A Life in Christ
A Sermon on Jeremiah 17:5-8
Originally preached May 22, 1955
Scripture
5¶ Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the …
Sermon Description
What is truly in the heart of people? What is the mind really like? In this sermon on Jeremiah 17:5–8 titled “A Life in Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches that everyone is born in sin and darkness. This is found all throughout Scripture, beginning with the fall in Genesis and ending in the final judgment in Revelation. So much of the world’s suffering stems from humankind rejecting God and replacing His ways with their own. They scorn the very word of God that offers hope to those blinded by Satan. The wickedness of the human heart can only be overcome by the miracle of regeneration. This transformation turns a wicked enemy of God into a forgiven child of God. It is then that Christians can live as new creatures who seek what is holy, pure, and godly. They no longer walk the broad road of destruction, but now they follow the narrow path with all its hardships and struggle as children of God who faithfully await the return of Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The christian life is a life of form, symmetry and balance in contrast to the godless life which lacks these qualities.
- The christian life gives full scope to the main elements of human nature - the mind, the heart and the will. The godless life lacks this balance.
- The christian life is like Christ himself - balanced in understanding, compassion and will. The fruit of the Spirit manifests this balance - love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
- The christian life is protected from the hardships and trials of life. Though difficulties come, the Christian is not dependent on circumstances. His source is Christ.
- The apostle Paul exemplifies this independence of circumstances. Whether abased or abounding, in prison or out of prison, he has learned to be content.
- The christian looks at life differently. He sees the eternal, not just the temporal. He rides loosely to the world and its affairs.
- The christian can face the future without anxiety because his confidence is in the unchanging God, not in himself or circumstances. Nothing can separate him from the love of God in Christ.
- The christian life is fruitful, like Christ's life. It is of value to others, bringing compassion and help.
- The christian life grows more wonderful with time. It continues to bear fruit even in old age, as God works through the life.
- The christian life is a blessed life, as Jeremiah says.
Sermon Q&A
What is the Christian Life According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Jeremiah 17:5-8, here are questions and answers about the Christian life:
What is the main difference between a godly life and a godless life according to Jeremiah 17?
The difference is like that between a tree planted by waters and a shrub in the desert. As Lloyd-Jones explains, "The christian life, my dear friend, is absolutely different from the natural life. It isn't the old life improved, it isn't the old life varnished. It's absolutely different." This contrast is fundamental to understanding Christianity - one life leads to blessing, the other to cursing.
How does one receive the Christian life according to Lloyd-Jones?
The Christian life is not something we attain through our own efforts but is received as a gift from God. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes, "Christianity, the christian life, is not something primary that you and I do. It is something that we receive. It is something that is given to us." He further explains that "Nobody's ever made himself or herself a Christian. We are christians because of what God does to us and in us and upon us."
What are the three elements of a balanced Christian life according to the sermon?
Lloyd-Jones identifies mind, heart, and will as the three essential elements that must be engaged in a balanced Christian life. He states, "To be a Christian isn't just to enjoy listening to a message which tells you that your sins are forgiven... Not at all. If you're a true Christian, your will has been engaged." The Christian has "intellectual understanding of truth," is emotionally moved by it, and obeys it with the will.
How does the Christian respond to difficulties and trials according to Jeremiah 17:8?
The Christian "shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green." Lloyd-Jones explains this means the Christian is "no longer the victim of circumstances" and "no longer dependent upon circumstances." Unlike the non-Christian whose happiness depends entirely on favorable conditions, the Christian has "a new source of life" and remains steady regardless of external circumstances.
What makes the Christian life fruitful according to Lloyd-Jones?
The Christian life is fruitful because it's not self-centered but outward-focused and beneficial to others. Lloyd-Jones explains, "The christian life is a life which is of value to other people." Christians can help others because they "differentiate between the sinner and his sin" and offer hope rather than mere condemnation. This fruitfulness continues even into old age, as "it doesn't depend upon youthful vigor... It's the life of God in the soul."
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the beauty of the Christian life?
Lloyd-Jones describes the Christian life as having "form and symmetry and balance" like a beautiful tree, in contrast to the formless, shapeless shrub in the desert. He states, "There is nothing so wonderful and so glorious about the christian life as just that very characteristic." This beauty comes from the whole person being engaged - body, soul, and spirit - in a harmonious, well-proportioned life that reflects God's image.
What gives the Christian confidence about the future?
The Christian's confidence comes from trusting God rather than self. Lloyd-Jones quotes Paul: "I am persuaded that neither life, nor death, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God." This confidence rests on God's unchanging nature and illimitable resources.
How does the Christian life develop over time according to Lloyd-Jones?
Rather than diminishing, the Christian life "becomes more wonderful the further you go on in it." Lloyd-Jones personally testifies: "The more I live this christian life, the more wonderful it becomes to me... Fresh glories break upon my view. My heart is moved. I see things which I'd never even imagined. It grows, it develops, it goes on."
Old Testament
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.