Sermons of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Romans 8:16 — What does it mean to say that the Spirit bears witness? Listen to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon on Romans 8:16 titled “Sealing with the Spirit.” Paul began assuring the Christian in their salvation by saying in Romans 8:16 that they are led by the Spirit of God, which makes them children of God. Secondly, he adds that Christians would know something of the spirit of bondage and fear. Paul is now explaining that the Holy Spirit testifies with the Christian’s spirit. There are multitudes of commentaries that discuss varying views on the definition of this verse and Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones spends much of this sermon discussing the views and applications of this verse. He does want to make one thing clear: all Christians are sons of God and all Christians are children of God. Those that say there are distinctions or groupings among Christians have not properly translated what Paul is saying here. When Paul refers to Christians as “sons,” he means this in a legal sense. When Paul refers to Christians as “children of God,” he means this in a familial sense and our present reality. Dr. Lloyd-Jones then explains why this is another point to prove the assurance of one’s salvation. Any scholar or commentary that does not teach on the assurance of salvation does not fall into the proper Protestant Reformation teaching.

Romans 8:15 — Since Christians do not actively “take” the Spirit, but passively receive the sovereign Spirit, what are they to do? As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones pursues this question in this sermon on Romans 8:15 titled “Spirit Baptism and Fullness,” he sets the context of the passage. He notes that Spirit baptism is an extra – a plus. It is an additional assurance children of God experience. In other words, it is not something every believer who has the Spirit of adoption experiences. Nevertheless, it is something all should desire. In Romans 8:15, the apostle Paul elaborates on Spirit baptism, or being filled with the Spirit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages all Christians to genuinely seek the fullness of the Spirit, but not by trying to “seize” the Spirit. Furthermore, Christians cannot pretend they can take it by someone laying hands on them. How does one get it then? Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that it is through obedience and prayer. In the end, however, Christians rest knowing the Holy Spirit is sovereign. If indeed the Spirit does grant this assurance, the Christian will surely know it. Let them not, however, pretend to have it, warns Dr. Lloyd-Jones, unless they actually do. Listen as he teaches on the joys, and potential pitfalls, of Spirit baptism.

Romans 8:15 — Within certain streams of popular Bible teaching, the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit is significantly diminished. Some have emphasized the responsibility to “take” the Holy Spirit by faith. In other words, God wants to give the Spirit, one just needs to “lay hold of” Him. In this sermon on Romans 8:15 titled “Knowing You Have Received,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones finds this teaching unbiblical and troubling. In order to refute this defective teaching, he patiently works through all the New Testament references to the word “receive” and draws proper theological conclusions about the Holy Spirit and faith. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that as the blessed third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is a sovereign Lord. One must never talk as if they control Him. Nor should they, he warns, think they can simply use “faith” to “lay hold of” or “take” the Spirit. As Paul teaches in Romans 8:15, the Christian merely “receives” the Spirit of adoption. This is the consensus of the Scriptural witness. Watch how Dr. Lloyd-Jones models the proper way to handle Christian doctrine and engage those who teach heterodox views. Moreover, listen to Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach the true nature of the Spirit’s sovereignty and how He comes to the believer.

Romans 8:15 — Is assurance essential for salvation? Can one doubt their salvation and still be truly saved? In this sermon on Romans 8:15 titled “The Spirit of Adoption,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers that assurance is not essential for salvation. It is possible for those who have truly been born again and who trust in the Gospel to doubt if they have been saved. This is because they are saved by the work of Christ, not our act of believing. It is not as if faith is a great work that earns the Christian favor with God. Scripture tells that faith itself is a gift from God in order that the Christian might be saved. Salvation is received by God enabling them to believe in the gospel. This is a great hope to all who are plagued by doubts of God’s love for them. Salvation is a gift of God, but not all who are saved are assured of their salvation. As Christians grow in love of God and neighbor and to understand God more and more, all Christians can have a stronger assurance of salvation. All believers can know that Christ has died for them and loves them.

Romans 8:15 — What is real knowledge of God? As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones follows the apostle Paul’s teaching on the adoption as sons of God, he gives special attention to the Christian’s true emotional and effective knowledge of the truth. The Holy Spirit leads the Christian from a spirit of bondage and fear to this Spirit of adoption, which is marked by the deep cry, “Abba, Father.” In this sermon on Romans 8:15 titled “Sons of God,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones further explores this teaching as it relates to assurance. Similar to someone in love, one may not be able to express it intellectually, but they are certainly aware that it is true. Likewise the child of God knows he or she is a child of God. This, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is the proof of adoption. Practically, then, God is not off in the distance nor is He difficult to approach. The Christian may approach Him in a familiar way, even a spontaneous manner. Listen carefully to this sermon on Romans 8:15 as Dr. Lloyd-Jones talks about the delight, joy, peace, and rest of genuinely knowing God — that is, knowing God as Abba, Father.

Romans 8:15 — While the spirit of bondage and fear is a work of the Holy Spirit, it has a specific and limited role in the life of the Christian. It is to awaken the person to their desperate condition. However, as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues in this sermon on Romans 8:15 titled “Freedom from Fear,” the spirit of bondage and fear cannot coexist with the spirit of adoption. The former is always replaced by the latter. But how can Dr. Lloyd-Jones claim this when the New Testament has much to say about fear in the Christian life? Are there not numerous examples where Christians experience what could be called a spirit of bondage and fear? Are these examples that prove the spirit of adoption does not replace the spirit of fear? Dr. Lloyd-Jones walks through objections to his understanding of the apostle Paul, detailing how his understanding of Romans 8:15 is compatible with the rest of Scripture. In so doing, he engages a number of pastorally pressing concerns such as depression in the Christian life, demonic aggression against believers, and the Scriptures in counseling. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones hits on a wide-range of topics in this fascinating teaching on Romans 8:15.

Romans 8:15 — It is safe to say all battle with seasons of fear and worry. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows two things that Paul is confirming in Romans 8:15: all who are led to Christ are children of God and those who are children of God no longer have a spirit of bondage or fear. In this sermon on Romans 8:15 titled “The Spirit of Bondage,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that this means the spirit of bondage and fear always precedes the spirit of adoption. How would a Christian be truly convicted of their sin and desperation if they first did not have a spirit which convicted them of their guilt? This guilt shows just how much all are in need of a Savior. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christians may experience this spirit of bondage to different degrees, but it does not mean that one person has sinned more than the other. The amount of sin does not matter, but it is the realization of that sin that is necessary to bring about true salvation. The Holy Spirit, which dwells in all Christians, is a spirit of truth and always produces a sense of sin and sense of conviction. The Holy Spirit cannot truly lead to God without showing how holy and just Christ is. All Christians have experienced this and can praise God who sends the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:14-15 — As the apostle Paul recounts his autobiography, conviction from the law of God seems absent from his former life in Judaism. What is to be made of this? How is it that the apostle knew God’s law so well as a Pharisee and yet never felt condemned by the law? In this sermon on Romans 8:14–15 titled “The Spirit and the Law,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds the nuances of various viewpoints as he defends his interpretation. In the end, Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlights the peculiar work of the Holy Spirit. Before the Spirit brings liberty, He brings a spirit of bondage and of fear, as the apostle Paul wrote. In other words, the Holy Spirit brings the Christian down and shows them their need. It is not until the Holy Spirit brings fear, condemnation, and conviction through the law of God that anyone will find the joy of repentance. This spirit of bondage always precedes the Spirit of adoption. Moreover, the spirit of bondage, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is great evidence of assurance of salvation. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones moves through his detailed exegesis in order to demonstrate how it is good news when the Holy Spirit brings a bondage of fear.

Romans 8:14 — What comfort is there for the believer in knowing the Holy Spirit yearns for their sanctification? What privilege do believers have knowing that the Holy Spirit is so concerned for them? This is one reminder by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his sermon on Romans 8:14 titled “The Spiritual Outlook.” In this message, he explores further what the apostle Paul means by being “led by the Spirit of God.” As the Spirit operates on the mind, heart, and will of the Christian, He gives full and final emancipation from sin. But how may a person know whether the Spirit is leading them? Dr. Lloyd-Jones supplies guidance on this vital question. In short, the Spirit leads Christians to a total new outlook on life; a spiritual outlook. Does the Christian desire God’s glory? What about love for the people of God? How do they respond sin? Do they actively engage in the mortification of the deeds of the body? The Spirit always leads in the direction of the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones both challenges and encourages the church in this teaching on the work of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:14 — Critics sometimes claim that the Holy Spirit does violence against human will when He leads people to salvation. Since the apostle Paul teaches that the assurance of adoption is based upon this sovereign work of the Spirit, is it then true that the Spirit is culpable of such violence? In this sermon from Romans 8:14 titled “Leading and Guidance,” the answer given by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones is a resounding no. By parsing out the language of the Scriptures, he demonstrates that the Spirit’s leading is not a violent power, but a persuasive power. Moreover, the guidance of the Spirit cannot be segregated from the testimony of truth found in the Scriptures. The Spirit’s work of leading and guiding in sanctification is then directly tied to both the Bible and the saving work of Jesus Christ. Regardless of what any person may say about a vision or an experience, if the teaching cannot be found or reconciled with the Scriptures, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that it is a false teaching. Romans 8:14 is a brilliant passage on the assurance of standing as children of God and the sovereign leading of the Spirit. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds the implications of the Spirit’s work for the Christian life.