What Aspects of Abraham's Life Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Highlight in His Sermon?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Acts 7:1-8, Abraham's life exemplifies key characteristics of the Christian life. The preacher highlights several important aspects:

1. God took the initiative in Abraham's life. "It wasn't Abraham who sought God. It was God who sought Abraham." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that salvation begins with God's intervention, not human effort.

2. Abraham lived a God-centered life rather than a self-centered one. "What makes a Christian a Christian is that he becomes God-centered. He lifts up his eyes."

3. Abraham was willing to separate from the world. "Come out from them," quotes Lloyd-Jones, noting that Abraham left his country and kindred, symbolizing the Christian's need for separation from worldly values.

4. Abraham walked by faith without immediate visible rewards. "And he gave him none inheritance in it... yet he promised that he would give it to him." This demonstrates the Christian's need to trust God's promises even when fulfillment isn't immediately visible.

5. Abraham kept his focus on eternity. "His secret was this: He always kept his eye on the beyond. He was looking for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

How Does Dr. Lloyd-Jones Define the Gospel in His Sermon?

In his sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones defines the gospel with several key elements:

1. God's initiative: "The God of glory appeared unto our father, Abraham." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that salvation begins with God seeking us, not us seeking God.

2. The necessity of Christ's death: "There is no salvation for anybody except in Jesus Christ and him crucified." He stresses that "even God cannot save any one of us without putting our sins on his own son and punishing them in him."

3. Justification by faith alone: "We are justified by faith alone." Lloyd-Jones explains that salvation comes "simply to believe that Jesus is the son of God and that he died for your sins."

4. Transformation of life: "Forgiveness is just the entry into the Christian life. It's the introduction." The gospel includes not just forgiveness but a complete change in how we live.

5. Eternal purpose: The gospel aims not just to save us from hell but to bring us into relationship with God both now and eternally. "We are saved from something, but thank God, we are saved for something."

What Does Dr. Lloyd-Jones Teach About Faith and Works in the Christian Life?

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses the relationship between faith and works in his sermon with the following points:

1. Faith comes first: "There is only one way to become a Christian, and that is to see your utter absolute hopelessness and helplessness and to trust yourself just as you are...to Jesus of Nazareth."

2. Works follow genuine faith: "We are not only to be dead, indeed unto sin, but alive unto God. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't stop at saying, 'come unto me.' He went on and said, 'follow me.'"

3. Neither should be separated: "You mustn't divide these things, you mustn't separate them. Both are absolutely essential."

4. Two common errors: "There are those who put their all emphasis upon the fact that we are saved from hell, that our sins are forgiven...But they stop at that." Conversely, "there are others who seem to think that you can live the life before you've entered it."

5. Purpose of Christ's sacrifice: "He gave himself for us, says Paul, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. That's why he did it."

Lloyd-Jones teaches that salvation is by faith alone, but genuine faith inevitably produces a transformed life characterized by good works and separation from worldly values.