The Gospel; Good News
A Sermon on Galatians 1:8
Originally preached Oct. 5, 1958
Scripture
8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Sermon Description
If a Christian does not find the gospel thrilling, they find themselves in the same position as the Galatian church when the apostle Paul wrote to them. In this sermon on Galatians 1:8, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows that the gospel is most simply this: the Good News. The gospel is the most simple, most clear, and most thrilling message that has ever existed and we must be careful to speak of and think of the gospel in this way. Dr. Lloyd-Jones tells us that the whole trouble of the current generation, and every generation, for that matter, is that it does not concern themselves with learning the gospel well and being gripped by its thrilling message. God sent his own Son to die in our place and there is no other Good News. When this message is truly contemplated, the Christian will burst with praise and thanks.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon text is Galatians 1:8 which states "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
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The sermon focuses on explaining what the true gospel is according to the Apostle Paul.
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The gospel is first and foremost good news - it is a thrilling and exciting message. If it does not elicit feelings of wonder and praise, it is not the true gospel.
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The gospel is not a vague or indefinite message. It can be clearly defined and articulated. It is not based on feelings or experiences alone.
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The gospel is exclusive - it is the only gospel. It is not one of many ways to God or one philosophy amongst many. It stands alone.
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The gospel was not created or taught by men. Paul received it directly through revelation from Jesus Christ.
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The gospel centers on Jesus Christ - who he is and what he has done. He is the Son of God who died, was buried, and was raised from the dead.
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The gospel is about how God sent his Son into the world to save sinners. Jesus came to die in our place and deliver us from this present evil age.
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The gospel demands a response - we must believe in Jesus Christ and accept what he has done to be saved. We must know him personally.
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If anyone preaches another gospel, let him be accursed. There is no other gospel that can save. Only faith in Christ alone.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Key Teachings on the Gospel of Jesus Christ
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the primary characteristic of the Christian gospel?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the first and greatest characteristic of the Christian gospel is that it is "the most astonishing good news that has ever come into this world." He emphasizes that the gospel is not merely moral exhortation or philosophical ideas, but thrilling, exciting news. He states: "Christianity always begins... It's good news. It's thrilling good news. It's exciting news." He traces this theme of "glad tidings" throughout both the Old and New Testaments, showing how prophets and angels consistently presented God's message as wonderful news worth celebrating.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say the gospel is unique and exclusive?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that the gospel is not just one viewpoint among many or one religion among others. He states emphatically: "The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just one point of view amongst a number of points of view, it is the only point of view." He explains this exclusivity is based on the uniqueness of Christ himself: "Why do I stand here and say that this alone is gospel?... It's the Lord Jesus Christ. It's God. All these are men, great men, I'll grant you... But this doesn't belong to them. Why, this is from God." He points to Christ's resurrection as the ultimate validation of this exclusive claim.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the authority behind the gospel message?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the authority of the gospel comes not from human reasoning or philosophy but from divine revelation. He quotes Paul in Galatians: "I neither received it of men, neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." The gospel's authority stems from the fact that it originated with God, not with human ideas or inventions. Lloyd-Jones states: "I am not here to deliver my own opinions, my own thoughts... My message is the message that I get from this man Paul, from Peter, from John, from all these New Testament writers."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as common misunderstandings about the gospel?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several misconceptions about the gospel that he believes diminish its true nature: 1. That it's merely "moral exhortation" or instructions on being good 2. That it's "general philosophizing with respect to life" offering comfort 3. That it's just an "idealistic view of life" 4. That it's primarily "protest against certain evils" 5. That it's simply "a social and political program" 6. That it's a "vague, indefinite, nebulous experience or mystic feeling" 7. That it's merely "the quest and search for truth and ultimate reality"
He argues that all these fall short of the true gospel, which is definite, clear, and centered on Christ's redemptive work.
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, what makes the gospel clear and definable?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that the gospel is not vague or indefinite but can be clearly defined and stated in propositions. He points to Paul's language in Galatians about "this gospel" versus "another gospel" and about "perverting" the gospel as evidence that the message has clear boundaries and content. He states: "You can know whether you're a Christian or whether you're not a Christian. It can be said of us, yes, you are; you are not. You are right, you are wrong." He emphasizes that the gospel is "something which can be put clearly and specifically. It can be put in definitions, we can criticize it. We can say this is right, that is wrong."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the central message of the gospel?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies the central message of the gospel as God sending His Son to save humanity. He states: "This is the good news that into the world that couldn't find God amongst the philosophers... into this God has sent his only son." He quotes Galatians 4, saying "when the fullness of the times was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that are under the law." The heart of the gospel is Christ's redemptive work: "He came to die to take our problem, our sin, our shame, our iniquity upon himself and bear its burden and bear it all away. And so he reconciles us to God and makes us children of God and lifts us out of the world and delivers us from its evil malign influence and saves us to all eternity."
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.