Category Archives: Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Born of God by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Posted on September 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

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.

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Posted in Banner of Truth, Book Reviews, Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Lloyd-Jones: Not Everything That Masquerades Under the Name of Christian is Christian

Posted on September 20, 2011 | Leave a comment

“Do you have discrimination, my friends?….There is a spirit abroad today that says, ‘Let a man believe what he likes as long as he calls himself a Christian….what does it matter? We’re all Christians together.’ Are we? Have we any discrimination? Have we any tests these days? Christians had to have them in the early church; we need them today. Not everything that masquerades under the name of Christian is Christian; it never has been.”

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Born of God: Sermons from John, Chapter One

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Review: John Knox and the Reformation

Posted on May 13, 2011 | Leave a comment

John Knox and the Reformation

D.M. Lloyd-Jones & Iain H. Murray

The Banner of Truth Trust: 2011

In an address given in Edinburgh in 1960, Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “perhaps the greatest of all the lessons of the Protestant Reformation is that the way of recovery is always to go back, back to the primitive pattern, to the origin, to the norm and standard which are to be found alone in the New Testament.” That the speaker was guided by faithfulness to “the norm and standard” found in the New Testament is evident in his writings, which is why I love reading him and am delighted that his work is still published years after his death.

Lloyd-Jones’s biographer, Iain H. Murray, is another advocate of looking back, and is another whose writings I can’t resist. With the Banner of Truth’s recent release of John Knox and the Reformation, I had the privilege to read both men in one book.

This short but valuable title consists of three chapters. “Remembering the Reformation” and “John Knox: the Founder of Puritanism” are addresses that Lloyd-Jones gave in 1960 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Reformation in Scotland. The third chapter is Iain Murray’s “John Knox and ‘The Battle’,” which is a biographical sketch of Knox that concentrates on his efforts to reform the church in Scotland.

John Knox and the Reformation is published for the 500th anniversary of the birth of Knox (2014), but not out of a “purely antiquarian or historical motive.” As Lloyd-Jones says, “the times in which we are living are too urgent and too desperate for us to indulge a mere antiquarian spirit.” Rather, “we look at these men in order that we may learn from them, and imitate and emulate their example.” He supports his view with Hebrews 13:7: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”

Though Knox was, and still is, an object of controversy, there’s no denying that God used him greatly. Murray writes: “The only true explanation of Knox’s preaching is in words he applied to others of his fellow countrymen, ‘God gave his Holy Spirit to simple men in great abundance.’” Of a sermon that Knox preached to discouraged Protestant forces after beaten by the French, one man said, “The voice of one man is able in one hour to put more life in us than five hundred trumpets continually blustering in our ears.”

But again, the aim of this book isn’t to teach us about Knox, but to help us to learn from Knox. Lloyd-Jones and Murray each spell out the lessons that we can glean and apply to our day, and we would be wise to take heed.

When I asked what I should read for spiritual growth, a pastor and mentor told me that other than the Bible, he benefitted most from the biographies of great Christians. I’ve found this to be true for myself, and especially true of Iain Murray’s works. John Knox and the Reformation is no exception.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Banner of Truth Trust in exchange for an honest review.

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Posted in Banner of Truth, Book Reviews, church history, Iain Murray, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Reformation

Raising Children God’s Way by Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Posted on September 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

Raising Children God’s Way

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Banner of Truth: 2007

One might expect a parenting book from fifty years ago to be outdated. And many are, especially if they promoted the latest fads or pop psychology. But the Word of God is timeless, and when one has the gift of correctly interpreting and applying the Word, his works will be timeless too. At this stage in my life, there’s no subject more important to me than parenting. And there’s no one that I’d rather read on the New Testament than Martyn Lloyd-Jones. So, when I saw that his sermons on Ephesians 6:1-4 had been republished under the title Raising Children God’s Way, I had to read it and knew that it would be great. What I didn’t expect is that this book is more balanced and realistic than much of what is being written on the same subject today.

Raising Children God’s Way consists of five sermons that Lloyd-Jones preached at Westminster Chapel, London during his series on Ephesians. The entire series was originally printed in an eight volume set by Banner of Truth. The book under consideration is only 85 pages long—perfect for a Sunday afternoon. The chapter titles are:

1. Submissive Children

2. Unbelieving Parents

3. Discipline and the Modern Mind

4. Balanced Discipline

5. Godly Upbringing

In the first two chapters, Lloyd-Jones unpacks the meaning behind Paul’s admonition to children, “Obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise.” The third chapter tells how and why the modern view of man is flawed, which leads to flawed ideas regarding discipline. The last two chapters of the book deal more directly with the practical aspects of raising children: “Balanced Discipline” discusses how to discipline without exasperating, humiliating, or driving children away, while “Godly Upbringing” deals with the teaching and nurturing of children.

There is a lot to like about this book. First, since these sermons were originally preached to a mixed audience, they are applicable to everyone, parent or not. Second, as is always the case with Lloyd-Jones, his writing is clear and to the point. The pages are not filled with fluff—no sentimental stories about little Johnny. And the author doesn’t put on intellectual airs. He writes like a normal man speaking to normal people. Third, Lloyd-Jones’s approach to discipline is balanced and intelligent:

“Discipline is essential and must be enforced; but the Apostle exhorts us to be very careful as to how we exercise it, because we can do more harm than good if we do not do it in the right way….[Discipline] must always be intelligent; there must always be a reason for it, and that reason should always be made plain and clear.”

Forth, the author stresses the importance of treating children with love and respect:

“You must not think of yourself primarily, but of the child. The child’s good is to be your controlling motive….The child is as much an entity as you are yourself, given, sent by God into this world even as you….If in punishing or administering discipline or correction, we are ever guilty of humiliating the child, it is clear that we ourselves need to be disciplined.”

And fifth: instead of fussing over the smaller details of raising children, Lloyd-Jones focuses on the essence of good parenting:

“I say to Christian people, and all who are in any way responsible for the discipline of children and of young people, ‘Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.’”

In one way or another, I’ve been disappointed with most contemporary Christian parenting books that I’ve read. Not this one. I would gladly trade the others for this one, short volume.

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Posted in Banner of Truth, Book Reviews, children, family, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, parenting

Lloyd-Jones on the Family Altar

Posted on September 19, 2010 | Leave a comment

“Have what is called a family altar, which means that once, at least, every day you should meet together as a family round the Word of God. The father as the head of the house should read a portion of Scripture and offer a simple prayer. It need not be long, but let him acknowledge God and let him thank God for the Lord Jesus Christ. Let the children hear the Word of God regularly. If they ask questions about it, answer them. Give them instruction as you are able to do so.  Be wise, be judicious. Do not make of it something distasteful, hateful, or boring; make it such that they will look forward to it, something they will like and in which they find delight.”

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Raising Children God’s Way, Banner of Truth

I’m sure that the Dr. would agree that when the father is unavailable or unwilling, the mother can do this just as well. Do this and trust that the Lord will bless your efforts.

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New From Crossway: The Gospel in Genesis by Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Posted on December 12, 2009 | Leave a comment
Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that our condition cannot be understood apart from the third chapter of Genesis. All was perfect in the garden until Adam and Eve rebelled. They didn’t trust God. They wanted something more. Instead, they found misery, and they were cast out of Eden . Since then, man has been trying to regain entrance into paradise. But there is only one way, and God has provided it.

In the Gospel in Genesis: From Fig Leaves to Faith, Dr. Lloyd-Jones stresses two main points. First, we know nothing about God or our own condition without God’s word. “The Bible, far from being remote from life, is the only book that really does deal with life as it is.” And second, believing and obeying God leads to peace and happiness, but sin leads to misery.

Chapters one through six are taken from the account of Adam and Eve’s fall in the third chapter of Genesis. The last three chapters deal with Noah and the flood, the tower of Babel , and Abraham. Lloyd-Jones sees these as literal, historical accounts, and in each of them he sees a picture of man’s lost condition and need for Christ.

These nine sermons are full of substance, yet simple to understand. Dr. Lloyd-Jones was a clear and logical communicator. This book is more evangelistic than many of the Doctor’s works; every sermon has a clear gospel message. It would make the perfect gift for an unbelieving friend.

If you are looking for an in-depth, verse-by-verse commentary on Genesis, this is not it. But if you want a book that makes you think, convicts you, and points you to Christ, you won’t be disappointed.

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Posted in Book Reviews, Crossway, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Old Testament

The Book on Preaching

Posted on December 9, 2009 | Leave a comment
 
 Martyn Lloyd-Jones
 
Zondervan
 
 

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones believed in expository sermons with substance. While the pastor of Westminster Chapel, London, he preached through entire books of the Bible, often delivering more than one sermon per verse. (His sermons from 1 John fill five volumes!) He believed that “the primary task of the Church and of the Christian minister is the preaching of the Word of God.”

In Preaching and Preachers, the Doctor urges preachers to take their calling seriously. “The most urgent need in the Christian Church today is true preaching.” With that in mind, he shares what he learned through his many years of pastoring and preaching. Chapters (there are 16 of them) deal with the character of the preacher, congregations, the preparation of the sermon (and the preacher), the shape and form of sermons, illustrations and humor, and the act of preaching itself. I particularly benefitted from the chapter, “What to Avoid.”

I’ll often enjoy a book enough to read it twice. This is one that I’ve read three times–I’ve certainly benefitted from it more than any other book on preaching. The author’s style is straightforward and enjoyable to read. He is dogmatic at times, and in a few places it is evident that these lectures were delivered several decades ago. (He lists the tape-recording of sermons as a “peculiar and special abomination” of the time.) However, the practical advice he gives will never be outdated.

This is the book on Biblical, theological, expository preaching. Preachers would benefit from reading it, but their congregations would benefit even more.

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Review: Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

Posted on December 6, 2009 | Leave a comment

Studies in the Sermon on the Mount 

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Eerdmans

You needed to be early if you wanted a seat in London’s Westminster Chapel while Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was the pastor. But it wasn’t a praise team, special effects, or food that drew the crowds. It was the pastor’s expository preaching.

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was known for his clear, verse-by-verse preaching through large sections of the Bible. One series was through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). After pressure from those who heard the sermons, Lloyd-Jones agreed to have them published. The sixty sermons were originally published in three volumes. They are now available in one 585 page book.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones covers the fifth chapter of Matthew, with particular emphasis on the beatitudes, in part one of Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Part two deals with the sixth and seventh chapters of Matthew. The entire sermon, says the doctor, gives a description of what the Christian is meant to be. It is not a code of ethics; nor is it a description of life in a future age. The sermon is not meant for unbelievers. It can’t be applied to nations or governments. But it is for believers in Jesus Christ, and it is as relevant today as it was when it was first delivered.

The chapters in Studies retain the sound of sermons. They are written in short, simple sentences with the key ideas explained, illustrated, applied, and repeated. This style not only benefitted the hearer, but it benefits the reader. When you’ve finished a chapter, you feel like you’ve learned something.

Studies in the Sermon on the Mount is the most thorough commentary on these passages that I have found. And Lloyd-Jones’s explanations of the verses are the most consistent, logical, clear, and helpful that I have read or heard.

I admit that reading a sixty chapter commentary sounds tedious, but this book is really a joy to read. It is theological and practical. It can be used as a reference or devotional. I have read it through twice and have read some chapters several times. It is one of the most valuable books on my shelf, and I suppose that if I had to get rid of all but one (other than the Bible), this would be my pick.

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Posted in Book Reviews, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Sermon on the Mount

Look Beyond

Posted on December 6, 2009 | Leave a comment

“Civilization goes round and round in cycles. There is no forward advance. There is no end. There is no reaching the ultimate objective. Life is simply a futile procedure. Round and round we go. We rise. We suceed. We fail. We fall. Down they go–dynasties, empires, individuals. That is always true. It is because of the flaming sword and the cherubim at the east end of the garden of Eden. Man will never get back there by his own efforts; he is incapable of it. He is not allowed to; he has been driven out–that is the judgment upon sin. But that is only the present; there is something beyond,” Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Gospel in Genesis: From Fig Leaves to Faith.

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Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Asking, Seeking, and Knocking

Posted on November 7, 2009 | Leave a comment

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11, ESV).

“Asking, and seeking, and knocking do not just mean that if we ask for anything we like we shall get it. Of course not. What it means is this. Ask for any one of these things that is good for you, that is for the salvation of your soul, your ultimate perfection, anything that brings you nearer to God and enlarges your life and is thoroughly good for you, and He will give it you….the promise literally is this, that if we seek these good things, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the life of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, etc., all these virtues and glories that were seen shining so brightly in the earthly life of Christ, He will give them to us. If we really want to be more like Him, and like all the saints, if we really ask for these things, we shall receive; if we seek them, we shall find them; if we knock, the door will be opened unto us and we shall enter into their possession,” Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount.

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