What Makes a Christian?
A Sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:1-6
Originally preached March 12, 1961
Scripture
1Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight …
Sermon Description
What does it mean to be a Christian? Many believe that being a Christian is about the family of origin, or the church of one’s baptism. But in the sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:1–6, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows why this is wholly opposed to what Scripture says about the nature of Christianity. To be a Christian is to be born again; it is to receive a new nature through faith in Jesus Christ. Just as God spoke in the beginning and there was light, it is also with salvation, God speaks through His Spirit to make dead sinners new. Christianity is not about social change, but it is about the miracle of the salvation of souls. The Church must proclaim the gospel to all so that they might know Jesus as their Savior. Only Jesus can free humanity from their sin and immorality, and only Jesus can free sinners from their ignorance and make them children of God. This message asks the question: Do you know Jesus? Have you received new life in the gospel or are you still in sin and death? This sermon is a call to believe in the only savior, Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is concerned about how people become Christians and wants them to understand what really makes someone a Christian.
- Becoming a Christian is the result of a creative act of God, not something we can do ourselves through good works or morality.
- Becoming a Christian is a great mystery and miracle. We can't fully understand how it happens.
- What God does in us when we become Christians is a profound change. It is not just a small modification or improvement. It is a radical transformation.
- When God makes us Christians, order is produced out of the chaos of our lives. Our lives become balanced rather than governed by desires and lusts.
- When God makes us Christians, our minds are enlightened and we gain true understanding. We see ourselves, God, and the purpose of life accurately.
- When God makes us Christians, we gain the ability to live as we were meant to - as children of God, in righteousness and holiness. This is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit within us.
- The Christian life is a process of being transformed from glory to glory into the image of Christ. God begins a good work in us and continues it until we stand perfect in his presence.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions: The Nature of Christian Life
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the source of Christian conversion?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones clearly teaches that becoming a Christian is "the result of a great creative act on the part of God." He states firmly that "no man can ever make himself a Christian" and "no man can ever make any other men a Christian." He references 2 Corinthians 4:6, "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts," showing that conversion is entirely God's divine activity, comparable to His original creative act in Genesis. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes it's "not at all the activity of man. It is God's activity, God's creative activity."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the difference between morality and true Christianity?
Lloyd-Jones makes a sharp distinction between morality and Christianity. He states that being moral, "trying to do good, always trying not to do certain things" is "almost the exact opposite of Christianity." Morality is something people do themselves, while Christianity is what God does to a person. He explains that many people are "highly moral" and "doing tremendous good in every direction, but it's they who are doing it all." True Christianity, by contrast, is God's miraculous work in the soul, creating something entirely new that wasn't there before.
What biblical image does Lloyd-Jones use to illustrate conversion?
Lloyd-Jones uses the creation account from Genesis as his primary image for conversion. He repeatedly returns to Genesis 1:2-3, where "the earth was without form and void" until "God said, 'Let there be light.'" He compares the human soul before conversion to this primordial chaos, and conversion itself to God's creative act bringing order, design, and light. Just as God transformed chaos into paradise in creation, He transforms the chaotic sinful soul into a new creation through conversion.
According to the sermon, what is the fundamental mistake people make about becoming a Christian?
The fundamental mistake people make is thinking they can become Christians through their own efforts or decisions. Lloyd-Jones condemns the notion that "by living a good life, they make themselves Christians" calling it "the lie of the devil." He critiques those who think Christianity is merely "going to church, doing good and so on," or who believe they're Christians because they were "brought up to go to chapel" or "taken to Sunday school." He insists becoming a Christian is not a human choice but God's supernatural intervention.
What does Lloyd-Jones identify as the evidence of true conversion?
Lloyd-Jones states that true conversion produces a profound change that leaves a person amazed at themselves. He offers this definition: "A Christian is a man who doesn't understand himself. A Christian is a man who's amazed at himself... who says, 'Is it possible that I am this man? I can scarcely believe it.'" Other evidences include: a restored balance in life (mind and spirit regaining control over bodily desires), a new understanding of God's glory and one's own sinfulness, repentance, hunger for righteousness, and ongoing transformation "from glory to glory."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the relationship between understanding and conversion?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that conversion brings new spiritual understanding that was impossible before. He says when God works in a person, "He gives a man an understanding," particularly "of the glory of God." The converted person begins to see themselves as they truly are ("I'm utterly vile before God"), understands the gospel clearly, and comprehends "the whole purpose of life" and "God's great plan of salvation." This spiritual understanding isn't reached through human reasoning but is divinely given, as Paul wrote, "we have the mind of Christ."
What warning does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give to church members at the end of his sermon?
Lloyd-Jones delivers a sobering warning to church members: "I don't care how prominent in your church you are. I don't care how much good you do in your church, how much you work in your church. If you cannot say that the Almighty God has worked in you and put new life into you and made a new creature of you, you are not a Christian. And if you die in that condition, you'll go to hell." He urges such people to confess to God they've never truly been Christians and to cry out for His saving mercy.
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.