Not Under Law. but Grace
A Sermon on John 1:17
Originally preached Dec. 2, 1962
Scripture
17For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Sermon Description
When one reads through the Old Testament, they find that a great portion of it speaks of the law. Since the old law is seemingly of great importance, what is its relationship to Christians today? For most Christians, the understanding of the law and the Christian either goes too far to the extreme or not far enough. In this sermon on John 1:17 titled “Not Under Law, but Grace,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the true answer to this question that reveals that Christ is the end of the law for Christians. Before Christ came to die on the cross, all were under the law. However, since humans are not perfect, they were unable to fulfill it. Because of this, Christ came to fulfill the law for humanity, allowing those who put their trust in Him to be delivered from the condemnation of the law. He goes on to explain that while it is important to think of salvation in terms of the law and realize that no one receives salvation from their own works, it is also important to realize that when anyone believes in Christ, they receive His righteousness and He enables them to keep the law through the Spirit. Because of this, Christians can have peace knowing that they are no longer under the rule of the law, but under the rule of Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- We must always think of salvation in terms of the law. Our feelings are irrelevant. What matters is our objective standing before God.
- We must never think of salvation in terms of our having to keep the law. Christ has fulfilled the law for us.
- We must never look at or rely on anything we are or anything we do. Our position depends entirely on Christ and what he has done.
- We must never listen to the accusations of the devil. We have an answer - Christ has fulfilled the law for us.
- We must never allow ourselves to feel condemned. We can point to Christ's righteousness, not our own.
- We must never doubt our salvation because of sin. Our salvation depends on Christ, not our own works.
- It is the duty of Christians to have assurance of salvation and rejoice in Christ. This comes from understanding our relationship to the law.
- Christ has delivered us from being under the law's condemnation. We are dead to the law.
- We must never think of grace as lawless or an excuse to sin. Grace enables us to fulfill the law.
- Christ, through the Spirit, enables us to fulfill the law. This is as glorious as Christ's work for us.
- Grace gives us the power to fulfill the law, not just forgiveness. This undoes the work of the devil in the Fall.
- The law is no longer grievous for Christians. We have liberty and joy in fulfilling it through the Spirit.
Sermon Q&A
What is the Relationship Between Law and Grace According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What is the main text Dr. Lloyd-Jones is expounding in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones is expounding John 1:17, which states: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." He uses this text to explain the relationship between law and grace, and how Christians should understand their relationship to God's law.
What are the three main principles Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents about the Christian's relationship to the law?
The three main principles are: 1. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes 2. Christ has delivered us from being under the law 3. Christ through the Spirit enables us to fulfill the law
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say this topic is so important for Christians?
According to Lloyd-Jones, this topic is crucial because misunderstanding our relationship to the law affects Christians at every point: it keeps some from believing in Christ, causes many Christians to fall into confusion when they sin, makes believers vulnerable to false teaching, prevents many from having assurance of salvation, and can lead to errors in sanctification such as antinomianism.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain what it means that "Christ is the end of the law"?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ is the end of the law in two ways: First, He gave the law perfect obedience as our representative. Second, He bore the penalty of the law for His people. Therefore, believers receive Christ's righteousness by faith, not by their own works. This means our position before God is determined not by our law-keeping but by Christ's perfect fulfillment of it.
What does it mean that Christians are "dead to the law" according to the sermon?
Being "dead to the law" means that our status and relationship to God no longer depends on our fulfilling the law—it has been fulfilled for us in Christ. We are no longer under the law's condemnation. The old relationship between us and the law no longer exists because Christ has fulfilled it both positively and negatively on our behalf.
How does Lloyd-Jones counter the idea that grace means we can ignore God's law?
Lloyd-Jones strongly counters antinomianism (the idea that grace means we can ignore God's law) by showing that the third principle is equally important—Christ through the Spirit enables us to fulfill the law. Grace doesn't destroy the law but establishes it. He quotes Romans 3:31: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid. Yea, we establish the law." Christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it.
What practical application does Lloyd-Jones give regarding assurance of salvation?
Practically, Lloyd-Jones teaches that Christians should have assurance of salvation based on Christ's work, not their own performance. They should never: 1. Listen to the devil's accusations 2. Allow themselves to feel condemned 3. Doubt their salvation simply because they fall into sin Instead, believers should rejoice in Christ's righteousness that has been given to them by faith.
How does Lloyd-Jones contrast the non-Christian and Christian's experience of God's law?
The non-Christian hates God's law, tries to keep it, fails, and finds it a grievous burden. The Christian, however, loves God's law and wants to keep it. To the Christian, "His commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3). Lloyd-Jones illustrates this with the difference between a child struggling with piano exercises and a master pianist who plays with ease and grace.
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.