Ligonier Ministries

In John 4:23, what does it mean to worship God “in spirit”?

In the context of John 4:23, it probably does mean worshiping in the power of the Holy Spirit. It would take a long time to explain fully what that means, but Jesus is looking forward to the fulfillment of His …Read More

Does the Old Testament teach the doctrines of grace?

In Exodus 33 and 34, Moses says, “Show me your glory” (which is the title of a book I have coming out). Then, God descends in a cloud, and God Himself preaches to Moses. He preaches His own glory to …Read More

When God created the world, did He know it would be corrupted by sin?

Not only did He know it, but He ordained it. God, in His infinite wisdom and His sovereignty, that is, His absolute authority over all things, wills everything that comes to pass in history. He doesn’t do it in a …Read More

Was the Lord’s Day Sabbath revoked by Jesus?

THOMAS: “No” would be my answer. In Sinclair Ferguson’s fairly recent book on sanctification, I believe there is an appendix on this very issue, which I would certainly recommend. I think that Jesus put His imprimatur on the principle of …Read More

What is the fruit of repentance?

The fruit of repentance is a changed life. It is a turning away from something and a turning to something. It’s a change—a change of direction; a change of desire. It’s a turning away from a life pursuit of sin, …Read More

Is there anything wrong with using the “sinner’s prayer”?

NICHOLS: It’s in one of my favorite Johnny Cash songs, so I would have to say no—but really let me say this: I love the Book of Common Prayer—the old one, not the new stuff. They had a prayer for …Read More

Is there evidence of Adam and Eve’s repentance and faith after the fall?

Obviously, Adam and Eve experienced a profound sense of guilt and shame, which Scripture teaches. Even though they fled from God and hid from God, two things stand out in that narrative. One, the first act of redemption recorded in …Read More

What is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?

THOMAS: Interestingly enough, we talked a little bit about this today in a course that I was teaching here for Ligonier. We talked about the change of view that has taken place since the Puritan period in the seventeenth century. …Read More

I was baptized before conversion. Should I be baptized again after coming to faith?

No one is ever required to be baptized again. That’s a point Calvin makes very strongly throughout his writings. Baptism, by its very nature, can only happen once. Now, of course, the people who want to baptize you after you …Read More

How were people saved in the Old Testament?

LAWSON: There is only one way of salvation. It is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. There is not one way to be saved in the Old Testament and a different way to be saved in the …Read More

Should fear play a role in our evangelism?

My mentor, who was an expert on the theology of Jonathan Edwards, once wrote a little chapter in a book called “Justifying a Scare Theology.” Of course, if anybody was the master of scaring people with his theology, it was …Read More

Should we cast lots today to help us make decisions?

I would say no, because we are not under the direct prescription of God to cast lots as a way of discerning His will. There were strict controls on the way in which that was handled in the priesthood, with …Read More

How do I know if I am saved?

You know that you’re saved because salvation begins to appear in your life. You desire new and different things. The law of God that you regarded as an enemy and an irritation becomes a friend, and you want to keep …Read More

Does the incarnation mean that God has changed in space and time from that point on? If not, why and how do we respond to the question?

SPROUL: The first part is very easy—He certainly does not change. In His being, He is immutable. In the incarnation, He took upon Himself a human nature. He didn’t stop being God and become a human being. To affirm He …Read More

Why do some Christians use the Westminster Confession while others use the Three Forms of Unity?

Coming out of the Reformation there were different branches, but they all agreed on a couple of things. They agreed that they were against Catholicism. They agreed on the five solas of the Reformation. They were committed to the sovereignty …Read More