The Acid Test of the Christian Profession
A Sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:17
Scripture
17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
Sermon Description
These light and momentary afflictions that are creating an eternal weight of glory—what is this hope Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks of in such trying times? Listen to this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:17 and examine oneself in light of such truth. What is the attitude in facing present difficulties and the unknowns of the future? In this commentary on the passage, the listener will discover what Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls the “acid test.” This test combines one’s total reaction to life and that everything in it is not merely optimism or stoicism. Paul is an example of a man who easily despaired. How could Paul talk like this? Learn what true positivity is in light of knowing that everyone is born to die. The history of the great song, “It Is Well With My Soul,” shows us that there is hope in the midst of trial because of Christianity's message, not simply the call to toughen up. Dr. Lloyd-Jones calls the listener to gain a new capacity to see life and eternity as a whole, and to not be distracted by the immersions of the world, such as orthodoxy, intellectual ascent, morality, experience, and crises.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 during a time of immense suffering and difficulty.
- There is a danger of being carried away by the eloquence and beauty of Scripture rather than grasping the message. We must focus on the message of this passage.
- The "acid test" of one's Christian faith is how they view and respond to suffering and trials. This passage provides the acid test.
- Three potential "acid tests" of faith are:
- Orthodoxy (right belief): Necessary but not enough. One can believe right but lack life and power.
- Morality (right conduct): Also necessary but not enough. There are moral unbelievers and moral failures in the church.
- Experience (right feeling): Important but not enough. Cults also provide experiences. The test is one's total reaction to life.
- This passage covers all three tests. One must have right belief to speak like this, right conduct is assumed, and one must have life and experience of the Spirit. The test is one's total view of life in light of the glory of Christ.
- One's view of life comes from being "in Christ" - having a new relationship to God, new life, and seeing everything through Christ.
- Two ways this new view changes one's perspective:
- View of time: Sees present sufferings as "momentary" in light of eternity. Puts time in context of God's eternity.
- View of suffering: Sees sufferings as "light" and "trivial" in comparison to the "weight of glory." Contrasts present with future glory.
- The secret is "looking not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen." Having a glimpse of the glory to come enables one to view present sufferings properly.
- This has been the secret of saints in all ages - setting their minds on the glory to come. This is the only way to face life's trials with joy and hope.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions and Answers: The Acid Test of Christian Faith
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the "acid test" of Christian faith?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies a Christian's total reaction to life's trials and difficulties as the acid test of faith. He explains: "The acid test of a man's profession is this is his total reaction to life and everything that happens to him in it." It's not how someone responds during good times, but their response during crises, calamities, and when faced with life's ultimate questions. The true test is whether they can, like Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, view their afflictions as "light" and "momentary" in comparison to eternal glory.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones differentiate between Christianity and stoicism?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that while stoicism is often confused with Christianity, they are fundamentally different:
- Stoicism is the philosophy of resignation, of "putting up with it" and "taking it" - it's negative and focused on endurance through self-discipline.
- Christianity is positive, triumphant, and exultant - it's about being "more than conqueror" over life's difficulties.
He illustrates this using two poems: Dryden's stoic view of accepting life's hardships with an "equal mind" and Spafford's Christian hymn "It Is Well With My Soul," written amid personal tragedy but expressing triumphant faith.
Why does Paul call his afflictions "light and momentary" according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Paul doesn't say his sufferings are light in themselves - in fact, his list of troubles (being perplexed, persecuted, cast down) would crush most people. Rather, they become light when contrasted with "the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" that awaits believers.
Lloyd-Jones uses the analogy of a scale: Paul places his troubles on one side and the eternal glory on the other. When the eternal weight of glory is placed on the scale, even the heaviest afflictions become light by comparison. Paul's perspective comes from seeing life in the context of eternity rather than just the present moment.
What three common tests of Christianity does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest are insufficient?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones examines three common tests people use to identify true Christians, but finds each insufficient as the "acid test":
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Orthodoxy (correct belief) - While essential, mere intellectual assent to doctrine can exist without spiritual life. Many are "thoroughly orthodox" yet "denied in their daily lives what they professed."
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Morality (good behavior) - Though vital to Christianity, many non-Christians live highly moral lives. Morality alone doesn't distinguish Christians from ethical humanists.
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Experience (spiritual encounter) - While genuine Christian conversion involves experience, many non-Christian cults also provide powerful experiences for their followers.
Lloyd-Jones argues that the true acid test encompasses all three but goes beyond them to how one responds to life's ultimate challenges.
How does the Christian faith transform one's perspective of time according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christianity gives believers "a right view of time" by placing temporal existence within the context of eternity. While most people are "defeated by this time element" when facing long periods of suffering, Christians can see their earthly lives differently.
He says: "Take time and put it into the grand context of eternity... If you look at it merely from the standpoint of your calendars and your almanacs and life as you know it in this world, it's an impossible tyranny. But take it and put it into God's eternity, and it's nothing."
This transformed perspective allows Christians to view decades of suffering as "but for a moment" when compared with the endless joy of eternity, freeing them from "the tyranny of time."
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.