Feb 26, 2016

2016 National Conference: Day 1

4 Min Read

Today marked the beginning of our 29th annual National Conference. More than 4,000 individuals registered for these 3 days of teaching and fellowship. You can join the conversation by following #ligcon on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Below is a summary and several highlights from today:

Pre-Conference

Dr. W. Robert Godfrey began our pre-conference by turning to Genesis 1 and explaining three characteristics of God's creation: that it is personal, plentiful, and purposeful. Dr. William VanDoodewaard then considered the historical reality of Adam and Eve, and exhorted us to hold to a plain interpretation of the Genesis account. Remaining in Genesis, Dr. Albert Mohler explained that to be human is to be either male or female, and that these categories matter. He challenged us to fight for truth in a culture that has abondoned fixed categories of gender. These men then joined us for a panel discussion to close the pre-conference and covered topics such as the Sabbath, evil, creation, and more.

2016 National Conference

The Gospel as Historical Fact from Albert Mohler

Dr. Albert Mohler opened our National Conference by considering the gospel as historical fact. He began by noting that from the time of the Enlightenment until today, it has been suggested that we cannot really know what has happened in the past. In contrast to this, the biblical writers not only recognized the validity of historical events but emphasized their importance. The whole Bible is presented to us as history because that's what it is.

Questions and Answers with W. Robert Godfrey, Albert Mohler, Steven Lawson, and R.C. Sproul

Our first questions and answers session covered topics such as the degrees of sin, abortion, extraterrestrial life, evangelism, and more. Dr. Sproul was then presented with a copy of his 100th book, The Knight's Map.

Chosen in Christ: God's Eternal Plan of Redemption from Ian Hamilton

Dr. Ian Hamilton began this session recounting his experience of being convinced of Calvinism while reading Romans 8. He then discussed that the fruit of believing the doctrine of election in Christ should be, like Paul, heart-stopping doxology. Ultimately, it is not electing love which saves you, but Jesus Christ, the gift of God.

Beginning with Moses: Christ in All the Scriptures from Steven Lawson

After dinner, Dr. Steven Lawson introduced a proper biblical hermeneutic of seeing Christ in all of Scripture from Luke 24. In this passage, Jesus is identified as the central theme of the Bible. Like the travellers on the road, our hearts should also burn within us.

Why the God-Man: The Mystery of the Incarnation from Stephen Nichols

Dr. Stephen Nichols closed day one of our National Conference by explaining why Jesus had to be the God-man. He looked to Luke 5:17-26 and reminded us that if Jesus' mission was to heal people, He didn’t have to be God. If His mission was to fix economic structures, He didn’t have to be God. And even if Jesus came to raise the dead, He didn’t have to be God. But Jesus Christ came to forgive sin because sin is our problem. And that's why He had to be the God-man.

Social Media Highlights

Good morning, Orlando. We're about to get started with our pre-conference. #ligcon pic.twitter.com/S9rLLqdd8c

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) February 25, 2016

The whole creation, as God has made it, is constantly testifying to the Maker. ––W. Robert Godfrey #ligcon

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) February 25, 2016

Stop by the #ligcon photo booth. We'll be giving away prizes to select attendees that use the hashtag. pic.twitter.com/d9d5vVnXtE

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) February 25, 2016

.@AlbertMohler opened our 2016 National Conference. #ligcon pic.twitter.com/HcuWMLCbSa

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) February 25, 2016

Heart-stopping doxology is what poured from the words of Paul. —Dr. Ian Hamilton #reformed #reformedtheology #ligcon

A photo posted by Ligonier Ministries (@ligonier) on Feb 25, 2016 at 2:01pm PST

@DrStevenJLawson during a #ligcon Q&A.

A photo posted by Ligonier Ministries (@ligonier) on Feb 25, 2016 at 4:38pm PST

The entire message of the Bible is one finger pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. —@DrStevenJLawson #ligcon pic.twitter.com/626EtCsHNZ

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) February 26, 2016

Christ the God-man came to forgive sin. Because sin is our problem. —Dr. Stephen Nichols #reformed #reformedtheology #ligcon

A photo posted by Ligonier Ministries (@ligonier) on Feb 25, 2016 at 6:37pm PST

Stay tuned for an announcement on the blog next week when the messages from our 2016 National Conference are available to stream for free.