Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Assurance of Faith

What are the two main elements of assurance according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there are two main elements of assurance. The first is the direct witness of the Holy Spirit, where "the spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God." This is not based on deduction but is an immediate and direct assurance where God speaks directly to a person. The second element is "accounting" or reasoning, as demonstrated by Abraham who was "accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead." This involves using reason and argument to support what one knows instinctively through the direct witness of the Spirit.

How did Abraham demonstrate the highest form of assurance in the story of sacrificing Isaac?

Abraham demonstrated the highest form of assurance by his immediate obedience to God's command to sacrifice Isaac, despite this command appearing to contradict God's earlier promises. Lloyd-Jones states, "He proceeded immediately to do it... he was absolutely certain that it was God who was telling him to do this Thing." Abraham's knowledge of God was so intimate that "he knew beyond any doubt whatsoever that it was the voice of God that was speaking to him." This level of certainty enabled him to act in faith even when everything natural in him and all human reasoning would have revolted against such an action.

What is the purpose of God testing our faith according to the sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, God tests our faith for several purposes: 1. To train and prepare us for the glory and holiness of heaven 2. To help us know ourselves better - "We think we know ourselves, but we don't know ourselves" 3. To help us discover that we have more faith than we thought we had 4. To lead us to a greater knowledge of God - "Everything that happens to you, if you're a child of God, should lead you to a greater knowledge of God" 5. To bring us to a position where we "trust him utterly and absolutely in the dark" 6. To give us even greater assurance - "God tests the assurance we have in order that he may give us greater assurance" 7. To show the world what God can make of a person who trusts Him

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say that Christians should not expect an easier life than non-believers?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses the misconception that Christians should expect an easier life by stating, "The scripture doesn't tell us things like that." He argues that the Bible actually teaches the opposite: "Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth... and scourgeth every son whom he calleth." He suggests that if a person experiences no troubles in life, they should "make sure that you're a Christian" because "God's people are subject to trials and to testings." Lloyd-Jones criticizes superficial evangelism that promises a problem-free life, calling it "a lying evangelism" that tells people "come to Christ, you'll never have another problem."

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe Christian growth in assurance?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes Christian growth in assurance as a progressive journey. He criticizes "the tragedy of the modern church" where people remain "at the beginning" with salvation being everything. He challenges believers with questions like "Do you know God better than you knew him a year ago? Are you more certain of your assurance today than you were ten years ago?" He refutes the notion that Christians are "happiest when the moment you're converted," calling it "a lie" and "unscriptural." Instead, he teaches that believers should "grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord," moving from being a "baby in Christ" to becoming mature. As believers grow, they should know God more, resulting in increasing assurance, trust, and confidence.

What does it mean that "God is not ashamed to be called their God"?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, when the Bible says "God is not ashamed to be called their God," it means that God ties Himself to faithful believers as a testimony to the world. He explains that God identifies Himself as "the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob" because He has made these men what they are through their faith and obedience. God is essentially saying, "I'm not ashamed to be called their God... I'm the God of a man like Abraham. I've made him what he is." Lloyd-Jones suggests that the privilege offered to believers is that "God may say to this present generation and to subsequent generations, 'If you want to know anything about me, I am the God of that man, that woman.'" Our lives should demonstrate such trust and intimate knowledge of God that He would proudly identify Himself through His relationship with us.

How does Abraham's story prefigure the gospel according to the sermon?

At the end of his sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that Abraham's story prefigures the gospel. While "Abraham did not actually slay Isaac," the story points to how "God smote and slain his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." The difference is that God actually carried out what Abraham was only asked to do - sacrifice His only Son. Lloyd-Jones quotes Romans 8:32, "He spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all," showing that God's sacrifice of Jesus demonstrates "the measure of the love of God to us." This parallel reveals that Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac was a "prefiguring" or foreshadowing of God's ultimate sacrifice of Christ.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones teach about the importance of knowing God versus merely knowing about God?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes a crucial distinction between knowing about God and knowing God personally. He states, "This is our fundamental trouble. Every one of us. We don't know God." He acknowledges that believing things about God is "all right" and something to "thank God" for, but he insists, "you're not to stop at that." He teaches that believers are "not only to believe things about God" but to "know God." The purpose of trials and testings is partly to lead believers to "a greater knowledge of God." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that intimate, personal knowledge of God is what enabled Abraham to trust God completely even when faced with contradictory circumstances, and this same intimate knowledge is what enables believers to have full assurance of faith.