What is the Main Problem with Mankind According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his sermon on Colossians 1:21-22, the main problem with mankind is not merely that we are under the power of darkness or the dominion of Satan, but that our very nature has been corrupted. He describes mankind's fundamental problem as having three aspects:

1. We are "alienated" from God - estranged and separated from Him
2. We are "enemies in our mind" - actively hostile toward God
3. We commit "wicked works" - our actions reflect our corrupted inner nature

As Lloyd-Jones explains: "Man was developed in nature, which makes him capable of that ending in murder. Selfishness, pride, self-centeredness... The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked."

Why Do People Not Thank God According to the Sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that people don't thank God because they fail to understand three crucial realities:

1. They don't realize what God has done for them in Christ
2. They don't realize their true condition as fallen and corrupted beings
3. They don't recognize their need for salvation

As he states: "People don't thank God because they don't realize what God has done... We don't realize what needed to be done before we could be made inheritors of that great thing that's awaiting us."

He adds: "Most people who are not saved are in that condition because they've never seen the need of being saved. And the business of preaching is to show them the need."

How Does Lloyd-Jones Describe Man's Natural Attitude Toward God?

According to Lloyd-Jones, mankind's natural attitude toward God is one of hostility and enmity. He explains that the natural person:

1. Does not seek God or live for His glory
2. Is critical of God and His ways
3. Rejects God's truth as foolishness
4. Rebels against God's commandments

He quotes Romans 8:7: "The carnal mind is enmity against God, is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

Lloyd-Jones illustrates this by pointing to the Pharisees who claimed to believe in God but rejected Christ: "He brought out the enmity that was in their hearts against God. He was able to show them that their belief in God was worthless. It was a lie. They didn't believe in God at all."

What is the Only Solution to Man's Condition According to the Sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that the only solution to mankind's fallen condition is God's work through Jesus Christ. This includes:

1. Regeneration - being "born again" with a new heart and nature
2. Sanctification - the Holy Spirit's ongoing work of transformation
3. Christ's atoning death that reconciles us to God

As Lloyd-Jones states: "We need to be changed inside. We need a new heart. We need a right spirit. And blessed be the name of God, that's what He gives us. That's the meaning of regeneration."

The ultimate goal is described in Colossians 1:22: "to present you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in his sight." This is what Christ came to accomplish - to transform fallen, hostile sinners into beings fit for eternal fellowship with God.

What Does It Mean to Be "Alienated" from God?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that being "alienated" from God means being estranged or separated from Him. This alienation manifests in several ways:

1. No longer seeking God or His presence
2. Not experiencing God's favor and blessing
3. Living independently as if God doesn't exist
4. Being afraid of God rather than delighting in Him

Lloyd-Jones describes it as a barrier that has come between man and God: "There's a barrier between men and God. A barrier between the world tonight, speaking generally, and God. It shows itself like this, of course, that men in this estrangement, in this alienation, is no longer seeking God."

He contrasts this with man's original state before the Fall, when humanity lived in perfect fellowship with God and found its greatest delight in communion with Him.