God Works in You to Will and to Do
A Sermon on John 1:16
Originally preached Feb. 23, 1964
Scripture
16And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Sermon Description
The Christian must ask themselves: what characterizes their life? Do they see themselves becoming increasingly more godly? When they sin, are they convicted and fueled on to godly repentance? In this sermon on John 1:16 titled “God Works in You to Will and to Do,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses one major doctrine of the Christian faith, namely, the doctrine of progressive sanctification. He elaborates that the Christian is always being made more holy by God. The way that God sees fit to accomplish this task is not all at once, like an explosion, but more like the wearing away of rocks along the seashore. At times there are great storms that move boulders, but more commonly there is the constant ebb and flow of the tide that slowly erodes the rocks on the shoreline. Similarly the Christian life will have great times of power where sin is cast off with great vigor, and at times it is a constant reviving of faith in the word of God that will erode the strongholds of sin in the Christian’s life. Dr. Lloyd-Jones highlights that this work is done by God through His word and Spirit. The Christian’s walk is enabled and led by the Spirit.
Sermon Breakdown
- We receive of Christ's fullness through understanding. Ignorance is the greatest trouble in the church.
- Christ is God's wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.
- Sanctification is the process of being renewed in the image of God and enabled to die to sin and live to righteousness. It's the work of the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit separates us from the world, gives us new birth and a new nature. We are new creations in Christ.
- We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling, because God is working in us. We have a responsibility, but God gives us the power.
- God began the work of salvation and will complete it. This should give us comfort.
- The Holy Spirit restrains us from sin, convicts us of sin and leads us to God's will. Every Christian is led by the Spirit.
- The Spirit leads us to God's Word, prayer and meditation. We must make time for these.
- The Spirit enables us to understand the Scriptures, which are the instrument of our sanctification. We need the Spirit to understand the Bible.
- Sanctification comes through understanding the truth, not through experiences. We are sanctified as we continue in God's Word.
- The New Testament epistles teach doctrine and then application. We must know the doctrine to understand how to apply it.
- Most of our troubles come from not knowing the Scriptures. The Spirit will give us understanding as we read the Bible.
- God will complete the work of salvation He began. We will be perfected, glorified and see Jesus face to face.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding Sanctification: Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Insights on Christian Growth
What is the main focus of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon on John 1:16?
The main focus of Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon is the process of sanctification as part of receiving Christ's fullness. He explains that Christians receive "of his fullness" and "grace for grace" through the process of sanctification, which he defines as "that process whereby, under the grace and the power of God, we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and to live unto righteousness." He emphasizes that sanctification is not just an experience to be received, but a lifelong process worked out through God's truth.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the relationship between justification and sanctification?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that justification is "a matter of our standing and our position in the presence of God" and is "the essential preliminary" to the process of sanctification. He emphasizes that one cannot stop at justification alone. While justification deals with our position before God, sanctification is the ongoing process where God "doesn't merely forgive us, but he makes a people for himself." Justification is the foundation, but sanctification is the building process that follows.
According to the sermon, what role does the Holy Spirit play in sanctification?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in sanctification by: 1. Restraining believers from sin 2. Convicting believers when they become spiritually slack 3. Leading believers to Scripture, prayer, and meditation 4. Enabling believers to understand spiritual truth
He states that "this is mainly, of course, the work of the Holy Spirit" and that the Spirit "mediates the fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ to us." The Holy Spirit is the agent who works in believers "both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this verse from Philippians 2:12-13 means believers have an active role in their sanctification. He states, "There is no teaching in the New Testament which says that we've got nothing to do, that all we do is to hand it over to the Lord, and he'll do it in us and for us." Instead, Christians must actively participate in the process while recognizing that "it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." The power is already within the believer through the new birth, but they must actively "work it out" in partnership with God.
How does the sermon address the assurance of sanctification for believers?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides great assurance by emphasizing that sanctification is guaranteed for true believers. He states, "If you are truly a child of God, you will be sanctified. Whatever you may do or think or say, you will be sanctified." He bases this on Philippians 1:6, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." God never starts a work and gives up. If needed, God will even use discipline to ensure sanctification happens, as "Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the main instrument of sanctification?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies God's truth—specifically Scripture—as the main instrument of sanctification. He quotes Jesus' prayer in John 17:17, "Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth." He emphasizes that "we are sanctified by means of the truth" and that "the main instrument in our sanctification is the truth, the word of God." This is why he stresses the importance of reading, understanding, and meditating on Scripture, as the Holy Spirit enables believers to comprehend it and apply it to their lives.
What practical steps for sanctification does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest in the sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests several practical steps for sanctification: 1. Reading Scripture regularly and thoughtfully 2. Engaging in prayer and communion with God 3. Meditation on Scripture and spiritual truths 4. Allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you in daily life 5. Being responsive to the Spirit's conviction when you become spiritually lazy 6. Understanding that Bible reading should lead to meditation, not just be a mechanical exercise 7. Setting aside time for spiritual reflection, finding when you're at your best
He emphasizes that these disciplines aren't mechanical but should lead to deeper communion with God and transformation.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones address the issue of spiritual ignorance?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies ignorance as one of the greatest problems in Christian life: "The church suffers more from ignorance than from anything else." He states that if believers are depressed or falling into sin, "it's because you don't know your scriptures" and are "failing somehow or another to realize who you are and what's awaiting you." The solution is knowledge of Scripture, as Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." He emphasizes that sanctification comes through understanding truth, not just having experiences.
The Book of John
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.