Cristo; el Fin de la Ley
Un sermón Romanos 10:4
Predicado originalmente 31 de mayo de 1963
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Escritura
4Porque el fin de la ley es Cristo, para justicia á todo aquel que cree.
Descripción del Sermón
En este sermón sobre Romanos 10:4 titulado "Cristo, el fin de la ley", el Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones dice que esta Escritura es la carta magna para todos los cristianos y los hace libres. En este versículo, Pablo proclama que Cristo es el cumplimiento de la ley para justicia. Él quiere decir que la ley no era temporal sino que es eterna. Dios no está aboliendo la ley sino más bien confirmándola. Es una expresión del carácter santo de Dios y lo que Él espera de la raza humana. Entonces, ¿cómo es Cristo el fin de la ley? Cristo ha cumplido la ley y lo ha hecho para todos los que creen en Él. Vino al mundo como Dios-hombre nacido bajo la ley, vivió una vida de perfecta obediencia a la ley, y murió para satisfacer el castigo de la ley. El cumplimiento es verdadero porque Dios lo resucitó de los muertos. Nadie más pudo hacer esto. Cristo es el fin de la ley para todos los que creen. En el momento en que un cristiano cree en Cristo, todo lo que Cristo ha hecho por ellos se hace verdadero en ellos ya que han sido unidos con Cristo.
Desglose del Sermón
- Los judíos tenían razón al reconocer la seriedad e importancia de la ley.
- Cualquier enseñanza sobre la salvación que no se exprese en términos de la ley es falsa.
- Cristo es absolutamente central y crucial para la salvación.
- Cristo es el fin de la ley, no aboliéndola, sino cumpliéndola a través de una vida perfecta y muriendo en la cruz.
- La ley es eterna y sigue expresando el carácter de Dios y lo que Él espera de nosotros.
- Solo Cristo cumplió la ley; nadie más podía hacerlo.
- Cristo es el fin de la ley solo para aquellos que creen en Él. No hay universalismo.
- Creer en Cristo significa reconocer que somos condenados por la ley, pero confiar únicamente en Cristo.
- Cuando creemos en Cristo, todo lo que Él es e hizo se hace verdadero en nosotros. Morimos con Él, así que estamos muertos a la ley y no somos condenados por ella.
- No hay condenación para los que están en Cristo; estamos seguros en Él.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Romans 10:4
What does "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness" mean?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, this phrase does not mean Christ abolished the law. Rather, it means Christ fulfilled the law completely. "Christ is the end of the law in this sense, that he has fulfilled it and that he has fulfilled it for those who believe in him. He is the end of the law in that he carries out the dictates of the law absolutely perfectly and in every respect." Christ satisfied all the demands of the law on our behalf through His perfect life, His death on the cross where He bore our punishment, and His resurrection which proved God's acceptance of His sacrifice.
Why were the Jews outside the kingdom of God according to Romans 10?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that the Jews were outside the kingdom of God because of their ignorance in several areas: "They were ignorant of the righteousness that God demanded. They were ignorant of the fact that all the righteousness of which they boasted was nothing but their own righteousness, not the righteousness of God." Most critically, "they were ignorant of the truth concerning our Lord and savior Jesus Christ." They didn't recognize Him or understand His purpose, which led to their rejection of Him and consequently their missing the blessings of salvation.
Does the Christian gospel abolish the law of God?
No, Dr. Lloyd-Jones firmly rejects this notion: "It's a terribly dangerous teaching to say that the Christian has got a lower standard... That's sheer antinomianism and it's a terrible sin." He emphasizes that "Christ didn't die in order to lower the standard... The gospel doesn't lower it. It hasn't made things easier as regards the demands of the law. They're there and they're absolute and they're eternal." The law remains God's eternal standard, but for believers, Christ has fulfilled its demands on their behalf.
What does it mean to believe in Christ according to this sermon?
True belief, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, involves recognizing "your utter condemnation," realizing "that all your goodness is vile, that all your righteousness is as filthy rags," and submitting "utterly to him and to his way." It means relying "alone upon the Lord Jesus Christ" and saying "out of a true heart, nothing in my hand I bring simply to thy cross I cling." Importantly, "it isn't just uttering words... it's a genuine belief that comes from the very heart of the man." This genuine faith produces a life change where one denies themselves, takes up their cross, and follows Christ.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones refute universalism in this sermon?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones directly challenges universalist beliefs by emphasizing the phrase "to everyone that believeth." He states: "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. But to nobody else." He argues against the idea "that God loves everybody and that everybody's going to heaven at the end," calling such teaching "universalism" that contradicts Scripture. He quotes extensively from Jesus' prayer in John 17, which repeatedly refers to specific people given to Christ, not all humanity, and emphasizes that salvation is only for those who believe in Christ.
What is the position of a believer in relation to the law?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that believers are "dead to the law" through their union with Christ. "To believe in Christ means that you've died with him, you've been crucified with him." As a result, "we are not under the law, but under grace." This doesn't mean the law is abolished, but rather that believers are "not under it in the sense that it condemns us." Believers are "forgiven completely," "justified absolutely," "reconciled to God in Christ," and "eternally secure" because Christ has fulfilled the law's demands on their behalf.
Why is Christ's person and work central to the Christian gospel?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ's person and work are absolutely essential because only He could fulfill the law's demands. "The whole of humanity had failed to keep the law of God... There was none righteous, no, not one." He emphasizes that "there is no salvation apart from him" because "nothing but a God-man can deliver you." Without "the incarnation, without the perfect life, without the atoning death, without the resurrection, there is no salvation, none at all." Any teaching about salvation that doesn't center on Christ and particularly His death on the cross is "error" and "a lie."
El Libro de Romanos
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
El Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) fue un ministro evangélico galés que predicó y enseñó en la tradición Reformada. Su ministerio principal fue en Westminster Chapel, en el centro de Londres, desde 1939-1968, donde impartió exposiciones de varios años sobre libros de la Biblia como Romanos, Efesios y el Evangelio de Juan. Además de la colección del Fideicomiso MLJ de 1,600 de estos sermones en formato de audio, la mayoría de estas grandes series de sermones están disponibles en forma de libro (incluyendo una colección de 14 volúmenes de los sermones de Romanos), así como otras series como "Depresión Espiritual", "Estudios sobre el Sermón del Monte" y "Grandes Doctrinas Bíblicas". Es considerado por muchos líderes evangélicos de hoy como una autoridad en la verdad bíblica y la suficiencia de las Escrituras.