The Meaning of the Gospel
A Sermon on 2 Timothy 1:12
Originally preached May 10, 1964
Scripture
12For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Sermon Description
In this sermon on 2 Timothy 1:12 titled “The Meaning of the Gospel,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that many people think they can construct a worldview built from Christianity along with other religions or ways of thought and still experience the same hope as a follower of Christ. But as Dr. Lloyd-Jones illustrates from this Scripture, no one can have the benefits of Christianity without believing and following Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the gospel and its importance for everyone. Jesus, the God-man, entered into time and became God in the flesh. In His living, He showed how one is to live. In His sacrificial death and resurrection, He made a way for people to be made right with God and to have their sins forgiven. All that He claimed to be while alive was proven by His resurrection, showing that He is God and the Lord over all, even death. He established that death is not the end — He has conquered it. One cannot have this hope and confidence unless they trust in Jesus solely as their Savior from sin and following Him as master. He alone can save and give hope.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is writing to Timothy to encourage him in his ministry. Timothy was prone to depression and discouragement.
- Paul himself is imprisoned in Rome and facing possible execution. But Paul says he is not ashamed because he knows Jesus, in whom he has believed.
- Paul says the gospel gives us power to face any difficulty or trial in life with joy and courage. The gospel is the only thing that can help us truly live and face death.
- Paul says we must believe the doctrines of the faith to experience the benefits of Christianity. We can't just take the ethics and ignore the doctrines.
- The Christian faith is based on a person: Jesus Christ. Paul says "I know whom I have believed." Christianity is about believing in and knowing Christ.
- Paul reviews the essential doctrines of the faith for Timothy. He starts with the nature of God and his eternal plan of salvation. This plan was conceived before the world began but has now been revealed in Jesus.
- Jesus is the eternal Son of God who appeared on earth. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross, and rose from the dead.
- The Old Testament points forward to Jesus, the promised Savior and Messiah. Jesus fulfilled God's promise to defeat sin, death, and the devil.
- Jesus demonstrated what humanity was meant to be by living a perfect, sinless life. But he did more than just set an example. He came to conquer our enemies: sin, death, and the devil.
- Jesus conquered sin by living a sinless life. He conquered the devil by resisting temptation. He conquered death by dying on the cross and rising from the grave. His resurrection proves life after death and immortality.
- Jesus also fulfilled the law of God in our place through his life of obedience and by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.
- We must believe in Jesus—who he is and what he has done—to find comfort, courage, and victory in life and death. Faith in Christ is the only way to truly live.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Martyn Lloyd-Jones Mean by "I Know Whom I Have Believed"?
Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on 2 Timothy 1:12, here are key questions and answers that explore his interpretation of Paul's confidence in Christ.
What is the context of Paul's statement "I know whom I have believed" in 2 Timothy 1:12?
According to Lloyd-Jones, Paul was writing to Timothy, who was naturally prone to depression and was particularly troubled because Paul was imprisoned and facing possible execution under Emperor Nero. Timothy was fearful about how the church would continue without Paul. In this context, Paul writes these words of confidence to encourage Timothy that despite his circumstances, he was not ashamed but rather joyful and confident because of who Christ is and what He had done.
How does Lloyd-Jones distinguish between religion and Christianity?
Lloyd-Jones makes a clear distinction: "Religion has never made anybody happy. Neither has morality. It makes you decent, self-contained, but never happy. Morality has never made a man sing. Religion never makes a man sing." In contrast, "It is Christianity alone that makes a man sing." He emphasizes that Christianity is not merely about following rules or religious practices but about knowing a Person—Jesus Christ—which leads to true joy even in difficult circumstances.
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the mistake many make about Christianity today?
Lloyd-Jones argues that many people mistakenly believe "that what matters is the teaching of Jesus, and that Christianity means taking the teaching of Jesus and doing your best to put it into practice and to imitate him." He calls this "a lie" based on Paul's words that God "hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works." Christianity is primarily about knowing Christ personally, not merely following His teachings or trying to imitate Him.
Why does Lloyd-Jones emphasize the doctrine of Christ's person so strongly?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that all the comfort and power of Christianity flow from correct beliefs about who Christ is. He stresses that Jesus is not merely a man or even just a perfect man, but God incarnate—"God the son has come out of heaven into earth." He insists on the virgin birth, Christ's miracles, His sinless life, sacrificial death, and physical resurrection as essential truths. Without these doctrinal foundations about Christ's person, there would be no power to overcome sin, death, and judgment.
What does Lloyd-Jones mean by Christ "abolishing death"?
Lloyd-Jones explains that the correct translation should be that Christ "has disanulled death, disintegrated death, taken death apart, taken it to pieces," and on the other hand "hath brought life and incorruption to light." Christ has conquered death by taking away its sting (which is sin), proving there is life beyond death through His resurrection, and showing believers that death is not the end but rather a passage to being with Christ "which is far better."
How does Lloyd-Jones describe what true faith in Christ involves?
True faith, according to Lloyd-Jones, involves personally knowing Christ and entrusting oneself to Him. He describes it as: "I've handed my soul and its eternal welfare to him, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him on until that day." This faith includes believing specific truths about Christ—His deity, virgin birth, miracles, atoning death, physical resurrection, ascension, and future return—and resting one's eternal destiny entirely on Him.
Why does Lloyd-Jones argue that you cannot separate Christian ethics from Christian doctrine?
Lloyd-Jones firmly rejects the idea that one can "hold on to the christian ethic" while denying Christian doctrines. He states: "No man can practice the christian ethic unless he believes the christian doctrine and has the power that results from doing that." He argues that the benefits of Christianity flow directly from its doctrines, and "the life is the result of the belief." The 20th century proved that "you cannot have the benefits of Christianity if you shed its doctrines."
What did Lloyd-Jones identify as humanity's fundamental enemies that Christ came to conquer?
Lloyd-Jones identifies several enemies that Christ came to conquer: sin and evil, the devil and temptation, and ultimately death itself, which he calls "the last enemy." He also mentions the law of God as something that condemns us because we cannot keep it. Christ conquered each of these—living a sinless life, resisting the devil's temptations, fulfilling the law perfectly on our behalf, taking the punishment for our sins, and ultimately defeating death through His resurrection.
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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.