Saving Faith
A Sermon on Saving Faith
Scripture
Sermon Description
“Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” The author of Hebrews 11 is clear: the path to pleasing God is paved by saving faith. Faith is the channel through which salvation in Jesus Christ is given to a believer. What exactly is faith? Is there a place for reason? In this sermon on saving faith, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones analyzes the two elements of saving faith through the lens of Scripture: an assent to the truth of Christianity, and a firm commitment to living it out. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, the latter is needed to understand Jesus’s teachings on a life of full surrender. Though faith involves the mind and intellect, it also involves the heart. Additionally, Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents the case for why faith and reason are not at odds with each other, as is commonly claimed today by secularists. Though reason can lead to many conclusions about God and His word, it can only take a person so far— belief in Christ and not one’s works or mental assent is needed. Nothing else in this world will satisfy.
Sermon Breakdown
- Faith is not a natural faculty that every person has. It is a gift from God.
- Faith comes by hearing the word of God. It is brought about by the truth of the scriptures.
- Faith includes belief in the truth, trust in God, and commitment to God. It involves the mind, heart, and will.
- Faith is not merely intellectual assent to the truth. It engages the whole person.
- Faith is not contrary to reason but goes beyond reason. It accepts revelation from God.
- Faith requires knowledge and understanding of certain essential truths like the holiness of God, human sinfulness, and the person and work of Christ. But it does not require comprehensive understanding.
- Essential truths necessary for faith include belief in God, human sinfulness, and the atoning work of Christ. Other truths contribute to a full, balanced faith.
Great Biblical Doctrines
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.