Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones's Sermon on Ephesians 1:4

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the primary purpose of God's choosing us in Christ?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the primary purpose of God's choosing us in Christ is that "we should be holy and without blame before him in love." He emphasizes that God's ultimate purpose is not primarily forgiveness or happiness, but holiness. As he states, "The thing he puts first and foremost is holy and without blame before him in love... Why must this come first? Well, for these reasons, it is God's plan and God's purpose, and therefore it can be nothing else. It is the will of God, even your sanctification. God's desire for us is that we be holy long before he thinks of happiness or anything else."

What is the difference between "holy" and "without blame" according to the sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that these terms describe sanctification from different aspects: "Holiness denotes a state of inward or internal purity. Without blame. Without blemish means an outward or an external condition of purity." He elaborates that holiness is the "bigger term and the stronger term, because it's concerned about the inward condition," while being without blemish refers to having no external defects - "no specks or sprouts upon it, no little portions of beginning, of degeneration, or of putrefaction." He also adds that holiness is positive, whereas "without blemish" is negative - "the absence of pollution."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by being "before him in love"?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "before him" means in God's presence, entering into communion and fellowship with Him. He states, "What's it mean? Well, it means in his presence. It means that we are actually before him in the sense that we appear before him, enter into his presence. It's another way of saying that we enter into communion with him, that we enter into fellowship with him." The phrase "in love" indicates that this relationship is characterized by love rather than enmity or fear. He explains, "As the result of salvation, he appears before God in love... The holiness of the Christian is not a mere mechanical conformity to the law. Neither is it a mere morality... The distinguishing feature about holiness is that it's positive... it is essentially love."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain the relationship between justification and sanctification?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones strongly argues against separating justification and sanctification: "There is nothing which is so wrong and such a complete misinterpretation of scripture as to separate justification and sanctification." He rejects the idea that "you can be justified and decide later to become sanctified." Instead, he insists, "Holiness is the beginning and the end of salvation, and the whole of salvation is designed to bring us to that end." He emphasizes that these two aspects of salvation cannot be divided: "If you're not holy, you're not a Christian. These things belong together. Christ has been made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. You can't take parts out of Christ."

How does the doctrine of election promote holiness according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that "the doctrine of God's choosing his own people in Christ, far from leading to what is called antinomianism, far from leading to a slackness and a looseness in life and living, is the greatest incentive of all to holiness." He gives several reasons:

1. "If God has chosen you to salvation, God will make you holy" - even through chastening if necessary.
2. Understanding election motivates the believer to pursue holiness: "If I know that I'm called of God and that I'm called unto holiness, why, I say to myself, I've no time to lose."
3. It works through love: "We've been brought to love God in Christ... the one thing I don't want to happen when I stand before him... is that there should be the slightest suspicion of disappointment in his look."

He concludes: "There is nothing that so promotes holiness as this great doctrine."

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the ultimate goal of our salvation?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that the ultimate goal of our salvation is to be made perfectly holy like God. He states, "Of course, we don't attain to that imperfection in this life and in this world. That is the ultimate goal. The will of God for us is absolute perfection. And we who are Christians shall stand before him ultimately faultless and blameless, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, without anybody being able to make any charge against us. Perfect and entire, holy. Even as he is holy, we shall be like him." He explains that while this perfect holiness awaits us in eternity, "it has started in this world. The principle is in us, here."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the natural condition of humans toward God?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes the natural human condition as one of enmity toward God: "The natural mind is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God. Neither can be." He states that unconverted people are "enemies and alienated in our minds through wicked works" and that "Men by nature is a hater of God." He challenges the notion that non-Christians merely have a neutral view of God, explaining that they often reject the God of Scripture while claiming to believe in a god of their own making: "They've taken out of God everything that they don't like... They don't believe in his wrath. They don't believe in judgment... but they reject the bulk of the biblical revelation and still say they believe in God. And you see, by doing that, they are proving that they're haters of God."