Ligonier Ministries

How do creeds and confessions help us?

Those who understand the place of creeds and confessions understand how helpful they are to the church. My concern is for those who don’t know the creeds and the historic Reformed confessions and thus don’t refer to them or use …Read More

Can I know that I am saved?

The question of assurance is one of the biggest questions for many Christians. I dealt with that with an older saint this past Sunday evening. After the sermon, we spent some time together talking. We had a wonderful conversation really …Read More

Why did God rest after the six days of creation?

I don’t know, ultimately, the answer to that. But what I do see in that account is this: after the six days of creation, God rested on the seventh day and hallowed it. This says to me that the ultimate …Read More

What would you say in response to the doctrine of baptismal regeneration?

I would say, first of all, that I’m not at all an advocate of baptismal regeneration. I don’t think that baptism conveys regeneration either for infants or for adults. Regeneration is a sovereign work of God the Holy Spirit. Now, …Read More

Why are people so resistant to Reformed theology?

Having come to Christ not too many years before coming to understand the doctrines of salvation in Scripture, the doctrine of God that I had been taught was that God did things a certain way and not another way. Having …Read More

Is all Scripture equally applicable?

I would agree that all Scripture is equally inspired. I don’t believe that it’s all equally clear. There are some parts of Scripture that are much more difficult to understand than others. I’ll go to the brink of heresy for …Read More

Does “semper reformanda” mean that the church should always be changing?

SPROUL: Unfortunately, every heretic appeals to that mantra, semper reformanda, “always reforming.” We mistake novelty with reformation. The point of that motto initially was that, in the sixteenth century, not all of the errors in the church were reformed. Not …Read More

How should we respond to those who say that the Reformation no longer matters?

SPROUL: One noted British theologian has made the comment in print that the issues of the sixteenth century aren’t the issues anymore today, that all of a sudden the division has been healed, that Rome doesn’t teach indulgences anymore, and …Read More

How can I obtain eternal life?

SPROUL: The obtaining of eternal life is simple: we put our trust in Christ and in Christ alone for our salvation. Everyone who puts their trust in Christ alone, as the Bible promises, as Jesus promises, has life eternal (John …Read More

How do we share the truth without being argumentative?

It’s hard not to be argumentative or offensive because, when you disagree with anybody, the tendency is for people to be offended. When you talk about being argumentative, that is a negative description of things. But giving solid biblical arguments …Read More

What is the role of civil authorities in the Christian life?

The civil magistrate is under the sovereignty of God and is a minister of God. I can remember speaking at the inaugural prayer breakfast for a governor several years ago in the state of Florida where I said: “Today’s your …Read More

How did the Reformers and Puritans view Christian piety?

NICHOLS: Sometimes the Puritans are seen as overly zealous in their piety. We have this understanding of introspection associated with the Puritans. We have these urban legends of the Puritans with four-hour sermons and we hear, “Why can’t you sit …Read More

Can you deny the existence of hell and still be a Christian?

I would say that a person who denies the existence of hell could certainly be a truly regenerate person. All kinds of Christians have all kinds of theological weaknesses and errors. We always have to struggle with this. So, I …Read More

How can we encourage our leaders in the church?

Firstly, it’s good for the church to encourage their elders. Elders need encouragement. The Bible, in fact, commands God’s people to encourage their elders, to respect them, and to show them honor (1 Thess. 5:12–13; 1 Tim. 5:17). But people …Read More

What is imputed righteousness?

We look to the Scriptures and see that when Paul explains the doctrine of justification, he goes back to the Old Testament to Genesis 15. There the Scriptures say of Abraham, “He believed God, and it was counted to him …Read More