The Judgement of God
A Sermon on Jeremiah 17:10
Scripture
10I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Sermon Description
Sin darkens and deceives the mind, leading to all kinds of horrors that are found in this life. It causes distance and estrangement from God. People forget that God is holy, but all of creation proclaims God and His majesty. The heavens declare the glory of God. In this sermon on Jeremiah 17:10 titled “The Judgement of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones describes in wonder that humanity does not constantly live in light of the fact that God sits in the heavens and does whatever He pleases. Meanwhile humankind cannot even understand their own heart, but God discerns the hearts of people. This God who knows the heart and secret sins, as well as secret generosity and quiet prayers, will judge every person. Jesus said that each person would have to give account for every idle word that they speak. This is a sobering reality, namely, that everyone will have to stand before a just God and account for not only their actions, but also their idle words. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also elaborates on repentance and says that not all weeping is a sign of repentance. At times a person who has no intention of giving up their sin will weep because of the consequences of a wicked lifestyle.
Sermon Breakdown
- Sin darkens our minds and cuts us off from God. This was the central tragedy of Israel.
- We forget God, that He is our judge, and that we cannot deceive Him.
- We forget God's existence and greatness, though creation proclaims Him.
- We forget we must stand before God in judgment, though Christ warned of this.
- We think we can deceive God as we deceive ourselves, but He knows our every thought.
- We think ritual and remorse appease God, but only repentance and faith in Christ do.
- God will judge us by our hearts and deeds, not by appearances or intentions.
- God's judgment will be perfectly just, convicting us by our own records.
- We all sin and deserve damnation, but Christ bore our sins so we can be saved by faith.
- We must realize our state, flee to Christ, and rely on Him to renew and change us.
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.