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Sermon #5680

Man; a Slave to Sin

A Sermon on 1 Peter 1:1-25

Originally preached Nov. 15, 1959

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Scripture

1 Peter 1:1-25 ESV KJV

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and … Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 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 manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. (ESV)

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. …

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 10Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 13Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 17And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: 18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Sermon Description

We often hear the phrase “child of God” and consider it another term for simply being a Christian, but what is the true meaning of this phrase, and how do we become one? In Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ sermon on 1 Peter 1:1-25, he discusses how being a child of God becoming a slave to Christ rather than sin. We are all born originally as sinners and cannot escape this bondage on our own. The only way to escape this slavery to sin is to become a “child of God”. But how can we do such a thing? Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that to accomplish this task, we must first be redeemed. We must realize our wretched state, and ask for forgiveness. Only after we do this, can our sins be reconciled by Christs sacrifice on the cross. However, being redeemed is only the first step to becoming a child of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that we must accept Christ as our new master, because he bought us. We are not made free by Christ, but we are made free from the power of sin. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones puts it, “We are bought by the precious blood of Christ.” Jesus is our new master, but instead of us being his slaves, we become more like his children. God is righteous and just, and he cares for us. He cared for us so much that “He sent his one and only son” to save us from our sinful state (John 3:16). Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes his sermon by saying, “If Christ died to set us free, then we are his. Take up your cross and follow Christ.”

Sermon Breakdown

Men are born slaves to sin, the law, and the devil. They are in bondage and captivity.
Men cannot free themselves through their own efforts or good works. They are helpless and hopeless.
The only way men can be freed is through redemption - by the payment of a ransom price.
The ransom price paid for our redemption was the precious blood of Christ - his death on the cross.
Christ was the perfect, spotless Lamb of God who died as a substitute for sinners. He bore the punishment for sin in our place.
God's justice demands that sin be punished. God's love moved him to send Christ to die in our place and bear the punishment for sin.
We must know and believe that Christ died to redeem us in order to be freed from bondage and become Christians.
Those redeemed by Christ's blood belong to him and live for him, not for themselves.

Sermon Q&A

What Does It Mean to Be Redeemed According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

What is the main scripture Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses in this sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on 1 Peter 1:18-20, which states: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as humanity's fundamental need?

According to Lloyd-Jones, our fundamental need is not to be helped or encouraged, but to be delivered. He states, "Our fundamental need, as men and women born into this world in sin is not to be helped nor to be encouraged. It is to be delivered." We need to be set free from our bondage to sin, not merely given advice or motivation.

What does the word "redeemed" mean according to the sermon?

Lloyd-Jones explains that "redeemed" means more than simple deliverance. It specifically refers to "deliverance by the payment of a ransom price." He suggests that a better translation would be "ransomed," which conveys the image of someone paying a price to purchase a slave's freedom or to release a captive from prison.

What are the three forms of slavery that humans experience according to Lloyd-Jones?

According to the sermon, humans are slaves to: 1. Sin - "We are being dominated by a power and a force that is within us, which is called sin." 2. The law of God - "We are under the law and under the dominion of the law" which condemns us. 3. The devil - "We are thus, indirectly, also the slaves of the devil," whom Jesus described as "the strong man, armed, keepeth his goods in peace."

Why can't money or good works redeem us according to the sermon?

Lloyd-Jones emphatically states that "not with corruptible things as silver and gold" can we be redeemed. He explains that our currency "isn't recognized in the courts of heaven" and is "of no value face to face with the demand of the holy law of God." Similarly, he notes that even if you are "the greatest philanthropist in the world, it won't blot out a single sin you've committed."

What is the ransom price that was paid for our redemption?

The ransom price was "the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that it was Christ's life, poured out in His blood, that purchased our freedom: "He gave his blood. He gave his life to purchase our ransom. He died in our place."

Why does Lloyd-Jones say Christ is described as a lamb "without blemish and without spot"?

These descriptions indicate Christ's perfection and sinlessness. Lloyd-Jones explains: "Jesus Christ was perfect. Perfect man, perfect God. He never sinned. There was no sin in him. There was no evil. There was nothing about him which could condemn him in any way."

Why couldn't God simply forgive sins without the death of Christ?

Lloyd-Jones explains that "God is eternally holy and just and righteous and a holy nature must punish sin." He suggests that "the cosmos would collapse if God's justice could vary even by the tiniest fraction." The problem God faced was "how to remain God and yet forgive," and the only solution was for sin to be punished through Christ as our substitute.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the love of God demonstrated in redemption?

He describes God's love as "holy, pure, clean, righteous, just, heavenly, precious." It is demonstrated in that "it was he who planned this way. It was he who sent his son into the world. It was he who laid the iniquity of us all upon his own precious, only, beloved son." This sacrificial giving of His Son is "the measure of the love of God."

How can someone know if they have been redeemed according to the sermon?

Lloyd-Jones points to Peter's phrase "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were redeemed" and states that if you truly know and believe this, two things will be evident: 1) "You will have thanked God for it" and 2) "You renounce sin and all that belongs to it. And you walk freely as a child of God, taking up your cross, denying yourself, taking up your cross and following him."

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.

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