The Christian Message
A Sermon on Philippians 3:21
Scripture
21Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Sermon Description
In this passage from Philippians, Paul reminds the congregation that their citizenship is within heaven and that they no longer belong to this world. In this sermon on Philippians 3:21 titled “The Christian Message,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones declares that this message is just as important for Christians today as it was for Christians back then. When a person is saved, that individual does not undergo merely a slight change. That person is a new creation, bought by the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. Being a Christian is more than adding church or Bible reading to one’s life. After a person is saved, he or she enters the kingdom of God. They no longer need to be concerned with the things of this world, as so many people are. Money, power, and property only matter in this life. While these things may provide security within their time, Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that they do not provide the eternal safety like the gospel. Only the good news can save and satisfy. However, unlike the citizenship of the world, entering the kingdom of God is free. Dr. Lloyd-Jones invites those who have yet to trust in God to do so, for Christ will not refuse anyone.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is continuing his explanation of the Christian life and what it means to be a true Christian.
- The words Paul wants to focus on are Philippians 3:20-21 which state that the Christian's citizenship is in heaven.
- The word "conversation" refers to one's manner of life, behavior, and relationships. It implies citizenship in a state or commonwealth.
- A better translation is "our citizenship is in heaven." Christians are a colony of heaven.
- To be a Christian means there has been a radical change and transfer from one kingdom to another. It is not a slight modification.
- Most misunderstandings of Christianity arise from thinking we already know what it is rather than reading the Bible. We must submit to God's revelation.
- The difference between Christians and non-Christians is the greatest in the world. It is the difference between life and death.
- Christianity is not adding something to our lives but an entirely new life. We are new creations, not improved versions of our old selves.
- Forgiveness is part of Christianity but not the whole. Our position and relationships change. We belong to a new kingdom.
- We must see ourselves as belonging to a kingdom, not just as individuals. The Bible views salvation and man's problems in terms of kingdoms.
- The world, by nature, belongs to the kingdom of Satan. It is under God's wrath and doomed.
- God's salvation is to form a new kingdom, translating us from the kingdom of Satan to his kingdom.
- The change that occurs in salvation is profound, not superficial. We change kingdoms and relationships.
- The Christian life means belonging to God's kingdom with Christ as King, not the world or Satan.
- In God's kingdom, we have new laws (the Beatitudes), privileges (as children of God), and responsibilities (as light and salt).
- God's kingdom has a fixed location in heaven. It cannot be shaken. The world's kingdom will be destroyed. Christians have eternal prospects.
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.