False Christian teachings, trends….
This post contains a MLJ sermon on the sacraments wherein he clearly explains how they act as a sign and a seal. His illustration of a seal is easy to remember and to understand and will facilitate believers in having more value for the sacraments. MLJTrust provided a sermon overview and breakdown.
What is the purpose of baptism? Why did Jesus teach baptism after someone is saved? In this sermon on the sacrament of baptism (the second sermon in his series on the sacraments of the church), Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones walks through a topic sometimes debated even amongst believers. Baptism’s meaning, he says, is an outward illustration of the inward cleansing from the pollution of sin. Its purpose is not to cleanse from sin and regenerate because that would mean that people are saved through the work of baptism, something that Scripture clearly denies. So, what does it accomplish? Baptism serves as a sign and seal of one’s justification and remission of sins. And yet, he says, not everyone is eligible to be baptized. This teaching runs counter to the Catholic teaching on baptism….
In his series on Great Biblical Doctrines, this is MLJ’s second sermon on the baptism of the Spirit. Many in his congregation asked for clarification and in some cases, more information after he preached his initial sermon on this topic. It is not a typical sermon, as he reads about the experiences of several Christians of days gone by, men who wrote about experiencing the baptism of the Spirit; and he adds to those written experiences words of clarification. I think that many could get a better idea about what kind of experience constitutes the baptism of the Spirit by hearing this sermon. There is much confusion, and utter foolishness in the current church about what it means to be baptized by the Spirit. He says a little about such things in passing, but he didn’t know about what we have today. I recommend hearing the preceding sermon on the baptism of the Spirit also.
…“It is impossible for a Christian to remain in continual sin due to sanctification.” This is a freeing truth. From the moment of conversion, the Spirit of Life dwells in the believer, and they cannot be subject to the carnal. Moreover, this is a promise for all Christians, not just a blessing that some receive and others don’t. And yet, the struggle against sin is still a daily battle for followers of Christ. To help the listener better understand, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that from the moment of salvation, Christians are dead to sin since they have been united with Christ and His life. The Christian spirit is alive to Christ, yet their bodies are still under the bondage and dominion of sin…. [From MLJTrust’s explanation of this sermon. They also provided sermon highlight points.]
This post contains a sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones from MLJTrust: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” With this question, the notorious persecutor Saul had a face to face encounter with Jesus. Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones recounts this divine confrontation that transformed an enemy of the cross into a child of God. When culture screams for autonomy from God, the grace of God rips away the mask of cultural Christianity. Now, as one who is forgiven and at peace with our Savior, the Christian learns to be silent, to listen and to submit to Christ’s will. No one is saved as a family or a nation, but only an individual can be spared from the wrath of God by the conviction of sin and the forgiveness of the Savior.
This sermon by MLJ clarifies that the Bible is unified by its covenants. Furthermore, the most important covenant is the covenant of grace which was hinted at in Genesis 3:15. It is established fully via the duration of the Bible, in the various other covenants. If you have been under the impression that there are two peoples of God; or that the Old and New Testaments reveal differing ways of salvation…; then this sermon will show you the errors of such thinking that abounds in our society because of the man-made doctrines of dispensationalism.
This post contains two videos: a 3-minute John MacArthur video on true worship that serves as an overview of the full sermon by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. The text of Lloyd-Jones’ sermon is Romans 6:17, he titled it, “Mind, Heart, and Will,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows that the Christian message involves the whole person, and the whole person is to be affected by it. Christians cannot rejoice in the gospel if their doctrine is unbalanced or lopsided. Some Christians emphasize merely the morality of the Christian message. Others believe Christianity is only about forgiveness of sins. This is due to the fact that many preachers embrace doctrine that lacks balance. Converts often look like the people God used in their conversion, picking up their characteristics. Thus, for many, their understanding of the Christian message is lacking. …As a Christian battles spiritual depression, it is imperative that they know the whole gospel and have been affected by it. In this way, one may, once again, experience the joy of their salvation.””
…“The essence of wisdom for the church at a time like this is to look back into her own history.” When she does this, what will she find? She will find that no revival has ever been known in history that denied the fundamentals of the Christian faith or neglected such vital truths. These truths are constantly buried by “the rubbish of the Philistines.” Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the vital truths and doctrines denied by the Philistines: the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Bible, the doctrine of sin, and the wrath of God. Revival cannot happen without the proclamation of these truths. It is with arrogance, pride, and the tendency to glorify oneself rather than God that stands between us and His mighty blessings of revival.
This post provides excerpts concerning Martyn Lloyd-Jones second principle of chapter two from his book, Spiritual Depression. Recently, I posted excerpts of the first part of that chapter and have decided to provide the latter part also, so that readers might have a fuller taste of this classic book. The words of this post emphasize how God the Father made Christ a propitiation for sin; Jones calls this his second principle of chapter 2. His discussion in this chapter is of necessary prerequisites to knowing spiritual joy…such that one is not depressed spiritually.
This post is about a couple of very important points Martyn Lloyd-Jones makes in chapter two of his book Spiritual Depression. These points are prerequisites to one knowing salvation and Christian joy. Hopefully, this post will whet the appetites of those Christians who have known more depression than joy.