What Does Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About True Christian Experience?

What are the main elements of authentic Christian experience according to Lloyd-Jones in this sermon?

According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the main elements of authentic Christian experience include:

1. An awareness of being dealt with and blessed by God - recognizing that God is actively working in your life
2. A sense of surprise and amazement at what God is doing in you
3. Genuine humility and lowliness before God
4. Deep gratitude and praise to God
5. A reverent fear of the Lord (not a craven fear but a reverence)
6. Rejoicing in the Lord Jesus Christ as the center of faith

As Lloyd-Jones says: "Here, I say, are the salient cardinal features and elements in this Christian experience" that are reflected in Mary's Magnificat.

How does Lloyd-Jones use Mary's experience in the Magnificat as a model for Christian experience?

Lloyd-Jones presents Mary's experience as "in many ways the first authentic Christian experience." He uses her Magnificat as a pattern to examine genuine faith because:

1. It shows God's initiative rather than human initiative
2. It demonstrates Mary's awareness of God working in her life
3. It reveals her process of coming to faith (initially questioning, then submission, then joyful understanding)
4. It displays her humility, surprise, and gratitude
5. It shows proper reverence and God-centered praise

As Lloyd-Jones states: "Mary was aware of an undergoing a spiritual experience and she gives us here in her statement what I want to show you are the salient cardinal features and elements in this Christian experience."

What does Lloyd-Jones teach about the timing and manner of Christian conversion?

Lloyd-Jones teaches that there is no standardized timing or manner of Christian conversion. He emphasizes:

1. Conversion can be sudden or gradual - "it doesn't matter to the slightest extent whether it's sudden or gradual. What matters is that it's happened"
2. He uses Mary's story to show a gradual process - first doubt/questioning, then submission, and finally joyful understanding
3. He contrasts John Bunyan's 18-month conversion struggle with the Philippian jailer's instant conversion
4. He warns against letting the manner of conversion become "a very subtle snare by which the devil robs many people of their joy"

Lloyd-Jones states: "There is no scriptural basis [for a standardized experience] whatsoever" and "there is no standardized experience taught in the New Testament."

How does Lloyd-Jones distinguish true Christianity from false notions of Christianity?

Lloyd-Jones distinguishes true Christianity from false notions by emphasizing:

1. Christianity is primarily what God does to us, not what we do - "What makes us Christian is not primarily what we do, but what God does to us"
2. Intellectual interest in Christianity doesn't make one a Christian - "Many a man has gone through life doing that, you know, without being a Christian"
3. Mere moral behavior isn't Christianity - "Of course, any man who does good is a Christian... That's what makes us Christian, you see, what we do, doing good. But of course, it's the exact opposite of all we find in this book"
4. Church attendance alone isn't Christianity - "Other people believe it's attending church services... But you see, it's still something that you do"
5. True Christianity is God's transformative work in a person's life - "It is the life of God in the souls of men"

What does Lloyd-Jones teach about self-examination in the Christian life?

Lloyd-Jones encourages careful self-examination, teaching that:

1. It's essential to "take stock" of our spiritual condition, especially at meaningful times (like year's end)
2. We should examine what difference the gospel has made in our lives - "Has it made any vital difference to you?"
3. Self-examination should focus on the elements of true Christian experience (awareness of God's work, surprise, humility, gratitude, fear, rejoicing in Christ)
4. We must remember Jesus' warning that we will be judged by our response to His Word - "The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day"
5. Self-examination should be honest but not despairing - he offers hope to those troubled by his tests

Lloyd-Jones says: "Isn't it a terrible thing that it's possible for us thus to go on listening to the gospel, and yet, in a sense to be so detached and remote that it does nothing to us, and we might just as well never have heard it."