Ligonier Ministries

How do I know I am truly a Christian when I constantly struggle with sin?

One thing I would recommend is to read 1 John. In many ways, 1 John was written exactly for this question of assurance. There are a number of things we are told in 1 John, and one principle is very …Read More

How can I cultivate a consistently biblical prayer life?

First of all, take the Lord’s model prayer in Matthew 6, “Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.” That was really given to be an outline to provide the structure for our prayers. It’s like the skeleton, …Read More

Does God predestine people to hell?

This is really a question about what we call “double” predestination. It is a serious question and, therefore, should not be answered in any sort of joking way. The easy side of talking about predestination is to talk about the …Read More

Who can administer the sacraments?

4. There be only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel; that is to say, baptism, and the Supper of the Lord: neither of which may be dispensed by any, but by a minister of the Word …Read More

How should we pray when natural disasters strike?

The most important prayer is that whatever the providences of God may be, He will use them to turn people to Christ. It’s wholly appropriate that we should pray that God would turn back the fires, but beyond that, our …Read More

Am I not elect because I don’t know the moment I was born again?

LAWSON: The issue is right now, at this moment, Are you saved or are you not saved? There are some people who cannot pinpoint exactly when they were converted. One reason might be that they were sitting under such shallow …Read More

Whom has Christ authorized to baptize? Can parents baptize a child at home?

PARSONS: Christ has authorized His elders of His church, His undershepherds, to baptize. Yet, we also have run across many circumstances where people have been baptized by someone other than an elder of Christ’s church, and that’s where we have …Read More

Does God love us just the way we are?

SPROUL: The kingdom of God is not Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. There are few things more dangerous than preachers preaching that God loves everybody unconditionally, because the message people hear is: “There are no conditions. I can continue to live just …Read More

How is total depravity true when many people appear to act morally and do good deeds?

THOMAS: Total depravity doesn’t mean that everyone is as sinful as they possibly could be. Total depravity allows for a range of sinful rebellion, but also common grace. Calvin had a doctrine of common civility. When he talked about the …Read More

Some teachers claim the Old Testament is no longer relevant. Is this true?

That the Old Testament is no longer relevant is a really dangerous position to take. The Old Testament is so full of wisdom. We in the Reformed tradition, particularly, ought to stand against this kind of position, and I think …Read More

Since everyone knows God (Rom. 1:18–23), how does that affect our defense of the faith?

SPROUL: I can remember being invited to speak and give the case for the existence of God on a college campus to the atheist club there. I went through a defense of theism, but I also went back to the …Read More

How should Christians relate to the law of Moses?

THOMAS: That’s a tricky question because Mosaic law is usually divided into at least three different segments. There is the moral law, which involves the Ten Commandments and expositions of the Ten Commandments. Then there is this civil law, which …Read More