God's Way of Reconciliation

Ephesians 2.4

This passage is an extract from a sermon preached by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones which can be found in his second volume of sermons from Ephesians: God's Way of Reconciliation, published by the Banner of Truth. The quotations are from the AV and although, at that time, 'man' was taken to mean 'men and women', the truth rings out to our comfort when the world now presents the same ugly face.

The Christian is a man, who, to use a Scriptural phrase, knows that he is but 'a stranger and a pilgrim' in this world. He is a mere sojourner, he does not any longer live for this world: he has seen through it, he sees beyond it. He is a journeyman, a traveller, and, as James puts it (chapter 4) he is a man who has realised that his life is 'but a vapour', a breath. So he does not regard this world as permanent; he does not lay down his plans and say: 'I am going to do this or that.' Not at all! But rather: 'If the Lord will . . .', it is all under God, and he realises how contingent it is. He does not any longer pin his faith or set his affections on this world.

No surprises

But still more marvellous! He is never taken by surprise over anything that happens in this world. That is why I said earlier that there is nothing that I know of that is so relevant to worldly circumstances as this gospel. The Christian is a man who is never surprised by what happens in the world. He is prepared for everything, prepared for anything. He is not at all surprised when a war breaks out. The non-Christian, and especially the idealist of course, is greatly surprised. He really did believe at the end of the First World War that the League of Nations was going to abolish war for ever.
There were many who believed that the Locarno Pact of 1925 was finally going to do it and they were very happy. They were confident that there would never be another war like that of 1914-1918. And when it came to 1939, they did not know how to explain it. But the true Christian, knowing that man is a creature who is governed by lust, and that lust always produces war, knew perfectly well that no Locarno Pact or anything else would outlaw or abolish war.
He knew that war might come at any time, and when it came he was not surprised. As Psalm 112 puts it in the 7th verse: 'He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' Believing as we do this biblical doctrine of man in sin, we should never be surprised at what happens in the world. Are you surprised at all the murders, the thefts, the violence, the robbery, all the lying and the hatred, all the carnality, the sexuality? Does it surprise you as you look at your newspapers? It should not do so if you are a Christian.
You should expect it. Man in sin of necessity behaves like that; he cannot help himself. He lives and he walks in trespasses and sins. He does it individually, he does it in groups; therefore there will be industrial strifes and misunderstandings and there will be wars. 'Oh, what pessimism!' says someone. I say: 'No, what realism!' Face it, be prepared for it, do not expect anything better from a world like this; it is a fallen, sinful, godless, evil world; and while man remains in sin, it will be like that. And it is as much like that today as it was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah and in the time of the Flood.

More than conquerors

But, thank God, I have not finished. I go on to say that the Christian is a man who, realising that he is living in such a world, and who, having no illusions at all about it, yet knows that he is linked to a Power that enables him not only to bear whatever comes to him in such a world, but indeed to be 'more than conqueror' over it all. He does not just passively bear it, he does not merely put up with it, he does not just 'stick it' and exercise courage. No, that is stoicism, that is paganism.
The Christian, being in Christ, the Christian knowing something of what the apostle calls 'the exceeding greatness of God's power to us-ward that believe' is strengthened, is enabled to endure; his heart does not quail, he is not defeated, indeed he can rejoice in tribulations. Let the world do its worst to him, let hell be let loose, he is sustained. 'This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.' So that if things really do become impossible, the Christian has resources, he still has comforts and consolations, he still has a strength of which all others are ignorant.
Finally, the Christian is absolutely certain and assured that whatever the world and men may do, he is safe in the hands of God. 'We can confidently say,' says the Scriptures, 'the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me'. Indeed he knows this, that man in his malignity may insult him, may persecute him, may ravage him, may even destroy his body; but he also knows that nothing shall ever be able to 'separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord'. He knows that whatever may happen in this world of time, he is a son of God, and an heir of glory. Indeed he knows this, that a day is coming when even this present sinful world shall be entirely redeemed, and there 'shall be new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness'.

Looking forward

The Christian can look forward to this, that he, some glorious day in the future, when his very body shall be renewed and glorified, when it shall no longer be weak, when it shall be no longer subject to sickness and old age and disease, when it shall be a glorified body like that of the risen Christ - he knows that he in this glorified body shall even walk the face of this very earth, out of which evil and sin and vileness shall have been burned by the fire of God. He will dwell in a perfect world, of which the Lamb, the Son of God, is the Light and the Sun, the Brightness and the Glory, and he shall enjoy it for ever and ever. That is what the Christian message, the Christian faith has to say to this wretched, distracted, unhappy, confused, frustrated modern world. It is all the outcome of these essential doctrines which can be learned only in this Book which is God's Word. There is the world! - 'But God . . .'

© Evangelicals Now - August 1999
Please consider supporting this ministry by subscribing.