Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Law and Grace: Common Questions Explained

What is the relationship between the law and grace according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the law and grace are not opposites but have a complementary relationship. The law points to grace; it acts as a "schoolmaster" or "pedagogue" to lead us to Christ. As he states, "The most important thing to grasp about the law is that it is a pointer, a finger post to grace." Rather than being antithetical, the law is "the introduction to grace, to the Gospel, to the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." We should never dismiss the law, nor should we overestimate it as a means of salvation.

How does the law reveal our need for grace?

The law reveals our need for grace by showing us: - Our guilt before God's perfect standard - Our complete helplessness and inability to meet God's demands - The "exceeding sinfulness of sin" in our lives - Our spiritual deadness

As Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains, "The law makes me see that I need to be forgiven by God, and that is its great function and its work." The law convicts us, bringing us to the realization that we are "guilty, helpless, lost" and driving us to Christ's cross for grace.

Why was the ceremonial law given along with the moral law?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the ceremonial law (sacrifices, offerings, etc.) was given alongside the moral law to show Israel: 1. Their need for forgiveness 2. God's provision of a way to approach Him 3. That God Himself provides the means of forgiveness 4. That these sacrifices were temporary, pointing prophetically to Christ

The ceremonial elements demonstrate that "in and of itself, the law contains this element of grace" because they reveal God's provision for human failure. However, these sacrifices were "simply for the time being" and were "types" and "shadows" pointing to Christ, "the Lamb of God that's going to come."

What was the mistake the Israelites often made regarding the law?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the great error of the Israelites was that "they tended to regard their offerings and sacrifices as something in and of themselves." They thought these rituals completed the work of salvation, believing that "as long as they'd taken their offering and their sacrifice, there was nothing more to be done." They used rituals as a substitute for heart worship and genuine obedience to God. Lloyd-Jones points out that the prophets constantly protested against this misunderstanding.

What does grace teach us about our contribution to salvation?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones is emphatic that grace means we make "no contribution whatsoever to our salvation." Grace is "the free, unmerited favor of God" and "kindness shown to the utterly undeserving." Our salvation is "entirely due to God's own nature" and happens "not because of anything that's in us" but "in spite of everything that is true of us."

Even our faith is not our contribution, as Lloyd-Jones explains: "By grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God." He warns against turning faith into works, which would deny grace. Since we were "dead in trespasses and sins," and "dead means dead," we could not contribute anything to our salvation.

What are the three things the gospel provides that the law indicates we need?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies three elements the law shows we need, which the gospel then provides:

1. Forgiveness - because the law shows we are guilty
2. New birth/new nature - because the law reveals our nature is "twisted and perverted and rotten"
3. Power to obey - because even with understanding, we need spiritual power to "perform that which is good"

As he summarizes: "The law prophesies that that will be the second element in the gospel preaching... and the third and the last thing is my need of power."

How does Lloyd-Jones describe the danger of misunderstanding law and grace?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns against three dangerous misunderstandings:

1. Dismissing the law as irrelevant
2. Making too much of the law by expecting it to save us
3. Seeing law and grace as complete opposites

He explains that "the vestibule is not the House. The introduction is not the main thing itself." The law prepares us for grace but cannot save us. The greatest stumbling block for non-Christians, he says, is that they are "still relying upon himself or herself or your goodness or your works or your deeds in some shape or form."