A True Belief
A Sermon on Hebrews 6:7-8
Scripture
7For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be …
Sermon Description
Attending church is not sufficient for salvation. The greatest sin of the modern person is that they live as if they own themselves, but they do not. In this sermon on Hebrews 6:7–8 titled “A True Belief,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones declares that no one is their own and He focuses on the illustration of two fields. The whole world was created by God and made for Him. Every life will go on to judgment in relation to their response to this gospel. The value of one soul is such that no one can put too much emphasis on listening. Those who reject this word are utterly hopeless. It is the reaction to the treatment of the gospel that distinguishes Christians from the rest of the world. Listeners are encouraged to contrast the dramatic difference between the two products that are produced and examine that which pleases the creator of this world. The natural life alone is useless before God. The marks of a true believer are repentance and belief in this message of God’s salvation in Christ. It is not enough to simply know the gospel. Everyone must deny themselves and take up their cross, following Him and leaving everything else.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage being discussed is Hebrews 6:7-8 which compares two fields that receive the same treatment but produce different results.
- The two fields represent two groups of people who have heard the gospel. One group produces "herbs" or good fruit representing true belief, the other produces "thorns and briars" representing no change or false belief.
- There are similarities between the two fields:
- They belong to the same owner (God)
- They receive the same treatment (the gospel/Holy Spirit)
- They face the same judgment
- There are differences between the two fields:
- The nature of their response: One produces good fruit, the other does not change.
- The products: One produces useful herbs, the other useless thorns.
- The final verdicts: One receives blessing, the other receives rejection and cursing.
- To produce good fruit (herbs), there must be true belief and repentance proven by:
- Believing and accepting the gospel
- Repenting from sin and realizing our sinful nature
- Following Christ by denying ourselves and obeying God
- Joining the church and living for God's kingdom
- We must examine ourselves to see if we are producing herbs or thorns. If thorns, we are "nigh unto cursing" but can still turn to God.
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.