Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Facing the Future with Faith

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the only way to face the future with confidence?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the only way to face the future with confidence is "to make certain and sure of the things which we believe." He emphasizes that Christians can face the future, regardless of what it contains, "without any fear or forboding" if they know, recognize, and live by certain fundamental postulates of the Christian faith. These foundational truths provide a "position of rest from which and out of which nothing can ever move him or disturb him," allowing the believer to face the future "quietly, calmly, with a sense of peace and with a sense of joy."

What are the four fundamental postulates Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies in John's prologue?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies four fundamental postulates from John's prologue:

1. This is God's world - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... All things were made by him." The world is not an accident or chance occurrence but God's creation with meaning and purpose.

2. God's permissive will - "The light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." God permits evil to operate in this world for His own purposes.

3. God is concerned about this world - Evidenced by sending John the Baptist, giving the Law through Moses, and ultimately making "the Word flesh" to dwell among us.

4. God's purpose and plan for the world are sure and certain - Despite rejection ("He came unto his own, and his own received him not"), God's plan cannot be frustrated or stopped.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain God's permissive will regarding evil?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that God, being all-powerful, permits evil to exist rather than creating it. He suggests that the very notion of perfection involves freedom of choice, and this freedom necessarily includes the possibility of wrong choices. God could have made "a mechanical universe that could never have gone wrong," but instead created beings with freedom, which opened the possibility for the entrance of evil.

He emphasizes that God permitting evil doesn't mean things are beyond His control. Rather, it means the opposite—that God is deliberately allowing certain things to happen for His purposes, often as a way of teaching and instructing us. He compares it to a teacher letting a student who thinks they "know all about it" try and fail, so they can truly learn.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones respond to the seeming contradiction between God's goodness and the presence of suffering?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses this apparent contradiction by pointing to:

1. God's permissive will - God permits evil and suffering for His own purposes, including teaching us

2. The reality that becoming a Christian doesn't mean nothing will go wrong - "The christian message teaches almost the exact opposite." Even Christ himself suffered greatly.

3. The certainty that God remains in control - Despite appearances, God has not abandoned the world

4. The assurance that God is working His plan despite opposition - "Salvation is in spite of us, not because of us"

5. The guarantee of God's love in Christ - "What God has already done in his son, his beloved son, is a guarantee of everything else." He argues that if God did the greatest thing in giving His Son for us, "he will never withhold anything that is good for his people."

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe we should never be surprised or despair when bad things happen?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that Christians should never be surprised or despair when bad things happen because:

1. We understand God's permissive will - He allows suffering even for His people (as He did with Israel and even His own Son)

2. We recognize God's purpose behind suffering - "All things work together for good to them that love God"

3. We have seen God's plan triumph despite opposition - The Son of God came into the world "in spite of the devil and hell and humanity"

4. We have the guarantee of God's love in Christ - "He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?"

He specifically warns against the childish notion that "because God is all powerful, nothing wrong can ever happen to you." Instead, we should understand that God allows difficulties, but they cannot ultimately frustrate His plans or separate us from His love.