Born of God: Sermons from John, Chapter One
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Banner of Truth: 2011
488 pages
Highly recommended.
No mortal can exhaust the truths in the Bible. Or even, it seems, in one verse of the Bible. But that didn’t stop D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones from trying. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the man whose sermons on Ephesians fill eight volumes, whose sermons on Romans fill fourteen volumes, and who could preach for an hour on the text, “But God,” (Ephesians 2:4) preached thirty-two sermons almost exclusively from 3 verses.
Lloyd-Jones began preaching from John’s Gospel in October of 1962. Even though this series was only “to occupy him at intervals,” it is still remarkable that he was but in the “early chapters” when he retired from Westminster Chapel, London, in 1968.
This newest volume of Lloyd-Jones’ sermons, titled Born of God, consists of ten sermons from John 1:17, eighteen sermons from John 1:12-13, and four others from neighboring verses.
In this series, unlike in many of his others, Lloyd-Jones did not set out to go verse by verse through a book, or portion, of the Bible:
“I propose, God willing, not to give a detailed, consecutive exposition of John’s Gospel, but rather to pick out the application of the teaching to the state and condition of the Christian in this world.”
He primarily applies the texts in two ways: by warning presumptuous professors to examine themselves, while encouraging true Christians to grow in assurance.
Lloyd-Jones says that it is every Christian’s duty to be joyful: “Without the joy there will not be much strength and without strength we shall fail in our representation of our Lord and Master and all that he stands for.” But, for this joy to be full, a Christian has to understand what Christ has done for them. And for that, they have to understand their plight without him. This, Lloyd-Jones says, is the right use of the law:
“Those who dismiss the law will never know much about grace….If I have preached the law in such a way as to make somebody say, ‘I’m completely and entirely hopeless and unless I can be saved by someone outside myself, I’m done for,’ then I have preached it properly.”
Yet he balances this by warning against falling back under the law. The doctrines of grace are essential to keeping believers from legalism, while the law is needed to prevent antinomianism. An understanding of both is needed in order to have true assurance and joy.
So that those with false assurance might be warned, while true Christians would grow in assurance, Lloyd-Jones gives numerous tests for people to examine themselves by. These tests fall under several divisions, including one’s relationship to the Son, to the Father, to the Holy Spirit, to the Church, and even to the devil. Most of these have to do with sanctification because, as Lloyd-Jones says, those born of God will be changed:
“When we are born, ‘not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,’ something happens to us. We have a new nature; we are given a new life. That must show itself.…”
For example, Lloyd Jones says that the Holy Spirit works in believers by giving them a desire for holiness:
“He causes us to examine ourselves and he creates within us breathings and longings and a hungering and thirsting after righteousness…a very good test is this: If you are more concerned about being holy than you are about being happy, then you are a Christian beyond any doubt….But if you are more concerned about being happy than being holy, there is doubt.”
Reading this book is thought provoking and edifying. The sermons are easy to follow, yet deep enough to satisfy a theologian. And Lloyd-Jones deals out both conviction and comfort, just as he meant to:
“My dear friends, have I strengthened you? Have I given you assurance that you are a child of God? God grant that I have! But if I have not, if I have disturbed you, if I have made you feel that you are not a Christian—then do something about it. Go to Him, acknowledge and confess it.”
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Banner of Truth Trust.