Ligonier Ministries

Do Christians go immediately to heaven when they die?

Historically, classical Christian theology speaks of what we call the status intermedius, or the intermediate state. That has to do with where we go immediately upon death, as distinguished from our state after the final resurrection. This is what the …Read More

What can we learn from the Bible’s benedictions and doxologies?

I am grateful and excited to be doing a series on passages in the Bible that declare the benedictions of God and doxologies that declare the glory of God. These are statements of praise, but they are also teaching tools …Read More

Should Christians study philosophy?

When I was a philosophy major myself as an undergraduate in college, I received all kinds of flak from my Christian friends who thought it was a leap into godlessness to busy my mind with “godless philosophy.” There was no …Read More

Can I listen to sermons every day instead of studying God’s Word?

It’s vital to have primary contact with the Scriptures themselves. It can be helpful and healthy to be listening to faithful teachers of the Word of God, but that should be a supplement to your own reading of God’s Word, …Read More

If “no one seeks for God,” why did Paul call his listeners to seek God?

SPROUL: In the first place, we’re talking about what we ought to do as distinguished from what we actually do. God commands us to seek after Him. God commands us to be perfect. God commands us to be obedient in …Read More

What should I do if my career has become an idol?

Personally, as a pastor, I regularly “resign” the church in my prayer time. There are obviously sinful things of the world that can become idols in the heart, but there are also good things that can become idols. In believing …Read More

Do we add works to the gospel when we call nonbelievers to repent?

We are saved by grace through faith, and it is not our doing. Ephesians 2:8–9 makes that clear. But the call of the gospel, particularly from the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ, is a call to repentance and belief …Read More

Is it important to know the moment of our regeneration?

God knows the moment of our regeneration. Regeneration, of course, is the making alive or the quickening of our souls from death to life when we are made to be born again by the Spirit. There are some instances in …Read More

Am I really a Christian if I don’t feel any different?

I haven’t written a book like this, but I’ve often thought about writing a book called The Sensuous Christian, describing one who lives and dies by his feelings. It doesn’t matter what you feel—if you’re forgiven by Christ, that’s an …Read More

Why should Christians study history?

It’s the old maxim, whether it’s church history or other history: those who refuse to study history are doomed to repeat it. Virtually every heresy we face today is a rehash of some heresy that the church has already had …Read More

How can I commune more closely with God?

I believe, as I’ve said to a question or two before, that prayer is vital to drawing near to God. I believe Bible intake—reading it, meditating on it, studying it, memorizing it—is vital to drawing closer to God. I also …Read More

Is it biblical to say “God loves the sinner, but hates the sin?”

Yes, it is biblical in the sense that we are sinners, that we have sinned, that we do sin, and that God loves us and hates our sin. The way this question is framed is the way it has often …Read More

What is the best way to grow spiritually as a Christian?

CHARLES: I feel like the temptation is to find some exotic answer, but the two pillars of the Christian faith are prayer and the ministry of the Word. If you were to ask me about Christian ministry, I would say …Read More

How can I deepen my understanding of my own sinfulness?

The two primary ways to do that are prayer and the Scriptures. I would give those same two answers for a lot of areas of spiritual growth, spiritual discipline, and spiritual development. The more I am taking in God’s Word …Read More

Do Paul’s instructions about head coverings apply today, since he appeals to creation, not culture?

If you read almost any commentary on 1 Corinthians, you will see that the commentators look at the life situation in which the epistle was written. They notice that, in Corinth, which was a somewhat loose city, a sign of …Read More