Ligonier Ministries

Is God present in hell?

It is one thing to talk about God’s choosing not to be present somewhere. If He ever chose not to be present in any particular place, then He wouldn’t be inherently, infinitely, and eternally omnipresent. The problem with hell is …Read More

Is God equally active in causing the salvation of the elect and the damnation of the reprobate?

This question is addressed in the conclusion of the Canons of Dort. The Canons say that there is equal ultimacy in the sense of the decrees. God is sovereign both in the decree of election and in the decree of …Read More

Is it scriptural for just one elder or pastor to be the overseer of a local congregation?

I think we have to be careful and realize that churches find themselves in different circumstances, so not every general answer applies to a church in some extreme situation or difficulty. There was a great church order in the latter …Read More

Who was Martin Bucer?

Bucer was one of the Reformers. He was such a star on the continent, and he got invited over to Cambridge during the time of the young Edward VI, who was a godly young king in between Henry and Queen …Read More

What’s the best way to help people at your church learn church history?

I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want to offer a separate class in church history, because it is a distinct discipline. Certainly you can encourage some interest in church history in a sermon, occasionally having an illustration out of church …Read More

If you believe in Arminian doctrine, can you be saved?

That’s a great question that was asked of William Ames at the Synod of Dort. I’ve written a book on the Synod of Dort in which I talk about William Ames. He was a great English Puritan who had to …Read More

Why are there so many false doctrines?

The devil is desperate. His kingdom has been raided by Christ, and he delights in whatever way he can derail us. He doesn’t care how we run amok so long as we run amok. He doesn’t care whether you’re an …Read More

What are your favorite classic works throughout church history?

You could have one for every century. I only have ninety seconds, so we’ll skip a few centuries. In the early church, I love the Martyrdom of Polycarp, which is a second-century text. It gives us fresh insight into what …Read More

How does God’s sovereignty not “do violence” to the will of man, as the Westminster Confession says?

There is an element of mystery in this relationship, because Scripture teaches that God is sovereign over all things, but it also teaches that man has a will. Lots of people reason that if man has a will, then it …Read More

Can we trust the writings of the early church to have sound theology?

The early church is interesting because of its proximity to the New Testament, but this does not mean it’s always right. There is an assumption that the closer you get to the source, the more pure it is, but that’s …Read More

Does God turn His face away from Christians?

The great Aaronic blessing that God gave to the priesthood in Israel to lay upon Israel and to bless Israel was that the Lord’s face would shine upon them (Num. 6:24-26). This was an expression of the happy, blessed, and …Read More

What is the best way to describe repentance to an unbeliever?

The best way may be to use an illustration that you think of either from their life or from your own life. The Hebrew word for repentance means returning. The prodigal son is a story like that: he goes away …Read More

How would you describe the majesty of God?

The psalmist says, “God dwells in light inaccessible.” We can use any word. I remember talking to R.C. about this and he said, “You know, the word I used was ‘holiness,’ but there are a lot of words we can …Read More

What book or resource would you recommend to a new believer?

Some new believers are just not readers at all, so the most important thing is to encourage them to read the Scriptures. For that reason, you might want to find a book for them that would give them simple help. …Read More

What is the relationship between the Holy Spirit’s work and our effort in sanctification?

I think the best place to go for a one-sentence answer to that is Philippians 2:12-13, where Paul urges the Christians to work out their salvation—which is not working up their salvation, but working out the salvation that God has …Read More