Complete Salvation
A Sermon on Romans 8:8-11
Originally preached April 29, 1960
Scripture
8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. …
Sermon Description
Will a Christian’s mortal body be raised from the dead when Christ returns? Based on Paul’s teaching in this passage, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says it will. In this sermon on Romans 8:8–11 titled “Complete Salvation,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that Paul is painting a picture of the Christian in today’s world by showing what the future will look like. While a Christian is still in this world, their body remains dead because of sin, but it will be raised from the dead when Christ returns. The two phases of the Spirit dwelling within the Christian points to the physical body as a temple of the Holy Ghost. Just as Christ was filled with the Spirit, so is a Christian and He serves as the seal and assurance that Christians’ bodies will be resurrected. They can be certain of this because Christ will always finish His work in their lives. Christ will redeem them and their mortal bodies from the fall and anyone who says otherwise is denying Scripture. Christians can look with great anticipation to the day when their salvation will be complete and that their mortal bodies will be free from disease and decay, worthy of the Holy Spirit that dwells within.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is giving assurance about our final and complete salvation in Romans 8.
- In verses 5-8, Paul defines and describes the Christian versus the non-Christian. The Christian walks after the Spirit, the non-Christian after the flesh.
- In verse 9, Paul applies this to the Roman Christians, saying they have the Spirit of Christ.
- In verses 10-11, Paul describes the Christian's present state and future state. Our spirit is alive now, but our body is dead because of sin. But God will resurrect our bodies.
- Verse 10: Our spirit is alive because of righteousness, but our body is dead because of sin. Sin remains in our body, so we must fight it.
- Verse 11: God will resurrect our mortal bodies through His Spirit in us. This is the climax of Paul's argument.
- Verse 11 does not refer to a moral resurrection or physical healing. It refers to the literal resurrection of our bodies.
- The mention of Jesus's resurrection and the Spirit dwelling in our bodies shows Paul means the bodily resurrection.
- The bodily resurrection completes our salvation. We fell in body and spirit, so we will be redeemed in body and spirit.
- Paul's wording in verse 11 emphasizes the Spirit dwelling in us. This proves our bodily resurrection is certain. The Spirit is the seal and guarantee of our redemption.
- God would not give us His Spirit but not resurrect our bodies. He finishes what He starts.
- The Spirit dwells in our mortal bodies, so God will make them fit for the Spirit's indwelling.
- The Spirit in us is the same as in Christ. We are in Christ, so what happened to Him will happen to us - including resurrection.
- At the resurrection, our bodies will be freed from sin, weakness, disease, and death. We will be like Christ.
- We can rejoice because though our body is dead because of sin now, it will be resurrected. The Spirit in us guarantees this.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Romans 8:11 - The Resurrection of the Body
What is the main theme of Romans 8 according to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main theme of Romans 8 is to "give us assurance and certainty about our final, complete salvation." He explains that the chapter begins with "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus" and builds toward the conclusion that nothing "shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." The entire chapter is focused on this assurance of salvation.
What does Romans 8:10-11 reveal about the Christian's present state?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that these verses describe the Christian's dual reality: - Spiritually: "The spirit is life because of righteousness" - the Christian is already saved and alive spiritually - Physically: "The body is dead because of sin" - the Christian's physical body still contains sin and remains subject to death and decay
This creates the present Christian experience where believers are spiritually alive but continue to battle sin in their physical bodies while in this world.
What does Lloyd-Jones say is the correct interpretation of "quicken your mortal bodies" in Romans 8:11?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones firmly rejects two common interpretations: 1. That it refers to moral resurrection (overcoming sin in this life) 2. That it refers to physical healing (as claimed by faith healers)
Instead, he insists it means the literal, physical resurrection and glorification of our bodies at Christ's return. The promise is that the same God who raised Jesus from the dead will literally raise and transform our physical bodies. This completes our salvation by redeeming what was also affected by the Fall.
How does the Holy Spirit serve as a guarantee of bodily resurrection?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the Holy Spirit dwelling in believers serves as "the seal and the earnest of the final redemption." He explains: 1. The Spirit is our guarantee that God will complete what He started 2. The Spirit actually dwells in our mortal bodies (making them temples) 3. It's the same Spirit that was in Christ and raised Him from the dead 4. Our union with Christ ensures we will experience what He experienced 5. The complete work of salvation requires the body's resurrection
The indwelling Spirit is God's down payment, ensuring that the physical resurrection will happen.
What will the resurrected body be like according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Based on Scripture, Lloyd-Jones describes the resurrected body as: - The same body (maintaining personal identity and continuity) - Yet completely transformed ("fashioned like unto his glorious body") - Free from sin, weakness, disease, decay and death - Incorruptible, glorious, powerful and spiritual - Changed "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye" - Immortal and perfect
He emphasizes we will not be "disembodied spirits" but will have glorified physical bodies like Christ's resurrection body.
How does Lloyd-Jones address the doctrine of the Trinity in this passage?
Lloyd-Jones points out that Romans 8:11 contains clear Trinitarian implications. The verse attributes the resurrection work to both the Father ("he that raised up Christ") and the Spirit ("by his spirit"). He notes that elsewhere, Jesus claims He will raise believers (John 6:40). Therefore, the resurrection work is attributed to all three persons of the Trinity, demonstrating "the three persons in the one Godhead." Lloyd-Jones says this is why Christians are Trinitarians and not Unitarians or Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Book of Romans
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.