Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on God's Salvation in Ezekiel 36

Based on Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Ezekiel 36:21-23, I've prepared these questions and answers that capture the preacher's key theological points.

What is the primary message of Ezekiel 36:21-23 according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the primary message is that salvation comes entirely from God and not because of anything in us. God says, "I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name's sake." This passage shows that salvation is given in spite of our sinfulness and helplessness, solely because of God's mercy and for the vindication of His holy name among the nations.

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize that the gospel must be accepted as a whole?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the gospel must be accepted in its entirety because "it's a whole message" with component parts that cannot be separated. He states, "This gospel has to be accepted either as it is or not at all... There is nothing I know of that is so inconsistent and so illogical as to take parts and reject the rest." The preacher insists that picking and choosing aspects of the gospel while rejecting others leads to inconsistency and misunderstanding of God's salvation.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the wrong attitude many people have toward salvation?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that many people approach salvation incorrectly by thinking, "if it can help me, if it's got something to give me and I'm satisfied, well then I'll take it up." This consumer approach to the gospel is fatal because it puts humans in the position of judges rather than recipients of mercy. He asserts that people often treat Christianity as just another cult or philosophy they can evaluate on their own terms, missing that salvation must be accepted on God's terms alone.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the primary purpose of salvation?

The primary purpose of salvation, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is not human happiness but "to vindicate the character of God." He emphasizes that while salvation brings tremendous blessings to believers, its foremost design is to glorify God and establish His character before the nations. As God declares in Ezekiel, "I will sanctify my great name...and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord." Salvation demonstrates God's power, holiness, justice, righteousness, and love.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the helplessness of mankind's condition?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes mankind as completely helpless and hopeless, like the Israelites in Babylonian captivity. He states, "We are all born dead, in trespasses and in sins. Dead." Using the example of the Israelites who could not escape their bondage, he explains that humans are similarly captive to sin and Satan, utterly incapable of self-salvation. He quotes, "Lord, I was dead. I could not move my lifeless soul to come to thee."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about God's holiness in relation to salvation?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that salvation vindicates God's holiness in two ways. First, God demonstrates His holiness by punishing sin, as He did by sending Israel into captivity. Second, the primary purpose of salvation is "to make us holy, not primarily to make us happy." He quotes Paul's words to Titus that Christ "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and separate unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Through salvation, God creates a holy people who reflect His character.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between God's justice and forgiveness?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that we "are not forgiven simply because God is love." Instead, God forgives in a way that vindicates His justice and righteousness through the cross. He states, "God smote his own son, his only begotten son. He struck him. He punished our sins in him." The cross shows God "saying that my character is such that I can't forgive sin like that as easily as you think. I must punish it." Therefore, God can be "just as well as the justifier of the ungodly."

What final appeal does Dr. Lloyd-Jones make to his listeners?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes with an urgent appeal for his listeners to recognize their true condition before God, saying: "If you've had some faint glimmer of a conception of God tonight and have seen yourself even partially, hurry to prostrate yourself before him, cry out for mercy and for forgiveness." He promises that those who truly confess their sin and cast themselves upon God's mercy will find deliverance and "this great and glorious salvation," acknowledging it is "all of God. It's none of me."