Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Views on the Cross and the World in Galatians 6:14

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the main characteristic of a Christian according to Galatians 6:14?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main characteristic of a Christian is that they "glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" rather than in anything worldly. He explains that "the differentiating mark of the Christian is that he is a man who centers his whole thinking and makes his boast of, and is moved most deeply by the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ." This is what fundamentally distinguishes a Christian from a non-Christian—not nationality, education, or any other external factor, but where one places their ultimate pride and joy.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define "the world" in this sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones defines "the world" not as the physical or material universe, but as "an outlook and a point of view." He explains that "it means life viewed and thought of and lived apart from God, apart from the Father." The world represents human thinking, philosophy, and behavior that excludes God and isn't governed by God's revelation. It "makes man the center of the universe," where "man is his own authority" and "there is nothing above and beyond man." This worldly perspective limits human existence entirely to this temporal life with no acknowledgment of the supernatural or eternal.

What are the three main characteristics of the world according to 1 John 2:15-16 that Dr. Lloyd-Jones explores?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three main characteristics of the world from 1 John 2:15-16:

1. The lust of the flesh - Living mainly for bodily desires and appetites, including excessive focus on eating, drinking, and sexual gratification. It's the physical drives that control people rather than their minds or spiritual nature.

2. The lust of the eyes - The worship of appearances and externals rather than substance and truth. It's about pretense, superficiality, and dishonesty—caring more about how things look than what they actually are.

3. The pride of life - The ambition and desire to "cut a great figure in this world," including the craving for importance, status, applause, and recognition.

How does the cross of Christ crucify the world to believers according to the sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the cross crucifies the world to believers in several ways:

1. It reveals the world for what it really is - Christ's coming itself shows the world is so corrupt that only God's Son could save it. His life and death expose the world's true character.

2. It shows the fate awaiting the world - The cross demonstrates that the world stands under judgment and will eventually pass away.

3. It separates believers from the world's punishment - Christ took upon Himself the punishment that is coming to all who belong to the world, so believers are freed from this doom.

4. It transfers believers to a new kingdom - Christians are "translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son."

5. It gives believers power over the world - "Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest is the real cause of wars and conflicts according to the Bible?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones points to human lust and selfishness as the real cause of wars and conflicts. He quotes James 4:1-2: "Whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence even of your lusts, that war in your members? You lust and you have not. You kill and you desire to have and cannot obtain."

He explains that the worldly characteristics (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life) lead to "lack of order," "lack of discipline," "lawlessness," and "license." The self-centered worldly outlook produces jealousy, envy, malice, spite, hatred, theft, robbery, and ultimately strife and war. In his view, "All wars are ultimately a strife between the haves and the have nots" - the expression of human greed and aggressiveness that stems from living according to worldly values rather than God's values.