The Victim of Sin
A Sermon on Isaiah 5:22-23
Originally preached March 8, 1964
Scripture
22Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
Sermon Description
Sin has different symptoms. Some sins manifest in drunkenness and some manifest in self-righteousness, but everyone has to grapple with the sin that is found in the unconverted heart. In this sermon on Isaiah 5:22–23 titled “The Victim of Sin,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on the fact that sin is no respecter of persons. It affects the rich, poor, intellectual, and simple. There is no strata of humanity that is unaffected by sin and its consequences. Moreover, wherever sin is found there is also a silencing of a God-given conscience. When a person gives themselves daily to drunkenness, or any other sin, they eventually put a gag in the mouth of their conscience until they completely excuse their sin. Moreover, sin’s pleasure is fleeting: one must go deeper into more unnatural sin in order to get the same high with which they started. When this kind of gratuitous sin occurs in a society, it gives way to a culture that not only sins, but also approves of sin and calls it righteous. Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses civilizations of the earth and points out that no culture has made headway in conquering sin. Listen in to hear how Christ offers forgiveness to everyone who is caught in sin.
Sermon Breakdown
- Sin is no respecter of persons. It affects all types of people. No one is immune.
- Sin makes people insult their own nature. It causes them to find pleasure through artificial means like alcohol or drugs.
- Sin degrades people and destroys the best in them. It blunts their moral senses and conscience.
- Righteousness cannot exist without godliness. Wrong ideas always lead to wrong practices.
- The conscience is always involved in sin. Repeated sin dulls the conscience.
- Sin poisons and corrupts. It makes people cynical and causes them to excuse sin in themselves and others.
- Sin leads to a loss of duty, responsibility and service. It leads to selfishness.
- The only power that can break the power of sin is Jesus Christ.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About the Power of Sin in Isaiah 5:22-23?
What was the main passage Dr. Lloyd-Jones preached on in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones preached on Isaiah 5:22-23, which states: "Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him." This was the sixth and final "woe" pronounced by the prophet Isaiah upon his contemporaries.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define sin in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines sin as fundamentally "a wrong relationship to God." He emphasizes that sin is not merely negative or the absence of good qualities, but rather something positive and powerful - "the most powerful force in the world tonight, next to the power of God." He rejects the modern notion that sin is merely a developmental stage of humanity that can be overcome through education and moral improvement.
What three main principles about sin does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify in this sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the passage teaches three fundamental principles about sin: 1. Sin is no respecter of persons - it affects all types of people regardless of education, class, or position 2. Sin makes a man insult his own nature - it degrades human dignity and causes people to boast about shameful things 3. Sin degrades men and destroys the best and highest in them - it corrupts judgment, blunts the moral sense, and destroys the conscience
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones apply the passage's warning about "justify the wicked for reward"?
He applies this to contemporary society by showing how moral standards are being eroded. He gives examples of jurors who won't convict the guilty because "it might be you next time," and of academics who create a "new morality" that dismisses traditional Christian ethics. He sees this moral relativism as direct evidence of the same corruption Isaiah condemned - justifying wickedness for personal advantage and attacking righteousness.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about alcohol consumption in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones condemns the glorification of drinking ability - "mighty to drink wine" and "men of strength to mingle strong drink." He criticizes how people boast about their knowledge of alcohol, their skill at mixing cocktails, and their capacity to "carry their liquor like a gentleman." He views this as evidence of sin causing people to find pleasure only through artificial stimulants, which he calls an insult to human nature.
What is the only solution to the power of sin according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the only power that can break sin is "the power of Christ, the Son of God." He states that neither education, royal commissions, nor government programs can solve the problem of sin. Only Christ's blood can "cancel all your sin and iniquity" and only the Holy Spirit can give "a new birth and a new nature and a new outlook." He quotes: "He breaks the power of canceled sin. He sets the prisoner free. His blood can make the foulest clean. His blood availed for me."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones address the modern dismissal of sin as a concept?
He critiques those who have "spent most of their lives in pulpits denouncing the biblical teaching of sin" yet are now alarmed at the social manifestations of immorality. He argues they've failed to understand sin's power by treating it as merely negative or as an absence of qualities, when in fact it's a positive force that corrupts and destroys. He says modern approaches that rely on education, sentiment, or psychology completely fail to address sin's true nature.
What parallel does Dr. Lloyd-Jones draw between Isaiah's time and modern society?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones sees a perfect parallel between Israel's condition and modern society. He points out that just as Israel's judges and leaders were corrupted by sin, today's societal leaders - from academics to clergy - are similarly compromised. He sees the same degradation of moral standards, the same corruption of justice, and the same glorification of indulgence, showing that "this message is always contemporary, it's always up to date."
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.