things, but who've got very little in return, but who are in a spirit of fear, just painfully trying not to sin." Instead, he emphasizes that true Christianity is characterized by assurance, triumph, victory, and joy.