The People of God
A Sermon on 1 Peter 2:2
Originally preached Feb. 25, 1962
Scripture
2As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Sermon Description
How can one go through life without stumbling? It is not hard to see that the world is full of sin, pain, and suffering. How is one to live in this evil world? In this sermon on 1 Peter 2:2 titled “The People of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives a simple answer. They must look to God and His word. No one can look to themselves and human reason because all are under sin and its curse. Because Satan tempted Adam and Eve in the garden to rebel against God, all of creation is under sin and bondage. Humanity is naturally in a state of rebellion against God and His righteous rule. It is only by God’s grace that anyone is saved from sin and brought to a true knowledge of God, free from the self-destructive nature of their own sin. By looking to God’s word, people can have a sure foundation. For in it, God has revealed the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. All who trust in Jesus are saved from all sin and condemnation. This sermon calls all to ask these most important questions: “Are you trusting in yourself for salvation? Or are you trusting in Jesus Christ, the only one who can bring us through this life, and save us on the last day?”
Sermon Breakdown
- God created the world and everything in it perfectly.
- Evil entered the world through the fall of Satan and his angels, then the fall of man in the Garden of Eden.
- As a result, man became separated from God, fearful, and imperfect. Man's powers and instincts became disordered and self-serving.
- God cursed the ground and banished man from Eden as punishment for sin. Man has been trying to return to paradise ever since through his own futile efforts.
- God's plan is to call out a people for himself from fallen humanity. He began this with Abel, then the line of Seth, then Abraham and his descendants.
- God made Israel his chosen people, promising them rest and safety if they obeyed. But they repeatedly failed and went into exile.
- Jesus came as the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel. Through faith in Christ, both Jews and Gentiles can be part of God's people.
- The church is God's people in this age, called out of the world to be holy and peculiar. Christianity is not about reforming society but calling people to be God's own.
- God's ultimate purpose is to restore the universe to perfection. He will defeat Satan and purge creation of all sin and evil. His people will inhabit the new creation.
- Those who believe this message and are part of God's people will never be confounded, no matter what happens in this life. They know God is in control and will fulfill his promises.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on 1 Peter
What is the main promise offered in 1 Peter 2:6 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main promise in 1 Peter 2:6 is that those who believe in Christ will never be confounded. He emphasizes this saying, "How to go through this world and through this life without being confounded. The passage reminds us that we are but strangers and pilgrims in this world. But here's the great question... How to get hold of something in this life and in this world that will keep us from being ashamed, confounded, ridiculed." The promise is that those who trust in Christ as the cornerstone will never be put to shame or disappointed.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say the Bible is different from all other books?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Bible is different from all other books because it is God's Word, not man's ideas. He states: "This is not a collection of men's thoughts... This is God himself revealing himself and the truth to us." He emphasizes that while other books represent men "trying to understand," the Bible is "God making known" what we cannot discover ourselves. He calls it "the oracles of God" and explains that it contains "pure, unadulterated, spiritual milk" that endures forever while everything else in the world withers and fades.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the cause of all human problems?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies the Fall of Man as the cause of all human problems. He states: "There is nothing that I know of that is quite so ridiculous from the standpoint of thought as the way in which people won't even consider that they ridicule it. And yet it's the only explanation of why they're in trouble." He explains that when man rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, it led to estrangement from God, fear, selfishness, struggle, and ultimately made man "the slave of this evil power, the devil." This fall is "the cause of all causes" and explains mankind's contradictory nature of great achievement yet moral failure.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is God's plan for human history?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that God's plan for human history is to call out a people for Himself from fallen humanity. He states: "What is God's purpose? Oh, here's God's purpose. To make for himself a people." This plan began with individuals like Abel, developed through Abraham's lineage and the nation of Israel, and culminated in Christ. He explains that the church is now "the gathering of the people of God" that includes both Jews and Gentiles who believe. The ultimate purpose is "the restoration of God's world and universe to its original condition" where this prepared people will live in "a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe what it means to be part of "the people of God"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes being part of "the people of God" as being in a position where one will never be confounded. He quotes 1 Peter 2:9 that these people are "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people" (or "a people for God's own peculiar possession"). Those who are part of God's people have confidence about both the present and future. He explains: "The Christian is not surprised that the world is as it is... Though things become much worse... the Christian not only will not be surprised, he won't be shaken." They know they are destined for God's renovated cosmos and that "as long as he's one of the people of God, nothing can ever harm him, nothing can ever rob him of the glory that is coming."
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say Christianity isn't primarily about reforming the world?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones firmly states that "the idea that Christianity is here to improve or to reform the world is a blank contradiction of the whole message of the scriptures." He explains that "the world was doomed and condemned when man fell in paradise" and that God's work has been to "create a new people for himself out of that world." He states: "What God is doing is to call people out of the world into this people of his, into this kingdom of his." The purpose of the current age is not world improvement but the gathering of God's people, as "God is adding unto his people" until Christ returns to judge the world and create a new heaven and earth.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the paradox of human achievement and failure?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the paradox of human achievement and failure as proof of the Bible's accuracy about human nature. He points to how modern man can "conquer the force of gravity" and reach outer space, yet simultaneously faces "crisis, fear, foreboding." He observes: "What's the point of conquering the force of gravity if you can't control the force of your own lusts within you?" This contradiction demonstrates man's glory and misery simultaneously. He cites Proverbs to note that controlling one's spirit is greater than conquering a city, yet man excels at the latter while failing at the former. This paradox stems directly from the Fall, which left mankind's powers and nature corrupted.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the stability of those who believe God's Word?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that those who believe God's Word gain remarkable stability in an unstable world. He says they "won't be shaken" regardless of circumstances: "Though he be regarded as a fool, he won't be surprised... Though he be thrown into prison, he won't be surprised... Though men spit at him, it won't take him by surprise." This stability comes from understanding God's revelation about past, present, and future. The believer knows "that as long as he's one of the people of God, nothing can ever harm him," and their ultimate security rests in Christ's promise: "I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also."
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.