Christian Unity: An Exposition of Ephesians 4:1-16

Exposition of Ephesians #4

by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Vital themes behind Christian unity are often overlooked in the press of sentiment for greater ecumenicity. This study seeks to examine the depths of true spiritual unity.

Genres: Theology, Reference, Biblical Studies, New Testament

278 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones was a Welsh Protestant minister, preacher and medical doctor who was influential in the Reformed wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century. For almost 30 years, he was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London. Lloyd-Jones was strongly opposed to Liberal Christianity, which had become a part of many Christian denominations; he regarded it as aberrant. He disagreed with the broad church approach and encouraged evangelical Christians (particularly Anglicans) to leave their existing denominations. He believed that true Christian fellowship was possible only amongst those who shared common convictions regarding the nature of the faith.

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones was married to Bethan Lloyd-Jones

Books about D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones: https://www.goodreads.com/characters/...

Reviews

[Douglas Domer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great exposition of Paul's letter to the Ephesians!

[James Horgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid and helpful set of sermons from MLJ. Encouraging devotional reading.

Against the background of the ecumenical movement, he emphasises that we cannot seek unity first. It is the product of something else which binds us together. That something else is, of course, Christ and a shared knowledge of who he is and what he has done for us. As verse 13 says, 'Till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

Other issues of his tie, such as carnal Christianity, or easy-believism are also addressed.

"The moment we are born again our sanctification begins. The moment we receive the seed of life, new life, it begins to operate within us. We cannot take Christ in parts. He is made unto us 'wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption' (1Cor 1:30). We cannot take him as 'justification' and only later decide to take him as 'sanctification'. He is a whole Christ, and he is indivisible, so the moment the life of God enters into us the process of sanctification begins."

Read and be blessed.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I see the power and truth of these sermons now, more than ever before. Looking back over a lifetime of full-time ministry, I see how far-reaching these sermons are on the nature of the Christian Church, and what a local church should be, and should do.
In our day, beginning in the mid-19th C, the work of the gospel always begins with us, and with what we can do, even our evangelistic plans and efforts. To our forefathers, such talk was not known. Instead, there was a realisation that it all begins and ends with God. And our greatest need as Christians, and as churches, is to ensure that we are utterly dependent upon the Lord Jesus, the Head of the body, the Church; that we acknowledge that without Him, we can do nothing. And therefore we must cry out to Him to pour out the Spirit upon us. Nothing less will do.

[Roddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Doctor” is consistently brilliant.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent.