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Sermon #5556

The Inward Man

A Sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:16

Originally preached Oct. 1, 1961

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Scripture

2 Corinthians 4:16 ESV KJV
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. (ESV)

Sermon Description

How do Christians live in an evil world that opposes God? This is not a new question for Christians, and Paul himself addresses the early church in 2 Corinthians 4:16. Christians must always seek to live according to the gospel and the mission of Christ. In the midst of an evil world, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims, Christians must share the gospel. Christians living in the world must seek to make Christ known in all that they do. And even as Christians are seeking to be a light to the world, the Bible says that believers are still wasting away, but the inward man is being renewed within. Jesus transforms all who believe in Him and makes them holy. In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:16, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches this great truth of the hope of transformation in Christ. This sermon is a call for all to flee sin and come to Jesus, for Jesus alone can transform sinful bodies of death by making all things new. Only Jesus can make whole again and give true and lasting peace with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The Christian faces facts realistically. Though our outward man perish. The Christian does not ignore difficulties or troubles.
  2. The Christian faces facts in a unique way. He does not faint or get defeated. For which cause we faint not.
  3. The Christian can give a reason for facing facts positively. For which cause...
  4. The outward man refers to the physical body and life lived through the body. It includes contacts with the world and other people. It depends on the body and physical conditions.
  5. The inward man refers to the soul and spirit. It is eternal and independent of the body. It links us to God and the spiritual realm.
  6. The inward man is renewed daily by the Holy Spirit. He gives a new view of suffering, enabling us to see it as sharing in Christ's sufferings.
  7. The life of Jesus is manifested in our mortal bodies. As the outward man perishes, the life of Jesus in us grows.
  8. Jesus lives in us and we live by him. We are crucified with Christ; we live by faith in the Son of God.
  9. God will raise up our bodies as he raised Jesus. Our present sufferings point ahead to future glory.
  10. The abundant grace of God renews the inward man day by day. It is constantly given fresh every morning.
  11. The inward man progresses from glory to glory. He does not stay the same but grows in grace and in the knowledge of God.

Sermon Q&A

What Was Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Secret to Facing Difficult Circumstances?

Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:16, I'll answer key questions about his teaching on facing life's challenges as a Christian.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "the outward man perishes"?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, "the outward man" refers to:

"This body of ours that is perishing. It includes the body itself, our physical frame... But it doesn't stop at that. The outward man includes something beyond the mere physical aspect of living. It includes the whole of our life as it is lived only in terms of the body and what the body can do."

The outward man encompasses all our physical capacities, our contacts with the world, our appreciation of nature, our social interactions, and everything dependent on physical health. Lloyd-Jones notes that all these things decay and diminish as we age or face illness.

What is "the inward man" that Lloyd-Jones speaks about?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the inward man as:

"The life of the soul and of the spirit. Here is something apart from the body, something distinct from the body... It is an entity on its own. It is ourselves apart from everybody else and apart from everything else. It is my soul and spirit making me what I am, apart from my body and all its contacts."

He emphasizes that this inward man: - Links us to God and to eternity - Continues even when our body decays - Is independent of our physical circumstances - Is something only Christians possess

How is the inward man "renewed day by day"?

Lloyd-Jones explains that the Holy Spirit renews the inward man daily through:

  1. Enabling us to see our sufferings as sharing in Christ's sufferings: "You are entering into the fellowship of his sufferings."

  2. Making the life of Jesus manifest in us: "As my outward man perishes, I'm aware of another life that has come in, and it's growing and increasing... This is the life of the Lord Jesus Christ in me."

  3. Giving us hope in the resurrection: "The more I'm conscious of this body decaying, the more I'm driven to think of the resurrection of this body because it's coming."

  4. Providing fresh grace daily: "God doesn't just give us a gift of grace when we are converted... That's not God's way. It's renewed day by day as he sent the manna day by day."

What distinguishes the Christian's approach to facing difficulties from others?

Lloyd-Jones draws this crucial distinction:

"The non-Christian, at his best, describes the facts, paints them as they are, looks at them as honestly and as squarely and in as manly a manner as he can and having done so, says, 'Well, there it is. I've got to get on with it.'"

In contrast, the Christian: - Says "though" and "nevertheless" - refusing to be defeated - Looks beyond present circumstances to spiritual realities - "Begins where everybody else ends" - Can give a reason for his hope - Finds that as physical powers decline, spiritual strength increases

As Lloyd-Jones puts it: "The Christian is a man who begins to speak when everybody else is silent."

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe this message is so important for his time?

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes this teaching's importance for two key reasons:

  1. For believers themselves: "If our faith doesn't help us when we're in trouble, well, what's the value of it? There's no value in a fair weather kind of faith. The test of any belief is the way in which it stands up to trials and tribulations."

  2. For evangelistic opportunities: "There is in some ways today an evangelistic opportunity such as has not been the case for many a long day... Our glorious opportunity of showing what a difference it makes to be a Christian... The world, I believe, is looking at us more and more, scrutinizing us more and more carefully. It's bankrupt, everything it trusted to has gone."

Lloyd-Jones believed this Christian ability to face adversity with hope and inner renewal would attract those seeking answers in a troubled world.

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.