The Spirit of Bondage
A Sermon on Spiritual Bondage from Romans 8:15-16
Scripture
15For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Sermon Description
The Christian may feel the Christian life is filled with burdensome tasks, an endless to-do list. When living in an antagonistic world, the tendency is to turn the faith into nothing more than a higher law. Holiness becomes nothing more than an occupation. To what does this lead? It leads to a wrongful fear of God; a tormented view, seeing God as merely a distant law-giver. This doesn’t lead to a life of joy, but rather a spirit of bondage. In this sermon on spiritual bondage from Romans 8:15–17 titled “The Spirit of Bondage,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses this issue through examining the doctrine of adoption. The Christian is invited to call God “abba.” A slave cannot call their taskmaster “father”––only a child can do this. Adoption means that God is not a distant law-giver, but a father who is near. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that desire to live a holy life must not come not from an attempt to appease God. On the contrary, that desire to live a holy life is because He is the father and Christians are His children. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. The moment this is realized, everything begins to change.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul wrote Romans 8:15-17 to address discouragement and spiritual depression in the Roman church.
- Living the Christian life and dealing with sin can lead to feelings of discouragement. There are difficulties within and without.
- The essence of the problem is a failure to understand the truth about the Christian life and what is possible for Christians. It is a failure of faith.
- This failure produces a "spirit of bondage" - a servant spirit and attitude. This comes from turning the Christian life into a new law to follow.
- The "spirit of bondage" produces a "spirit of fear" - a wrong fear of God, an exaggerated fear of the difficulty of the Christian life, and an exaggerated fear of the devil and one's own sin.
- The antidote is understanding the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells within us and gives us power, reminding us of God's fatherly love.
- The Holy Spirit reminds us of God's power within us, enabling us to live the Christian life. We are not left to our own strength.
- The Holy Spirit reminds us of our relationship to God as His children. We can cry "Abba, Father!" We desire to please our Father, not just keep a law.
- As God's children, we are also joint heirs with Christ. We have a glorious destiny and position.
- Our destiny as heirs of God should lead us to purify ourselves in preparation. We can overcome the world through faith in our ultimate destiny.
- We should not repine or complain, but instead think of the Spirit within us, the Father's smile, and what Christ did to win us. We have full salvation.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Romans 8:15-17
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the main problem causing Christians to have a "spirit of bondage"?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main problem causing Christians to have a "spirit of bondage" is "a failure on their part to realize the truth concerning the Christian life. It is their failure to realize what is possible for us as Christians. It is ultimately a failure to understand the doctrine." He explains that many Christians turn the Christian life into "a new law and into a higher law" rather than understanding their relationship with God as children to a Father. This creates a servant or slave-like spirit rather than a spirit of sonship.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the meaning of "the spirit of adoption" in Romans 8:15?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "the spirit of adoption" refers to our adult sonship relationship with God. He says: "This adoption means you're a grown son. You've reached full age. You're a full son in the fullest sense and in the full possession of your position and of your faculties." The spirit of adoption enables us to see that "our object now in living the Christian life is not simply to attain to a certain standard but is rather to please God because he's our Father." This relationship transforms our motivation for holiness from law-keeping to filial love.
What specific fears does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say Christians often struggle with?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies several specific fears that Christians struggle with: 1. A wrong fear of God - seeing Him as a taskmaster waiting to discover faults 2. Fear of the greatness of the task of living the Christian life 3. A wrong fear of the power of the devil 4. Fear of the sin within themselves 5. Fear of failure - wondering "can I live it?"
How does understanding the Holy Spirit's role help Christians overcome the spirit of bondage?
Understanding the Holy Spirit's role helps Christians overcome the spirit of bondage in two main ways according to Lloyd-Jones. First, it reminds us of the power available to us: "The Holy Spirit dwells within us. We are not in the flesh...but in the Spirit." The Spirit empowers us to live the Christian life. Second, the Spirit reminds us of our relationship to God as Father: "The presence of the Holy Spirit within us is a guarantee to us of our sonship." When we realize God is our loving Father, not a distant judge, it transforms our motivation and removes fear.
What illustration does Dr. Lloyd-Jones use to explain why the law was weak through the flesh?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones uses the illustration of a man digging a garden with a spade. While the iron part of the spade (representing the law) was good and strong, the handle of the spade kept breaking because it was too weak for the hard ground. The handle represents man's ability to keep the law, which is insufficient. He explains: "The actual spade itself was all right, but you must have the right handle. Now, man's ability is the handle, and it was too weak. And therefore salvation by the law is impossible."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say we should view our relationship with God as Christians?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that Christians should view their relationship with God as children to a Father, not as servants to a master. He emphasizes: "As Christian people we must learn to appropriate by faith the fact that God is our Father." This Father "desires our good and who's always caring for us. He loves us with an everlasting love." This relationship transforms our approach to the Christian life from rule-keeping to a desire to please our Father out of love and gratitude.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the certainty of the Christian's destiny?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the Christian's destiny is "absolutely certain." He points to Paul's declaration that nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus." He says: "It's not a question of keeping a standard or not a question of your vainly striving to do something, my friend. It's a question of getting ready for the place you're going to." This certainty helps remove fear and promotes holiness as we prepare for our eternal destiny.
What is the connection between understanding our future inheritance and present holiness?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that understanding our future inheritance as "heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ" is a powerful motivation for present holiness. He quotes 1 John 3, saying "Every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure." He declares: "There is nothing that is so calculated to promote holiness within us as the realization that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, that our destiny is certain and secure." This hope makes us want to purify ourselves and be ready for our eternal future.
Spiritual Depression
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.