Seeking Certainty
A Sermon on Psalm 63:1-3
Originally preached Oct. 3, 1965
Scripture
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
1O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
2To see thy power and …
Sermon Description
How can one know that God loves and cares for His children? In this sermon on Psalm 63:1–3 titled “Seeking Certainty,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims that Christians can know this by trusting in God’s revelation of Jesus Christ. A Christian that is maturing in their faith is one who rests on what Christ has done for them. This mature faith produces assurance that is not simply a passing emotion that comes and goes, but it is an abiding and true experience knowing they belong to God. That belonging is proven in a life of humble obedience. However, Dr. Lloyd-Jones also warns against those who teach an assurance of bare intellectual assent. They say that to simply claim that one believes in Christ and His gospel is all that is needed of assurance. This is shown to be inadequate from the many scriptural passages that show the deep and loving trust that the saints of God can have in the gospel. This is an intimate and personal knowledge that God loves them and has sent his Son to die a cruel death on the cross so that they could be saved. This is certainly intellectual assent to the gospel, but it is more. It is the product of the Holy Spirit working in their lives so that they trust God and His promises in true faith. This should be an experience that all Christians seek and obtain.
Sermon Breakdown
- David composed Psalm 63 when he was in the wilderness of Judah, likely fleeing from Absalom.
- David shows how he reacted to adversity through seeking God.
- Moses and David were both men of action who valued their knowledge of God above all else.
- Gifts and abilities are meaningless without knowing God. Knowing God's lovingkindness is the most important thing.
- Many today do not seek to know God's lovingkindness because they do not believe it is possible or that it was only for biblical times or certain special people.
- The Bible offers knowing God to all believers, not just select groups. The epistles exhort all believers to know God.
- Examples of those who knew God's lovingkindness include Cotton Mather, a Calvinist; William Parkinson, an Arminian; and hymn writers. They came from diverse backgrounds but shared this experience.
- The Bible does not teach a mere intellectual belief but an experience involving the whole person.
- People dismiss knowing God as "enthusiasm" or say the Book of Acts was only for that time, but the epistles show the early Christians had a vital experience of God.
- Roman Catholicism and some Protestants teach that knowing God in this way is only for special Christians, not ordinary ones. But the Bible offers it to all.
- Some evangelicals fall into a kind of Sandemanianism that focuses on the mind and distrusts emotion, quenching the Spirit. But the Bible teaches a whole-person experience of God.
- How can we obtain this experience of knowing God's lovingkindness? First, we must believe it is possible for us. Then we must seek it continually, not just sometimes.
- We should seek to know God eagerly, like a dog following a scent. This should be our greatest passion and quest.
- An important part of seeking God is recollection - remembering what God has done for us, His promises, and His character. This can melt our hard hearts.
- Praising and thanking God is also key. We lack this and are quick to complain but slow to praise. Praising God leads to knowing His lovingkindness.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Say About Seeking God's Loving Kindness?
What is the main message of Psalm 63 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main message of Psalm 63 is that knowing God's loving kindness is more valuable than life itself. In the psalm, David, while in the wilderness of Judah facing adversity, declares "thy loving kindness is better than life." Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this is "the very essence of the Christian faith" - not merely theoretical knowledge, but a living, vital experience of God through Christ. This knowledge of God's loving kindness becomes our ultimate comfort when everything else fails.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe experiencing God's presence is important for evangelism?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that experiencing God's presence is "the ultimate way of evangelism." He references an Old Testament passage which states that "many joined themselves to Judah when they saw that God was with them." He explains that people are not convinced by theoretical arguments but by seeing reality in Christians' lives - "a certain quality, a certain calmness and equanimity, a certain ability to be more than conqueror in every kind of circumstance." When unbelievers witness Christians triumphing amid difficulties, they become interested in what Christians possess. This demonstration of God's presence through the assured, joyful Christian is the most effective evangelistic witness.
What are the reasons people don't seek this personal experience of God according to the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several reasons people don't seek this experience: 1. They don't believe it's possible - viewing it as dangerous "enthusiasm" or "ecstasy" 2. They believe it was only for New Testament times, not for today 3. They think it's only for special people - like clergy or "saints," not ordinary believers 4. They embrace "Sandimanianism" - a view that emphasizes only intellectual belief while discouraging emotional experience, telling believers "don't worry about your feelings"
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast "sandimanianism" with true biblical assurance?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes sandimanianism (named after Robert Sandeman) as teaching that simply confessing belief in certain doctrines constitutes salvation, regardless of feeling or experience. This approach says, "Don't worry about your feelings. Feelings don't count at all." By contrast, he argues true biblical assurance involves the whole person - not just intellectual belief but a deep emotional and spiritual experience of God's presence. He asks, "Where is the knowledge of God? Where is the sense of awe? Where is this great thing found in the Bible when men and women have known that they've been in the presence of the living God?" True assurance, according to Lloyd-Jones, includes "joy unspeakable and full of glory" and a "deep joy, like a mighty river."
What practical steps does Dr. Lloyd-Jones recommend for obtaining this experience of God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers several practical steps for obtaining this experience:
- Believe it's possible - recognize this experience is for all believers, not just special people
- Seek early - "He starts at once. He doesn't let any time pass at all."
- Seek always - not just in fits and starts, but making it a continuous pursuit, even "in the night watches"
- Practice recollection - remind yourself of past blessings and God's work in your life
- Count your blessings - "Remind yourself of facts, things that have actually happened to you"
- Pursue with eagerness - "My soul followeth hard after thee"
- Practice praise and thanksgiving - this opens the heart to God's presence
- Open your mouth wide - expect great things from God, not settling for a "smug little evangelicalism"
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.