Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon

What is the key difference between how the gospel approaches sin versus how the world approaches it?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the gospel deals with moral problems not by concentrating on the sins themselves, but by focusing on persons in their relationship to God. He states, "The gospel deals with these matters not by concentrating on the sins as such or per se, but rather by concentrating upon the sinner in his relationship to almighty God." This is fundamentally different from the world's approach, which typically focuses on treating specific sins or behaviors through councils, training institutes, or psychological treatments.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the relationship between sins and sin?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "sins are nothing but separate and several manifestations of one great disease, which is called sin." He uses a medical analogy, comparing sins to symptoms of a disease. Just as treating symptoms without addressing the underlying disease is ineffective, dealing with individual sins without addressing the fundamental condition of sin is futile. He points out that "it isn't the symptoms that matter. It is the disease that matters."

What three key theological terms does Paul use in 1 Corinthians 6:11, and what do they mean according to Lloyd-Jones?

Paul uses "washed," "sanctified," and "justified." Lloyd-Jones explains: 1. "Washed" - The guilt and stain of sin has been cleansed away through Christ's blood 2. "Sanctified" - Believers are separated from their old life and set apart for God, taken out of the world and placed into God's kingdom 3. "Justified" - Christ's own perfection and righteousness is attributed to believers, so God looks at them as if they had never sinned

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones criticize merely changing one behavior for another?

Lloyd-Jones criticizes this approach because it only addresses symptoms without curing the disease. He gives the example of treatments that substitute one sin for another, and uses a medical analogy: like giving aspirin to a pneumonia patient might relieve a headache but doesn't cure the pneumonia. He describes a man who stopped drinking after his preaching but never became a Christian - socially improved but spiritually still in the same condition, because his fundamental relationship with God hadn't changed.

According to Lloyd-Jones, why is idolatry included alongside sexual sins in Paul's list?

Lloyd-Jones explains that idolatry is included to demonstrate that all sins stem from a wrong relationship with God. He defines an idolater as "a person who is worshipping anything but God." He suggests that the greatest idolaters might be those who are self-satisfied and condemn others while having no need for Christ themselves. His point is that all sins - from sexual perversion to covetousness to self-righteousness - are equally reprehensible to God because they all represent the same disease of sin.

What is the surprising element of the gospel solution to sin according to this sermon?

The surprise, according to Lloyd-Jones, is that the gospel doesn't just offer Christ as a helper or "super-psychologist" who influences us from outside. Instead, it offers a complete transformation through washing, sanctification, and justification. He notes that most people would expect Paul to say, "Christ has helped you" or "strengthened you," but instead we get theological terms that indicate a fundamental change in our relationship with God. The surprise is the completeness and immediacy of the solution - "It does it here and now" rather than through gradual improvement.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the effect of justification on a believer?

Lloyd-Jones describes justification as the most "marvelous thing of all." He explains that through justification, "Christ's own perfection and righteousness and keeping of the law is attributed or imputed to them." This means God looks at justified persons "as if they'd never sinned in their lives." Beyond just having sin washed away, the believer is "clothed and covered by the righteousness and the holiness and the perfection of Christ." God sees them "in Christ as a holy person" who is "positively righteous and holy."

What did David's response in Psalm 51 reveal about the true nature of sin?

David's response in Psalm 51 reveals that the essence of sin is not primarily about the specific acts committed (adultery and murder in his case) but about one's relationship with God. Lloyd-Jones points out that David doesn't even mention these specific sins in the psalm. Instead, David says, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned." This shows that David understood sin primarily as an offense against God rather than just harmful acts against humans, and his greatest concern was how to get right with God rather than just how to stop certain behaviors.