Spiritual Gifts, Part 3

The gift of prophecy is one of the most unusual spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. It has been dismissed, over-emphasized, and abused throughout church history. In a sermon on Romans 12:6 titled “Spiritual Gifts (3),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones illustrates both the dismissal and abuse of this teaching in the church. He does not just give a history lesson on the misuse of the gift of prophecy; he expounds the biblical teaching on it. Walking carefully through each interpretation, he explains various understandings of the apostle Paul’s teaching on prophecy and faith. In the end, Dr. Lloyd-Jones sides with the teaching that says Paul is calling the church to prophesy in proportion to the faith – the objective body of doctrine. He makes a strong and compelling case for the importance of systematic theology in the Christian life. Furthermore, by outlining general principles for discerning prophetic utterances, he assists Christians in applying biblical teaching on testing the spirits. The Holy Spirit will always be consistent with what He has given in Scripture. Finally, Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes the mysterious nature of the Scripture’s teaching on the topic of miraculous gifts. The Spirit is always sovereign of the gift, yet according to Scripture, the Christian can quench the Spirit.

Perhaps no topic in evangelical circles stirs more controversy than the nature and function of spiritual gifts. There can sometimes be a great divide between ‘cessationists’ and ‘continuationists’ on the “unusual” gifts. In this sermon on Romans 12:6 titled “Spiritual Gifts (2),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones speaks with clarity and boldness on the topic. In arguing for the continuation of all the gifts – including the unusual gifts – he answers specific objections posed by ‘cessationists’. One unique feature of this sermon is Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s reminder to all camps of the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in both the dispensing of gifts and withholding of gifts. The Spirit alone determines the manifestation of all gifts but the Spirit can be quenched. This difficult balance is maintained in this message where he warns that quenching the Spirit results in not just a lack of unusual gifts, but also the hinderance of the “regular” gifts. Moreover, he helpfully answers one of the most practical questions in the Christian life: how does one know their particular gift? With practical application and in-depth teaching on prophesy, tongues and miraculous gifts, Dr. Lloyd-Jones expounds on the great doctrine of spiritual gifts.

In this sermon on Romans 12:6 titled “Spiritual Gifts (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones encourages a look at the nature of spiritual gifts. God decides which gift to provide to each Christian but they all work in and through the very same Spirit. He reminds that there is a “diversity of operations, but the same God that worketh all in all.” Why and how are Christians to “covet” and “desire” the best gifts? How ought they seek these gifts? The listener is encouraged to learn to love the spiritual gifts and to be filled with love. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes and explains the doctrine of the body, love, and contentment. Can one “claim” a gift? Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks more directly at the gift of tongues, pastoring, and missions and shows the importance of understanding that gifts cannot be “claimed” or imparted by others. Some people proclaim that “the need is the call,” but this simply shows an ignorance of the doctrine concerning the call of the Spirit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones touches on baptism with the Holy Spirit, how gifts differ, and His call to the particular service. God decides the gifts, calls the Christian to a certain gift, and equips them to the service to which each of His children have been called.

What guides and keeps a church unified? How can the church encourage unity among its members? In this sermon on Romans 12:5-6 titled “Character of Unity,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains there are two elements to preserving the unity of a church. There is a spiritual unity that can only be brought about the Spirit of God and there is a necessary fundamental agreement of doctrine. While agreeing in the area of doctrine, it is also important to remember that the church body was created for a specific purpose. It ought to function in a living and active way together as many members of one body. The church must be using her gifts otherwise she is failing as a church. Dr. Lloyd-Jones cautions the listener to beware of their church falling into two extremes when it comes to being active: on one hand, activism or over busyness tires the body and wears out its members. On the other hand, hyper-paralysis, where the individual members are only worried about themselves, causes the church to be perpetually inactive and unhealthy. The activity of the church must be consistent and in conformity with the mind of the head, which is Christ Jesus, as he instructs in Scripture.

The modern ecumenical movement has made a profound impact on the contemporary Christian understanding of unity. But what overlap, if any, does this movement have with biblical unity? In this sermon on Romans 12:4–5 titled “One Body,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that an essential point for evangelical Christians to remember is the inevitability of the unity of the church. Because the church is a spiritual society called the body of Christ, there will necessarily be true unity. Striving to maintain visible unity is a necessity because evangelical Christians believe what the Bible says. Still, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the character of the church’s unity is spiritual – it cannot be manufactured by people as it is the supernatural result of the creative work of the Holy Spirit. Only when a person is born again and baptized into the body of Christ can genuine Christian unity occur. This along with the error of separating unity from the whole person – in a particular a person’s mind through doctrine – is the biggest error of the ecumenical movement. While some Christians rally around the claim “doctrine divides,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers a pointed biblical challenge saying there cannot be true unity by suppressing thought and denying a person’s ability to think about truth. Evangelical Christians need to hear afresh this important message on Christian unity, doctrine, and the ecumenical moment.

In this sermon on Romans 12:3–5 titled “The Body of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches the principle that everything is of grace. This principle ought to cause one to think soberly, not more highly. Consider the nature and parts of the human body and see this applied towards one’s position in the Christian church. A body has an organic unity that is vital. No one can put themselves into the body of Christ; only the Lord can add to the church. There is great variety and unity in the body. There is a different function for each member and this must not be forgotten. Christians must not envy one another for the positions each is granted. Some parts are not spoke of, but are essential to the working of the whole of the body. If one thinks of their gifts as independent, they should remember that their gifts are not for themselves but that they are a part of the whole and serve the whole. All are subservient to the head and they don't decide what they want to do but Christ does. The listener is encouraged to be ready to obey His every command and be at His service, standing amazed that they have any place in this body at all.

Spiritual gifts have been a matter of controversy in the church since the beginning of Christianity. How quickly the body of Christ forgets the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit in the distribution of the gifts. From this error arises all manner of sin and abuse of gifts given by God. In sermon on Romans 12:3–5 titled “Gifts in the Church,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses two particular follies the church falls into when it forgets the sovereignty of the Spirit and the diversity of the gifts. On the one hand, he says, the Christian thinks more highly of themselves than they ought. Following the apostle Paul, he demonstrates how the Scriptures teach humility and particularly the most profound demonstrations of humility in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul’s call for the church to think is key as this connects with his previous teaching on the renewal of the mind. On the other hand, Christians can underestimate the importance of any gift. There are two equal dangers, warns Dr. Lloyd-Jones, to overestimate a gift, becoming puffed up, or to despise another gift and thus denigrate the Spirit’s work. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches on the gifts in the church, a topic in which Christians consistently need clarity and direction.

In this sermon on Roman 12:3 titled “All By Grace,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches that grace is God’s undeserved favor. The distinctiveness of Christianity is that it is grace that begins the Christian life and it is grace that carries the Christian through life. This is true of general grace that makes one a Christian, but also grace that gives spiritual gifts. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says it is this view of God’s grace that helps balance the apostle Paul’s statement about his authority while maintaining a counter-cultural view of humility. Paul can easily appeal to himself as an example to follow because he acknowledges his apostolic office is entirely undeserved grace given by the Spirit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones connects Paul’s teaching in this passage to other key passages in the New Testament regarding spiritual gifts and authority in the church. The contrast between the world’s view of ethics, as well as the Roman Catholic view of papal authority, stand in strong contrast to the testimony of Scripture, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones. Listen as recommends the apostle Paul’s teaching on grace and reaffirms the Christian position that all is by grace.

The Christian will certainly fail to understand Christianity if they reduce it to morality, escape from hell, or even simply the forgiveness of sins. In this sermon on Romans 12:1–2 titled “Renewal of the Mind (3),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds that Christianity is concerned with those things, but the Scriptures teach that the Christian life is so much more. The doctrine of regeneration, he says, tells that God enables the mind to know and appreciate the will of God. It is surely unnatural for fallen humanity to delight in the law of the Lord. It is contrary to the sinful nature to confess, no matter the dire circumstances of life, that God’s ways are always good. Indeed, the pleasure and delight the believer experiences concerning the will of God is both the result and goal of the renewal of the mind. Dr. Lloyd-Jones contends that the new outlook on life where the Christian believes God’s will is always good, always acceptable, and always perfect moves Christianity beyond other ethical systems of the world. Listen as he shows how the renewal of minds leads to the most glorious aspect of the Christian faith –– finding the will of God beautiful and most wonderful no matter what.

The purpose of the incarnation, the cross, and the resurrection is not to merely have individuals escape hell. The Christian will miss the glory of the person and work of Christ if they reduce salvation to fire insurance. In this sermon on Romans 12:1–2 titled “Renewal of the Mind (2),” regeneration, or new birth, is being transferred out of the kingdom of darkness, and transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. This is what it means to be a Christian – God creates a new humanity. The Christian has new thoughts, new attitudes, and a new outlook on life. In short, their mind is changed. As the apostle Paul says succinctly, the Christian has a renewal of the mind. One misses the message of the entire New Testament if they miss the apostle Paul’s teaching in this passage. Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds how important Paul’s teaching is to the Christian life. As pilgrims on the journey, Christians say to themselves day by day, “I no longer belong to the darkness; I am of the people of God. I am of His kingdom.” By reminding themselves of these things, they view God, themselves, the world, and time itself in a completely different way. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones applies one of the most profound teachings on the doctrine of sanctification.