R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 45

Special $5 Friday (and More) Sale: Save Up to 88%

Save up to 88% on more than one hundred trustworthy books, DVDs, digital downloads, CDs, and study guides. This special $5 Friday (and More) collection includes a variety of discipleship resources for $5 each and numerous other significantly discounted items.

Sale ends Friday, November 27, at 11:59 p.m. ET. While supplies last.

View today’s $5 Friday (and More) sale items.

Final Hours: $5 Friday (and More) Sale

Don’t miss this opportunity to save up to 88% on more than one hundred trustworthy books, DVDs, digital downloads, CDs, and study guides. This special $5 Friday (and More) collection includes a variety of discipleship resources for $5 each and numerous other significantly discounted items.

Sale ends tonight, at 11:59 p.m. ET. While supplies last.

View today’s $5 Friday (and More) sale items.

Happy Thanksgiving: Free Downloads by R.C. Sproul

Each year at Thanksgiving, millions of Americans gather together to celebrate an age-old tradition. They enjoy each other's company as they watch college football games, catch up on old times, and eat lots of good food.

What could be wrong with a tradition like that? The problem is not so much what we do, but what we neglect to do. How much thanks do you give each year? In this special two-part message, R.C. Sproul reminds us of what is missing from so many Thanksgiving feasts and the fundamental sin we are guilty of every day.

Thanksgiving (Part 1) (Right click to save)

Thanksgiving (Part 2) (Right click to save)

Thanksgiving is a moment to express profound, deep, sincere and genuine gratitude to the providence of God for a year's worth of tender mercies that we have received from the hand of His benevolence. From His care, from His comfort, from His guidance, from His government of our lives, we are to take time to be grateful.

—R.C. Sproul

Ligonier Ministries wishes you a happy Thanksgiving.

The Whole Truth of God

Here’s an excerpt from The Whole Truth of God, Max Rogland's contribution to the November issue of Tabletalk:

Once upon a time, boys were boys, girls were girls, and binary was a mathematical term.

The Bible repeatedly warns us against this temptation: “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it” (Deut. 4:2; 12:32); “And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Rev. 22:19). Ecclesiastes says that the words of the wise are like goads given by the Shepherd (God) and warns, “My son, beware of anything beyond these” (12:12). The old saying “a place for everything, and everything in its place” is applicable here. Every biblical book has its rightful place in the canon of Scripture and contributes to the overall message, meaning that no passage is dispensable.

Continue reading The Whole Truth of God, 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.

Serving the Global Church through Trusted Resources

“The website and its contents are great. As long as I remember, we never had any website like this to provide solid and reformed teaching in Farsi. We love R.C. Sproul because of his simplicity of explaining the hard-theological concepts. He is our favorite teacher. I am using the website’s content in my teaching and ask our underground churches to have study through it.” —Ram, Iran

Ligonier’s international gospel outreach is expanding, serving as an oasis of truth for the global church. This year, more people than ever are seeking out our teaching and discipleship resources to help them grow in their knowledge of God, of themselves, and of their calling in this world. Through the support of friends like you, and in partnership with Christians around the world, many resources from Dr. R.C. Sproul and the Ligonier Teaching Fellows are being translated into many of the world’s most spoken languages.

Chinese Outreach

Our dedicated-language outreach in Chinese was launched in October. The Chinese Ligonier website, zh.ligonier.org, is an online library of resources, featuring translated articles, dubbed video teaching series, study guides, books, and more.

This website, available in both simplified and traditional Chinese script, has been specially designed to provide download options in video and audio format so that messages can be viewed and shared offline. This helps Christians with limited internet options to access resources and to share them discreetly under the shadow of persecution. Series currently available include The Holiness of God and Chosen by God from R.C. Sproul.

We also recently launched our Chinese social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to share faithful Bible teaching to Chinese speakers around the world. And the work continues in earnest. Our first audiobook in Mandarin Chinese, Surprised by Suffering from Dr. R.C. Sproul, is now being recorded for free distribution in 2021.

French Outreach

Expansion of translated resources to serve trustworthy teaching for the French-speaking world also continues. Ligonier’s French website (fr.ligonier.org) is updated with fresh content weekly, and we are active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Thanks to our Canadian supporters through Ligonier Ministries Canada, we began translation of several titles from Dr. Sproul’s Crucial Questions series in French. These booklets are increasingly requested in several languages, offering succinct answers to common and challenging questions about the Christian faith.

French is currently the seventh most spoken language in the world. Please join us in praying that Ligonier resources can serve the church for many years to come as the need increases, especially with significant population growth expected in the French-speaking countries of North Africa.

Spanish and Portuguese Outreach

This fall saw the launch of the landmark Spanish edition of the Reformation Study Bible. We give thanks to God for the successful release of this pivotal work in Spanish, with a reprint already underway for many Latin American countries. In the coming months, we anticipate the release of the Reformation Study Bible in Portuguese.

Our online Reformation Day event for Latin America was streamed in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The theme was Romans 8, and several Ligonier teaching fellows participated, as well as other gifted teachers from Latin America and Brazil. This innovative event generated considerable interest and enthusiasm among Christians in many different countries.

Arabic Outreach

An Arabic edition of the Ligonier Statement on Christology video is now available on YouTube. This video, which testifies eloquently to the person and work of Jesus Christ, has been widely shared on Ligonier’s Arabic Facebook page.

Two of Dr. Sproul’s classic video teaching series, The Holiness of God and Chosen by God, were recently dubbed in Arabic for the first time. This has taken place to help meet a rising demand for Christian resources in audio and video content as the availability of mobile devices and as access to the internet increases.

Farsi Outreach

Over the last twelve months, seven Ligonier teaching series have been dubbed in Farsi for satellite broadcast in Iran and surrounding countries. This outreach brings faithful teaching to many people who are suffering persecution for their faith in Jesus.

The list of broadcasted teaching series currently includes The Holiness of God, What Did Jesus Do?: Understanding the Work of Christ, Who Is the Holy Spirit?, The Attributes of God, The Book of Job, Basic Training, and Loved by God.

Help Us Reach More People with Trustworthy Teaching

Resources are currently being translated in many other languages, including Burmese, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Korean, modern Hebrew, and more. These outreaches would not be possible without your prayers and generous financial giving. Your support of Ligonier helps propel our international outreach. Thank you for helping to reach even more people around the world with the truth of God’s holiness and the gospel of His grace.

“It is a privilege for me to support the work Ligonier is doing to spread the good news about Jesus in the world. I found out about Dr. R.C. Sproul on my podcast app. Ever since, I have been blessed by his sermons and teachings on Jesus. This is really the least I can do. I’d love more people in the world to get access to these resources.” —Patrick, Cameroon

The Source of Spiritual Fruitfulness

It is all too easy to get caught up in how well we’re doing in Christian service while neglecting our communion with the Lord Jesus. In this brief clip, Sinclair Ferguson teaches that the vital source of our spiritual fruitfulness is found in Christ Himself.

Transcript:

Our union with Christ is the source of all fruitfulness in our lives. Look at what He says here. He says, "Abide in Me, and I in you," verse 4. "As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." Later on, of course, He will say, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." And this is really a very striking statement, when you think about it. Jesus is saying, "Unless there is a union between you and Me, your lives will never be fruitful." And in saying that, He's really emphasizing to us, actually it's really important we understand this aspect of the gospel, that we're united Christ. Because He's saying that it is the real key to us understanding how we're going to be fruitful in the Christian life. We are united to Christ. That's our relationship. What's the relationship between the branch and the vine? The branch is united to the vine. But it's as the branch draws on the significance of that union that the branch bears fruit. As the Christian believer draws on the significance of this union, the resources that are ours in Christ, as we saw in Paul's letter to the Colossians, the fullness in Christ that is ours. This should enable us to stand tall and to believe that, so long as we remain in this union and communion with the Lord Jesus, the fruit will begin to grow.

Giving Thanks to the Father

Rushing children to urgent care for stitches is not a fun aspect of parenting. Even when the blood has been running down their face, they fight the doctor coming at them with needle and thread. Not once has my child sat still and stayed quiet during the procedure, then turned with a smile to thank me. That wouldn’t be human nature. My children thank me for things that they perceive as pleasant, not things that hurt.

Perhaps that is part of the reason that 1 Thessalonians 5:18 commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances.” If it weren’t commanded, we wouldn’t do it. It’s not human nature to give thanks in all circumstances. But for believers, this practice should be a growing facet of our regenerate nature.

Just as my children cannot understand how stitches will help a cut, so we often cannot see the effects of our circumstances. Perhaps they are for our good; perhaps they are for the good of those around us. Maybe they simply, somehow, bring glory to God. As Job found out, God doesn’t owe us an explanation. He does, though, kindly assure us that He will work it all for good, even as He commands thanksgiving.

Matthew Henry, after somebody stole his wallet, wrote down several thanksgivings in that circumstance: “1) I am thankful that he never robbed me before. 2) I am thankful that although he took my wallet, he did not take my life. 3) Although he took all I had, it was not much. 4) I am glad that it was I who was robbed, not I who did the robbing.” Though he didn’t give thanks for the robbing itself—for the act of robbing itself was sin—he gave thanks in this hard situation. The reality of God’s protection and ultimate kindness was bigger than the reality of the theft.

The text gives us solid reason for cultivating such a perspective: “This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18). The will of God, which is our sanctification (1 Thess. 4:3), includes persistent thanksgiving to God. But here, the will qualified: it is God’s will “in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:18). God’s will for us is undivided from our Savior, just like His covenant love (Rom. 8:39). The New Testament often uses the phrase “in Christ” to describe believers. The term “Christian” is rare. Instead, Scripture often calls God’s elect those who are “in Christ” (e.g., Rom. 8:1; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 2:17; Gal. 1:22; Eph. 1:1; Col. 1:2). Just as we who believe the gospel are in Christ, so God’s will for us is in Him. The grace that brought us into union with Jesus is also the grace that wills us home to Him, dangers, toils, and snares notwithstanding.

And perhaps that last little phrase—“for you”—contains similar sweetness. When we are in Christ, circumstances don’t happen to us. Because the will of God in Christ Jesus is for us, so our circumstances will be for us. Of all people, only those who are in Christ have this grounding assurance: anything we go through happens for us, not to us. Surely this is something for which we can give thanks, in spite of grief or pain. It moves us from the stance of victim to beloved child. It lets us see things such as stitches not as torture but as medical care. It allows us to see that the difficulties of this life, though real and hard, are not ultimate. If the Father is for us, then everything else must be subservient to that reality. When the Spirit creates a Godward orientation in us, thankfulness will be able to flow, even in hard times.

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Unashamed of the Truth

Here’s an excerpt from Unashamed of the Truth, Nate Pickowicz's contribution to the November issue of Tabletalk:

Once upon a time, boys were boys, girls were girls, and binary was a mathematical term.

There has not been a more crucial time in recent history when Christians have needed to stand firm in their faith. As culture becomes increasingly antagonistic to Christianity, the temptation for believers is to be ashamed of biblical truth, and even to deny Jesus Christ who is Himself the truth (John 14:6). When Christian truth is unpopular and unappealing, there is immense pressure from the world to compromise our witness. However, we are called not to waver or to fear others but to stand unashamed of Christ. And while many may fall away from the faith, our Lord has a solemn warning for those who would be ashamed of Christ and of His truth.

Continue reading Unashamed of the Truth, 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.

Luke: An Expositional Commentary by R.C. Sproul

Can we know what Jesus was truly like during His time on earth? A first-century physician set out to gather eyewitness testimony of the life, teaching, and ministry of Jesus Christ. The result is a close-up account of a compassionate Savior on His journey to redeem His people.

In his newest book, Luke: An Expositional Commentary, Dr. R.C. Sproul traces the record of Jesus’ life as told by Luke, the man considered by some to be one of the greatest historians of the ancient world. Dr. Sproul shows that this gospel is for believers and skeptics alike, written so “that you may have certainty” (Luke 1:4) about the Son of Man who came to seek and save the lost.

Dr. Sproul’s expositional commentaries help you understand key theological themes and apply them to all areas of your life. Drawn from decades of careful study and delivered from a pastor’s heart, these sermons are readable, practical, and thoroughly Bible-centered. Here is your opportunity to learn from a trusted teacher and theologian as he leads you through God’s Word and shares his perspective on living faithfully for God’s glory. This is a series to serve pastors, small groups, and growing Christians who want to know the Bible better.

“Dr. R.C. Sproul, well known as a master theologian and extraordinary communicator, showed that he was a powerful, insightful, helpful expository preacher. This collection of sermons is of great value for churches and Christians everywhere.”

—Dr. W. Robert Godfrey

Ligonier Ministries Chairman and Teaching Fellow

“Thousands of us have long been indebted to Dr. R.C. Sproul the teacher, and now, through Dr. Sproul’s expositional commentaries, we are indebted to Sproul the preacher, whose sermons are thoroughly biblical, soundly doctrinal, warmly practical, and wonderfully readable . . . This series of volumes is an absolute must for every Reformed preacher and church member who yearns to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ Jesus.”

—Dr. Joel Beeke

President and professor of systematic theology and homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Available now from the Ligonier store.

Hardcover for $40.00 $32.00