They Glorified God
A Sermon on Galatians 1:21-24
Scripture
21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22I was still unknown by sight to the churches of Judea which are in Christ; 23but they only kept hearing, “The man who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” …
21Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; 22And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: 23But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. 24And …
Sermon Description
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones opens his sermon by reading from Galatians 1:21-24. Within, Paul addresses the early church, giving a brief overstory of his life, explaining how he used to persecute the church. But after his conversion, when Christians saw him preaching the faith he sought to destroy, they glorified God. This personal history Paul gives, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, is important for many reasons. Firstly, it gives an account of a great historical mover. Even secular thought cannot deny the influence of Paul. But secondly, Paul’s account reveals the power of Christ in a person’s life. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points back to perilous moments in Paul’s life, the times he was incarcerated or beaten. But he did not turn from the faith. He praised God, from whom he drew his strength. This is how the Gospel can change a person’s life, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says. Christianity is more than a religion of morals. True Christianity changes a person. He or she becomes a new creation. The early church saw this within Paul, and they praised God for it. Dr. Lloyd-Jones closes his sermon by offering this life changing Gospel. For it is through the Good News that men and women understand Christ’s love and lasting peace.
Face to Face with Christ
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.