R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 2

Columns from Tabletalk Magazine, August 2021

The August issue of Tabletalk looks at the importance of Christian theology and the impact of Ligonier Ministries under the theme of Right Now Counts Forever. That was the title of Dr. R.C. Sproul’s monthly column in Tabletalk magazine for more than forty years. In it, Dr. Sproul reminded readers of the eternal consequences of their views about God and the world, stressing that if nothing is of ultimate and eternal worth, then the things we do in the here and now have no meaning. This basic theme has driven the work of Ligonier Ministries, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary in August 2021. In this anniversary year, it is appropriate to look at the eternal impact of our theology and to examine Ligonier’s role and purpose in helping people understand that right now truly does count forever. This issue of Tabletalk stresses the ongoing importance of sound theology in the life of every Christian and will consider how Ligonier’s theological mission has not changed but, Lord willing, will continue for years to come.

You can purchase the issue or subscribe to get the print issue every month.

Helping People Know God by Burk ParsonsTheology, Theology, Theology: Why Ligonier? by Chris LarsonWhat Is Our Theology? by Sinclair FergusonTheology and the Church by W. Robert GodfreyTheology and Everyday Life by Derek ThomasTheology for the Glory of God by Steven LawsonLove for Jesus by Robert RothwellFor the Old Church in the New Dark Age by Aaron GarriottAn Honest Witness by Kevin GardnerThe History of Ligonier Ministries by Stephen Nichols

Subscribe to Tabletalk today for only $23 a year, and $20 to renew. You save even more if you get a 2- or 3-year subscription (as little as $1.36 per issue). Get your subscription to Tabletalk today by calling one of Ligonier Ministries’ resource consultants at 800-435-4343 or by subscribing online.

 

Can people affect when they or others are regenerated?

We are just as unable to change the timing of our spiritual birth as we were in affecting our physical birth. From our 2021 National Conference, Steven Lawson observes that regeneration is a sovereign work of God, and all glory belongs to Him in our conversion. Ask your biblical and theological questions live online at ask.Ligonier.org.

Read the Transcript

What Difference Does an Inerrant Bible Make?

Does it matter whether the Bible is errant or inerrant, fallible or infallible, inspired or uninspired? What's all the fuss about the doctrine of inerrancy? Why do Christians debate this issue? What difference does an inerrant Bible make?

Before answering that question, we should consider in what way inerrancy doesn't make a difference. The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy states:

We affirm that a confession of the full authority, infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture is vital to a sound understanding of the whole of the Christian faith. We further affirm that such confession should lead to increasing conformity to the image of Christ. We deny that such confession is necessary for salvation. However, we further deny that inerrancy can be rejected without grave consequences both to the individual and to the church (Article 19).

The statement strikes a delicate balance. It affirms that the doctrine of inerrancy is "vital to a sound understanding of the whole of the Christian faith" and that to deny it has grave consequences for the individual and the church. However, this statement also makes clear that belief in inerrancy is not necessary for salvation. While inerrancy is crucial for understanding the Christian faith and "increasing conformity to the image of Christ," a person does not have to hold to it to be a Christian.

The Authority of Christ

But what difference does the inerrancy of Scripture make? Why does it matter? There are many ways in which it matters a great deal. However, ultimately, the inerrancy of Scripture is not a doctrine about a book. The issue is the person and work of Christ.

Allow me to illustrate. Years ago I was speaking in Philadelphia on the question of the authority of Scripture. After my lecture I came down to the front of the church, and I saw a man making his way toward me. Instantly, I recognized his face, even though it had been about twenty years since I'd seen him last. His name was Charlie. We were roommates in college and prayer partners. We made our way through the crowd and embraced one another.

We dismissed ourselves from the conference and went out for dinner. As we sat down, Charlie said to me, "Before we have a conversation, there is something I have to tell you." I said, "What's that?" He told me, "I don't believe any more what I used to believe about Scripture when we were in college together. Back then I believed in inerrancy, but I've been to seminary and have been exposed to higher criticism. I just don't believe that the Bible is inerrant anymore. I wanted to clear the air so that we can go on from there." I replied, "Fine, Charlie, but let me ask you this. What do you still believe from the old days?" And triumphantly Charlie said, "I still believe that Jesus Christ is my Savior and my Lord." I was happy to hear that, but then I started to ask questions that clearly made Charlie uncomfortable.

I asked, "Charlie, how is Jesus Lord of your life?" He replied, "What do you mean?" I said, "Well, a Lord is someone who exercises authority over you, who gives you marching orders, who has the ability to compel you to obey, and who requires you to submit to obligation and duty. If Christ is your Lord, aren't you saying He has sovereign authority over you?" "Yeah," he said.

I probed a little deeper, "How does Christ exercise that sovereignty over you? How do you get your marching orders from Him? It's apparently not from the Bible." Charlie thought for a moment, "I get it from the church." I said, "Okay, which church? The Methodist Church, the Episcopalian Church, the Roman Catholic Church, or the Presbyterian Church?" He answered, "The Presbyterian Church." I then asked, "The Presbyterian Church in Wichita, the Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, or the Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia—which church?" He answered, "The General Assembly." I replied, "Which General Assembly?" He finally admitted, "Well, I've got some problems that I haven't worked out yet." I said, "You certainly do have problems that you haven't worked out yet. You want to affirm the Lordship of Christ, but your Lord is impotent. He has no way of conveying any mandate to you whatsoever, because you stand above the recorded mandates of Christ in Scripture. You set yourself over them in critical judgment."

The Integrity of Christ

At this point, our conversation shifted from the question of authority to the question of salvation. I asked Charlie, "What would it take for Jesus to save you? If Jesus sinned, could He save Himself? Could He save you?" He acknowledged that if Jesus were a sinner, He couldn't save Himself, let alone Charlie and me. But then Charlie asked, "What difference does it make whether we believe in inerrancy? And how does Jesus' being sinless relate to your point?" "Because Charlie," I said, "Jesus taught inerrancy."

My conversation with Charlie demonstrated an interesting phenomenon. Charlie, like many contemporary biblical scholars who deny inerrancy, agreed that Jesus of Nazareth believed and taught what we would today call the doctrine of inerrancy. At the same time, like many contemporary biblical scholars who deny inerrancy, Charlie confessed Jesus as His Lord and Savior. But that is inconsistent, and I wanted to point that out to my friend. So I asked him, "Okay, now you are disagreeing not with me or B. B. Warfield or Charles Hodge of the old Princeton School. Now you are quarreling with Jesus and the apostles and the prophets. Were they wrong?" He said, "Yes, they were wrong." "Okay," I said. "Think seriously about it. What are the implications of Jesus being wrong about His doctrine of Scripture?" Charlie, an astute theologian, said, "Look, R.C., what difference does it make whether Jesus was wrong? Jesus doesn't have to be omniscient to be my Savior.'' I agreed, "He doesn't."

The issue in our conversation, however, was not omniscience. When we talk about omniscience, we are talking about an attribute of God. That is, God knows everything. Charlie's point was that Jesus—touching his human nature—did not know all things. He then went right to the Bible to prove it, pointing out, for example, that Jesus does not know the day and hour of His return (Matt. 24:36). But the conversation I had with Charlie wasn't really about omniscience. It was actually about sinlessness.

Touching His human nature, Jesus is not required to be omniscient to be my Savior. However, He is required to be sinless. Jesus would be numbered among the transgressors for teaching an error. He claimed to speak on the basis on His Father's authority (John 8:28; 14:10). He also declared, "I am the truth" (John 14:6). That is the highest claim to teaching authority ever uttered. If a man who claims to be the truth and to say nothing except by divine authority teaches error, that's sin. And if He sins once, we don't have a Savior. That's what is at stake.

When I spelled this out for Charlie, he told me, "I've got a problem." To which I replied, "Yes, you do. You want to get rid of Jesus' view of Scripture and hold onto Him as your Savior and Lord. You're on very shaky grounds, if you want to be consistent." Charlie was living in the delightful breeze of a happy inconsistency. But do you see what the issue is here? It is the integrity of Christ.

Charlie is a good example of a person who can deny inerrancy but still believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior. But this is possible only if one is inconsistent. Happily, God doesn't demand perfect consistency in our theology for salvation. If that were the case, no sinner could be saved because no sinner holds to a perfect theology. That doesn't mean, however, that we should be content with inconsistency. At the end of the day, inerrancy is inseparable from Christology. If Jesus didn't teach this view of Scripture, the argument would be over. The issue is not the sacrosanctity of a book, a "paper pope," or bibliolatry. The issue at stake is the integrity of the person and work of Jesus. He can save us only if He is sinless, and He is sinless only if all of His teaching—including what He teaches about Scripture—is true.

Will You Pray for Awakening? Download Your Free Prayer Guide

We live in a world that needs awakening. Millions of people do not know Jesus Christ. The church itself needs renewed zeal for the truth, for spiritual growth, and for missions. Scripture reveals how this awakening comes about: by a powerful movement of the Spirit of God. It also tells us that when just two men—Paul and Silas—prayed, the earth itself shook (Acts 16:25–26). So we are dedicating the entire year of 2021 to pray for awakening, and we hope you will, too.

To help as many people as possible, we produced this free prayer guide. Download it today at PrayForAwakening.com, find it in the PrayerMate app, or order the prayer booklet in packs of ten to share with your loved ones.

To use the guide, find the prayer that corresponds to the current week. Each week of the month focuses on a different group to pray for, starting with you and your family and expanding to the world and the global church. You can also share your desire to #PrayForAwakening on social media.

AUGUST PRAYER FOCUS:

Week 1: Pray that you and your family will grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet. 3:18)Week 2: Pray that your church will be faithful to structure its ministry according to the means of grace—the Word, fellowship, sacraments, and prayer—as God’s way of bringing renewal. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42)Week 3: Pray that your city will not throw up obstacles to the spread of the gospel as God grants boldness to believers to proclaim His Word. “Now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness.’” (Acts 4:29)Week 4: Pray that God will richly bless the church around the world so that unbelievers will see His saving power and be drawn to trust in Him. “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations.” (Ps. 67:1–2)

We hope this prayer guide encourages you this year and in future years. Join us in praying fervently for a mighty movement of God’s Spirit today, thankful that He has graciously promised to hear us, and confident that He will answer our prayers according to His will.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Final Day: Summer Reading Sale

Looking for something to read this summer? You have only a few hours left to save up to 50% on one hundred books for the whole family.

This broad collection includes popular resources such as A Field Guide on False Teaching, children’s classics like R.C. Sproul’s The Prince’s Poison Cup, and new titles such as Lessons from the Upper Room by Sinclair Ferguson. With short and long reads alike on a variety of subjects, you’ll find something for growing Christians of all ages.

1–2 Peter: An Expositional Commentary $20 $10 (Save 50%) Bible History ABCs by Stephen Nichols $17 $11.90 (Save 30%) The Expository Genius of John Calvin by Steven Lawson $16 $9.60 (Save 40%) A Field Guide on False Teaching $10 $6 (Save 40%) Lessons from the Upper Room by Sinclair Ferguson $18 $11.70 (Save 35%) The Prince’s Poison Cup by R.C. Sproul $18 $10.80 (Save 40%)And More

Shop now and save up to 50% on your summer reading. These discounts are only available until tonight at midnight ET, so don’t delay. While supplies last.

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Relying on Our Senses Makes Us Less Certain, Not More

The more we rest our knowledge on what we experience through our five senses, the less certain our knowledge can possibly be. In this brief clip, R.C. Sproul explains why we must limit how much we rely on empirical observations in our pursuit of truth. Today, watch the entire message for free.

Transcript:

How can I ever know with certainty that all men are mortal? Well, you can say we can have a nuclear war, and every person that is now alive in the universe is annihilated, and I, I alone am left. Now, I can come to the conclusion that everybody who’s ever lived has died. So, I now know for sure that all men are mortal. What’s wrong with that picture? Maybe I’m the singular exception in all of human history. And maybe I am not mortal. The only way that I can know for sure that all men are mortal is posthumously. See, that’s the limit of induction. We can never have a fully exhaustive collection of individual examples. But we don’t need to wait to examine every squirrel or every human being before we have a working knowledge of universals, or what we call scientific laws. If we once arrive at a certain number of examples that prove to be true individually, then we universalize or generalize. Now, there’s a reason why I am backing up and going through all of this. What was motivating the thinkers in the 17th century was, “I want to get to that realm of knowledge that’s absolutely certain, 100% certain, no ‘plus or minus 3%.’” And the empiricists come along, and they say, “The only place you can find 100% certainty is in the formal realm of reasoning of the relationship of different ideas to each other.” But how does that get you to the real world? It doesn’t. And so, the empiricists like John Locke are coming along and they are saying with their “tabula rasa” concept, saying, “No, no, no. The only way we know anything initially is by having an experience of it. We see it, taste it, and touch it. We’re from Missouri. We’re from the Show-Me State. Don’t just theorize about these things. Give me empirical evidence that such-and-such a thing is true.” Now, that’s part of the framework and fabric of our culture today, isn’t it? We hear this all the time: “Don’t talk to me about what you believe in God, and all of that sort of thing, and these rational arguments that you give for the existence of God—I want to see Him. I want to hear Him. Show me the money. Show me the Deity. Because if I have an empirical perception of it, then I know for sure.” Well, unfortunately, the more your knowledge rests upon sense perception, the less certain it can possibly be, because of this problem and because of the limitations involved in looking at each and every possible example. So, Empiricism is always limited by the finite samples that we have to study and is always vulnerable and exposed to the possibility that the next discovery will present a gigantic anomaly. An anomaly is something that doesn’t fit the pattern. An anomaly is something that can’t be explained by the system. When you have too many anomalies coming, you have to throw away the system and create what we call a whole new model or a whole new paradigm. You’ve heard the expression “paradigm shift,” which means a shift in the model, a change in the model. Paradigm shifts in science are driven by anomalies: things that don’t fit the old model, that say that we’re going to have to broaden that model or scrap part of the model and come up with a new model that will help us get a handle on reality.

Fighting Fear and Anxiety

When I moved to central Florida in 1992, I was told that this part of the state had not been directly hit by a hurricane since the fifties. We were hit by the outer edges of some hurricanes and tropical storms on occasion, but nothing major. All of that changed in 2004 when this one small part of the state was hit by not one, but three strong hurricanes in the short space of six weeks. Hurricane Charley hit us the evening of August 13. Three weeks later we were hit by Hurricane Frances. Three weeks after that we were hit by Hurricane Jeanne. It was not a pleasant time to live in this part of Florida.

There was one side effect of the 2004 hurricane season that I probably should have expected but did not, and that was the effect it would have on our local meteorologists. As the 2005 hurricane season approached, some of them lost their minds. If I may be permitted a bit of hyperbole, the typical weather report that year could be paraphrased as such: “A tropical depression has formed off the coast of Africa. It is probably going to turn into a major hurricane. It is probably going to hit us, and we are probably all going to die.” They seemed to have one goal—to create a perpetual state of fear and anxiety. I stopped watching after a few weeks of this and asked my wife to let me know if and when there was something I needed to know, such as the need to board up the windows and/or evacuate.

Those who have watched or read the news over the last several years have likely noticed this tendency regardless of where you live. Watch the news long enough and a monologue begins to develop in your mind:

The economy will soon collapse, hampering our war against the terrorists who are on the verge of attacking us again. The only thing that may stop them is a pandemic of bird flu, swine flu, or the black plague, but this pandemic will only affect those of us who haven’t already succumbed to the dire effects of global warming. Stay tuned for a report on what popular food product that you eat every day has been shown to cause cancer in lab rats and chimpanzees.

So, we are faced with a certain amount of fear and anxiety that is media-induced to one degree or another. There is also, however, fear and anxiety caused by actual frightening events. Strong hurricanes are frightening to experience. Other natural disasters such as floods, fires, earthquakes, and tornadoes are frightening. Diseases are frightening, especially when they spread across the world—as the coronavirus has done so far in 2020. Wars and terrorist activity are also frightening.

Complicating matters is the lack of trust that many have in the news media. We know that fear sells because it keeps people glued to their screens and that is profitable. We know bias exists in news reporters as it does in everyone. Due to factors such as these, however, many people have lost all trust in the news media to accurately report events. Social media has intensified this problem because friends and family share stories without always checking the sources. This can cause problems when a truly dangerous event is unfolding and a certain segment of the population writes it off as nothing but media hype, or worse, the fruits of some vast dark conspiracy.

When we are dealing with something that is potentially life-threating, we need to err on the side of loving our neighbor. If a Category 5 hurricane is predicted to hit your area directly, it is not loving or wise to tell everybody on your social media pages that it’s all a hoax. Convincing a neighbor to not prepare for a strong hurricane can result in your neighbor’s death. Similarly, if there are reports of a highly contagious virus spreading, we need to err on the side of loving our neighbor. Many of our neighbors are elderly. Many have chronic respiratory issues such as COPD and asthma. Many have compromised immune systems due to things like cancer treatment. It is not loving to those neighbors to put them at risk of catching something from you that your own immune system can most likely handle. This is true even during a normal flu season. It is not loving toward your neighbor to go to work or to church or to any public place if you are sick with a contagious illness.

There is, then, the matter of loving our neighbor. There is also the deeper matter of dealing with fear and anxiety—regardless of its source. How do we deal with all of the fear and anxiety that we face, whether media-induced or event-induced? An example from church history proves instructive. Saint Augustine (354–430) lived at a time of great fear and anxiety. His world changed dramatically in A.D. 410 when the barbarian Alaric entered Rome. This was the beginning of the end for the western half of the Roman Empire. As refugees fled to northern Africa, bringing all manner of ominous reports, Augustine was forced to deal with the issues as many were going so far as to blame the fall of Rome on Christianity. His classic work The City of God was written to respond to the crisis. One of my favorite quotes from this book addresses the fearfulness of his readers. He encourages Christians who are surrounded by danger on every side, saying: “Among the daily chances of this life every man on earth is threatened in the same way by innumerable deaths, and it is uncertain which of them will come to him. And so the question is whether it is better to suffer one in dying or to fear them all in living” (1:11). These are the words of one who trusts the sovereignty of God. Augustine knew there was no point in being constantly fearful about all of the dangers surrounding him. He knew God was in control and that not a single hair could fall from his head apart from God’s will.

The world is fearful and anxious, but it is fearful and anxious about the wrong things. The world is fearful about the economy. The world is fearful about retirement accounts. The world is fearful about natural disasters and man-made disasters. The world is fearful of terrorism, and the world is fearful of diseases like the coronavirus. The world, however, is not fearful of God. Jesus tells us that we are not to fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead we are to fear God who can destroy both (Matt. 10:28). The wrath of God makes all other objects of the world’s fears seem like nothing in comparison. A truly fearful thing is to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31).

Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, however, have nothing to fear from man, or from anything else for that matter. Those who trust Christ have nothing to fear from hurricanes, diseases, economic collapse, war, famine, or even death. All of these things are under the control of our sovereign Father in heaven. Of course, this is easy enough for us to say, but we all too easily take our eyes off of God and dwell on the dangers surrounding us.

Is there anything we can do to fight worldly fear and anxiety? I believe Paul provides one important clue by contrasting fear with prayer. He writes: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7). A neglect of prayer almost always results in a corresponding rise in our fear and anxiety. This is no coincidence. Prayer is an act of faith in God, and faith in God leads to the peace of God.

This post was adapted from an article originally published in Tabletalk magazine.

$5 Friday (and More): William Tyndale, Martin Luther, & Evangelism

It’s time for our weekly $5 Friday sale. This week’s resources include such topics as William Tyndale, Martin Luther, evangelism, Jonathan Edwards, grace, 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:

Mark: An Expositional Commentary by R.C. Sproul, eBook download $9 $6 Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton $18 $11 Jesus the Evangelist by Richard Phillips $19 $9 Heaven on Earth: Capturing Jonathan Edwards’s Vision of Living in Between by Stephen Nichols $15 $10And More

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

VIEW TODAY'S $5 FRIDAY ITEMS

 

Providing for the Household

Here’s an excerpt from Providing for the Household, Drew DiNardo's contribution to the July issue of Tabletalk:

Ten out of ten Reformed Christians agree: “Heads of Christian households must provide for their families, particularly their spiritual needs.” So, telling you that parents (particularly fathers) are responsible for bringing up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4) is not controversial. Telling you that as the head of the household you need to have income to provide for your wife and kids is equally obvious.

What may not be as obvious is that meeting the material needs of your family is just as biblically important as discipline and instruction, and failing in this duty has serious spiritual ramifications. As the Apostle Paul states, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8). Paul unequivocally states that not providing for the material needs of your family, if you are physically able, is tantamount to denying the faith and living like a pagan. This is a scathing indictment.

Continue reading Providing for the Household, or begin receiving Tabletalk magazine by signing up for a free 3-month trial.

 

6 Distinguishing Marks of a Call to Gospel Ministry

If there is anything else a man can do other than preach, Martyn Lloyd-Jones maintained, he ought to do it. The pulpit is no place for him. The ministry is not merely something an individual can do, but what he must do. To enter the pulpit, that necessity must be laid upon him. A God-called man, he believed, would rather die than live without preaching. Lloyd-Jones often quoted the famed British pastor Charles H. Spurgeon: "If you can do anything else do it. If you can stay out of the ministry, stay out of the ministry." In other words, only those who believe they are chosen by God for the pulpit should proceed in undertaking this sacred task.

"Preachers are born, not made," Lloyd-Jones asserted. "This is an absolute. You will never teach a man to be a preacher if he is not already one." It was clearly the case in the life of Lloyd-Jones. He realized he was not joining a volunteer army.

What constitutes this call to preach? Lloyd-Jones identified six distinguishing marks of this divine summons to the pulpit. He himself had felt the gravity of each of these realities weighing heavily upon his own soul. He believed the same spiritual forces should come to bear on all preachers.

First, Lloyd-Jones affirmed there must be an inner compulsion within the one called to preach the Word. He stated there must be "a consciousness within one's own spirit, an awareness of a kind of pressure being brought to bear upon one's spirit." He identified this as an irresistible impulse, as "some disturbance in the realm of the spirit" that "your mind is directed to the whole question of preaching." This inner coercion becomes "the most dominant force in their lives." Lloyd-Jones explained, "This is something that happens to you, and God acting upon you by His Spirit, it is something you become aware of rather than what you do." In other words, the drive to preach becomes a burden upon the heart that must be fulfilled. It is a holy preoccupation within the soul that causes the one called to step out in faith and embrace the work.

This divine calling, Lloyd-Jones believed, grips the soul and governs the spirit. It becomes an overwhelming obsession that cannot be discarded. It will not go away nor leave a man to himself. He explained that there becomes no way of escape. Such a strong force lays hold of the man that he is held captive. Lloyd-Jones recognizes this when he states:

You do your utmost to push back and to rid yourself of this disturbance in your spirit which comes in these various ways. But you reach the point when you cannot do so any longer. It almost becomes an obsession, and so overwhelming that in the end you say, "I can do nothing else, I cannot resist any longer."

Second, Lloyd-Jones emphasized there will be an outside influence that will come to the one called. The input and counsel of other believers becomes influential to the one destined for the ministry. It may be the feedback of a pastor or the affirmation of an elder. It could be the encouragement of another believer. When they hear this person speak the Word, perhaps in a class or Bible study, they are often the best discerners of the man who is called into the ministry. In other words, observant people often recognize the hand of God upon that person before he senses it. Those who best know God and most love His Word often can detect who is being set apart for this work. They give insightful affirmation to the individual being called.

Third, Lloyd-Jones asserted the one called will experience a loving concern for others. God gives to the one chosen to preach an overwhelming compassion for the people. As part of this divine choice, the Holy Spirit imparts a consuming desire for the spiritual welfare of others. Lloyd-Jones wrote: "The true call always includes a concern about others, an interest in them, a realization of their lost estate and condition, and a desire to do something about them, and to tell them the message and point them to the way of salvation." This love for others includes the distinct realization that countless people are perishing without Christ. What is more, there is a concern that many of these lost souls are in the church. The one called to preach feels compelled to awaken them to their need for Christ. He is constrained to reach them with the saving message of the gospel.

In Lloyd-Jones' life, he experienced this growing concern for others. He said, "I used to be struck almost dumb sometimes in London at night when I stood watching the cars passing, taking people to the theatres and other places with all their talk and excitement, as I suddenly realized that what all this meant was that these people were looking for peace, peace from themselves." His growing concern was now not for their physical health, but for their spiritual welfare.

Fourth, Lloyd-Jones affirmed there is an overwhelming constraint within the one called to do this work. He maintained there will be "a sense of constraint," meaning he feels hemmed in to do this work. It is as though God will not let him be released from his duty to preach. There is nothing else he can do but pursue this inner drive to preach. Necessity is laid upon him, and he must preach regardless of what others may say. He must minister the Word, no matter what obstacles must be overcome.

Fifth, Lloyd-Jones believed the man who is called to preach comes under a sobering humility. He believed that this person is overwhelmed with a deep sense of his own personal unworthiness for such a high and holy task and is often hesitant to move forward to preach for fear of his own inadequacies. Lloyd-Jones writes, "The man who is called by God is a man who realizes what he is called to do, and he so realizes the awfulness of the task that he shrinks from it." Though he is compelled to preach, he is at the same time fearful of doing so. He is sobered by this weighty assignment to speak on behalf of God. He trembles at this stewardship entrusted to him and the accountability that comes with it.

Sixth, Lloyd-Jones added that a corporate confirmation must come to the one called to preach. The man who is chosen by God to preach, he argued, must be observed and tested by others in the church. Only then may he be sent from the church. Lloyd-Jones reasoned from Romans 10:13–15 that preachers are "sent," which he understands to mean a formal commissioning by a sending church. The leaders of the church must examine the qualifications of the one set apart to preach and affirm the validity of this call. Hands must be laid upon him in recognition of what God is doing in his life.

According to Lloyd-Jones, these are the distinguishing marks of a call to gospel ministry. To one extent or another, each of these six realities must be present in the life of one who has been set apart by God to preach. Each of these factors is necessary in order to ascertain one's call to preach. Lloyd-Jones had experienced each one of these in his life. Further, he encouraged others to discern the presence of these hallmarks in their lives.

This excerpt is taken from The Passionate Preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones by Steven Lawson.