The Glory of the Cross
A Sermon on the Glory of the Cross from Galatians 6:14
Originally preached Nov. 3, 1963
Scripture
14But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Sermon Description
When people look at the world today, they see a world that is torn apart by much grief, suffering, and loss. And yet, they often fail to see the reason behind the pain that exists. In this sermon on the glory of the cross from Galatians 6:14 titled “The Glory of the Cross,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones works through understanding suffering and the characteristics of the world to help better comprehend the glory of the cross. He says that the world and what it stands for are the causes of all its tragedies. He defines the world as that which is apart from and/or without God. What are the characteristics of the world? The world is driven by an unquenchable lust and desire, such as for money, power, and sex. These have driven people to live for themselves, and this has led to the sin in the world. It can only be overcome through the cross. It does this by showing what the world really is and how empty its pursuits are. In His ministry on earth, Jesus made this a central part of His ministry, emphasizing things that were total opposites from the world. Everything that is opposed to God will suffer eternal destruction, and this is the glory of the cross—it is the only thing that satisfies, and it is the only salvation.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is declaring his position and contrasting himself with false teachers who boast in the flesh.
- Paul says he will only glory in the cross of Christ. The preaching of the cross is the essential message of Christianity.
- There are only two positions regarding the cross: it is either offensive or we glory in it. Paul glories in it because it has changed his life and it is the most glorious thing he has known.
- We glory in the cross because of what we see in it as a spectacle: the Prince of Glory died on it.
- We must ask why Christ died on the cross. It was not merely the act of men but was prophesied and purposed by God before creation.
- The cross is the center of God's plan of salvation. It reveals God's wisdom, solving the problem of how God can be just and forgive sinners.
- The cross displays God's grace, righteousness, holiness, immutability, and love. We see all of God's attributes harmonized in the cross.
- God did not spare His Son but poured out His wrath on Him so He would not have to pour it out on us. This demonstrates God's love for us.
- Our eternal destiny depends on our view of the cross. We must glory in it to be saved, seeing it as everything.
Sermon Q&A
What is the Central Message of the Cross According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the cross of Christ is the very heart, center, and nerve of the Christian message. It represents the most momentous and significant event in the universe and is the core of God's eternal plan of salvation.
In his sermon on Galatians 6:14, Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul's declaration, "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ," reveals the centrality of the cross to authentic Christian faith.
Why Does the Cross Test Every Person?
The cross is not merely a theory or idea but a historical event that tests and judges every person. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes:
"We, all of us, are in relationship to that, and that it judges us, every one of us. The whole message of the New Testament is to tell us that finally, what decides what we are in this world and in the world to come is our reaction to this cross."
According to Lloyd-Jones, there are only two possible positions regarding the cross: either it is an offense to us, something we hate and ridicule, or we glory in it as Paul did.
Why Should Christians Glory in the Cross?
Lloyd-Jones provides several reasons why Christians glory in the cross:
- It reveals God's character - The cross is the greatest display and exposition of the character of the everlasting God
- It demonstrates God's grace - God shows favor to those who deserve no favor at all
- It reveals God's righteousness, justice, and holiness - God cannot compromise with sin
- It shows God's wisdom - The cross represents God's solution to the problem of how He can forgive sinners while remaining just
- It displays God's immutability - God doesn't change or modify His character, even when His own Son bears sin
- It demonstrates God's love - "God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
What Was God's Role in the Crucifixion?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the crucifixion was not merely the action of men or an accident of history. He quotes Acts 2:23, showing that Christ was "delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God."
"It was actually, of course, physically, materially, the hands of men who killed him. But it was God who had purposed this. They were simply carrying out in time what God had predetermined upon before the very foundation of the world."
This reveals that the cross was part of God's eternal plan for salvation, decided upon "before the world unto our glory."
How Does the Cross Address the Problem of Sin?
Lloyd-Jones identifies the fundamental human problem as sin, which is rebellion against God. He explains that God hates sin and must punish it because of His holiness.
The cross provides the solution: "God hath made him [Christ] to be sin for us, though he knew no sin, in order that he might be able to forgive us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
On the cross, Lloyd-Jones explains, God "spared not his own Son" but poured out all His divine wrath upon sin, upon His beloved Son, so that believers would not have to receive that punishment.
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.