Glorious Gospel; Glorious God
A Sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Originally preached Sept. 17, 1967
Scripture
1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3For I delivered …
Sermon Description
If ever there was a time to go back to the first principles of Christianity, it is now. While there are still parts of the Christian faith that pervade Western culture to this day, it can hardly be doubted that the majority of people are not familiar with the basic message of the faith. Paul likewise did not take it for granted that the church at Corinth needed to be reminded of the foundational principles. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones challenges the contemporary church’s preoccupation with the world instead of these first principles. In his sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Dr. Lloyd-Jones lays out the basic content of the gospel. He asks fundamental questions which need to be asked regularly, especially in a biblically illiterate culture: what is Christianity all about and what is the content of the church’s message? Lloyd-Jones follows the biblical text closely, bringing out the central aspects of the gospel: God’s holiness and wrath, sin, Christ’s substitutionary death, resurrection, salvation, and forgiveness.
Sermon Breakdown
- The message of Christianity is the gospel, which is good news from God to men.
- The gospel is something that Paul received, not something he came up with. It is from God, not man.
- The gospel is about the person of Jesus Christ, specifically his death, burial, and resurrection.
- These facts about Christ were prophesied in the Old Testament according to the scriptures. His death was part of God's eternal plan.
- We are all lost in sin and under God's wrath, unable to save ourselves. We need deliverance.
- Christ died for our sins, bearing the punishment we deserve. His resurrection proves he is the Son of God and that his sacrifice was accepted.
- Faith in Christ's work is the only way to be saved, forgiven, and reconciled to God. We must receive and stand upon this message.
- The gospel addresses our greatest need and provides the only solution to our deepest problem as sinful humanity.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Fundamental Principles of the Gospel
What is the essence of the Gospel according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the essence of the Gospel is "good news" - not philosophy, ethical teaching, or social commentary. He emphasizes that the Christian message centers specifically on Christ and what happened to Him: "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." Lloyd-Jones stresses that these historical facts about Christ's death, burial, and resurrection form the foundation of Christianity, not Christ's ethical teachings or example alone.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say the Church at Corinth was in trouble?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Corinthian church was in a "sad and sorry state" because they had forgotten the basic principles of the Christian faith. They were: - Divided into rival groups and factions - More interested in philosophy than the simple gospel message - Tolerating serious sin in their midst - Taking each other to public courts - Having disputes about food and Christian liberty - Abusing the communion table - Confused and boastful about spiritual gifts - Being influenced by false teachers who denied the resurrection
What does "according to the scriptures" mean in relation to Christ's death and resurrection?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "according to the scriptures" means Christ's death was not accidental or merely tragic. Rather, it was: - Planned before the foundation of the world - Part of God's eternal purpose and counsel - The fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies - Deliberately designed for our salvation
He emphasizes that "far from being accidental, they are deliberate. They are a part of God's eternal plan and purpose and counsel." This phrase proves that Christ's death was not simply a good man being misunderstood, but God's intentional way of saving humanity.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones focus on Christ's death rather than His teaching?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that while Christ's teaching is important, it cannot save anyone. He states: "The sermon on the mount has never saved anybody and never will." Instead, he focuses on Christ's death, burial, and resurrection because:
- These are the facts that save us
- Christ came into the world specifically to die ("For this hour came I into this world")
- Only through His death could our sins be forgiven
- His resurrection proves that God accepted His sacrifice for our sins
Lloyd-Jones argues that focusing solely on Christ's moral teaching actually denies the gospel, as it ignores our inability to meet God's standards through our own efforts.
What does it mean to be "saved" according to this sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, to be saved means to be delivered from our naturally lost condition. He describes our lost state as: - Being under God's condemnation and wrath because of sin - Being estranged from God - Being morally helpless and unable to change ourselves - Being unable to erase our past sins - Having no hope beyond death
Salvation means Christ has: - Borne our punishment ("God laid on him the iniquity of us all") - Satisfied God's justice - Conquered all our enemies, including death - Offered us forgiveness, new life, and reconciliation with God
As Lloyd-Jones puts it: "Though you were this, that you could be delivered. You could be saved. You could be set free. You could be washed. You could be sanctified. You could be justified."
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.