The Mystery of Godliness
A Sermon on the Mystery of Godliness from Ephesians 6:18-20
Originally preached Nov. 15, 1964
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
What is the mystery of godliness? In this sermon on Ephesians 6:18–20 titled “The Mystery of the Person of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims that God was “manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up to glory.” Christianity is all about the person of Christ Himself. The essential question is this: “what do you think about Christ?” Until one is clear about this, they cannot be clear about anything else. It’s no surprise that this is the very point where the devil has focused his greatest attacks. It is absolutely vital to be clear about who He is, because in Him is the only hope for the world. The gospel is not about humanity trying to arrive at an understanding, but God miraculously intervening, supernaturally entering in to the problems of humanity and doing His work through the person of Christ. In John’s Gospel, he made it clear in the purpose statement who Jesus was: “that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.” The mystery of godliness is uniquely and marvelously this: that divinity and humanity is equally in one person who came to live and die to reconcile humanity to God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon begins by establishing that the Christian message is a mystery from beginning to end. It is supernatural and miraculous.
- The sermon then provides many examples from the Gospels of people marveling at Jesus' teachings and miracles to demonstrate the mysterious and supernatural nature of Christianity.
- The sermon argues that the essence of the mystery of Christianity is found in the person of Jesus Christ. His nature seems contradictory, being both human and divine, strong and weak, mighty and helpless.
- The sermon asserts that Jesus is the eternal Son of God manifest in human flesh. He is not just a great moral teacher. He is God come to earth to save humanity.
- The sermon explains that the Spirit vindicated Jesus, enabling his miracles and resurrection. Angels also testified to Jesus' divinity.
- The sermon proclaims that Jesus was preached to the Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, and ascended into glory.
- The sermon concludes by arguing that Christianity is not about living a good life or being a good person. It is about believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and savior. We must become like children and accept this great mystery.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Lloyd-Jones Mean by the "Mystery of the Gospel"?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon, the "mystery of the gospel" refers to divine truth that was once hidden from humanity but has now been revealed by God. This is not a mystery in the sense of something vague or unclear, but rather a profound spiritual reality that transcends human understanding.
What makes Christianity a "mystery" according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Christianity is a mystery because:
- It cannot be grasped by human intellect alone - "Our own natural abilities and propensities are rarely of no use to us"
- It centers on the supernatural person of Christ - "The world by wisdom knew not God"
- It involves God's intervention in human history - "God was manifest in the flesh"
- It contains apparent contradictions that can only be resolved by faith - the strength and weakness, glory and humility of Christ
As Lloyd-Jones states: "Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
Why does Lloyd-Jones emphasize Christianity as supernatural?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes the supernatural nature of Christianity because:
- It distinguishes Christianity from all other teachings and philosophies
- It establishes that salvation comes from God's initiative, not human effort
- It centers on the miraculous person and work of Christ
- It explains why the gospel caused astonishment in the early church
As he says: "Christianity, in the last resort, is Christ. It's all about this person, the person himself... Christianity is not merely a point of view."
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the person of Christ?
Lloyd-Jones describes Christ as the ultimate mystery - God incarnate in human form:
- He possessed divine authority - "This man speaketh with authority, not as the scribes"
- He performed supernatural miracles - "Blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the deaf hear"
- He lived in humble circumstances - "Born in a stable and put in a manger"
- He united two natures in one person - "In that one person there are two natures, God and men"
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes: "If you put him into any list, you don't know anything about the mystery of godliness. These were all great men... but they were all men. Here is God the Son, manifest in the flesh."
What is the central message of Christianity according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones states that the central message of Christianity is not moral instruction but God's supernatural intervention through Christ:
"The gospel isn't a message telling you and telling me how to live and how to live a better life... The message is the exact opposite. It is that because we are so helpless and can do nothing, the Son of God was sent by the Father out of heaven into this world."
He concludes that true Christianity always produces wonder and amazement: "Have you got the wonder, the marvel, the amazement of it? Are you astounded? Are you humbled?"
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.