R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 500

Reformation Bible College Winter Preview Weekend

Reformation Bible College (RBC) is offering prospective college students the opportunity to attend Ligonier's 2013 National Conference for FREE. You're invited to register for RBC's preview weekend that will include: a meal with our faculty, the opportunity to sit in on a class, learn more about this unique college, and tour our beautiful campus. Those who register and attend the preview weekend activities will receive free conference tickets to attend Ligonier's conference on the theme, "No Compromise."

Learn More or Register

This is excellent opportunity for you and your family to learn more about RBC and enjoy a weekend packed with trustworthy teaching. Additionally, you may have the opportunity to sit in on one or more of our RBC classes. There are a select number of seats in our classrooms, so please let us know when registering that you are interested and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Medieval Classics Dr. Michael Morales
8:00 – 10:45am


Modern Philosophy: Descartes through Hume Dr. RC Sproul Jr.
8:00 – 10:45am


Hebrews to Revelation Dr. Ben Dunson
8:00 – 10:45am


Ensemble Saint Andrew’s Choir Mr. Randall Van Megellen
6:30 – 8:30pm

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Biblical Theology 2 Dr. Ben Dunson
8:00 – 9:15am


History of Israel Rev. Robert Barnes
8:00 – 9:15am


Brunch with Faculty
9:30 – 11:00am


Ice Cream Social
9:00 – 10:00pm

We look forward to welcoming you on our campus and seeing you at Ligonier's 2013 National Conference.

Learn More or Register

$5 Friday: Westminster Standards, Music, & Reformed Theology

It's time for our weekly $5 Friday sale. This week's resources cover such topics as the Westminster Standards, music, Reformed theology, the gospel, marriage, ethics, and more.

Sale runs through 12:01 a.m. — 11:59 p.m. Friday EST.

View today's $5 Friday sale items.

Do You Believe in a Santa Christ?

In Dr. Sinclair Ferguson's book, In Christ Alone, he shares the sad reality that many Christians have a Christology that is more informed by Santa Claus than Scripture. For them, the message of the incarnation has been so twisted or diluted that they have in fact created for themselves a savior who is nothing more than a Santa Christ.

As you prayerfully read Dr. Ferguson's words, ask yourself the following question this Christmas season: "Do I believe in a Santa Christ?"

1. A Pelagian Jesus is a Santa Christ

Santa Christ is sometimes a Pelagian Jesus. Like Santa, he simply asks us whether we have been good. More exactly, since the assumption is that we are all naturally good, Santa Christ asks us whether we have been "good enough." So just as Christmas dinner is simply the better dinner we really deserve, Jesus becomes a kind of added bonus who makes a good life even better. He is not seen as the Savior of helpless sinners.

2. A Semi-Pelagian Jesus is a Santa Christ

Or Santa Christ may be a Semi-Pelagian Jesus -- a slightly more sophisticated Jesus who, Santa-like, gives gifts to those who have already done the best they could! Thus, Jesus' hand, like Santa's sack, opens only when we can give an upper-percentile answer to the none-too-weighty probe, "Have you done your best this year?" The only difference from medieval theology here is that we do not use its Latin phraseology: facere quod in se est (to do what one is capable of doing on one's own, or, in common parlance, "Heaven helps those who help themselves").

3. A Mystical Jesus is a Santa Christ

Then again, Santa Christ may be a mystical Jesus, who, like Santa Claus, is important because of the good experiences we have when we think about him, irrespective of his historical reality. It doesn't really matter whether the story is true or not; the important thing is the spirit of Santa Christ. For that matter, while it would spoil things to tell the children this, everyone can make up his or her own Santa Christ. As long as we have the right spirit of Santa Christ, all is well.

But Jesus is not to be identified with Santa Claus; worldly thinking — however much it employs Jesus-language — is not to be confused with biblical truth.

Who is the Biblical Christ of Christmas?

The Scriptures systematically strip away the veneer that covers the real truth of the Christmas story. Jesus did not come to add to our comforts. He did not come to help those who were already helping themselves or to fill life with more pleasant experiences. He came on a deliverance mission, to save sinners, and to do so He had to destroy the works of the Devil (Matt. 1:21; 1 John 3:8b).

Those whose lives were bound up with the events of the first Christmas did not find His coming an easy and pleasurable experience.
Mary and Joseph's lives were turned upside down.
The shepherds' night was frighteningly interrupted, and their futures potentially radically changed.
The magi faced all kinds of inconvenience and family separation.
Our Lord Himself, conceived before wedlock, born probably in a cave, would spend His early days as a refugee from the bloodthirsty and vindictive Herod (Matt. 2:13-21).

There is, therefore, an element in the Gospel narratives that stresses that the coming of Jesus is a disturbing event of the deepest proportions. It had to be thus, for He did not come merely to add something extra to life, but to deal with our spiritual insolvency and the debt of our sin. He was not conceived in the womb of Mary for those who have done their best, but for those who know that their best is "like filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6)--far from good enough--and that in their flesh there dwells no good thing (Rom. 7:18). He was not sent to be the source of good experiences, but to suffer the pangs of hell in order to be our Savior.

Adapted from In Christ Alone by Sinclair Ferguson.

Hope for Prodigal Children

Here's an excerpt from Hope for Prodigal Children, Burk Parsons' contribution to the December issue of Tabletalk.

As a pastor, I am often faced with the difficulty of counseling deeply saddened fathers and mothers with prodigal sons and daughters. Parents who enter my study for counsel and prayer are usually trying to come to grips with the harsh reality about a prodigal (lavishly wasteful) son or daughter. The child they have loved, prayed for, educated, nurtured, protected, and discipled has left everything to chase after the fleeting pleasures of the world, forsaking not only their father's home but their father's faith. There are likely many parents and grandparents reading this who have prodigal children or grandchildren, and they are greatly burdened for their souls, praying they would come to the end of themselves, trust Christ, and come home.

Continue reading Hope for Prodigal Children online or learn more about the digital edition of Tabletalk.

Will You Help Us Finish Strong?

The end of another year fast approaches. I have greatly appreciated the support of friends like you in 2012. Your help has made it possible to reach many people with God's Word.

We know that God is far greater than the darkness. These are invigorating times for ministry, for shining forth the Lord's holiness and mercy. Ligonier Ministries needs your help to carry this light into the dark regions of the world in 2013.

Because friends like you sacrificed in 2012, Ligonier has accomplished much. By God's grace, we are reaching a growing and global audience through our publishing, broadcasting and education outreach.

Through your gifts and prayers, you are "fellow workers for the truth" with us (3 John 8). You have a stake in this donor-supported ministry, which has reached millions in 2012. You can help us further with a tax-deductible donation to our work by December 31.

Your support impacts the world through Ligonier's outreach. I was heartened by a letter from Charlene in London who said,

"I searched for the truth high and low but the place where I understood the gospel and received true biblical teaching for the first time was on Ligonier.org. I thank God every day for R.C. and theologians alike and thank our Lord for being sovereign over everything. I am a South African living in London and found out the truth about our gracious Lord Jesus on Ligonier.org. WOW! All praise be to Him! Thank you so much for Ligonier Ministries."

With your help and by God's sustaining grace we can move forward with our outreach plans in 2013. Will you help us finish strong with your year-end gift?

Thank you.

What Does the X in Xmas Mean?

The X in Christmas is used like the R in R.C. My given name at birth was Robert Charles, although before I was even taken home from the hospital my parents called me by my initials, R.C., and nobody seems to be too scandalized by that.

X can mean so many things. For example, when we want to denote an unknown quantity, we use the symbol X. It can refer to an obscene level of films, something that is X-rated. People seem to express chagrin about seeing Christ's name dropped and replaced by this symbol for an unknown quantity X. Every year you see the signs and the bumper stickers saying, "Put Christ back into Christmas" as a response to this substitution of the letter X for the name of Christ.

There's no X in Christmas

First of all, you have to understand that it is not the letter X that is put into Christmas. We see the English letter X there, but actually what it involves is the first letter of the Greek name for Christ. Christos is the New Testament Greek for Christ. The first letter of the Greek word Christos is transliterated into our alphabet as an X. That X has come through church history to be a shorthand symbol for the name of Christ.

We don't see people protesting the use of the Greek letter theta, which is an O with a line across the middle. We use that as a shorthand abbreviation for God because it is the first letter of the word Theos, the Greek word for God.

X has a long and sacred history

The idea of X as an abbreviation for the name of Christ came into use in our culture with no intent to show any disrespect for Jesus. The church has used the symbol of the fish historically because it is an acronym. Fish in Greek (ichthus) involved the use of the first letters for the Greek phrase "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior." So the early Christians would take the first letter of those words and put those letters together to spell the Greek word for fish. That's how the symbol of the fish became the universal symbol of Christendom. There's a long and sacred history of the use of X to symbolize the name of Christ, and from its origin, it has meant no disrespect.

Adapted from Now, That’s a Good Question! ©1996 by R.C. Sproul. Used by permission of Tyndale.

Christmas Carols: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

My all-time favorite Christmas carol is Charles Wesley's, Hark! the Herald Angels Sing. I trust you will see why as we move through its stanzas and consider its message. While you may be used to the three-stanza version found in most hymnals (e.g., Psalter Hymnal #339; Trinity Hymnal #203), I will use a five-stanza version my congregation sings every Christmas Eve at our service of lessons and carols.

Invitation

The fact of the Incarnation of the Son of God is for us a powerful invitation to worship him. This is what the first stanza is all about. The angels sing, "Hark! The herald angels sing, glory to the newborn King; peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!" Because of their cry, we are invited to echo back: "Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies; with th'angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Meditation: The Incarnate Lord

The second stanza is a meditation on why the angels and the nations sing every Advent and Christmas. We sing because Jesus is eternal God: "Christ, by highest Heav'n adored; Christ the everlasting Lord." We sing because this eternal Son has become man, in what we call the incarnation. It is always amazing to sing the doctrine that the Son of God added to himself a human nature, what we call the hypostatic union:

Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th'incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

The One who was born on Christmas causes us to be born again as Christians. —Daniel Hyde

Meditation: The Benefits of the Incarnation

The third stanza is another meditation, this time on the benefits of the incarnation. We sing, "Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace," because Jesus gives peace. We sing, "Hail the Sun of Righteousness," because Jesus gives the righteousness of God to sinners. We sing, "Light and life to all He brings," because Jesus opens our eyes and resurrects our souls unto eternal life. We sing, "Ris'n with healing in His wings," because Jesus heals us from the sickness of our sins. The stanza then says, "Mild He lays His glory by," and the threefold benefits of this act of the Son:

Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Invocation: Dwell in Us!

Stanza four is an invocation—a calling upon—of Jesus Christ to now be at work within us by dwelling in us. We pray to him, "Come, Desire of nations, come, fix in us Thy humble home," as we long for his indwelling presence with us. We pray for promise of Genesis 3:15 to be made real in our lives, when we sing: "Rise, the woman's conqu'ring Seed, bruise in us the serpent's head." We pray that Paul's teaching in Ephesians 4:24 would also be made real in our lives, when we sing: "Now display Thy saving power, ruined nature now restore." The grace of the Son's incarnation restores our human nature. Finally, we pray to Jesus that we would know the reality of our union with him and enjoy communion with him: "Now in mystic union join, Thine to ours, and ours to Thine."

Invocation: Change Us!

The fifth and final stanza is another prayer to Jesus that he would change us by his continuing work in us to sanctify us and cause us to grow in holiness. We pray, "Adam's likeness, Lord, efface, stamp Thine image in its place." Here is an echo of Paul's amazing teaching in 1 Corinthians 15. Again, Wesley invokes that chapter, saying, "Second Adam from above, reinstate us in Thy love." And because of his love for us we pray, "Let us Thee, though lost, regain, Thee, the Life, the inner man." Finally, we pray to our incarnate Lord, "O, to all Thyself impart, formed in each believing heart."

Why is Hark! the Herald Angels Sing my all-time favorite Christmas carol? It is not only because it powerfully proclaims the truth of the doctrine of the incarnation, but because it personally expresses the benefits of Christ in Christian experience. The One who was born on Christmas causes us to be born again as Christians.

See also:

Christmas Carols: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Christmas Carols: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

The Prodigal Son(s) and Church Discipline

Here's an excerpt from The Prodigal Son(s) and Church Discipline, Scotty Smith's contribution to the December issue of Tabletalk.

Providence reigns, even over editorial requests. When asked to offer pastoral insights on church discipline in light of the story of the prodigal son, little did I realize where this assignment would take me both spiritually and emotionally.

Listening to the text of Luke 15 afresh left me very convicted but even more hopeful. I'm convicted because, after pastoring the same church family for twenty-six years, I wish I had a scrapbook filled with church-discipline stories that reflect the gospel-saturated beauty of Luke 15.

I wish I could tell you about all the repentant Christians who, through well-implemented church discipline, returned home to great parties thrown by humble, grace-smitten leaders, and who were then fully assimilated back into the life of our congregation. Although I have tons of great stories— grace stories of conversions and renewals— I don't have many church-discipline stories about which I'm really excited.

Continue reading The Prodigal Son(s) and Church Discipline online or learn more about the digital edition of Tabletalk.

Give Tabletalk this Christmas, Get Two Books

Make 2013 a year of enriching and engaging study for someone on your gift list by sending them a gift subscription to Tabletalk magazine. When you do, we will send both of you a copy of Dr. R.C. Sproul’s book Does God Control Everything?

An annual Tabletalk gift subscription consists of 12 print issues delivered each month in the mail as well as free access to the corresponding digital edition for iPad™, and Lord willing, other tablet devices soon. Gift subscription recipients can now enjoy the convenience of having multiple issues available in multiple formats.

As a preview for the upcoming year, 2013 issues will feature articles examining topics like the biblical call for Christians to listen well and meditate deeply, our youth-obsessed culture and its impact on the church, and the true meanings of "faith" and "repentance." The daily Bible studies will focus on the Old Testament prophets and explain how to apply their teachings today.

With in-depth devotions and stimulating articles covering a wide variety of issues, there is something for readers at every stage of their Christian walk.

Give a gift subscription for only $23

Both of You Receive a FREE Book  

For each paid gift subscription, you and your gift recipient will receive one free copy of Dr. R.C. Sproul’s booklet, Does God Control Everything? There is no limit to the number of gift subscriptions you can give or the number of free books you can receive. (Offer expires 1/31/13.)

Gift Subscription Notification Cards

Giving a gift subscription does not mean you will arrive empty handed this Christmas. Our notification cards are perfect to print and give to your friend or loved one to inform them of the gift subscription you have purchased. If it is more convenient, our notification cards can easily be emailed.

Giving Multiple Tabletalk Gift Subscriptions is Easy

We’ve made it easy for you to give Tabletalk to as many friends and family members as you like — all on the same form. Simply add more recipients by clicking the option to "add another gift subscription" and repeat the process. When everyone is listed, enter your payment information, click "subscribe," and you’re done. Remember, there is no limit on the number of gift subscriptions you can give or the number of free books you can receive.

A Tabletalk magazine subscription is an affordable gift that lasts all year. Give a gift subscription now for only $23.

 

Twitter Highlights (12/9/12)

Here are highlights from our various Twitter accounts over the past week.

The Christian ethic is the same no matter what the Supreme Court does... —R.C. Sproul

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) December 5, 2012

Watch the recording of today's Google Hangout with Steven Lawson: ligm.in/UotKSM

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) December 5, 2012

Whatsoever rises from self, always aims at, and terminates in self (John Flavel).

— Ligonier Academy (@LigonierAcademy) December 5, 2012

...shallow theology always produces shallow convictions. —Steven Lawson bit.ly/kofEvr

— Reformation Trust (@RefTrust) December 6, 2012

Above all know God.

— RefBibleCollege (@RefBibleCollege) December 6, 2012

If we are adopted, then we have an interest in all the promises: the promises are children's bread (Thomas Watson).

— Tabletalk Magazine (@Tabletalk) December 7, 2012

As the Great Provider, God invites His people to come to Him and to verbalize their needs. —R.C. Sproul

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) December 8, 2012

You can also find our various ministries on Facebook:

Ligonier Ministries | Ligonier Academy | Ligonier Connect | RefNet
Reformation Bible College | Reformation Trust | Tabletalk Magazine