Ligonier Ministries

What is a biblical church?

If you were in the patristic era, you would say that “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic” would be some of the marks of a true biblical church. If you were in the Reformation, you would add to that the faithful …Read More

Is there a prayer that God cannot hear or answer?

There is a prayer that God will not hear or answer, and that is a prayer that’s inconsistent with His will or His purpose or His plan. The prayers that are going to be answered are the prayers that are …Read More

What comfort does the doctrine of providence bring to Christians during difficult times?

MACARTHUR: I like to compare the doctrine of providence to miracles. A miracle is when God suspends natural law to do something outside of natural law, without natural law, and against the grain of natural law. A miracle is walking …Read More

Are you hopeful for another spiritual awakening in our day?

SPROUL: I’m a Calvinist—how can I not be hopeful? I see all kinds of encouraging signs of the revitalization of the church in our own day. At the same time, on the other side of the spectrum, we see dreadful …Read More

May Christians vote for a presidential candidate who denies the Trinity?

SPROUL: If I required real belief in the triune God for the president of a secular state, I really would be disenfranchised. I wouldn’t be able to vote, period. It’s very rare to have an authentic Christian up for election …Read More

Which Old Testament translation did Calvin use?

The Reformers all knew Greek very well. Not all of them knew Hebrew as well, but Calvin knew Hebrew. Something we miss sometimes is that Calvin spent time at Strasbourg. Strasbourg was the home of probably the best exegesis that …Read More

How can Christians express the truth of human dignity during a global crisis?

Expressing human dignity is completely lost on our culture. A culture that murders babies wouldn’t have any adequate or accurate assessment of the value of human life. It’s an oddity that abortion advocacy has ramped up prior to this coming …Read More

How can I obtain assurance of salvation?

There are a lot of people who struggle with doubt, and there are several reasons. Firstly, some people don’t know enough about the doctrine of salvation to understand that it gives built-in security, so they need a more biblical understanding …Read More

Does God elect His people to salvation based on any condition they have met?

No. It’s totally a mystery in God’s love. Here’s the beautiful thing: go to Deuteronomy, and go to chapter 6, chapter 7, and chapter 10, and look at God’s election of Israel. At one point God says, “I did not …Read More

What Christian biographies have impacted you the most?

The biography that probably impacted me the most was the two-volume biography on Martyn-Lloyd Jones by Iain Murray, because he gave a lifetime to the preaching and teaching of the Word of God and sound doctrine. He was a bit …Read More

How has your book Surprised by Suffering helped you to face your own health challenges?

There are lots of people who’ve suffered a whole lot more than I have in the last year, but I have had some serious health issues in the last year. I have been reminded frequently of my own work in …Read More

What advice would you give to the successor to a senior pastor?

Honor your predecessor. Show love and respect, even though you may want to do things differently. He owns the hearts of those people. If you don’t show him honor, you’re going to lose the people who love him, and those …Read More

What is your view of Proverbs 22:6?

Often in the Proverbs, and in other places in Scripture as well, statements are made of general principles, or of ordinarily true realities. We sometimes get in trouble if we take a verse like Proverbs 22:6 and say, “This is …Read More

Why is it impossible for Christians to lose their salvation?

It’s impossible to lose your salvation because you didn’t do anything to gain it. I’ll reverse that a little bit: if you could lose your salvation you would. If my salvation depended on me, I would lose it. I don’t …Read More

Does the doctrine of total depravity teach that we have lost the image of God?

Total depravity teaches that the fallenness of our condition affects the radix, the core of our being. It’s a radical thing. There is no part of our humanity that has not been profoundly affected by the fall and by sin. …Read More