Category: Heroes

If you want to measure grace, that is how you do so – from the highest heaven down to the cross, and beyond that even to the grave, down amongst the dead.  This is the way to see the character of the reign of grace.  It was grace, the grace that was in His heart, and in the heart of the Godhead, that led Him to do all of this – eventually to give His very life a ransom for our sins…  It is there you see the bounty, the abundance, the munificence of it all.  He gave himself even unto the death of the cross.  So that aspect of grace is seen most gloriously and most brightly in Him.  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans Volume 4, p. 364

I would say that the greatest sinners in the world are the self-satisfied, self-contained, good moral people, who believe that, as they are, they are fit to stand in the presence of God.  Moreover, they are in reality telling God that He need never have sent His Son into the world as far as they are concerned, and that the Son need never have died upon the Cross.  There is no greater insult to God than that; but that is precisely what they are guilty of.  There is no greater sinner in the universe than the man who has never seen his need of the blood of Christ.  There is no greater sin than that – murder and adultery and fornication are nothing in comparison with it.  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans Vol. 4, p. 291

[W]e must not begin to question our relationship to the world’s first man, Adam, because every time you put the question I will make you ask the same question about our relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ.  If you say to me, ‘Is it fair that the sin of Adam should be imputed to me?’ I will reply by asking, ‘Is it fair that the righteousness of Christ should be imputed to you?’  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans Vol. 4, p. 219

I must press this point.  To be uncertain of these things is not a sign of humility or of unusual spirituality and piety; it is a sign of unbelief, which is dishonoring to God… I do not hesitate to make the assertion that the only bit of logic that you and I can be absolutely certain of in this world is the logic of verses 9, 10, 11 in this chapter [Chapter 5 of Romans].  There is no such watertight argument in any other realm, in science, or in mathematics or anywhere else… I know that there is one argument that can never be refuted, and that will never fail one iota.  It is this: “If while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved (in him and) in his life.  That can never fail; it is absolutely certain.  This is the only logic that can be guaranteed.   – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in Romans Volume 4, p. 165

I am no opponent to singing, we are to sing God’s praises in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs.  Yes, but again there is a sense of proportion even here.  Have you not noticed how singing is becoming more and more prominent?  People, Christian people, meet together to sing only.  ‘Oh,’ they say, ‘we do get a word in.’ But the singing is the big thing.  At a time like this, at an appalling time like this, with crime and violence, and sin, and perversions, God’s name desecrated and the sanctities being spat upon, the whole state of the world surely says this is not a time for singing, this is a time for preaching.  I am reminded of the words of Wordsworth about Milton, ‘Plain living, and high thinking are no more.’  It is almost as true of us to say plain speaking and high thinking are no more.  We are just singing.  We are wafting ourselves into some happy atmosphere.  We sing together.  Dear friends, this is no time for singing.  ‘How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?’ (Ps. 137:4).  How can we take down our harps when Zion is as she is?  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Revival, p. 63

We can glory in tribulations because our faith enables us to view them in such a way as to realize that, far from working against our hope, they actually promote it, and, indeed, further it.  In other words the reaction of the Christian to tribulations is not an automatic one.  It is not a case of ‘Come what may, I’m always happy’.  He is enabled to glory in them as the result of the application of his faith.  Because he is a man of faith he is able to do certain things.  Trials and tribulations come, and at first he is troubled, he is made unhappy.  But he does not stop at that; he proceeds to deal with them.  How does he do this?  The Apostle gives us the answer.  ‘Not only so but we glory in tribulations also.” How?  “Knowing”: it is because of something we know.  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans, Volume 4, p. 66

Regarding the doctrine of sola fide (justification by faith alone) ‘But’, you may say, ‘what a dangerous doctrine!’  Every doctrine is dangerous, and can be, and has been, abused.  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans Volume 4, p. 22

The first step is that our sin is reckoned to Him.  The second step is that His righteousness is reckoned to us.  What an amazing piece of book-keeping!  What a tremendous manipulation of the accounts, if I may so put it.  We had no righteousness at all.  He has a perfect righteousness.  – D. Martyn Lloyd Jones, Romans Vol. 3, p. 177

[W]e must never think of faith as something in and of itself.  Faith is never something isolated or alone.  You must never divorce faith from its object.  Faith is always linked to an object.  The object is the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect work and His perfect righteousness; and as long as you always remember that, you can never go wrong.  So we must not boast of our faith; it is not faith as such that saves us.  Faith is merely that channel, that instrument, that link that connects us with the righteousness of Christ which saves us.  His is the righteousness that saves, and faith simply brings it to us.  It is His righteousness that saves us by faith, through faith.  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans Vol. 3, p. 120

On Romans 3:21 – [C]an there be two words which are more blessed and more wonderful to us than just these two words, ‘But now’?  To me they provide a very subtle and thorough-going test of our whole position as Christians.  Would you like to know for certain at this moment whether you are a Christian or not?  I suggest that this is one of the best tests.  As I repeat these words, ‘But now,” is there something within you that makes you say, ‘Thank God!’  Is there a ‘But now’ in your experience?  – D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans Vol. 3, p. 26