The Mystery of Salvation
A Sermon on Ephesians 6:18-20
Scripture
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; 19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20For …
Sermon Description
Repenting from sin and trusting Christ for forgiveness is mandatory for salvation. In this sermon from Ephesians 6:18–20 titled “The Mystery of Salvation,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says there is no other way. The mystery of salvation unfolds with regeneration, the giving of a new nature within the individual. Modern objections to this truth are numerous. There is the literal objection: don’t take things literally as people have just come into a new understanding. Then there is the psychological objection: there are two types of people—the religious type and the unreligious. One will have religious experiences, the other will not and should not be expected to. But the New Testament record does not substantiate either of these objections. Every kind of temperament is in the church, and yet all have had basically the same experience. Objection to the supernatural is not so much an objection to the miraculous, but that the teaching of being born again is insulting. If one is told, “You must be born again,” what is really being said that all are hopeless in their current state. Modern people hear this and thinks it preposterous, especially with all their learning and knowledge. They are prepared to believe in morality and a little bit of progressive reform, but not the necessity of being a new creation.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul asks the Ephesian Christians to pray for him that he may be given grace and strength to declare the mystery of the gospel.
- The mystery of the gospel refers to something that is secret and hidden from human understanding but revealed by God through His Spirit.
- People object to the idea of being "born again" for psychological reasons, thinking Christianity is just a point of view or way of life. But Christianity is about having fellowship with God.
- People must be born again to have fellowship with God because God is holy and people are sinful by nature. Regeneration is necessary to prepare people for heaven.
- Regeneration is a work of God, not something people can do themselves. It gives people a new nature, heart, and disposition. Their whole outlook changes.
- The gospel offers hope because God can save anyone. Regeneration sets people free from slavery to sin and the world.
- God makes Christians into children and heirs. Regeneration prepares people for eternal life with God.
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.