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The Assurance of Our Salvation (Studies in John 17): Exploring the Depth of Jesus' Prayer for His Own

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This is one of many great works by Lloyd-Jones. Though 672 pages might seem excessive to devote to one chapter of one book in the Bible, each page is filled with spiritual truths presented for laymen, but with scholarship. I believe that the subject of assurance is one of the most overlooked and misunderstood Christian doctrines. This book gives glory to the Lord our God, Jesus Christ who is the author and perfecter of our salvation, and comfort to those whom he has saved.

'And as we watch Him in prayer, we see Him there as the appointed mediator, the One who has been sent by God to do certain work and to complete it here on earth for us. Therefore, to look at our Lord praying is perhaps one of the most wonderful doors of entry into the great mystery of His blessed person.' p 32

This unusually great in size and especially in scope book is a good exposition of the prayer that forms part of the Farewell Discourse in the Gospel of John. It contains much needed insight and could profitably be used for teaching others how to pray as our Lord Christ Himself prayed, demonstrating supplication, confession, and doxology beautifully as components of timeless principles of prayer.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones was the Westminster Chapel preacher for more than 30 years and is recognized as one of the greatest preachers of the 20th century. JI Packer felt that at the time of preaching these sermons in the early 1950s, the Dr was 'on a plateau of supreme excellence'. These sermons are in their original sermonic form. It was against 'ecumenism' that Martyn Lloyd-Jones would soon stand against primarily.

Says MLJ:

'OUR SECURITY IN GOD', Ch. 4, John 17:1-5 p 55

'This is the first thing we have to take hold of: salvation is entirely the idea of God. It emanates from and has its origin in God the Father. Now this is a staggering thought! So often, you and I feel we have to placate God because of sin, our sin in us, and sin in the world. We tend to think of God as being opposed and antagonistic to us, and therefore we are always thinking of Him as someone we have to appease.

This is a complete fallacy. It is absolutely foreign to biblical teaching. Salvation has all originated in the mind of God - it is God's own purpose. Rather, the Bible teaches us that 'God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them.' 2 Corinthians 5:19

But we go from that to this further point. It is not only God's idea - we see here that it has been perfectly planned from the very beginning to the very end. God, says Paul in Romans 3, must find a way of salvation which enables Him at one and the same time to be just, and the justifier of the ungodly. Here we come to something that is the source of the deepest assurance and consolation that any Christian person can ever know in this world of time.

What could be more reassuring than knowing that there is nothing contingent about this salvation, nothing accidental, nothing that needs modification? It is a perfect plan.'