Ligonier Ministries

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

How should we interpret promises in the Psalms that no harm will strike us?

Some of those promises are reiterations of promises that the Lord made to David, which are not necessarily indicative of universal promises that apply to all Christians. First of all, they’re poetic. The Psalms belong to that body of literature …Read More

Is God disappointed in our mistakes or disobedience?

SPROUL: My skin crawls when I hear sin described as “a mistake.” That language we’ve been taught to use is the politically-correct language of our day: “I made a mistake.” You make a mistake when you add two and two …Read More

What is a biblical church?

If you were in the patristic era, you would say that “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic” would be some of the marks of a true biblical church. If you were in the Reformation, you would add to that the faithful …Read More

Is there a prayer that God cannot hear or answer?

There is a prayer that God will not hear or answer, and that is a prayer that’s inconsistent with His will or His purpose or His plan. The prayers that are going to be answered are the prayers that are …Read More

What comfort does the doctrine of providence bring to Christians during difficult times?

MACARTHUR: I like to compare the doctrine of providence to miracles. A miracle is when God suspends natural law to do something outside of natural law, without natural law, and against the grain of natural law. A miracle is walking …Read More

Are you hopeful for another spiritual awakening in our day?

SPROUL: I’m a Calvinist—how can I not be hopeful? I see all kinds of encouraging signs of the revitalization of the church in our own day. At the same time, on the other side of the spectrum, we see dreadful …Read More

May Christians vote for a presidential candidate who denies the Trinity?

SPROUL: If I required real belief in the triune God for the president of a secular state, I really would be disenfranchised. I wouldn’t be able to vote, period. It’s very rare to have an authentic Christian up for election …Read More

Which Old Testament translation did Calvin use?

The Reformers all knew Greek very well. Not all of them knew Hebrew as well, but Calvin knew Hebrew. Something we miss sometimes is that Calvin spent time at Strasbourg. Strasbourg was the home of probably the best exegesis that …Read More

How can Christians express the truth of human dignity during a global crisis?

Expressing human dignity is completely lost on our culture. A culture that murders babies wouldn’t have any adequate or accurate assessment of the value of human life. It’s an oddity that abortion advocacy has ramped up prior to this coming …Read More

How can I obtain assurance of salvation?

There are a lot of people who struggle with doubt, and there are several reasons. Firstly, some people don’t know enough about the doctrine of salvation to understand that it gives built-in security, so they need a more biblical understanding …Read More