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Sermon #5748

By This Shall All Men Know

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Sermon Description

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preached this sermon titled “By This Shall All Men Know…” at the Evangelical Alliance Ministers’ Conference in 1969, stressing the importance of supplementing the reading of theology with that of history. He encouraged avoiding being abstractly academic without applying theological truths to daily life and to look at the “generals” in history to keep the “particulars” of theology realistic. Listen to what the Roman Catholics said about Protestantism. Who do the facts support? Learn about the denominational divisions of Christianity. If many are based merely on comprehension, are they justified or sinful? Learn of the factors that caused such divisions. Hear of the national churches that hindered the Protestant union and how spiritual elements were overwritten by political ones. Hear of the history of Calvin, Luther, Anabaptists, Presbyterians, and many others. Dr. Lloyd-Jones discusses episcopacy and tradition, essentials and non-essentials, and striving for Protestant union. He shares the significance of the Westminster Confession and other confessions of faith. Avoid the extremes of unrestrained laxity and egotistical rigor, define the differences between error and heresy, and heed the call to be charitable.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The difficulty in choosing a title for this sermon. Dr. Lloyd-Jones struggles with choosing an appropriate title that encompasses the broad scope of church history that will be covered.
  2. An opening prayer acknowledging God's glory and the church's failures. Dr. Lloyd-Jones opens with a prayer confessing the church's unprofitability and failures to live for God's glory.
  3. A quote from Hegel: "We learn from history that we learn nothing from history." Dr. Lloyd-Jones introduces this quote to argue that Christians should learn from history.
  4. The Bible teaches we should learn from history. Dr. Lloyd-Jones cites examples from Psalms and Acts demonstrating that we should learn from history.
  5. The church was united until the Reformation. Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives an overview of how the church in the West was united under the Roman Catholic church until the Protestant Reformation.
  6. The Reformation led to many divisions. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes how the Reformation led to many divisions between groups like Lutherans, Reformed, and Anabaptists as well as divisions within those groups.
  7. Protestants were charged with schism. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says Protestants were charged with schism by Roman Catholics due to these divisions.
  8. The facts seem to support the charge of schism. Dr. Lloyd-Jones admits the divisions seem to support the charge of schism against Protestants.
  9. The Roman Catholic church also had divisions. Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues the Roman Catholic church cannot make this charge given their own history of divisions and schisms.
  10. The division from Rome was justified but other divisions were sinful. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says the Reformation split from Rome was justified but the subsequent divisions were sinful and guilty.
  11. All groups sought unity but still divided. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes the irony that despite seeking unity, the groups still divided from each other.
  12. National churches were a cause of division. Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues national churches led groups to think locally instead of seeking wider unity.
  13. National characteristics were a cause of division. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says differences in national characteristics and temperaments contributed to divisions.
  14. Politics was a major cause of division. Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies politics as a primary driver of divisions, especially the relationship between church and state.
  15. Defining fundamentals caused division. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says difficulty determining what beliefs were essential or nonessential led to divisions.
  16. Tradition and confessions caused division. Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues strict adherence to tradition and historic confessions contributed to divisions.
  17. We have an opportunity for unity today. Dr. Lloyd-Jones believes today's Christians have an opportunity for unity that past generations did not.
  18. We must reject national churches. Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues national churches should be rejected in favor of churches within a nation cooperating.
  19. We must determine essential and nonessential beliefs. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says determining a balance between laxity and rigorism in defining essential and nonessential beliefs is needed for unity.
  20. There remains a broad division between Protestant/evangelical and Catholic views. Dr. Lloyd-Jones sees a broad division between inclusive Catholic views of the church and exclusive evangelical views.
  21. We must not be bound to tradition or historic confessions. Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns against strictly adhering to tradition and historic confessions, arguing they must be reexamined.
  22. The American Presbyterians modified the Westminster Confession. Dr. Lloyd-Jones cites the American Presbyterians modifying the Westminster Confession as an example to follow.
  23. Quotes arguing for unity despite differences. Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares quotes from Puritans arguing for unity despite differences on nonessentials.
  24. A proposal for unity from 1654. Dr. Lloyd-Jones shares a proposal from 1654 outlining 16 fundamentals for unity between Protestants. He argues this could still provide a basis for unity today.
  25. A closing prayer for God's guidance, forgiveness, and unity. Dr. Lloyd-Jones closes with a prayer asking God for guidance, forgiveness, and eventual unity of His people.

Sermon Q&A

Lloyd-Jones on Church Unity: Historical Lessons for Today

What historical factors contributed to the divisions within Protestantism after the Reformation?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, several key factors contributed to the divisions within Protestantism following the Reformation:

  1. The idea of national churches - As the Reformation took place independently in different nations, churches tended to form along national lines, creating natural divisions.

  2. National characteristics - Different temperaments and cultural traits influenced how different peoples approached church matters. For example, the English tended to dislike rigid definitions and preferred compromise, while the Scots liked precise theological definitions.

  3. Politics - Political considerations heavily influenced church decisions. Luther feared the Anabaptists would undermine the Reformation politically; Elizabeth I shaped the Church of England based largely on political concerns.

  4. Individual temperaments - The personalities of key leaders like Luther, with his explosive nature, affected how divisions developed.

  5. Tradition and resistance to change - This was particularly evident in debates over episcopacy, which became "the rock at which they all struck."

  6. Disagreements over fundamentals versus non-essentials - Churches divided over what constituted essential doctrine versus secondary matters.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones view the historical divisions between Roman Catholics and Protestants versus divisions within Protestantism?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes a clear distinction between these two types of divisions:

"The division between Roman Catholic and Protestant I am prepared to defend to the death. But the other divisions I am prepared to assert were sinful, that they were manifestations of sism, and that rarely they were guilty. And we are guilty in the sight of God."

He views the Protestant break from Rome as biblically necessary and justified, but sees the subsequent divisions among Protestants as tragic failures that damaged the testimony of the church. He notes that these divisions occurred despite the fact that most Protestant leaders at the time desired comprehension and unity.

What example does Lloyd-Jones give of a tragic division within Protestantism?

The most striking example Lloyd-Jones provides is the division between Lutherans and the Reformed tradition over the Lord's Supper. At the Colloquy of Marburg in 1529, Luther and Zwingli agreed on 14 out of 15 doctrinal points, but divided over their understanding of Christ's presence in communion.

Luther insisted on his view of consubstantiation, famously writing "This is my body" on the table. Lloyd-Jones calls this "one of the great tragedies in the history of the Church" and quotes a Puritan who said this division had "given religion since the last reformation thereof a greater blow than all the thunderbolts of Rome together."

Poignantly, Lloyd-Jones notes that Luther near the end of his life, after reading Calvin on the Lord's Supper, told Melanchthon: "In this matter of the sacrament, we have gone much too far. I will commend the thing to the Lord. Do something after my death." But by then, the division had hardened beyond repair.

What solution does Lloyd-Jones propose for evangelical unity today?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones proposes several key steps toward evangelical unity:

  1. Abandon the idea of a national church - Churches in a country can work together, but the concept of a single established national church should be rejected.

  2. Define fundamentals properly - Avoid both "unrestrained laxity" and "egotistical rigor" by identifying the truly essential doctrines.

  3. Don't be bound by tradition - Even historic confessions of faith should be viewed as "subordinate standards" that can be modified, as American Presbyterians did with the Westminster Confession.

  4. Distinguish between error and heresy - Not all theological mistakes are grounds for division.

  5. Consider adopting the 16 fundamental articles of faith - Lloyd-Jones references a list created in 1654 by John Owen, Thomas Goodwin and others that defined the essential doctrines that could serve as a basis for Protestant unity.

As Lloyd-Jones concludes: "In things essential, unity; in things indifferent, liberty; in all things charity."

What opportunity does Lloyd-Jones believe exists for evangelical Christians today?

Lloyd-Jones believes that evangelical Christians in his day faced "an opportunity such as the church has not had since the Protestant Reformation." He argues that modern Christians are "in an altogether better and more advantageous position than our forefathers were in the 16th and the 17th centuries" because:

  1. Politics is no longer the dominating factor it once was
  2. Nationalism has declined in favor of more international thinking
  3. There is increased interest in ecumenism and church unity
  4. There is "a new freedom of maneuver" which previous generations didn't have

Lloyd-Jones challenges his audience to have "the same burning desire for protestant evangelical unity as Calvin" did, noting that "division in the church is a scandal" and "sism is a deadly sin." He believes that if modern evangelicals can learn from history and avoid the mistakes of their forefathers, they can achieve the Protestant unity that eluded previous generations.

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.