R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 23

Don’t Miss Your Opportunity to Save

The holy character of God is the absolute standard of right and wrong. And He has spoken. Therefore, to reject Him and abandon His Word is to undermine the foundation of morality. How can Christians live with integrity as we engage a world where God is hated, immorality is celebrated, and the truth is suppressed?

Our 2022 National Conference will explore the crucial topic of Christian ethics. As we consider how divine revelation addresses the moral confusion that surrounds us, we can be better prepared to stand for the truth, love our neighbors well, and seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We hope you’ll join us next spring in Orlando.

Today is the final day to secure your spot for $164 and save 50% off the standard rate. This is the lowest registration rate we will offer.

Next year’s speakers include Sinclair Ferguson, W. Robert Godfrey, Michael Kruger, Steven Lawson, John MacArthur, Harry Reeder, Stephen Nichols, Burk Parsons, Michael Reeves, and Derek Thomas. Register today and save 50%.

Never attended the conference before? Watch the 2021 National Conference messages in our free app, at Ligonier.org, or on our YouTube channel.

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Stream for Free: Right Now Counts Forever

Stream all of the messages from last week’s 2021 National Conference for free on Ligonier.org, the Ligonier app, and YouTube.

Don’t forget—tomorrow is the last day to save 50% on admission to the 2022 National Conference in Orlando. This is the lowest registration rate we will offer.

MAIN SESSIONS:

No Other Gospel by Stephen NicholsWorking as for the Lord by Steven LawsonThe Holiness of God and His People by John MacArthurThe Centrality of the Family by Joel KimThe Body of Christ by Burk ParsonsA Conversation on Life and Ministry with Sinclair FergusonGlorifying God in Our Bodies by W. Robert GodfreyThe Providence of God by Derek ThomasThe Word of the Lord Stands Forever by Steven LawsonAchieving an Eternal Glory by Derek ThomasGo Therefore by W. Robert Godfrey

Q&A AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS:

Panel Discussion: R.C. Sproul’s Life and Ministry with Nichols, Parsons, and Mrs. SproulQuestions & Answers with Kim, Lawson, MacArthur, and NicholsPanel Discussion: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry with Parsons and ThomasQuestions & Answers with Godfrey, Kim, Lawson, and ThomasPanel Discussion: Teaching the Truth with Dudreck, Mathison, Salangsang, Shaw, and TweeddalePanel Discussion: Discipling the Next Generation with Kim, Nichols, and ParsonsQuestions & Answers with Godfrey, Lawson, Nichols, Parsons, and Thomas

SEMINARS:

Interview: The Church in Africa with Ken MbuguaServing God in the Digital Age by Nathan W. BinghamThe Attributes of God by Steven LawsonInterview: The Necessity of Reforming the Church with W. Robert GodfreyInterview: The Institute for Expository Preaching with Steven Lawson

You can also keep these digital messages forever by purchasing the conference collection from the Ligonier store.

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How Do You “Work Out Your Own Salvation with Fear and Trembling” (Phil. 2:12–13)?

The Apostle Paul instructs Christians in Philippi to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12–13). From one of our Ask Ligonier events, Steven Lawson explains what this means and how this fear is cultivated.

If you have a biblical or theological question, just visit ask.Ligonier.org to ask your question live online.

Read the Transcript

 

What Is Self-Discipline?

Growth in personal holiness is largely determined by our progress in self-discipline. Without this foundational discipline, there can be no advancement in grace. Before other disciplines can be administered, whether in the home, business, or church, there first must be self-discipline.

Admittedly, personal discipline is not a popular subject today. In our society, any insistence upon self-discipline is largely resisted, even among many Christians. Legalism, they cry, defending their rights of Christian liberty. These free-spirited believers maintain that discipline restricts their freedom in Christ, binding them in a spiritual straightjacket.

But many of these believers have so abused their freedom in Christ that they have virtually no spiritual discipline. They have swung the pendulum so drastically toward Christian liberty that their spiritual lives are out of balance. Such neglect of self-discipline prolongs their spiritual immaturity, leaving them with little self-control to resist temptation and sin.

Let us be clear, if there is no discipline, there is no discipleship. If we do not discipline ourselves, God Himself will discipline us (Heb. 12:5–11). One way or another, there will be discipline in our lives. Given our tendency toward sin, we must discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness, lest we be disciplined by God.

What Is Self-Discipline?

The Greek word translated "discipline" (enkrateia) comes from the root krat, which denotes power or lordship. Self-discipline means to exercise power over one's self. It is the ability to keep one's self under control. The word indicates self-mastery over one's inner desires, thoughts, actions, and words. It is the control a believer must exercise over his life (Gal. 5:23).

This same word is used in 1 Corinthians 7:9 to indicate the "self-control" one must show over unlawful sexual desires. Likewise, elders must be "self-controlled" (Titus 1:8), disciplined in their inward attitudes and outward actions. Mastery of self is non-negotiable for spiritual leadership.

The opposite of self-discipline is a self-indulgent lifestyle that produces "the works of the flesh" (Gal. 5:19-21). Any lack of self-control will inevitably result in sinful deeds. But where self-mastery exists, there is a strong resistance to sensual appetites and sinful choices. Self-rule brings every thought, word, and deed captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Any advance in personal holiness demands self-control.

What Self-Discipline Is Not

To best understand what self-discipline is, we need to see what it is not. Two erroneous views of the Christian life—Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism—distort the truth of self-discipline.

In the fourth century, a British ascetic named Pelagius (AD 354–420) taught the fatal error that man has the inherent ability to both save and sanctify himself. By a person's sheer force of will, he claimed, he is able to accomplish the divine will. By this, Pelagius denied original sin and the total depravity of mankind. The mere knowledge of the divine law, he insisted, is all that is needed. By his own free will, man may discipline himself by self-determination.

Pelagius was denounced as a heretic by the Council of Carthage for this fatal teaching (AD 418). Tragically, however, Pelagianism remains with us. Many today falsely assume that they can simply will themselves to be whatever they want to be. This mindless mantra is found in today's self-help movement and prosperity gospel, chanting, "What the mind can conceive, the will can accomplish." The ability of self-discipline, they claim, is within us.

A second erroneous view is semi-Pelagianism. This syncretistic approach assumes that man has some ability to save and sanctify himself. A person must supply his willpower in partnership with God. In this joint venture, God and man are co-contributors to self-discipline. God gives a measure of grace, but man supplies the rest.

Semi-Pelagianism is only half-Christian. This compromising position was likewise declared heretical by the Western Church in the Second Council of Orange (AD 529). Yet tragically, this tainted legacy remains to this day in the man-centered theology of Arminianism and in the pragmatic methods of Finneyism.

Instead, the truth was taught by another fourth century teacher named Augustine (AD 354–430). This gifted leader asserted that God is the sole author of man's salvation and sanctification. By His sovereign grace, God monergistically regenerates spiritually dead sinners.

Every Christian is responsible to pursue holiness, yet God must work within us to produce personal godliness (Phil. 2:13– 14). Augustinian teaching rightly understands that only God can produce authentic self-discipline in the believer.

Who Produces Self-Discipline?

This virtue of "self-control" is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23). As a vine produces fruit, self-discipline is created exclusively by the Spirit. Self-control is never self-generated; rather, it is a work of grace within us. Though we are active in practicing it, we simply bear this fruit of self-discipline. We never produce it.

Jesus maintained, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5). In our own willpower, we cannot do anything that pleases God. Only by God's enabling grace can we exercise self-control in our ongoing war against sin. The Apostle Paul affirms, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13). That is, Christ must be mightily working within us.

As sap flows into the branch, producing fruit, divine grace must fill the believer, producing self-control. The self can never produce self-discipline. Only as Christians live under the Holy Spirit's control can they live self-controlled lives.

In Galatians 5:22–23, we read that there are nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. Self-discipline appears last on the list. By occupying this final position, self-discipline assumes a place of strategic importance. In reality, self-discipline is the summation of the previous eight qualities that the Spirit produces. The work of the Spirit reaches its consummation in self-control. This virtue enables us to realize every other aspect of spiritual fruit.

What Does Self-Discipline Look Like?

The Apostle Paul compared the self-discipline required in Christian living with an athlete training for and competing in the ancient athletic games: "Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in small things" (1 Cor. 9:25). If a runner would win the prize, he must bring his entire life under the strict discipline of rigorous training. The strenuous workout of the athlete demands that he seriously restrict his personal liberties. If he is to be victorious, he must refuse many individual freedoms. Liberties are largely for spectators, not a champion athlete. He must pursue a proper diet, sufficient rest, and arduous drills. Every area of his life must be brought under control.

So it is in the Christian life. Paul urges, "Train yourself for godliness" (1 Tim. 4:7). To pursue holiness, a believer must hear biblical preaching and teaching, and participate in corporate worship, the Lord's Supper, Bible reading, meditation, prayer, and fellowship. Further, he must deny many legitimate pleasures if he is to win the prize.

This kind of self-discipline is a rebuke to half-hearted Christians who do little to train for spiritual victory. They are out-of-shape believers with flabby faith. They are spiritual couch potatoes with bulging spiritual waistlines. Their lifestyle is self-indulgent due to their lack of self-control.

Paul adds, "I box in such a way, as not beating the air" (1 Cor. 9:26). A champion boxer must have a clearly-focused aim in the ring. But an undisciplined fighter throws wild punches, never landing a blow on his opponent. An undisciplined believer suffers great defeats in his bout against sin. To the contrary, a believer must live with self-control in fighting against sin.

A champion athlete must beat his body into submission. If not, he will be disqualified from the race. Paul warns: "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (v. 27). The Apostle urges us to discipline our bodies and resist sinful desires. If we do not, we will forfeit the prize.

What Is the Price?

Believers have liberty in Christ to pursue what is not forbidden in Scripture. But we cannot afford for anything to gain mastery over us. Victory always comes at a price. The Christian life is no different.

This necessitates that we exercise self-discipline in areas like food, drink, sleep, time, and money. We must exercise self-control in the entertainment and recreation in which we engage. We must restrict our liberties in whatever would hinder us from winning the prize.

If we are to exercise self-control, we must relinquish the control of our lives to Jesus Christ. Here is a paradox of the Christian life: We must give up the control of self if we would gain self-control. May God enable us to exercise self-discipline, an absolute necessity for victory over sin.

This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.

$5 Friday (And More): Church, Holiness, & Contentment

It’s time for our weekly $5 Friday sale. This week’s resources include such topics as church, holiness, contentment, John Calvin, salvation, 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:

Hymns of Grace , Genuine leather $80 $50 Contentment with Melissa Kruger, DVD $38 $15 Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon, Hardcover book $23 $12 The Expository Genius of John Calvin by Steven Lawson, Hardcover book $16 $8 Parenting by God’s Promises: How to Raise Children in the Covenant of Grace by Joel Beeke, Hardcover book $19 $12And More

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

View today’s $5 Friday sale items.

 

Proclaiming the Christian Ethic

Here’s an excerpt from Proclaiming the Christian Ethic, Steven Lawson's contribution to the March issue of Tabletalk:

It is impossible to overestimate the sanctifying power of a strong pulpit ministry. God designed the preaching of the Word to be the primary means of grace in the life of every Christian. The proclamation of the Scripture is to be the principal means by which true spirituality is nurtured in our local churches. Faithful preaching will equip believers to shine brightly in a godless culture of political correctness and immoral depravity. The full counsel of God must be brought to bear upon every listener—and this includes the critically important subject of Christian ethics. By God’s grace, thus follows a word of exhortation to every preacher.

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

For a limited time, the new TabletalkMagazine.com allows everyone to browse and read the growing library of back issues, including this month’s issue.

 

The Pattern of Christlikeness

The more the Apostle Paul endured persecution and affliction, the more he was shaped into his Redeemer’s likeness, the One who died and rose for him. In this brief clip, Sinclair Ferguson notes that our union with Christ is to follow this same pattern.

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Transcript:

Turn back a few chapters to 2 Corinthians 4. In 2 Corinthians 4, and especially verses 10, 11 and 12, he's speaking about the sufferings he goes through, "We're persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed." And then, think about this description of him and this description of you. "We are always carrying in the body,” literally, “the dying of Jesus." He doesn't use the word "death;" he used the word "dying." "We're always carrying around in our body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies." Where did he get that from? He got that from Stephen, didn't he? Stephen in his death is Christ-like, carrying in his body his union and communion with the crucified Savior, always carrying in the body the dying of Jesus. And the result? The life of Jesus being manifested in his body. "For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh." So here is the explanation. Death in union with Christ—my sufferings, the persecution I experience, the afflictions I go through—death is at work in us in order that life may be at work in you. He'd learned that through Stephen, hadn't he, and it was the characteristic feature of the whole of his Christian life. Now, friends, this could be a very discouraging word to us: "Do you mean that's what I'm going to experience in the Christian life? Don't you have something more cheerful to say to me?" Well, I have something really cheerful to say to you. As you carry around in your mortal body the dying of Jesus, the life of Jesus will be manifested in you. Now, why does God do it this way? Because this is the way He did it in Jesus, isn't it? It was through His suffering and dying that He bore fruit, and He's transforming us into His likeness to bear fruit. And so, He's going to use the same pattern. He doesn't have a better pattern. That's the pattern—if I had put it this way—that's the pattern that works. To transform us into the likeness of Christ, God uses the pattern that He used with Christ. And so, we embrace Him. And as we embrace Him, it is as though some of His blood will come upon our clothing, and the power of the resurrection will be seen in our lives. And these are lenses. When we view the whole of our Christian lives through these lenses, we will see that pattern working out, sometimes in very small ways, very minute ways. We will need well-crafted lenses to see that pattern. We may not understand fully where and when and why. But if we are united to Christ, this will begin to work out in our lives.

 

Are There Contradictions in the Bible?

We live in a day when consistency of thought is demeaned by many people, and individuals maintain that contradiction is the hallmark of truth, particularly in religious matters. Yet, in practice, human beings seek consistency. Consider liberal Protestantism. Decades ago, most of the mainline denominations abandoned the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture. Originally, these denominations thought they could continue affirming the other core tenets of Christianity. As the years passed, however, it became clear that the rejection of the infallibility and inerrancy of the Scriptures leads to the denial of Christian orthodoxy on other matters. Most churches that abandoned biblical inerrancy and infallibility eventually rejected the atonement, biblical sexual ethics, and other teachings. Those denominations had to do that for consistency's sake. To deny that God's Word is without error is to deny that we have a trustworthy revelation from Him. Thus, it doesn't ultimately matter what the Bible says about anything.

When it comes to studying the actual consistency of Scripture, it's not long before we have to deal with allegations that the Bible is full of contradictions. This can be devastating to the Christian faith, because we know that if the Bible has real contradictions, it's not a consistent account, and if it's not a consistent account, it can't be divinely inspired.

The main thing I want to say about this issue is that most alleged contradictions turn out not to be contradictions at all. When I was a seminary student, my professors frequently taught the theories of "higher" critics who refused to affirm the infallibility of Scripture. One of my fellow seminarians, a brilliant fellow, struggled with these theories. He had come to seminary believing in Scripture's consistency, but by the time he was a senior, he was one of the casualties of the exposure to this relentless skepticism about the Bible. I remember one discussion in the hallway of the seminary where he said: "R.C., how can you still believe in the inerrancy of Scripture after all we've gone through here? Don't you see that the Bible is full of contradictions?"

At the time, he couldn't list even ten examples of contradictions in the Bible. So I suggested he go home and come up with thirty contradictions that we could look at together. When we met the next day, he brought a list of about twenty. He gave me the first "contradiction," and we looked at the apparently contradictory passages together, and we found that there was variation between the two accounts. But variation and contradiction aren't the same thing. We're familiar with how two eyewitnesses might see the same crime but report it differently. They remember different things about the event because of their different perspectives, but the details of the two accounts don't conflict. In fact, the authorities like to have many witnesses to a crime because comparing the stories gives a fuller view of what happened. The same thing happens when historians research an event and read eyewitness accounts of it.

As my friend and I looked at the first alleged biblical problem, we found it was possible for the two accounts to agree. Then, we looked at the rest of the "contradictions." Some examples were more challenging than others, but what happened was this: in every example, we concluded together that there was no real contradiction.

Read the Bible carefully, and you'll find variations of perspective. Consider the Gospels' presentation of the resurrection. For example, Matthew 28:1–10 and Mark 16:1–8 say there was one angel at the empty tomb, while Luke 24:1–12 mentions the presence of two angels at Jesus' grave. That was one of the "contradictions" my friend brought to me. So I said we should assume for the sake of argument that two angels were present. If so, would it not be possible for one eyewitness to be more concerned about who wasn't there—Jesus—than he was about the number of angels present, especially if one of them did not speak? The disciple could have said, "I went there, and I saw an angel, who said x, y, and z," without mentioning the second angel because the presence of two angels wasn't that significant to the disciple who was writing. I asked my friend, "What word is conspicuously absent from this disciple's report that must be there to have a true contradiction?" The answer was clear: the word only. If there were two angels, we know there had to be at least one; thus, since Mark and Matthew don't say there was only one angel there, there's no contradiction between them and Luke. Instead, there's variation in perspectives because they're relying on different eyewitness reports of the same event. Such variation is exactly what we should expect from independent accounts.

It took many centuries and many different writers to give us the Bible. It didn't drop from heaven on a parachute. The doctrine of inspiration doesn't mean we won't find difficult-to-reconcile texts in Scripture. The Bible is a divine book—but it's also a very human book, not in that it is filled with human errors but in that it reflects how human beings tell stories. No two people write in exactly the same way, and no two human beings report their perspectives on the same event identically. Two people can accurately represent the same event without covering all the same details. That's the kind of thing we find in Scripture. Difference does not mean contradiction.

This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.

Alive: A New Teaching Series from Gabe Fluhrer

Do Christians place their hope in a lie? Is the resurrection of Jesus simply an ancient hoax invented by the church? Many people hold that view today. But those who reject the empty tomb fail to make sense of the unavoidable evidence from both Scripture and history. The verdict is in: Christ is risen, and our lives will never be the same.

In this new video teaching series, Dr. Gabe Fluhrer makes a compelling case for Christ’s victory over the grave. Not only is His resurrection a historical fact, but it presents the true answer to our deepest questions and provides every Christian believer with undying hope.

For a limited time, when you order this digital teaching series, we’ll also give you two bonus resources. For less than $15, you’ll get the entire Alive teaching series as a digital download, the corresponding digital study guide, and the recent ebook by Dr. Fluhrer. All three of these resources will be immediately added to your Learning Library so that you can access them anytime and keep them forever. This offer ends on Monday, April 5, so don’t delay.

Eight 23-Minute Messages:

Finding Faith: Why the Resurrection of Christ MattersA Fool’s Errand? Knowing the Resurrection Is TrueFor Sure: The Evidence for the ResurrectionForeshadowed: The Resurrection in the Old TestamentFulfilled: The Resurrection in the GospelsForetaste: The Resurrection in the Rest of the New TestamentFirm Foundation: The Resurrection & Daily LifeFuture Hope: The Resurrection of Everything

Watch This Brief Clip from Dr. Fluhrer:

Watch a Message from This Series for Free:

Purchase Options:

Download audio and video ($14.40)Purchase the corresponding digital study guide ($12.00)Enroll on Ligonier Connect ($9.00/month)

A DVD edition of this teaching series will be available to purchase in August.

BUY NOW

 

Dr. Gabriel N.E. Fluhrer is associate minister of discipleship at the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C., and visiting lec­turer in systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Atlanta. Dr. Fluhrer is author of Alive: How the Resurrection of Christ Changes Everything and editor of Atonement and Solid Ground.

 

Consistent Christianity

Here’s an excerpt from Consistent Christianity, Joel Kim's contribution to the March issue of Tabletalk:

Hypocrisy is often discussed in the Bible but rarely mentioned in polite company. Originally denoting an actor performing with a mask, the word took on the negative connotation of an inconsistency between what one believes and how one acts. This inconsistency can be understood in two ways. Some inconsistencies are pretensions of self-righteousness, acting as if one is righteous and virtuous outwardly while lacking inward conviction. There are many examples of this in the Gospels. Jesus pointedly criticized many who were more interested in public praise for their religious acts of praying, fasting, and giving alms (Matt. 6:2, 5, 16), those who condemned the sins of others while ignoring their own (7:5), and those who worship with lips and outward appearance without sincerity (15:8–9). Jesus famously called out the hypocrisy of many religious leaders of His time by comparing them to cups and plates that are clean on the outside while remaining dirty on the inside and to “whitewashed tombs,” external beauty covering up the death inside (23:25–28). This inconsistency—outward spiritual pretense or false spirituality—is the most common depiction of hypocrisy.

Continue reading Consistent Christianity, or begin receiving Tabletalk magazine by signing up for a free 3-month trial.

For a limited time, the new TabletalkMagazine.com allows everyone to browse and read the growing library of back issues, including this month’s issue.