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Sermon #5681

Born of the Spirit

A Sermon on 1 Peter 1:18-23

Originally preached Nov. 22, 1959

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Scripture

1 Peter 1:18-23 ESV KJV
knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made …

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Sermon Description

How does Christ change someone? In this sermon on 1 Peter 1:18–23 titled “Born of the Spirit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches how all who believe in Jesus are born again through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the great doctrine of the new birth. What does it mean to be born again? At natural birth, all are born in sin. But at spiritual birth, Christians are born into a new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit works to change God’s people from unholy sinners, to righteous, forgiven men and women in Christ. There is no longer any condemnation or judgment for those in Christ, for Jesus by His death has cleansed from all sin those who believe. The glorious truth of the gospel is that it brings new life and a new nature. God’s chosen are delivered from the law, the flesh, and sin when they believe in Jesus. To believe in Jesus is to trust that He died and rose from the grave, paying the wages of sin so that any sinner might have new life and be reconciled to God. Listen closely as Dr. Lloyd-Jones unfolds the saving truth of the gospel.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon is based on 1 Peter 1:18-23 which describes how Christians are redeemed and born again through Christ.
  2. Christians were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ.
  3. Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times.
  4. Christians believe in God who raised Christ from the dead and gave him glory.
  5. Christians have purified their souls by obeying the truth and showing unfeigned love for the brethren.
  6. Christians are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible seed through the word of God.
  7. The word of God lives and abides forever.
  8. To be redeemed means to be reconciled to God and delivered from condemnation and God's wrath.
  9. To be redeemed also means to be delivered from the old sinful way of life and set free from its tyranny.
  10. Being born again is a definite event that leads to a complete change in a person's life.
  11. Being born again is not something we do ourselves but something done to us by God.
  12. The Holy Spirit is the agent that causes us to be born again by implanting the seed of new life in us.
  13. The new life we receive is incorruptible unlike the corruptible life we had before.
  14. The corruptible life we had before leads to sin but the incorruptible life leads to righteousness.
  15. The incorruptible life comes from God and is patterned after Christ, making us partakers of the divine nature.

Sermon Q&A

What Does Redemption Mean in Christianity According to Lloyd-Jones?

What are the two main aspects of redemption according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, redemption in Christianity has two main aspects:

  1. First, we are reconciled to God - "To be redeemed in the first place means that we are reconciled to God, that we are delivered out of the position in which we were at enmity against God." This means we are no longer under God's condemnation or wrath, but are forgiven and brought into a new relationship with Him.

  2. Second, we are set free from our old way of life - "We are also set free, says the apostle, from the old kind of life which we formerly lived." This refers to being delivered from the "vain conversation" or empty way of life inherited from our ancestors.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the meaning of being "born again"?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains being "born again" as:

  1. A definite event in one's life: "It is a definite event in one's life. Peter uses here the perfect tense. Having been born again, having been begotten again... It happened, and it's continuing in its effects and consequences."

  2. A profound transformation: "It is a very profound one. It has led to a complete change... It isn't an improvement... Christianity is this vital, transforming, renewal, regeneration."

  3. Something God does to us, not something we do ourselves: "It obviously isn't something that we do. Nobody gives birth to himself because nobody can... it's something that happens to us."

  4. The implantation of a new seed of life: "What always leads to a birth is the implanting of a seed of life... A new principle of life is put into him. A new seed is put into him, a new disposition is put into him."

What's the difference between being born of "corruptible seed" versus "incorruptible seed"?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones:

Corruptible seed (our natural birth): - We are all born as children of Adam with a sinful nature - "Every one of us born into this world is born sinful" - Leads to "lust and passion and selfishness and ugliness and foulness and jealousy and envy and hatred and malice" - "All flesh is as grass" - withers and fades away - Has a "bias towards evil" in every person

Incorruptible seed (the new birth): - Born of God, born of the Spirit - Makes us "partakers of the divine nature" - Created "in righteousness and holiness of truth" - Produces "love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, goodness, faith, temperance" - Clean, pure, and without corruption

How does spiritual rebirth change a person according to the sermon?

According to Lloyd-Jones, spiritual rebirth changes a person in several ways:

  1. New outlook: "You've got a different view of God. You've got a different view of yourself. You've got a different view of your fellow men. You've got a different view of life. You've got a different view of death."

  2. New desires: Instead of desiring self-gratification and worldly success, "He wants to be rid of all that. He wants to be clean. He wants to be pure... He wants to be like Christ. He wants to be worthy of the name of a child of God."

  3. New power: "He's got new power. He's got a new ability. He's not alone. There is new life in him. Christ is in him. The Spirit is in him so that he can stand and resist the devil."

  4. New identity: "He's a saint. He's a separated man. He's no longer what he was."

Why does Lloyd-Jones say we shouldn't try to fully understand the process of spiritual rebirth?

Lloyd-Jones argues that we shouldn't try to fully understand spiritual rebirth because:

  1. It's a divine mystery: "I don't understand the operations of God. They're not only mysterious, they're marvellous. They're miraculous. They're supernatural."

  2. We're not saved by our understanding: "Thank God we are not saved by our understandings. If so, nobody'd be saved."

  3. It's like the wind - we see its effects but can't fully grasp it: "You can't understand the wind. You see its effects, but you don't understand how it happens. You don't see where it comes from."

  4. We should accept it by faith: "Don't try to understand it, but simply submit to it. As you submit to the effects and workings of the wind. Bend before it. Abandon yourself to it."

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.