R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 19

Tune In Again to Here We Stand

Beginning tonight at 6:00 p.m. ET, you can watch the encore presentation of Here We Stand, our special online streaming event. The stream will continue throughout the weekend, so be sure to tune in on our YouTube channel.

MESSAGES INCLUDED:

Here I Stand by Stephen NicholsHere We Stand on Scripture Alone by Burk ParsonsHere We Stand in Latin America by Sugel MichelénHere We Stand through Faith Alone by Derek ThomasHere We Stand in Europe by Michael ReevesHere We Stand in Christ Alone by Sinclair FergusonHere We Stand in Asia and the Middle East by Nathan W. BinghamHere We Stand by Grace Alone by W. Robert GodfreyHere We Stand in Africa by Ken MbuguaHere We Stand for the Glory of God Alone by Steven Lawson

Make sure you subscribe and turn on notifications so you won’t miss upcoming livestreams, teaching series, and much more.

 

How Can Christians Grieve over Their Sin without Denying God's Grace?

Even as our hearts break over our remaining sin, the ground of our justification remains as unshakable as ever. From one of our live events, Derek Thomas expresses the importance of reminding ourselves regularly of God’s grace in the gospel. To get real-time answers to your biblical and theological questions, just ask Ligonier.

Read the Transcript

 

What Makes It Possible for the Christian to Rejoice in the Midst of Pain and Anxiety?

In 1993, my wife and I were involved in an historic train wreck. The crash of the Sunset Limited into an inlet from Mobile Bay killed more passengers than any Amtrak accident in history. We survived that eerie accident but not without ongoing trauma. The wreck left my wife with an ongoing anxiety about being able to sleep on a train at night. The wreck left me with a back injury that took fifteen years of treatment and therapy to overcome. Nevertheless, with these scars from the trauma we both learned a profound lesson about the providence of God. Clearly, God’s providence in this case for us was one of benign benevolence. It also illustrated to us an unforgettable sense of the tender mercies of God. In as much as we are convinced that God’s providence is an expression of His absolute sovereignty over all things, I would think that a logical conclusion from such a conviction would be the end of all anxiety.

However, that is not always the case. Of course, our Lord Himself gave the instruction to be anxious for nothing to His disciples and, by extension, to the church. His awareness of human frailties expressed in our fears was manifested by His most common greeting to His friends: “Fear not.” Still, we are creatures who, in spite of our faith, are given to anxiety and at times even to melancholy.

As a young student and young Christian, I struggled with melancholy and sought the counsel of one of my mentors. As I related my struggles, he said, “You are experiencing the heavy hand of the Lord on your shoulder right now.” I had never considered God’s hand being one that gave downward pressure on my shoulder or that would cause me to struggle in this way. I was driven to prayer that the Lord would remove His heavy hand from my shoulder. In time, He did that and delivered me from melancholy and a large degree of anxiety.

On another occasion I was in a discussion with a friend, and I related to him some of the fears that were plaguing me. He said, “I thought you believed in the sovereignty of God.” “I do,” I said, “and that’s my problem.” He was puzzled by the answer, and I explained that I know enough about what the Bible teaches of God’s providence and of His sovereignty to know that sometimes God’s sovereign providence involves suffering and affliction for His people. That we are in the care of a sovereign God whose providence is benevolent does not exclude the possibility that He may send us into periods of trials and tribulations that can be excruciatingly painful. Though I trust God’s Word that in the midst of such experiences He will give to me the comfort of His presence and the certainty of my final deliverance into glory, in the meantime I know that the way of affliction and pain may be difficult to bear.

The comfort that I enjoy from knowing God’s providence is mixed at times with the knowledge that His providence may bring me pain. I don’t look forward to the experience of pain with a giddy anticipation; rather, there are times when it’s necessary for me and for others to grit our teeth and to bear the burdens of the day. Again, I have no question about the outcome of such affliction, and yet at the same time, I know that there are afflictions that will test me to the limits of my faith and endurance. That kind of experience and knowledge makes it easy to understand the tension between confidence in God’s sovereign providence and our own struggles with anxiety.

Romans 8:28, which is a favorite for many of us, states that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV). There’s no other text that demonstrates so clearly and magnificently the beauty of God’s sovereign providence than that one. The text does not say that everything that happens to us, considered in and of itself, is good; rather, it says that all things that happen are working together for our good. That is the master plan of God’s redemptive providence. He brings good out of evil. He brings glory out of suffering. He brings joy out of affliction. This is one of the most difficult truths of sacred Scripture for us to believe. I’ve said countless times that it is easy to believe in God but far more difficult to believe God. Faith involves living a life of trust in the Word of God.

As I live out the travail that follows life on this side of glory, hardly a day goes by that I am not forced to look at Romans 8:28 and remind myself that what I’m experiencing right now feels bad, tastes bad, is bad; nevertheless, the Lord is using this for my good. If God were not sovereign, I could never come to that comforting conclusion — I would be constantly subjected to fear and anxiety without any significant relief. The promise of God that all things work together for good to those who love God is something that has to get not only into our minds, but it has to get into our bloodstreams, so that it is a rock-solid principle by which life can be lived.

I believe this is the foundation upon which the fruit of the Spirit of joy is established. This is the foundation that makes it possible for the Christian to rejoice even while in the midst of pain and anxiety. We are not stoics who are called to keep a stiff upper lip out of some nebulous concept of fate; rather, we are those who are to rejoice because Christ has overcome the world. It is that truth and that certainty that gives relief to all of our anxieties.

This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.

$5 Friday (And More): Evangelism, William Carey, & John Knox

It’s time for our weekly $5 Friday sale. This week’s resources include such topics as evangelism, William Carey, John Knox, predestination, John Owen, Samson, and more.

Plus, several bonus resources are also available for more than $5. These have been significantly discounted from their original price. This week’s bonus resources include:

Jesus the Evangelist by Richard Philips, Hardcover book $19 $9 The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey by Michael Haykin, Hardcover book $16 $10 1–2 Peter: An Expositional Commentary by R.C. Sproul, Hardcover book $20 $10 The Mighty Weakness of John Knox by Douglas Bond, Hardcover book $16 $9 The Trinitarian Devotion of John Owen by Sinclair Ferguson, Hardcover book $16 $10And More

Sale runs through 12:01 a.m.–11:59 p.m. Friday ET.

View Today's $5 Friday Items

 

Announcing Our 2021 Conference in Pittsburgh

Rather than a mere relic of the past, the Reformation is our future. Christians will not find strength to face the challenges of today by looking to novel ideas or innovations. Only by walking in the settled paths of God’s Word can the church of Jesus Christ serve Him faithfully in a changing world.

Join us on September 24–25, 2021, for A Continuing Reformation, a two-day conference in Pittsburgh, PA, the birthplace of Ligonier Ministries. As we give thanks to God for fifty years of ministry, we’ll examine essential truths of Scripture championed in the Protestant Reformation and be encouraged to stand with greater conviction on the immovable foundation of our faith. Register now to secure your early-bird discount.

SESSIONS:

The Necessity of Faith by Stephen NicholsThe Necessity of Scripture by Burk ParsonsThe Necessity of Grace by Sinclair FergusonThe Necessity of Christ by W. Robert GodfreyThe Great Commission by Derek ThomasThe Glory of God by Steven LawsonThe Worship of God by Sinclair FergusonSeveral Q&A SessionsREGISTER & SAVE

 

The Proceedings of the Diet

Here’s an excerpt from The Proceedings of the Diet, Herman Selderhuis' contribution to the April issue of Tabletalk:

On March 29, 1521, Martin Luther received a letter in which Emperor Charles V asked him to come and give an account at the imperial Diet of Worms. The word diet refers to the assembly of the major political powers of the Holy Roman Empire and standing next to the king or emperor. The diet at Worms was attended by some eighty princes and 130 counts, along with ambassadors of foreign kings and lords, who all had their entourages with them. More than ten thousand guests are said to have stayed in Worms, which was in many respects a great burden to the city but, on the other hand, also generated considerable business. Reports inform us about tournaments, prostitutes, fights, and more—or to sum it up in the words of one witness: “Everything was wild and savage.”

Continue reading The Proceedings of the Diet, or begin receiving Tabletalk magazine by signing up for a free 3-month trial.

 

Get 6 Bonus Months of Tabletalk Magazine

Tabletalk is a monthly devotional magazine written by some of today’s leading theologians and pastors to help Christians grow in the knowledge of God. Each issue’s daily Bible studies give structure to your Scripture reading, accompanied by articles from gifted teachers on a variety of topics related to theology and the Christian life.

For a limited time, when you subscribe or renew for two years, you’ll get six bonus months for free. That’s thirty months of Tabletalk for only $1.30 per issue. This offer ends on April 30, so claim your special discount now.

YOUR SPECIAL OFFER INCLUDES:

Thirty print issues delivered monthly at our two-year rateDigital access to current and past monthsAn effective plan for reading through the Bible each yearExclusive resource offers

Upcoming issues of Tabletalk will provide biblical insight on important topics such as the character of the Christian household, the doctrine of justification, the temptation to compromise our convictions, and more. Don’t lose your opportunity to receive these issues and many others at a significant discount. Subscribe or renew your subscription today.

 

We Will Appear with Christ in Glory

The Lord Jesus has so united Himself to His people that when He returns, He will see to it that we are standing at His side in glory. In this brief clip, Sinclair Ferguson describes the incredible privilege of our union with Christ in His exaltation.

Do you watch our YouTube channel? Subscribe today to enjoy trusted Bible teaching each week.

Transcript:

And here, as I said, I think we have perhaps the most panoramic view in the New Testament of what it means for us be united to Jesus Christ. And I want us to think especially, first of all, about what he says in verses 1 through 4 of Colossians 3. Because we’re back to the same principle: You have come to fullness of life in Jesus Christ, first of all, because that has given you a new identity. Now, we’ve explored this under the microscope. You’re united to Christ in His death and resurrection. But you notice, now, Paul stretches this. Just look at his words. He says, “You have been raised with Christ, so seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” So, now he's saying, “You’re so united to Christ that you were united to Him in His death, united to Him in His burial, united to Him in His resurrection, united to Him in His ascension. Your life is hidden with Christ in God; you're united to Him in His heavenly session and reign. And when He appears, He will not reappear without you.” “When He appears”—isn’t this an amazing statement?—“then you also will appear with Him in glory.” The early fathers used to have a lovely way of putting this that the Reformers also echoed: “Our Lord Jesus Christ considers Himself incomplete without us.” Isn't that something? We’re not worthy of that. In fact, we feel so unworthy of that, there’s something in us that refuses to believe it. How could this possibly be true? But because He has become the second Man and the last Adam, because He's united us to Himself, He now considers Himself to be incomplete without us. So that, if I can put it this way, He has already said to His Father, “I’m not going back unless they're coming with Me, to appear with Me with in glory.” And I know this is something that—we don’t think this way naturally. May I repeat that from what we’ve seen before? I understand none of us thinks of ourselves naturally this way. But what Paul is saying is, you're no longer supposed to think of yourself “naturally” now that you're a believer. You've got to think about yourself biblically, to believe what the gospel provides for you.

What Does the Gospel Mean?

Many Christians, churches, and organizations regularly use the word gospel to describe their convictions. Theological controversies have occurred and do occur over the meaning of the gospel and who preaches it faithfully. What does that familiar word gospel mean? The best way to answer that question is to turn to the Bible.

In the Greek New Testament, the noun euangelion (“gospel”) appears just over seventy times. Since, in one sense, the whole New Testament is about the gospel, we might have expected the word to have been used more frequently. Even more surprisingly, its use varies greatly among the authors of the New Testament books. Paul uses the word more than three times as often as all the other authors combined. Most of the other uses are found in Matthew and Mark, with very few, if any, in Luke, John, Peter, and James.

The word gospel most simply means “good news.” The word is not unique to the Christian message, but it was also used in the pagan world to refer to a good announcement. In the New Testament, it refers to the good news of Jesus the Savior. Often, it is used with the assumption that the reader knows what the word means.

As we look more closely at the ways in which gospel is used in the New Testament, several points come through strongly. First, we often find the phrase “the gospel of God.” This phrase stresses the source of the gospel as a gift from God. The gospel is of divine, not human, origin. Second, the character of the gospel is specified in several ways: the gospel is true (Gal. 2:5, 14; Col. 1:5), gracious (Acts 20:24), and glorious (2 Cor. 4:4; 1 Tim. 1:11). Third, we see two responses to the gospel. The primary response is faith (Acts 15:7; Eph. 1:13). But obedience is also a response (1 Peter 4:7; Rom. 1:5; 10:16; 16:26; 2 Thess. 1:8).

(Paul’s use of the idea of the obedience of faith in Romans has an element of irony as he responds to those who have accused him of antinomianism, being against the law.) Fourth, we see several results of the gospel. The gospel, of course, brings salvation (Rom. 1:16; Eph. 1:13). It also brings the kingdom (Matt. 4:23; 9:35, 24:14). It evokes hope in the people of God (Col. 1:23). The gospel is also a motivation to sanctification (Mark 8:35; 10:29; 2 Cor. 9:13; Eph. 6:15; Phil. 1:27).

All of these ways in which the word gospel is used point to its content, but there are also passages in the New Testament that are explicit as to its content. In examining these texts, we discover that sometimes the word gospel refers broadly to all aspects of the salvation and new life that Jesus gives His people, and sometimes it is used narrowly to refer to what Jesus does for us outside of us. In other words, sometimes the term gospel refers broadly to Jesus’ work of justification and sanctification for and in His people, and sometimes it refers narrowly to Jesus’ work of justification. Another way of putting this distinction is that sometimes the word gospel refers broadly to all the New Testament fulfillment of what was promised in the Old Testament, and sometimes the term gospel is used narrowly of Jesus’ doing in contrast to our doing of the Law.

An example of the broader sense of the word gospel can be seen in Mark 1:1, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” This use of the word gospel seems to refer to everything that Mark tells us about the teaching and work of Jesus. We see another broad use in Revelation 14:6–7:

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Here the gospel is the call to repent and worship God.

More often, the term gospel is used narrowly and its content is specified. We see this in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4:

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you — unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

Here, the gospel is the message of the saving death and resurrection of Jesus.

In another place, Paul writes of “the glorious gospel of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted,” and he specifies what that gospel is:

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. (1 Tim. 1:11, 15–16)

Here, the gospel is the saving work of Christ for sinners.

Paul writes similarly in 2 Timothy:

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. . . . Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel. (2 Tim. 1:8–10; 2:8)

This narrow use of the word gospel was very common in the writings of the sixteenth-century Reformers. We can see this in the thought of John Calvin:

The word of faith is put by metonymy [using the name of one concept for another concept to which it is related] for the word of promise, i.e. for the Gospel itself, since it is related to faith. The contrast between law and Gospel is to be understood, and from this distinction we deduce that, just as the law demands work, the Gospel requires only that men should bring faith in order to receive the grace of God.

It is also clear in Zacharias Ursinus. Near the beginning of his commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, Ursinus divides all of doctrine into law and gospel:

The doctrine of the church consists of two parts: the Law, and the Gospel; in which we have comprehended the sum and substance of the sacred Scriptures. The law is called the Decalogue, and the gospel is the doctrine concerning Christ the mediator, and the free remission of sins, through faith.

Such reflections on the gospel have remained common in Reformed theology, as we see from this long, fascinating quotation from the great Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck:

But the word of God, both as law and gospel, is the revelation of the will of God, the promulgation of the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. . . . Although in a broad sense the terms “law” and “gospel” can indeed be used to denote the old and the new dispensation of the covenant of grace, in their actual significance they definitely describe two essentially different revelations of divine will [Bavinck here cites many New Testament proof texts]. . . . In these texts law and gospel are contrasted as demand and gift, as command and promise, as sin and grace, as sickness and healing, as death and life . . . . The law proceeds from God’s holiness, the gospel from God’s grace; the law is known from nature, the gospel only from special revelation; the law demands perfect righteousness, but the gospel grants it; the law leads people to eternal life by works, and the gospel produces good works from the riches of the eternal life granted in faith; the law presently condemns people, and the gospel acquits them; the law addresses itself to all people, and the gospel only to those who live within its hearing.

How clear, distinct, biblical, and precious is this presentation of the gospel.

The church needs to preach the gospel in both its broad and narrow senses. The Greek word for gospel has given the English-speaking world the word evangelism. True evangelism, according to the Great Commission given by Jesus in Matthew 28:18–20, is a matter of making disciples: first, in the narrow sense of calling men and women to believe in Jesus and, second, in the broad sense of teaching them to observe all things that Jesus has taught His people. For the sake of the gospel, let’s all promote true evangelism.

This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.

Here We Stand: An Online Streaming Event

Five hundred years ago, an Augustinian monk stood before an imperial council and was called to recant his teachings. With his conscience bound by the Word of God, Martin Luther refused to compromise. His stand fanned the flames of reformation as the Western church recovered the precious teachings that were long obscured by extrabiblical rules and traditions.

On April 13, 2021, we hosted Here We Stand, a special online streaming event. Celebrating the five-hundredth anniversary of the Diet of Worms, this free event explored the essential truths championed in the Protestant Reformation.

MESSAGES INCLUDED:

Here I Stand by Stephen NicholsHere We Stand on Scripture Alone by Burk ParsonsHere We Stand in Latin America by Sugel MichelénHere We Stand through Faith Alone by Derek ThomasHere We Stand in Europe by Michael ReevesHere We Stand in Christ Alone by Sinclair FergusonHere We Stand in Asia and the Middle East by Nathan W. BinghamHere We Stand by Grace Alone by W. Robert GodfreyHere We Stand in Africa by Ken MbuguaHere We Stand for the Glory of God Alone by Steven Lawson

This event was streamed on Ligonier’s blog, YouTube channel, Facebook page, and Twitter account. You can also watch a recording here.