Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions and Answers

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones mean by "this present evil world" in his sermon?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the phrase "this present evil world" from Galatians 1:3-5 refers to the fallen state of the world we live in. He explains that the world is evil because it's full of people with corrupt and sinful natures. This isn't just about specific evils in society but about the fundamental condition of the world that is passing away and temporary. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Christians need to understand the world's true nature to appreciate why we need deliverance from it.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe mankind's failure to think properly?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that mankind's fundamental problem is a failure to think straight or reason properly. He says, "the whole case of the gospel and of the whole Bible is just to say this, that the world is as it is because men and women don't know how to think straightly." He identifies several specific thinking failures: - Failing to realize the seriousness of life - Not understanding our true nature as individuals before God - Not recognizing we have souls, not just bodies and minds - Being concerned about others' opinions but not God's - Worrying about this world but not the next - Being concerned about evil in general but not evil in ourselves

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about human individuality?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that modern people have lost sight of true individuality. He explains that while we might recognize superficial differences between people (appearance, abilities), we miss the profound truth that each person is "a person face to face with God." True individuality, according to Lloyd-Jones, consists in being an entity, separate and alone, responsible before God regardless of appearance or background. He laments that modern life treats people as numbers or parts of a mass rather than recognizing this essential dignity of human personhood.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the dignity of man?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the Bible gives us the highest view of human dignity. He states: "it's the Bible that gives you a view of the dignity of man, not as a bit of primitive slime that's evolved through a painful process into this animal that man now is." Instead, humans are "made in the image and the likeness of God fashioned by the eternal for himself, that he might have fellowship and communion with him, made lord of creation." He argues that rejecting Christianity actually diminishes human dignity rather than enhancing it.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about our concern for ourselves?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that people are deeply concerned about: 1. What others think of them, but not what God thinks of them 2. What happens in this world, but not the next world 3. Evil in general and in society, but not the evil within themselves 4. The danger of dying, but not what happens after death

He argues this reveals a fundamental failure to think properly about ourselves and our eternal destiny. True concern for ourselves should lead us to consider our relationship with God, our soul's condition, and our eternal future.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe what happens after death?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that after death comes judgment before God. He states plainly: "It is appointed unto all men once to die, and after death, the judgment." He explains that we will stand before God and be judged according to how we lived in relation to His commandments, particularly whether we loved God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and loved our neighbor as ourselves. We'll be asked whether we lived to glorify God and what we did with the soul He gave us. This judgment determines our eternal destiny.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about Jesus Christ in the sermon?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes his sermon by focusing on Jesus Christ, asking his listeners if they have truly considered Him. He describes Christ as "God in the flesh" who came into history, lived, died on the cross, and rose again. He emphasizes Christ's sacrificial death: "He gave himself for our sins that he might redeem us from this present evil world." Lloyd-Jones argues that while people spend much time considering and admiring other humans, they fail to consider the most extraordinary person in history - Jesus Christ - whose sacrifice provides the only solution to our sinful condition.

What solution does Dr. Lloyd-Jones offer for mankind's problems?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones concludes that our only hope is to "flee from the wrath to come" and be "delivered out of this present evil world." The solution is not self-improvement but divine intervention - "this principle within us must be eradicated by a power above ourselves." He points to Christ's sacrificial death as God's provision for our salvation: "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to that death, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." His practical instruction is to go to God immediately, confess your failures, ask for mercy, and receive forgiveness and new life in Christ.

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about human nature according to the Bible?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes human nature as fundamentally fallen and sinful. He states: "Our natures are fallen. That's our trouble. That our very nature is wrong. It's twisted, it's perverted, it's evil." He explains that we are "born in sin shaped in iniquity" with an "evil strain in us." This sinful nature manifests as a "law in our very members" - internal drives and lusts that make us do wrong despite our best intentions. He describes how we even "love sin and evil" and continue in harmful behaviors because something within us desires them, which explains why human history is filled with evil.

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast the biblical view of humans with modern views?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrasts the biblical view of humans as souls made in God's image with modern views that see humans merely as bodies or as rational animals. He argues that the modern rejection of Christianity as limiting human potential is ironic, since the Bible actually gives humans their greatest dignity as beings created in God's image for relationship with Him. The modern view, in his assessment, reduces humans to evolved animals, while the biblical view elevates them to spiritual beings with eternal significance. He also notes that modern thinking focuses on collective problems while ignoring individual moral responsibility.