Out of Babylon into Canaan
A Sermon on Ezekiel 36:24
Originally preached May 13, 1956
Scripture
24For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
Sermon Description
What is the gospel and how does it reveal God’s glory? In this sermon on Ezekiel 36:24 titled “Out of Babylon into Canaan,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches how one’s blindness to the truth about sin is what enables them to continue in it. God’s punishment of sin is very clear. The gospel comes in where all hope seems lost. God set out to restore His own name that humanity profaned. This is not merely an act of morality and kindness, nor is it the choice of anyone; it is entirely the work of God. Learn of the immense distance between the depth of sin and the height of God’s glory. God deserves the praise of ten thousand tongues. Nothing less than the power of God can do such amazing work; all of humanity could not conjure up enough power to make one single person a Christian. All must stand in the power of God, rather than the wisdom of humanity. The first thing the world needs to be delivered from is their ignorance of God. Sin puts people in the wrong relationship with God, but salvation restores them to what ought to be as humanity was made for paradise.
Sermon Breakdown
- The power of God is necessary to achieve salvation. Nothing less than the power of God can make someone a Christian.
- The change that occurs in salvation is complete and profound. It is the greatest change that can happen to someone.
- Deliverance is needed from:
- Heathenism: Ignorance of God and godlessness. This includes fear, superstition, slavery to sin.
- Inability to know God. Man is incapable of arriving at a knowledge of God on his own.
- God delivers from heathenism and brings into "your own land" - a place of blessing and relationship with God.
- Salvation restores:
- Relationship with God as Father. Knowledge of God's love, mercy and compassion.
- Place of blessing. Receiving God's blessings.
- Holiness. Delivered from sin and its power. Hunger for righteousness. Victory over sin. Delight in God's will.
- Salvation reconciles to God and allows us to know Him. It is more than believing certain things about God.
- Salvation separates from the world and its pursuits and joins to God and heaven.
Sermon Q&A
What Did Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About God's Plan of Salvation in Ezekiel 36?
What is the main text Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds on Ezekiel 36:24, which states: "For I will take you from among the heathen and gather you out of all countries and will bring you into your own land." He places this within the context of God's larger message beginning at verse 16 and continuing to the end of the chapter.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the condition of humanity apart from God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes humanity apart from God as being like the Israelites in Babylonian captivity - enslaved, in darkness, far from home, and unable to free themselves. He states, "The world tonight is sitting by the waters of Babylon. The world is in distress. The world is in a state of misery and of unhappiness." He emphasizes that people are in this condition because of sin, living in "heathen darkness" characterized by ignorance of God, fear, superstition, and slavery to various sins.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about how salvation is accomplished?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphatically teaches that salvation is accomplished entirely by God's power, not human effort. He states, "Nothing less than the power of God can make anybody a Christian." He explains that God says "I will take you" because "nobody else can do it." The sermon emphasizes that the same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead is required to make someone a Christian, as Paul teaches in Ephesians.
According to the sermon, what is the nature of the change that occurs in salvation?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes salvation as "the completest, the profoundest and the greatest change that the world ever sees or knows." It's not merely improvement or becoming slightly better, but rather a complete transformation - "a new beginning," "rebirth," "regeneration." He quotes 2 Corinthians 5:17, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation." This change involves a total shift in one's fundamental position, status, and relationship with God.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe what it means to be "brought into your own land"?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that being "brought into your own land" means being restored to where we were meant to be. He states, "What is to become a Christian? Well, it's just to come home. To come back to your father. To come back to where you're meant to be." This restoration includes: 1. Being restored to a relationship with God as Father 2. Being placed in a position to receive God's blessings 3. Being delivered from the darkness and filth of sin 4. Being sanctified and given a hunger for righteousness
What misconceptions about Christianity does Dr. Lloyd-Jones refute?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones refutes several misconceptions about Christianity, including: - That it's merely "a little bit of morality or niceness or goodness" - That one becomes a Christian by "taking a decision" alone - That Christianity is determined by "accident of birth" or cultural factors - That being a Christian means being "a little bit better than you were before" - That Christianity is something achievable through human effort or willpower
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the gospel's purpose in relation to God's name?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that God saves people primarily for His own name's sake, not because of any worthiness in them. He quotes from verse 22: "I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake." The sermon stresses that the gospel is "an amazing display of the glory of God's holy, wonderful being and character" and that "from the original thought and inception to the last detail of its carrying out, it's all his, and to the praise of the glory of his grace."
What urgent appeal does Dr. Lloyd-Jones make at the end of his sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes with an urgent appeal for his listeners to examine whether they've truly been "translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear son." He warns that those who haven't are "in a dangerous position" under "the wrath of God." He urges them to "make no tarrying" but to "cry out unto him for mercy and for compassion," promising that God "will not reject you" but will "take hold of you, and his mighty power will resurrect you and put you into the kingdom of his dear son."
Old Testament
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.