Man; a Slave
A Sermon on Jeremiah 2:14-17
Originally preached Nov. 20, 1960
Scripture
14¶ Is Israel a servant? is he a homeborn slave? why is he spoiled? 15The young lions roared upon him, and yelled, and they made his land waste: his cities are burned without inhabitant. 16Also the children of Noph and Tahapanes have broken the crown of …
Sermon Description
What is humanity’s problem? What is it about people and the world that accounts for all the ills and trials of human life? The question is present all through human history, yet modern humanity has no answer. In this sermon on Jeremiah 2:14–17 titled “Man, A Slave,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches the biblical truth that each person’s problem is that they have fallen from original righteousness and purity into sin and despair. All are slaves to sin and twisted desires. Scripture tells us that no one is evolving toward a better future, but rather are getting worse. What then is the answer to this seemingly hopeless state? The answer is found in God’s infinite grace given in Jesus Christ. While it is true that humanity can do nothing to help themselves, the gospel is the message that God has acted for humanity. God has sent His Son to die upon the cross as the ultimate price for sin and peace. All who believe in Jesus are freed from sin and made children of God, righteous inheritors of the new heavens and earth. There is no other response to the gospel than to repent of all sins and come to Jesus who calls all to enteral life in His death.
Sermon Breakdown
- Man is not now what he once was. Man has fallen from his original state of perfection and communion with God.
- Man is now a slave and has been robbed of his best possessions. Man is in bondage to sin and Satan and has lost his original righteousness, purity, and freedom.
- Man has brought this condition upon himself by forsaking God. Man's fall and current state is the result of his own sin and rebellion against God.
- The world is in trouble because it does not realize the truth about itself. The world fails to recognize that man has fallen and is in slavery to sin.
- There are two main views of man's current condition: the evolutionary view and the biblical view. The evolutionary view says man is progressing while the biblical view says man has fallen.
- According to the Bible, man was created uniquely in the image of God but now has a darkened understanding, a foolish heart, and a paralyzed will.
- Man has been robbed of his mind, heart, will, purity, righteousness, and fellowship with God. Sin has corrupted all areas of man's being.
- Man is now disgraced and humbled, often behaving like a beast. The current state of man and the world is one of shame and moral decline.
- Man's only hope is in Jesus Christ who came to undo the work of the devil and restore what was lost in the Fall. Only through faith in Christ can man be forgiven, freed, and renewed.
- Those who come to Christ are given new life, a new mind, a new heart, and a new will. They are transformed and no longer slaves to sin.
- Man must recognize his sin and lostness to be saved. He must see that he has brought this condition upon himself by forsaking God.
- God pleads with man through His Word and prophets to return to Him. God's desire is to spare man from judgment and restore him.
- The ultimate object of God's pleas and the preaching of His prophets is to save man from calamity and restore him to fellowship.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Jeremiah 2:14-17
What is the main theme of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Jeremiah 2:14-17?
The main theme is that mankind's current troubled condition is the result of falling from a once-perfect state through rebellion against God, not because of incomplete evolution. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that "man is not now what he once was" and has become enslaved to sin, robbed of his original righteousness, and humbled from his intended position as God's child.
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, what are the three main principles about mankind's condition?
According to the sermon, the three main principles are: 1) Man is not now what he once was (he has fallen from his original state), 2) Man is now enslaved, spoiled (robbed) of his best possessions, and humbled/disgraced, and 3) Man has procured this condition unto himself by forsaking God who led him in the way.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the evolutionary view of mankind with the biblical view?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the evolutionary view sees man as "in a stage of transition," gradually evolving upward from primitive beginnings toward perfection, with current problems being merely stages in development. In contrast, the biblical view teaches that mankind's story is "not one of evolution, it is one of fall" - man began in perfection and has fallen from that state through sin and rebellion against God.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about man's original state before the fall?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes man's original state as perfect, created uniquely in God's image with original righteousness. Man was free with a perfect will, lived in paradise, enjoyed communion with God without fear, had no disease or unhappiness, and was made lord of creation. He was, in a sense, "a son of God" who delighted in obedience to God's law.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe man's current enslaved condition?
He describes man as enslaved to multiple forces: to the course of this world and its fashions, to unseen spiritual forces (the devil being the "strong man armed"), to lusts and passions, and to sinful habits that cannot be broken by mere willpower. He quotes Paul's writings about being "slaves of sin" and describes how this slavery manifests in mankind's inability to do what they know is right.
What has man been "spoiled" (robbed) of according to the sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, man has been robbed of his original righteousness, purity, chastity, and cleanness. He's been robbed of fellowship with God and communion with Him, becoming "strangers to God." He's also been robbed of proper understanding (his mind is darkened), purity of heart (the heart now loves evil rather than good), and the ability to exercise his will effectively.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the cause of mankind's fallen condition?
He identifies that mankind has "procured this unto himself" by forsaking God. He rejects explanations that blame circumstances, other people, or lack of opportunity. Instead, he states that man deliberately rebelled against God, thinking he was clever and could do better than God's way, turning his back on God and listening to the devil instead.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones present the solution to mankind's fallen condition?
The solution is presented as repentance and faith in Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that one must first realize and acknowledge their condition is their own fault. Then, through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, God forgives sin and gives a new nature - a new mind that loves light instead of darkness, a new heart that loves purity, and a new will empowered by God. This restores people to being children of God rather than slaves.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use the story of Israel to illustrate mankind's spiritual condition?
He uses Israel's situation as a parallel to humanity's spiritual condition. Just as Israel began as God's chosen people ("a royal priesthood, a holy nation") but fell into slavery and disgrace through forsaking God, so mankind began as God's perfect creation but fell through rebellion. The physical enslavement and spoiling of Israel by enemies illustrates mankind's spiritual enslavement to sin and being robbed of original righteousness.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the effectiveness of human efforts to improve the world?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that despite all our "multiplied activities" based on the assumption that man is rising and developing, we haven't achieved success. He states that "for the last hundred years mankind has been treating itself on the false supposition" that we are evolving upward. Despite our institutions and interventions, problems seem to be getting worse because mankind "can't think straightly" due to darkened understanding, and our hearts and wills have been corrupted.
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.