Assurance: To the Uncertain and to the Discouraged
A Sermon on Hebrews 4:14-16
Scripture
14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points …
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Hebrews 4:14–16 titled “Assurance: To the Uncertain and to the Discouraged,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses the theme of the preeminence of God, the importance of doctrine, and two crucial prescriptions for the Christian. Christians are unhappy because they are not as certain about their salvation as they ought to be. People like psychology with a little biblical terminology, and feeling like they are good people. The gospel is not merely for comfort. Two things are deemed to be inseparable prescriptions for the Christian. First, hold fast to the confession of the faith. Second, come boldly before the throne. Orthodoxy is not enough. Vague feelings and prayer are not enough. Learn the fallacy of the common phrase: “Christianity is caught not taught.” The Christian is an intellectual who knows who he believes, what he believes, and why he believes it. Hear about the confessions and catechisms created by people of God—Christians need a defined faith on which to hold fast. What is the Christian faith about? Christianity is not just positive thinking and comfort. Look at the person and work of Christ—the resurrection, Christ as representative, High Priest, Son of God, and Son of Man. Christ can sympathize with His people. The throne of justice is also the throne of grace and must be approached with reverence.
Sermon Breakdown
- The epistle to the Hebrews was written to encourage discouraged Christians who were facing persecution and doubting their faith.
- The author's message is the preeminence of Jesus Christ. He alternates between teaching and warning.
- The two things necessary for Christians in this position are: hold fast your profession (believe correct doctrine) and come boldly to the throne of grace (pray). These must be taken together.
- Holding fast the profession means you must know correct doctrine about Jesus Christ. This includes His incarnation, deity, resurrection, ascension, and high priestly work.
- Coming boldly to the throne of grace means praying with confidence and assurance based on knowing Jesus is both God and man, and continues as our high priest.
- We can come boldly because Jesus offered Himself as the sacrifice for our sins, entered the heavenly Holy of Holies with His own blood, and continually intercedes for us.
- We must approach God with reverence but can come boldly to the throne of grace only through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work.
- If God gave His Son to reconcile us as enemies, He will surely give us all things we need as His children. This is the logic and assurance of the Christian faith.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding the High Priesthood of Christ: Questions from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon
What does it mean to "hold fast our profession" according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, "hold fast our profession" means to firmly grasp and maintain the defined doctrines of the Christian faith. He explains that you "can't hold on to something unless you know what you're holding on to," meaning that Christianity must be something that can be defined, described, and stated in propositions. He contrasts this with the modern idea that Christianity is merely a feeling or experience that cannot be defined. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christians must know what they believe about Jesus Christ—His person, His incarnation, His resurrection, and His work as High Priest—and hold firmly to these truths.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones argue that orthodoxy and prayer must be taken together?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that orthodoxy (holding fast to sound doctrine) and prayer (coming boldly to the throne of grace) are "indesolubly linked and must always be taken together." He warns against two common extremes: those who emphasize orthodoxy alone to the exclusion of prayer, and those who emphasize prayer alone without sound doctrine. He states, "A church that is orthodox but which doesn't pray is a failure. A church which only prays and doesn't know her doctrine will soon make shipwreck and end in disaster." Both elements are essential for a healthy Christian life.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the work of Christ as our High Priest?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes Christ as "our great high priest that is passed through the heavens." Unlike the Old Testament high priests who offered animal sacrifices, Jesus "has offered himself as a sacrifice" and "has presented his own blood as a sacrifice for our sins unto God, his heavenly Father." Christ's priesthood is superior because He is both God and man, understands our weaknesses, was tempted as we are yet without sin, and "ever liveth to make intercession for us." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christ's priesthood is "unchangeable" and permanent, unlike the Old Testament priests who died and had to be replaced.
What enables Christians to "come boldly to the throne of grace" according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Christians can approach God's throne boldly only when they are "holding fast to their profession"—when they understand and believe the doctrines about Jesus Christ. What makes bold prayer possible is knowing that Jesus, who is both God and man, understands our weaknesses, having been "tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin." Additionally, knowing that God demonstrated His love by giving His Son for us while we were enemies provides the logical basis for confidence that He will graciously give us everything else we need. Lloyd-Jones states, "You'll never go boldly to the throne of grace until you know your doctrine and are holding fast to it."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones address the modern trend of minimizing doctrine in favor of unity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones strongly criticizes the modern trend of minimizing doctrine for the sake of church unity. He says we are living in times when "we are being told increasingly that the christian faith cannot be described" and that "theology divides." He rejects the idea that Christians should "stop arguing about doctrine" and just "pray together...work together...evangelize together" to achieve unity. Instead, he argues that this approach leads to confusion and spiritual weakness. He declares, "I believe the whole future of the christian church depends upon our coming back to this position" of holding firmly to clear doctrinal statements, as the early church did in formulating creeds and as the Reformers did in writing confessions of faith.
What is the relationship between the resurrection of Christ and prayer according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the resurrection of Christ is essential for confident prayer because it provides assurance that God is satisfied with Christ's sacrifice. He explains that "the resurrection proclaims that he's son of God" and "proclaims another thing, that God is satisfied with his offering, that he's paid the penalty." Without the resurrection, we cannot be certain that God's throne is truly a "throne of grace" where we can find mercy and help. The resurrection demonstrates that "the books are cleared" and God is "ready to give free forgiveness," which gives believers confidence to approach God boldly in prayer.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast true Christian prayer with improper approaches to God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrasts reverent Christian prayer with what he sees as inappropriate familiarity with God. He criticizes those who "seem to think that the hallmark of spirituality is to be familiar with God" and who use casual language like "dear God" repeatedly in prayer. Instead, he emphasizes that prayer is "entering into the presence of the maker and the creator and the sustainer of the whole cosmos" and should be approached "with reverence and godly fear" because "our God is a consuming fire." The believer doesn't have "an easy familiarity with God" but approaches God's throne with both boldness and appropriate reverence.
What logical argument does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use to assure believers of God's grace?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses the apostle Paul's logical argument from Romans 5:10 and 8:32 to assure believers of God's grace. The argument is: "If while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, how much more being reconciled shall we be saved in his life?" Similarly, "He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?" The logic is that if God has already done the greater thing (giving His Son to die for us when we were His enemies), He will certainly do the lesser thing (provide grace and mercy when we approach Him as His reconciled children). This provides logical assurance that God's throne is truly a throne of grace for believers.
Itinerant Preaching
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.