Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Resurrection and New Birth

What does it mean to be "born of the Spirit" according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, being "born of the Spirit" means experiencing a supernatural transformation that cannot be understood through human reasoning alone. He explains that being born of the Spirit means you have been made alive spiritually when you were once "dead in trespasses and sins." This new birth isn't something that can be understood intellectually, as Nicodemus tried to do, but is a divine miracle where God's resurrection power works within you. The person born of the Spirit has been crucified with Christ, raised with Christ, and now lives by the power of Christ's resurrection life.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones compare the work of the Holy Spirit to wind?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones references Jesus' words to Nicodemus in John 3:8: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whether it goeth, so is every one that is born of the spirit." He emphasizes that this comparison highlights the mysterious nature of the Christian life. Like the wind, the Spirit's work cannot be controlled or fully comprehended by human understanding. We can observe its effects, but we cannot explain or predict the supernatural work of regeneration. This comparison teaches us that Christianity belongs to the realm of the miraculous and supernatural.

What is the difference between being religious and being Christian according to the sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there is an essential difference between being merely religious and being Christian. He states: "Of all the fools in the world this morning, the man who's only religious is the biggest fool of all." The religious person relies on their own understanding, goodness, religious practices and performances. They try to comprehend spiritual truths with natural human reasoning, like Nicodemus did.

In contrast, a Christian has been born again and has experienced a supernatural transformation. The Christian lives in "the realm of the miraculous, the supernatural" and has the power to believe "the impossible, the supernatural, the miraculous." The Christian knows they are dead to sin and alive in Christ, with their life "hid with Christ in God." While the religious person only has hope for this life, the Christian looks forward with certainty to eternal glory.

How does the resurrection of Christ affect believers according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the resurrection of Christ has profound effects on believers:

1. It makes them "dead to the world, dead to sin" - The believer is crucified with Christ, and their old self no longer dominates.

2. It makes them "alive and risen to a new life with Christ" - Believers are quickened (made alive) with Christ's resurrection power working in them.

3. It makes them eternally secure - "Your life is hid with Christ in God" means believers are safe and have nothing to fear since Christ has all authority.

4. It gives them a certain hope of future glory - Believers look forward to Christ's appearing and their own future glorification, knowing that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that these effects are not just doctrinal truths to be believed intellectually, but experiential realities that should be evident in the life of every born-again Christian.

What was the greeting of early Christians and why was it significant according to the sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the early Christians greeted one another with the phrase "Christ is risen." This wasn't just a password or formal greeting but expressed with "joy and with rejoicing, with confidence." It was significant because:

1. It was "the basis of their whole position" - Without the resurrection, there would be no Christian church or individual Christians.

2. It provided comfort in persecution - Even when "persecuted, harassed, driven to dwell in the caves and in the rocks, hunted," they reminded each other that "the victor, the ultimate victor, is on our side."

3. It affirmed their new identity - The greeting recognized that they too were raised with Christ to newness of life.

4. It was something the devil could never counterfeit - Since "he received his greatest defeat there," Satan would never promote this truth.

Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents this greeting as a test of genuine faith, asking his listeners: "Is that our position? Is that the ground of our position this morning? Is that the thing by which we live?"