Why Christ Died
A Sermon on Romans 10:9-10
Originally preached Nov. 1, 1963
Scripture
9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Sermon Description
What is the content of saving faith? Why is the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ significant? In this sermon on Romans 10:9–10 titled “Why Christ Died,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses these vital questions. The belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. It is these beliefs that form the heart of the Christian faith because only through Jesus becoming a man and dying for the sins of fallen people can God forgive sinners. Jesus came to this earth in the form of a servant in order to die and the resurrection declared not only that Christ had died for sinners, but it declared His victory over death, sin, and Satan. Christians have a living Savior who, after atoning for sin, ascended into heaven where He now rules over the whole earth and from where He will come to judge the living and the dead. The resurrection, explains Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is God’s public proclamation to the whole universe that he is satisfied with His son who has honored the law completely. God is proclaiming that He and His law are completely satisfied.
Sermon Breakdown
- The content of saving faith includes believing Jesus is Lord and God raised him from the dead.
- Believing Jesus is Lord means believing He is the eternal Son of God, the Lord of glory.
- Believing God raised Jesus from the dead implies believing Jesus died and why He died.
- Jesus died willingly though He could have avoided it. He set His face to go to Jerusalem to die.
- Jesus died to give His life as a ransom for many, to finish the work the Father gave Him to do, and to sanctify Himself for His people.
- After the resurrection, Jesus explained to His disciples from Scripture why the Messiah had to suffer and die. The apostles preached the same message.
- Paul preached that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead, and that Jesus is the Christ.
- The resurrection proves Jesus is the Son of God and shows why He died. His death paid for our sins and satisfied God's wrath and law.
- The resurrection proclaims God's acceptance of Christ's work and that salvation is complete. Jesus died to sin once for all.
- There is no condemnation for those in Christ because He died for our sins and was raised for our justification.
Sermon Q&A
Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 10:9-10: Understanding Saving Faith
What is the content of saving faith according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the content of saving faith has two main components as outlined in Romans 10:9-10: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." The first component is confessing "Jesus is Lord," recognizing Him as the eternal Son of God, the Lord of glory. The second component is believing that God raised Jesus from the dead, which encompasses the entire work of Christ from incarnation to ascension, including His atoning death.
Why does Paul emphasize the resurrection rather than Christ's death in Romans 10:9?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul emphasizes the resurrection because it is "in the light of this alone that we are able to understand other aspects of the truth." The resurrection proves who Jesus is and explains why He died. By mentioning the beginning (Jesus is Lord) and the end (resurrection), Paul includes everything that came between. The resurrection is the ultimate proof of Jesus' divinity and the final validation of His work on the cross.
What does the resurrection teach us about why Christ died?
The resurrection helps answer the question: "If Jesus is Lord, why did He die?" Lloyd-Jones points out that this was a stumbling block for the disciples. The resurrection demonstrates that Christ died purposefully—"to give his life a ransom for many" as Jesus Himself stated. After His resurrection, Jesus explained to His disciples that His death was necessary to fulfill Scripture and provide forgiveness of sins. His death was substitutionary—He died "for our sins," as Paul emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.
What doctrines are implicitly contained in the confession that "God raised Jesus from the dead"?
Lloyd-Jones shows that this confession implicitly contains several essential doctrines: 1. The doctrine of the atonement - Christ died as our substitute 2. The doctrine of sin and the fall of man 3. The doctrine of God's wrath upon sin 4. The doctrine of justification by faith 5. The sufficiency of Christ's work on the cross
He states: "You cannot really believe truly in the resurrection without believing in the doctrine of the wrath of God upon all sin."
How does the resurrection provide assurance of salvation?
The resurrection is God's public declaration that Christ's work is finished and accepted. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes Paul's statement in Romans 4:25 that Christ "was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification." The resurrection proves that God is satisfied with Christ's atoning work. As Lloyd-Jones states, "In raising him from the dead, God is proclaiming that he and his law are absolutely satisfied and that the work of salvation is complete."
Why does Lloyd-Jones criticize modern approaches to Christianity?
Lloyd-Jones criticizes "philosophic talk which is so rampant today in the name of Christianity" because it departs from the apostolic gospel. He states that "people get into trouble because they will not believe the scriptures." He warns against those who treat biblical teachings as mere symbols or primitive notions, noting that when someone denies one doctrine, they eventually deny them all since Christian doctrine is interconnected: "Every one of these doctrines belongs together... Drop out at any one point, you're bound to be in trouble with all the rest."
Why is doctrine important for Christians according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones expresses confusion about Christians who dislike doctrine, asking: "How do you live? What do you do with yourself? Don't you ever ask any questions?" He explains that doctrine is simply "the biblical answer to our questions" and that understanding doctrine helps us love Christ more: "The Christian is a man who longs to know everything that he can possibly know about this blessed person and what he's done for him. You'll never love him truly unless you do."
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.