Evangelicals rightly value truth. Sometimes, however, their reputation for truth is understood as the desire to merely be right. The former leads to freedom, assurance, and grace. The latter leads to a morbid cynicism. Among the problems in the church of Rome was the concern about whether they were right about eating and drinking. In this sermon on the Holy Spirit from Roman 14:17 titled “Peace in the Holy Spirit,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones suggests they were constantly worried about being right on an issue, which led to fearful, anxious, and censorious conditions. The church was a place that contradicted what the kingdom of God is about: peace. The church today is likewise preoccupied with the matter of being right. The result is constantly looking for some defect in one another – being “spiritual detectives” towards each other instead of the family of God. But where is peace in all this? Have Christians forgotten that the purpose of salvation itself is to have peace with God? This gospel of peace spreads, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, to having peace with ourselves and one another. The kingdom of God is about peace. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones points to the Prince of Peace in order that Christians may have peace.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Why do Christians find themselves consumed with less important matters? They often make partial truth encompass truth and the things of less importance are taken out of balance. The church at Rome did this with eating and drinking. The contemporary church does this in doctrine as well as with its various movements – the ecumenical movement, holiness movement, or evangelistic movements. What is the corrective? In this sermon on Romans 14:17 titled “The Realm of Righteousness,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s answer is to point back to the center. As the center is established, every part must align with it. What is the great center of Scripture? The apostle Paul in Romans 14:17 provides the answer: the kingdom of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones traces the kingdom of God throughout the biblical narrative, noting the emphasis Christ gives to the kingdom. Dr. Lloyd-Jones works from a comprehensive definition of the kingdom, noting the general reign of God in the visible church, in addition to the reign of Christ in the hearts of His people. The day is coming when the saints will reign visibly with the king. In light of this, why are Christians consumed with small things like eating and drinking? Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges this fascination with matters much smaller than the kingdom.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

The church at Rome was guilty of making the kingdom of God small. Walking into their church, one would have thought the kingdom was about eating and drinking. The apostle Paul forcefully corrects this misunderstanding. But if the kingdom is not of meat and drink, what is it about? In this sermon on Romans 14:17 titled “The Kingdom of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones enters into a great debate among commentators on this passage. While some preeminent theologians say righteousness refers to the righteousness written about earlier in Romans 1–3, others suggest Paul has changed the meaning to an ethical righteousness. Dr. Lloyd-Jones seeks to adjudicate the alternative positions and ultimately comes to a mediating position. He follows the immediate context, noting Paul’s deliberate challenge to the Romans preoccupation with minutiae and attitudes towards conduct. Paul’s argument, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, has been that the kingdom of God is much bigger than moral conduct. Righteousness is clearly much more than ethics in Romans. It refers to our standing before God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that Paul is interested in holiness, not morality. Holiness affects the whole person as they are declared righteous by faith. The truly righteous person is no longer preoccupied with minutiae as the Romans were, but is far more concerned with a life pleasing to God. Follow Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones as he wrestles through this passage in Paul’s letter to the Romans.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Christians are part of the kingdom of God and it is big. However, sometimes Christians can give the opposite impression. They can be guilty of emphasizing an aspect of the kingdom at the expense of the whole, making the kingdom seem small and negative. The church at Rome had given the impression that the kingdom was about eating and drinking. They had made the kingdom tiny and petty. In this message on Romans 14:17 titled “A Sense of Balance (2),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones asks the contemporary church what impression they give the world about the kingdom. What do they say is essential to Christianity? Is Christianity merely about being moral? Is it about abstaining from certain things? Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggests that Christians become trapped into making the kingdom of God about small matters because they do not know how to think in terms of the kingdom. Since the kingdom of God is completely different than anything humans have experienced, they must learn a new way of thinking. Christians are tempted to think in earthly terms rather than the kingdom controlling our thoughts. People are looking for something big, not small. Learn from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones about faithfully witnessing to the kingdom of God in one’s daily life.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Lopsided Christianity is an unappealing religion. Divisions and fracturing over minutia have severely harmed evangelism and the church’s witness to the world. The apostle Paul’s battle cry in Romans 14:17 is that the kingdom of God is not about minutia such as meat and drink. Following Paul’s teaching in this sermon on Romans 14:17 titled “A Sense of Balance (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones applies this point to the contemporary church. Today’s Christians are just as guilty of making the kingdom of God about minutia – subsidiary doctrines, church government, particular church leaders. It is vitally important, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, to preserve a sense of balance in all areas of the Christian life. While not advocating unity at all cost, Dr. Lloyd-Jones does challenge the contemporary church over unnecessary denominational divisions. He is not merely concerned in this message of affirming church unity, but seeks a diagnosis of church division instead. Beyond denominations, Dr. Lloyd-Jones scrutinizes the usefulness of “movements” within evangelical Christianity which isolate a particular part of the faith (i.e. evangelism) from the whole. This can equally lead Christians to lose their sense of balance. Finally, Dr. Lloyd-Jones remarks about the nature and character of theological education and the propensity of institutions to isolate the study of Scripture away from its intended context of worship. In all this, trouble arises when Christians forget what the kingdom of God is about.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

A chief doctrinal debate within church history is the nature and character of eternal security. Does Scripture indeed teach the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints? Or to ask the question another way: is it possible for one for whom Christ died to be lost? Despite the clarity of Scripture on this topic (in places like Romans 8 and John 10), there are a few ambiguous texts which seem to suggest the possibility of a regenerate person falling away from grace. One such difficult text is Romans 14:14–16 where Paul seems to suggests one can destroy – eternally perish – the soul of another brother if they neglect considering their conscience. In this sermon on “Once Saved, Always Saved” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines this passage and others like it, using it as an opportunity to teach Christians how to responsibly handle apparent contradictions in Scripture. With theological acumen, Dr. Lloyd-Jones helps the listener to consider why it is impossible for anyone to be responsible for the everlasting destruction of another person. Not only listen and be encouraged by the assurance believers have, but hear Dr. Lloyd-Jones handle difficult texts with care.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Teaching on the conscience is relatively sparse in Scripture. The topic occurs in only a few passages in Paul’s letters so many Christians are either uninformed about the conscience or perhaps confused. How vital is it to the Christian life and what is Scripture’s teaching on it? In a sermon dedicated entirely to key questions regarding the conscience, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones posits that the apostle Paul’s teaching on the conscience is one of the most important subjects for the family of God. In his sermon on Romans 14:14–16 titled “Conscience,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones brings related passages on the conscience together in order to evaluate key terms and answer basic questions on the conscience. Drawing from Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 10, Dr. Lloyd-Jones analyzes the context of strong and weak Christians on matters of opinion. With regards to these indifferent matters, the conscience is ultimate. Christians are not to exercise their liberty in such a way that it comes under the condemnation of another believer’s conscience. Disregarding another’s conscience or one’s own can have devastating results. As such, Dr. Lloyd-Jones looks in-depth at Scriptural teaching on a defiled and seared conscience. Finally, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides listeners with the two main functions of the conscience in the Christian life.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

While all Christians are Christian in the same way – through regeneration –not all are identical in every respect. There is, as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains, ethnic diversity as well as differences in personality and temperament. But the apostle Paul classifies Christians in another manner in Romans 14. He classifies them based upon maturity: the strong and the weak. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in this message on Romans 14:13–16 titled “Consider Others,” draws attention to the great principle that governs the Christian life: never put a stumbling block in front of a weaker brother or sister in Christ. Based upon the common membership in the family of God, the stronger Christian must remember their Christian brother or sister is more important than different opinions. Following Paul, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones warns of the danger of grieving a brother or sister by causing confusion and leading them to violate their conscience. When one grieves their brother or sister, they are no longer walking in love but seriously endangering their spiritual condition. The supreme argument of the apostle is that while Christ was willing to give up His life for the sinner, the strong hesitate whether they can give up meat for weaker members. Ponder Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s unique answer to the challenge of life together in the family of God.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

How does one approach difficult problems and issues in the church? Do they see how each part relates to the whole or simply attack the problem directly? In his sermon on Romans 14:13–15 titled “Clean or Unclean?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones calls for paying attention to the apostle Paul’s method in dealing with one of the premier problems in the early church. After one pays attention to the apostle’s method, they also need to follow his teaching. Dr. Lloyd-Jones brings out the Lord’s teaching on loving one another and combines it with Paul’s words found in Romans. As the church disagrees on matters indifferent – like whether a Christian should eat meat – the love commandment becomes all the more appropriate. One’s opinions, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, may be right but if they have forgotten love for their fellow Christian then the right opinion may be a cause of serious trouble. But what is the apostle Paul’s teaching on clean and unclean food? Are Christians prohibited from eating certain foods? Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones navigates the intricacies of the Mosaic Law and the tension of the early church between Jew and Gentile.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

As the lordship of Christ is universal, so also is the judgment of Christ. Evangelical Protestants rightly champion Scripture’s teaching on the assurance believers have as they face the final judgment seat of God. The Christian rejoices in the assurance that there is no condemnation from God the Father for those in Christ Jesus. However, as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds in this sermon on Romans 14:10–12 titled “Jesus Christ, the Judge,” Christians often neglect the truth that believers will face another judgment. This is not a final judgment but a judgment of rewards. By bringing out the distinction between Christ’s final judgment and rewards judgment, Dr. Lloyd-Jones protects the church against antinomianism, loose living, and quarreling in the church. As the church at Rome had become factious by judging each other over indifferent matters, the apostle Paul appeals to Christ’s judgment. In doing so, he reminds them who is the true and final judge in all matters. Christians should temper these types of judgments as they are brothers and sisters in Christ. The family of God – those born again by the Holy Spirit and adopted as His children – are not ultimately concerned about proving each other wrong on matters of indifference. Certainly family members are not to denounce and be angry toward a sibling but instead they are called to love, express concern, and help.

To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111