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Sermon #5686

A New Birth

A Sermon on 1 Peter 2:2

Originally preached March 25, 1962

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Scripture

1 Peter 2:2 ESV KJV
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— (ESV)

Sermon Description

What makes a Christian? If one listens to what God has to say in His Word, they will see that it is not a result of anything that humanity does or can do. Christians are those that are born again through the power of the Holy Spirit. Just as no one contributes to their natural birth, neither do they contribute anything to their supernatural birth. This affects a profound change in those that are born again; it wholly reorients their life, desires, and wills. Christians now desire to live a life that is marked by obedience to God and love of fellow people. Salvation, then, is a result of God’s grace apart from anything one can do. This sermon tells of the only hope in this life: the gospel. There is nothing that anyone can do to save themselves, but God has acted in His grace to redeem sinners and bring them to a true knowledge of Him. In this sermon on 1 Peter 2:2 titled “A New Birth,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims the only true and lasting message of hope in this world, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. No one is born a Christian. Christianity requires a new birth.
  2. Becoming a Christian requires a profound change. It is not merely an addition or improvement to one's life. It is an entirely new life.
  3. This change is not something we can do for ourselves. Our best efforts are insufficient.
  4. No human being can produce this change in us either. No priest, church or human authority has the power to make someone else a Christian.
  5. Only God can produce this change. It is a creative act, like creation itself. God breathes new life into us, like when he first made man.
  6. This change is mysterious and marvelous. We cannot fully understand how God works in us. But we can see the effects, like we see the effects of the wind.
  7. This change leads to something completely new. We were not God's people, now we are. We did not have mercy, now we have mercy. Everything is new.
  8. This change gives us an entirely new outlook. We become concerned first with God and our souls, not earthly things. We see ourselves as strangers in this world, destined for eternity.
  9. This change gives us new desires, like newborn babies desiring milk. We hunger for God, righteousness, holiness and to know God's word.
  10. This change leads to new conduct. We avoid worldliness and sin, deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Christ.
  11. To become a Christian, we must be born again. We must receive new life from God and become his children.
  12. We receive this new life by believing in Jesus Christ. Whoever believes in him will never be put to shame.

Sermon Q&A

Understanding Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Christian Rebirth

What does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones identify as the most urgent question of our time?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the most urgent question facing people is "whether it is possible to understand this world in which we're living... Is it possible to understand life at a time like this? Is it possible for us to understand our own lives? Is there any hope for us? Is there any explanation of what is happening, what is likely to happen? And is there any final comfort and consolation which will never fail us?" He states that the Bible addresses these questions, showing how one can arrive at a position of never being "confounded, never surprised, never disappointed, never put to shame, never frustrated and confused, never become frantic and bewildered."

What does Lloyd-Jones mean by the phrase "as newborn babes"?

Lloyd-Jones explains that the phrase "as newborn babes" from 1 Peter 2:2 refers to the complete transformation that occurs when someone becomes a Christian. It indicates that no one is born a Christian naturally, but rather must experience a spiritual new birth. This metaphor illustrates the profound change that takes place - it's not simply an improvement or addition to one's old life but an entirely new existence. Just as a newborn baby represents new life that wasn't there before, becoming a Christian involves receiving spiritual life that wasn't previously present in the person.

According to the sermon, why can't humans make themselves Christians?

Lloyd-Jones emphatically teaches that humans cannot make themselves Christians because:

  1. The change required is too profound - it's a birth, not self-improvement
  2. Our sinful nature prevents us from achieving the perfect standard Christ represents
  3. We can only reproduce or modify what we already are, but Christianity requires being made completely new
  4. Just as a baby doesn't birth itself, we cannot spiritually birth ourselves
  5. The transformation requires divine creative power, not human effort
  6. We lack the ability to produce the new life that defines true Christianity
  7. Our best efforts, even lifelong monasticism or asceticism, would be "hopeless" at producing this new life

As Lloyd-Jones states: "All our best efforts and endeavors are inadequate and insufficient."

How does Lloyd-Jones describe the process of becoming a Christian?

Lloyd-Jones describes becoming a Christian as:

  1. A divine act performed by God alone - "it is God alone who can do this"
  2. A creative act comparable to the original creation of mankind
  3. The operation of the Holy Spirit "down in the depths and vitals of a man's being"
  4. God placing "a seed of new life" into a person's soul
  5. Mysterious like the wind - you see its effects but cannot fully understand it
  6. A miracle that can happen in "a moment, in a flash, in a twinkling of the eye"
  7. A supernatural transformation that produces "an entirely new nature"
  8. Something that happens when a person sees their need, renounces self, and asks God for mercy

He explains that this rebirth isn't produced by human decision, baptism, church membership, or religious upbringing, but solely through God's supernatural intervention.

What are the evidences that someone has truly experienced this spiritual rebirth?

According to Lloyd-Jones, the evidences of true spiritual rebirth include:

  1. An entirely new outlook - primarily concerned about God and one's soul rather than earthly matters
  2. New desires - "as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word" - a hunger for Scripture and spiritual growth
  3. A desire to know God and to become holy, clean, and pure
  4. Changed conduct - avoiding things that "war against the soul"
  5. Self-denial and following Christ
  6. Viewing oneself as a "stranger and pilgrim" in this world rather than being settled here
  7. A new perspective on death and eternity
  8. Putting spiritual concerns above bodily/worldly concerns
  9. Being amazed at oneself because of the dramatic change

As Lloyd-Jones puts it: "When a man becomes a Christian, he must be surprised at himself. And he is surprised at himself because of this astounding change that has taken place in him."

How does Lloyd-Jones contrast true Christianity with mistaken notions about becoming a Christian?

Lloyd-Jones contrasts true Christianity with several mistaken notions:

  1. Being born Christian versus being born again - "no one is born a Christian"
  2. Natural goodness versus supernatural transformation - having "a certain type of nature, or a certain temperament" doesn't make one Christian
  3. Adding religion to one's life versus receiving a new life - it's not "that a man decides to add on something to what he already was"
  4. Self-improvement versus divine creation - "it isn't just an improvement"
  5. Religious activities versus spiritual rebirth - "taking up certain ideas, adopt certain teachings" isn't what makes one Christian
  6. Baptism/christening versus spiritual regeneration - "no priest can do it. No church can do it"
  7. Gradual religious education versus instantaneous divine transformation - "God can do it in a moment"

Lloyd-Jones calls these misunderstandings "unutterable confusion" about Christianity and suggests they lead to people being "bewildered" and "disappointed" when their supposed Christianity fails them.

Other Sermons

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.