Revelation and Reason
A Sermon on 1 Corinthians 3:16
Scripture
16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
Sermon Description
“Why is it that modern man, who has been so astounding in so many respects, is such a miserable and tragic failure in the whole question of life and of living?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones asks this question to highlight that though people have achieved enormous accomplishments, they are still suffering with the basic questions of life, questions that are solved only in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why are people generally interested in seeking answers from anyone except God? Why, instead of coming to Jesus, do they fall at the feet of celebrities who are also struggling? Ultimately, why do they reject the gospel? In this sermon from 1 Corinthians 3:16 titled “Revelation and Reason,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that humanity’s ultimate sin is intellectual pride. God’s salvation brings it to dust, yet, people reject this because of their confidence in themselves. God’s way of solving the problems of life are far different from the world’s approach. Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides three ways in which the two pathways are different: the world relies on human wisdom; the world says that people are good in and of themselves; and the world holds that the issue needing to be fixed is a matter of intellect, not sin. However, Scripture shows the opposite—humanity’s problem is sin, and the only solution is a Savior.
Sermon Breakdown
-
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is entirely different from everything else offered to humanity. It presents a complete contrast to every other type of teaching.
-
Modern man's whole approach to the Gospel is entirely wrong. The real difficulty is not with details but with the whole thing. Modern man's approach makes it impossible for him to believe.
-
The wisdom of this world starts with man himself. It rules out the supernatural and divine. It says man is essentially good and his main problem is intellectual. Man just needs more knowledge and education.
-
The Gospel starts with God, not man. It is a message of revelation, not human discovery. God has revealed the truth to us. We can't attain it through human reason or effort.
-
The wisdom of this world relies on human ability and scientific methodology. The Gospel relies on divine revelation and the work of the Holy Spirit.
-
The wisdom of this world can't understand spiritual truth because it is spiritually discerned. Those without the Spirit find it foolishness.
-
The subject matter of the Gospel - the triune God, creation, fall of man, salvation through Christ - is beyond human comprehension. No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.
-
If salvation depended on human reason, it would only be for the intellectual elite. But God's way of salvation is for all.
-
The only reason people reject the Gospel is pride. They are too proud to become as fools to gain true wisdom.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Wisdom of God vs. the Wisdom of the World
What is the main contrast Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents a complete contrast between the worldly wisdom and the wisdom of God. The wisdom of the world starts with man himself, considers him essentially good, views problems as mainly intellectual, and follows the scientific method of observation, experimentation, and human reasoning. In contrast, God's wisdom starts with God Himself, comes through divine revelation rather than human discovery, and deals with spiritual realities that human faculties cannot naturally perceive. As he states: "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is entirely different from everything else that's being offered to the human race. Indeed, it presents a complete contrast to every other type and form of teaching."
Why do people reject the gospel according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, people reject the gospel primarily because of pride. Modern people are wedded to the scientific outlook that exalts human reason, observation, and experimentation. When they approach the Bible with this methodology, they find the gospel offensive because it humbles human intellect and requires receiving truth through revelation rather than discovering it through human effort. As he explains: "What a fool man is. I want to repeat the words of the apostle to anybody who may be in that condition here tonight. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be made wise."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean when he says "let him become a fool, that he may be wise"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this means the proud, self-sufficient "wise" person must humble themselves like a child to receive God's wisdom. They must admit their intellectual approach has failed to solve life's deepest problems and acknowledge their spiritual helplessness. He states: "You say you're a wise man. How are you getting on? Are you managing your life very well? Are you free from sin? Do you always conquer temptation? Are you an easy man to get along with in the home and in the business? How you're getting on? You wise men of the world? You're a miserable failure. But do you want to be wise? Very well, become a fool."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones characterize modern man's approach to knowledge?
Lloyd-Jones characterizes modern man's approach to knowledge as fundamentally humanistic and scientific. It starts with human observation, uses experimentation and reasoning, relies on human abilities, and assumes man's essential goodness and capacity to solve his own problems. Lloyd-Jones describes it: "Following this scientific method, we've made our great and momentous achievements. You see what it's based on. It is based upon belief in man's ability, man's understanding, man's essential goodness, man's capacity and power, man's ability."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the essential subject matter of Christianity?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the essential subject matter of Christianity is the triune God and His redemptive work. It concerns spiritual realities that transcend human understanding, including the Trinity, the incarnation of Christ, the atonement, spiritual rebirth, and resurrection. He asks: "What is Christianity about? Is it merely a matter of behavior and conduct? No, the subject matter of the christian message is about the triune God." These divine mysteries simply cannot be grasped through human reason alone.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain why divine revelation is necessary for understanding spiritual truth?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that divine revelation is necessary because: 1) The subject matter deals with the infinite God whom finite human faculties cannot comprehend; 2) Human reasoning is impaired by sin ("The natural, the carnal mind, is enmity against God"); 3) It's part of God's punishment for human pride that spiritual wisdom cannot be attained through intellectual prowess; and 4) A salvation dependent on human intelligence would exclude most people, whereas God's revelatory approach offers salvation to all regardless of intellectual capacity.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the urgent problem confronting the human race?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the most urgent problem confronting humanity is why people reject the gospel despite it being the only solution to human problems: "Why does men reject this gospel and especially with his world as it is, this very might? Well now in these verses that we're going to consider together, we are given one of the answers to that question. And the answer that it gives, of course, is this. That man's whole approach to the gospel is entirely wrong."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones view the relationship between science and faith?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones acknowledges the value of science within its proper domain but argues it oversteps when it ventures into spiritual matters. He states: "I'm not here to say a word against science. All I'm here to say is that science goes so grievously wrong when it intrudes into this realm. Science is all right as long as it keeps to its own realm." Science deals with the material and observable world, while Christianity concerns spiritual realities that require divine revelation.
What biblical text does Dr. Lloyd-Jones primarily focus on in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones primarily focuses on 1 Corinthians 3:18-20: "Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, he taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain." He also extensively examines 1 Corinthians chapter 2, which contrasts human wisdom with God's revealed wisdom.
How does one receive God's wisdom according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, one receives God's wisdom by humbling oneself, acknowledging one's helplessness, and receiving it as a free gift through faith in Christ. He concludes: "There's only one way to understand these things... It is to repent. It is to acknowledge your failure. It is to admit you can do nothing. It is to acknowledge your helplessness and to cast yourself as you are at the feet of Jesus Christ and look up into his face, believe him and cast yourself upon his mercy."
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.