Ligonier Ministries

What does it mean that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38)?

SPROUL: Baptism is a sign, and it signifies the forgiveness of sins. I don’t think that it automatically carries forgiveness of sins with it, but it’s a central sign of what our salvation is. We’re being washed with water, and …Read More

If we do not witness and share the gospel will some people not go to heaven?

I had a conversation with the leader of one of the world’s largest evangelistic organizations a few years ago. There had been a dispute in the church, and we were meeting to try to solve the problem. We were able …Read More

Is it acceptable to interpret Adam as an allegory, not a historical person?

SPROUL: This issue is really becoming hot in our day, and it’s critical. It’s critical not only for the teachings of Genesis, but for the teachings of the Apostle Paul and of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you negotiate Adam’s …Read More

How can I love the truth without becoming a Pharisee?

One of the things we go back to is recognizing who we are as whole people. We’re not just rational people. It’s about the truth, and it’s also about what Edwards would call the “affections.” The affections are not the …Read More

What did Jesus mean when He said, “I am the resurrection”?

It means that He, in His resurrection, is the firstborn of many brethren (Rom. 8:29). It means that the power of the resurrection is found in Him. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25), and then …Read More

When we pray, should we only pray to the Father?

No, although there is a general rule of thumb that we pray to the Father through the intercession of the Lord Jesus and by the help and strength of the Holy Spirit. Prayer, generally speaking, should be Trinitarian. Jesus taught …Read More

Since Jesus took our punishment, why didn’t He need to go to hell forever?

SPROUL: That’s a question that has been raised many times in church history because the punishment for sin is eternal damnation, and even that’s not adequate. Our rebellion is against God, who is of infinite worth and value, so that …Read More

How can I discern the will of God?

You can read Sinclair Ferguson’s book on that topic, Discovering God’s Will. It’s an interesting fact that problems relating to finding out God’s will is a very twentieth and twenty-first-century problem. If you went back into the seventeenth or the …Read More

Why did Jesus weep at the death of Lazarus?

Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus because He was moved with compassion. He was, basically, in all points tempted like as we are. He feels what we feel. We have not a High Priest who cannot be touched with …Read More

Is there a role for entertainment in the church?

I’m a Presbyterian, and I think that Presbyterians find it difficult to have fun. I do believe that God intends for us to have fun, though I’m not sure that’s in church, and most definitely not in an act of …Read More

How is limited atonement true when Scripture teaches that Christ died for the whole world?

We know Jesus is the Savior of the world because there’s only one Savior for the world. The world has only one Savior, but we also know the atonement is limited. We all know that, right? The atonement is limited …Read More

What books by the Puritans should I read?

The first is by Jeremiah Burroughs: The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. If there is something we need in the twenty-first century, it’s contentment. We are bored, yet we have more stuff than we’ve ever had. We complain, yet we …Read More

Why is it important to understand penal substitutionary atonement?

MACARTHUR: If you don’t understand the doctrine of penal substitution, you don’t know why Christ died. You would assume that if you’re a Christian, you would want to know why Christ died. In 2 Corinthians 5:18–21, Paul says that we …Read More

What does it mean in Romans 1 that God gave people up to a reprobate mind?

THOMAS: This is the first chapter of Romans, and it extends after the introductory prologue that is, in some ways, a summary of the whole book of Romans. Paul begins his exposition of sin, which will lead all the way …Read More

How can I help my evolutionist son respect both science and Scripture?

Let’s just back off the Scripture point for a moment. To start having a respect for science, you would have to have a respect for reason. Reason would say this: this entire universe does not exist because of a series …Read More