The Only Gospel
A Sermon on Colossians 1:3-7
Scripture
3We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, 5For the hope which is laid up for you in …
Sermon Description
In his sermon on Colossians 1:3–7 titled “The Only Gospel,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones begins by asking a fundamental question: What is Christianity? In Paul’s introduction to his letter, he writes of the great news of the gospel the church received from one of the apostle’s friends. Paul affirms that this gospel is the true gospel. This central belief, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says, is precisely opposite of why so many are outside of the church. Today, there is confusion regarding Christianity’s core, a confusion that often persists within churches themselves. False teachers abound, and the truth is not preached. The truth of Christianity rests in the gospel, the good news given from Christ to His disciples. This is the truth that changes a person, causing them to see life differently. No longer is he or she living for the world, but living for God. And unlike worldly authority, he says, this gospel rests on the authority of the Lord. Salvation did not come through humanity; it came through God’s Son Jesus Christ. In closing, Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds Christians to worship God for His loving grace and mercy.
Sermon Breakdown
- Christianity is a gospel, meaning good news. It is not meant to be a hard task or moral program.
- The gospel preached by Paul and Epaphras is the true gospel, not the false teachings of others. Paul has the authority to say this because:
- It is not based on human philosophy or speculation
- It is not based on what people can or can't believe
- It is not based on tradition
- It is based on historical events - the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
- The apostles were eyewitnesses to these events
- Paul saw the risen Christ himself
- The gospel was given to the apostles by Christ, not devised by men
- The gospel is universal, not local like other religions, because Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world
- There is no other name by which we can be saved
- Even if an angel preaches another gospel, it is false - only the gospel Paul preached is true
- The gospel is good news because it means God has provided a way for our sins to be forgiven and for us to have eternal life through faith in Christ.
- To understand the gospel, we must face the facts of what Christ did as recorded in history. If we do, we will receive the gospel with joy like the Colossians.
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.