... if Christ be not Risen

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 — How can finite people know the infinite God? As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims in this sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:18–19, there is no question more important to answer in this life or the next. Humanity was created to know their creator and to love Him, but because of sin and rebellion, they are alienated from God. Some say that the answer to this dilemma is to use reason to know God, as this has been the answer of the many wise people and philosophers over the ages. Others recommend mysticism where humans commune with God through religious practices and experiences. However, the biblical answer is found in the nature of God’s revelation as God spoke through the prophets and apostles in Scripture. This means that humans cannot rely on themselves to know God, but by looking to what God has said concerning Himself. There is no place for humanity’s autonomous reason or immediate religious experiences once they understand that God has made Himself known in Scripture and in His Son, Jesus Christ. God must be looked to not only for knowledge of Himself, but also to know Him as Savior and Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:6 — Learn of the calmness and assurance that comes with this Christian gospel. There is a confidence that comes with believing. All things are of God and for God. In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:6 titled “Be Reconciled to God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches that the first result of this new creation that Christianity proclaims is a new perspective. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones proclaims the necessity of this radical reorientation and looks at the example of Paul. Examine the natural view of humanity versus the biblical view of humanity. No one can face the end of life without first accepting this teaching. No one will ever know the comfort of the Scriptures if they do not accept it from beginning to end. Are people merely animals? The world thinks that there is nothing outside of the concrete and material world, but there is an entirely other reality beyond humanity’s comprehension. The world thinks that people are essentially and fundamentally good. Learn to think of them in terms of their relationship to God, and seen in the context of God. No one is the arbiter of their faith. God alone saves.

2 Corinthians 5:16 — The world cannot be changed, but “The only way Christianity helps is it changes us.” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones takes a different view of oneself and of humanity as a rebel against God. The most important question to ask is, “what do you think of Christ?” Christianity is Christ and Christians are called to be ambassadors for Christ and will be held accountable for their lives. Christians cannot take risks as “your eternal destiny depends on your view of Christ.” In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:16 titled “Flesh or Spirit?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones discusses how the Spirit of God must unveil one’s eyes to their standing before God. No one can come before God justified on their own; they are but a child before Him. Rejoice that God humbled Himself to come to this earth. It is not the mere death of a martyr. Jesus died in our place. Christ alone triumphs in His shame. How can anyone become righteous before God if their best works are but filthy rags and damnation? Be reconciled to God in faith.

2 Corinthians 5:17 — How does a Christian look into the unknown of eternity without fear, and also with special longing? There are no shortcuts in Christianity. “You can never arrive at the result without going through the process,” preaches Dr. Lloyd-Jones. Listen to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones as he preaches this sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:17 about taking a serious perspective in looking at humanity’s current situation. Christianity does not change circumstances — it changes the person. This is something done to humans by God as they cannot make the necessary discoveries. In this sermon, the most urgent questions will be answered and the listener will consider humanity in a new way. The listener is challenged to consider the souls of humanity and stop thinking after the knowledge, authority, and ability of the flesh. The whole of creation is divided based on the individual’s relationship to God; nothing else divides. Do not miss the benefits and blessings of this gospel and be transformed with this new nature that changes everything.

2 Corinthians 5:1 — How can the Christian face any and all trials that may come in this life? In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 5:1 titled “The Bible and Death,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd tells how Christianity is not a vague spirit and religion but that it must be taught. He shares the reason for both preaching and listening to the gospel of Christ. The Bible alone causes people to truly face the question of death. Nothing is as absolutely certain as death. Every person that lives is born to die. “Here is the one question and the one answer which can never be corrected,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones says. Christianity is not speculation, but it is a revelation from God. Paul is simply an ambassador for Christ; this is not a human idea. Christians are merely representatives of God. Other philosophies and religions have no answer. The incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ are absolutely essential. The Christian knows when they die in this body that they will be alive unto God. It is only when one knows how to die that they then know how to live. Listen to this sermon to gain this certainty through Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:16 — How do Christians live in an evil world that opposes God? This is not a new question for Christians, and Paul himself addresses the early church in 2 Corinthians 4:16. Christians must always seek to live according to the gospel and the mission of Christ. In the midst of an evil world, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones proclaims, Christians must share the gospel. Christians living in the world must seek to make Christ known in all that they do. And even as Christians are seeking to be a light to the world, the Bible says that believers are still wasting away, but the inward man is being renewed within. Jesus transforms all who believe in Him and makes them holy. In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:16, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches this great truth of the hope of transformation in Christ. This sermon is a call for all to flee sin and come to Jesus, for Jesus alone can transform sinful bodies of death by making all things new. Only Jesus can make whole again and give true and lasting peace with the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:6 — What words and images are adequate to convey the experience of conversion? For the Apostle Paul, nothing other than the biblical imagery of creation satisfied the profound change that took place when he encountered the Lord Jesus Christ on the Damascus road. Listen to this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:6 as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shares the echoes of the creation story from Genesis. By attributing creation imagery to the experience of conversion, Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows how Paul reveals the profound change that occurs when a person becomes a Christian. Moving from darkness to light and chaos to new creation is no superficial change. He challenges his listeners to consider their own conversion and how Paul’s experience can help listeners understand themselves. Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the professing Christian to look for a clear move from spiritual blindness and ignorance to knowledge of the true and living God; a life marked by order and discipline rather than disorder and chaos. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds the doctrine of conversion and the beautiful truth that God moves sinners from the domain of darkness to encounter the light in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 — What Paul preached determined how he preached it: the nature of the gospel in the glory of God provides the power. Look at the biggest problem confronting humanity today in considering how Christ was treated on earth: why is the Son of God rejected? In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses the vital urgency of proclaiming the message of the gospel and the various groups who have rejected Christ as the Messiah over the years. Both an able person and a fool are ignorant of the gospel and reject God. There is no new knowledge. “The gospel is revelation; it is not man’s straining to try and discover.” The world cannot know God by seeking; He must reveal Himself. If the God of this world has blinded people, the gospel is hid from the unbeliever. The gospel alone explains the state of this imperfect world today. Unbelief is always a result of prejudice, and a refusal to face the facts. Do not boast in ignorance and glory in shame. It is never clever to reject this message. There will be eternal punishment without relief. Be amazed by His glory — God in the flesh. Turn to the Lord, He alone gives sight.

2 Corinthians 4:1-7 — Do you know the power of the Holy Spirit and what it means to walk according to the Spirit rather than the flesh? This is the all-important question that Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones asks in this sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:1-7. He says that the Holy Spirit is what enables all believers to live a life that pursues Christ Jesus and holiness. It is the Spirit that breathes new life into unbelievers, making them new creations in Christ. It was the Holy Spirit that transformed the first Christians from fearful disciples of Jesus into bold preachers of His death and resurrection. Sadly, many men and women live a life devoid of the power of the Holy Spirit. They live a life of lust and passion for what is unholy and profane. They do not care about their souls, but only the temporary pleasures of this world. This life of the flesh leads only to death and destruction in hell. In contrast, the life in the Spirit leads to forgiveness in Christ and eternal life in His presence. Those that believe in Christ Jesus are forgiven from all sin and judgment, and are made children of God in the power of the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 — What does it mean to be a Christian? Many believe that being a Christian is about the family of origin, or the church of one’s baptism. But in the sermon on 2 Corinthians 4:1–6, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows why this is wholly opposed to what Scripture says about the nature of Christianity. To be a Christian is to be born again; it is to receive a new nature through faith in Jesus Christ. Just as God spoke in the beginning and there was light, it is also with salvation, God speaks through His Spirit to make dead sinners new. Christianity is not about social change, but it is about the miracle of the salvation of souls. The Church must proclaim the gospel to all so that they might know Jesus as their Savior. Only Jesus can free humanity from their sin and immorality, and only Jesus can free sinners from their ignorance and make them children of God. This message asks the question: Do you know Jesus? Have you received new life in the gospel or are you still in sin and death? This sermon is a call to believe in the only savior, Jesus Christ.