The Spirit of Christ
A Sermon on Ephesians 5:21
Originally preached Jan. 17, 1960
Scripture
21Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Ephesians 5:21 titled “The Spirit of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks of the profound and simple truth that Christians love others because they are loved by God. The whole of the Christian life is to be motivated by the love of God for all that He is and has done. Christians have received all the blessings and mercies of God in Christ, and they have been forgiven of all sins and cleansed from all unrighteousness by the blood of Christ. It is this great truth that is at the center of all that Christians do and it should be done out of love. Dr. Lloyd-Jones then gives a special caution to those who have been given authority by God such as husbands and elders; they must exercise authority as ones who have been saved by the grace of God. It is this emphasis on love that separates Christianity from all other religions, philosophies, and political ideologies. Christianity alone grounds all that Christians do as a response to the gracious love of God. It does not see authority and power as something to serve the self, but ultimately all things are for God and His kingdom. And this power is not to be lorded over others, but all are to be submissive to one another in the church. It is this great life of love that sets Christians apart from all others.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is addressing Christians who are filled with the Spirit. One characteristic of Spirit-filled Christians is that they submit to one another.
- Christians are not to be like unbelievers who are filled with wine and excess. Christians are to be filled with the Spirit.
- Submitting to one another is both a continuation of what Paul has already said and an introduction to what he will say next.
- Paul repeats the call to submit to one another in the sections on wives and husbands, children and parents, and servants and masters. This shows it is an important principle.
- We must understand why we are to submit to one another. The reason is "in the fear of Christ."
- "In the fear of Christ" is not a casual addition. It is essential to Paul's teaching.
- "In the fear of Christ" provides the motives for submitting to one another.
- We submit to one another not because it is good in itself or bad not to. We submit in the fear of Christ.
- We do not submit due to some political or social philosophy. We submit in the fear of Christ.
- We do not submit just to follow social conventions or to keep the law. We submit in the fear of Christ.
- The difference between Christians and non-Christians is that Christians know why they do what they do. They do it in the fear of Christ.
- We submit to one another because Christ himself clearly taught us to do so.
- We submit to one another to show gratitude to Christ for what he has done for us.
- We submit in the fear of disappointing or grieving Christ, who loves us and gave himself for us.
- We submit in the fear of facing Christ's judgment and finding our works burned up, though we ourselves are saved.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Ephesians 5:21
What does "submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ" mean according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this phrase means Christians should submit to one another not out of social convention, political philosophy, or even merely to keep the law, but out of reverence for Christ. He explains: "The Christian submits himself to others and does these other things because this is something that has been plainly and clearly taught by the Lord Jesus Christ himself." The fear of Christ refers to a loving reverence that includes the fear of disappointing Him, grieving Him, and being accountable to Him at judgment.
How does Lloyd-Jones distinguish Christian submission from worldly submission?
Lloyd-Jones makes clear that Christian submission differs from worldly submission in its motivation. He states: "The difference between the Christian and the nonchristian is this. The Christian always knows why he does a thing. He always knows what he is doing." Christians submit from reverence for Christ, while non-Christians might submit from social convention, political ideology, or self-interest. Christians are "not merely concerned about keeping the law," but have "this higher motive... in the fear of Christ."
What biblical examples does Lloyd-Jones use to illustrate Christ's teaching on submission?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones references two key examples from Jesus' life and teaching:
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Matthew 20:20-28 - Jesus' teaching that "whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister" when responding to the ambitions of James and John.
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John 13:12-17 - Jesus washing the disciples' feet, saying, "If I, your lord and master, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you."
What does Lloyd-Jones teach about the judgment seat of Christ in relation to submission?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christians will give an account of their lives before Christ. He references 2 Corinthians 5:9-10: "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in the body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." This accountability is not about salvation, but about rewards. He notes: "Not one of those passages has reference to a man's salvation, but it does have reference to the reward that he's going to receive." This reality should motivate Christians to submit to one another in reverent fear.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the connection between being filled with the Spirit and submitting to one another?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that submission is a direct result of being filled with the Spirit. He says: "He's addressing people who are filled with the spirit, and one of the characteristics of people who are filled with the spirit is that they submit themselves one to another." He contrasts this with those "filled with wine" who are self-assertive. The Spirit-filled believer manifests Christ-like humility: "The spirit always has the effect of making people meek and ready to surrender and to abase themselves for the sake of others."
What supreme example of submission does Lloyd-Jones point to as our model?
Lloyd-Jones points to Christ Himself as the supreme example of submission, quoting Philippians 2:5-8: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon in the form of a servant..." Christ's descent from divine glory to servant status and death on the cross represents the ultimate act of submission, providing both our pattern and motivation for submitting to one another.
How does Lloyd-Jones connect the principle of submission to the three relationships discussed in Ephesians?
Lloyd-Jones shows that the general principle of submission in Ephesians 5:21 is specifically applied to three key relationships:
- Wives and husbands (Ephesians 5:22) - "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord"
- Children and parents (Ephesians 6:1) - "Children, obey your parents in the Lord"
- Servants and masters (Ephesians 6:5) - "Servants, be obedient...as unto Christ"
He notes that in each case, the instruction includes reference to Christ, showing this is a "controlling principle" that governs all Christian relationships.
The Book of Ephesians
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.