R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 520

Economics for Everybody — Presale Ending Soon

Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr.'s new teaching series, Economics for Everybody: Applying Biblical Principles to Work, Wealth, and the World, will be released later this month. That means our special presale pricing is about to end.

For a limited time you can order Economics for Everybody (12 messages) on DVD plus the study guide for only $29.00. Preorder now.

Series Summary

Everybody talks about it. The news is full of it. But most Christians know very little about it. Economics: it's everywhere, influencing everything, yet so rarely understood.

Economics for Everybody seeks to remedy that through an insightful and entertaining exploration of the principles, practices, and consequences of economics. Thoroughly unconventional, it links entrepreneurship with lemonade, cartoons with markets, and Charlie Chaplin with supply and demand. It's funny, clever, profound and instructive.

If you want to know why economics is so important to understand, this is the series for you. In our day and age, it's a message every Christian needs to hear.

Preorder Economics for Everybody today.

Jesus' Prayers Keep You From Stumbling

The author of Hebrews wrote, "Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption" (9:11–12). We have a great High Priest who offered a sacrifice for us on the cross once and for all—His own blood. That portion of His priestly ministry is finished. But His priestly work for us goes on as He intercedes for us. On the night before He died, Jesus prayed:

I have manifested Your name to the men whom you have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. (John 17:6–11)

We have a doctrine called the perseverance of the saints. I do not like that name for it; while saints do persevere, it is not because they have the power of perseverance within themselves. If it were left to me to persevere in my Christian walk, I would fall and stumble in a moment. The One who really perseveres is God. He perseveres with His children and thereby preserves them. One of the chief ways in which God preserves His people is through the priestly intercession of Jesus.

We see an example of this from the night when Jesus was betrayed. When Jesus and His disciples gathered in the upper room, He announced to them that one of them was going to betray Him, speaking of Judas. The disciples were perplexed, wondering which of them it might be. Finally, Jesus identified Judas by handing him a piece of bread and saying, "What you do, do quickly" (John 13:21– 27). After that, Jesus dismissed Judas to carry out his treachery. However, there was another disciple at the table who was going to deny Jesus that night. So Jesus said to him: "Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren" (Luke 22:31–32).

What was the difference between Judas and Peter? Jesus did not pray for Judas. He said, "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition" (John 17:12). Peter was one whom the Father had given to Jesus. His denial was a ghastly and heinous crime, but Jesus had prayed for him, and He commanded Peter to strengthen his brothers when he returned. Not if he returned, but when. So, the prayer of Jesus for Peter was effective.

Today, Jesus is in heaven, interceding for you and me, if indeed we belong to Him, and His prayers for us are equally effective. We should rejoice that He has taken up this priestly ministry on our behalf in the heavenly tabernacle.

Excerpt adapted from R.C. Sproul's The Work of Christ. Available now from the Ligonier Store.

Copyright 2012 R.C. Sproul. The Work of Christ published by David C Cook. Publisher permission required to reproduce. All rights reserved.

Celebrating Alone

It was hot and humid that day, August 1, 1992. I stood, and waited. Beside me stood several of my closest friends, and nearby was my father. All of us, however, had our eyes glued to the same spot, anticipating. The music changed, heralding the arrival we were all waiting for, me most of all. The doors swung open, and there she was, on her father's arm. Slowly, stately, they made their way up the center aisle and soon he placed her hand in mine.

Jesus redeemed me. His life, death and resurrection assured me adoption by my heavenly Father. I will one day see Him as He is, and I will be like Him. Apart from this, however, despite a lifetime of showering me with blessing upon blessing, He had never blessed me as He did this day. House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord (Proverbs 19:14).

I knew then what I know well now, that this woman was so much more than I deserved. She was a living, breathing reminder of the gospel, that God gives well beyond my due. For nearly twenty years His grace graced our home in and through her. I woke up each morning astonished at what God had done for me. I went to bed each night beside His grace. I did not get the opportunity to plan a grand twentieth anniversary celebration. We will neither repeat our honeymoon cruise nor hold hands on the Champs Elysees. Instead I will travel to the cemetery.

I will, almost certainly, cry. I will certainly ache from missing her. I will remember those two days that have so shaped me- our wedding and her home going. But my prayer is that I will celebrate. I have much to give thanks for. I am thankful for the twenty years we had together. I am thankful for the eight children we had together, for how faithfully she mothered them, and how powerfully she shows in them. I am thankful for the family and friends she brought into my life. I am thankful for how she was used to help me grow in grace and wisdom, that I am a better man because of her. She spoke God's wisdom into my life, while modeling it in her own.

All of this gratitude, however, pales in comparison to the one thing I am most grateful for. Because I love her I wanted to take her on a special trip for our anniversary. Because I love her I give thanks that she is somewhere infinitely more glorious than any place I could take her. My queen is not sailing to exotic ports but is casting down her golden crown around the glassy sea. She won't stroll through Paris with me, but is walking hand in hand with Jesus on streets of gold. She is enjoying her greatest anniversary ever. Which is the best I could wish for for the woman I love.

My anniversary is, like every day, a day for giving thanks. He gave me more than I deserve in giving me her. He gave her more than she deserves in giving her Him. And one day He will bless me in the same way. Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad.

Eschatology Guy

Here's an excerpt from Eschatology Guy, Keith Mathison's contribution to the July issue of Tabletalk.

My first two books were on the subjects of dispensationalism and postmillennialism, respectively. I was thrilled, then, when asked to write my third book on the doctrine of sola Scriptura and a fourth book on the doctrine of the Lord's Supper. You see, I didn't want to become an "eschatology guy." What in the world, you ask, is an "eschatology guy"? And why wouldn't I want to be one? Is it some kind of super-villain?

In order to understand this fear I had, you have to understand a little bit about the dispensational circles I had recently left. I had become a Christian just out of high school, and the first church I attended was a small dispensationalist Baptist church. In that church, within the short space of two years, the pastor preached verse by verse through the book of Revelation. Twice. He encouraged me to read Edgar Whisenant's 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will be in 1988 as well as several Hal Lindsey books. I was under the impression that every significant event on the news was a sign that the rapture was imminent. My pastor was an "eschatology guy."

Continue reading Eschatology Guy.

Why I Studied at Ligonier Academy

In the summer of 2012 I visited Ligonier Academy to audit a week-long D.Min. (Doctor of Ministry) course on the Trinity, taught by Dr. Robert Letham. It was a rewarding experience, and I'm eager for other pastors and ministry leaders to benefit as well. The reason I took this class, and would encourage others to consider the same, is that Ligonier Academy offers world-class teachers teaching on the most important things in the world in the best possible setting. Let me briefly unpack this.

First, much that passes for serious academic study—though impressive at certain levels—is little more than playing games and majoring in the trivial. The academic fads of today become refuted in the footnotes of tomorrow. But God's desire is for us to think his thoughts after him. That's not only the goal of our academic studies, not only the aim of our ministry endeavors, but the very purpose of our lives: to glorify him as we order all of our thoughts, affections, and actions in conformity with the character of our sovereign triune Lord. As Francis Schaeffer rightly reminded us, God has spoken and he is not silent. There are many things worthy of concentrated study—but few things more important than the revelation of God, his will, and his ways in the world. At Ligonier Academy they study the first things; they keep the main thing the main thing.

Second, Ligonier Academy has attracted some of the most gifted teachers in the world to teach their classes. Dr. Robert Letham, the professor for the class I took, is a committed churchman who aims to edify the body of Christ through his ministry. He is widely regarded as one of the most gifted teachers in the evangelical-Reformed world on the doctrine of the Trinity—its theology in Scripture and in the church. It is an enormous privilege to sit in a class discussing the most important things in the world with one of the world's foremost experts on the subject.

Third, the setting is conducive for optimal benefit. The classes are small (there were ten in my class), and the students were engaged, mature, and each involved in full-time gospel ministry. The course was more than just listening to 40 hours of lecture (you don't need to leave your computer at home to do that), but involved indispensable and sustained discussion of primary sources. The intimate setting—nestled in the gorgeous setting of Ligonier's campus—is wonderfully conducive for engaging in serious learning and stimulating fellowship.

I would give my strongest encouragement for those in pastoral ministry who want to grow in their knowledge of the faith. This is not a do-some-busywork, check-some-boxes type of program. I'm sure there are trendier options, more on the cutting edge. It's not for everyone. But for students of the Word who are serious about growing theologically in the context of worship and fellowship for the edification of God's people, it is worth carefully considering this wonderful program at Ligonier Academy.

Twitter Highlights (7/29/12)

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

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). He is the Seeker; we are the ones who are running. —R.C. Sproul bit.ly/mPMOD1

— Reformation Trust (@RefTrust) July 24, 2012

...my security as a Christian does not reside in the strength of my faith but in the indestructibility of my Savior. —Sinclair Ferguson

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) July 25, 2012

Central Florida high school students can earn college credit for FREE @RefBibleCollege bit.ly/M737RN

— RefBibleCollege (@RefBibleCollege) July 25, 2012

God in His ordinary providence makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at His pleasure (WCF 5.3).

— Tabletalk Magazine (@Tabletalk) July 26, 2012

Today we're announcing our newest outreach: @RefNet. Learn more about @RefNet here: ligm.in/M9jWwK

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) July 26, 2012

If God is not sovereign, God is not God. —R.C. Sproul

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) July 27, 2012

It is possible to pray like a saint, to preach like an angel, and yet to practice like a devil (George Swinnock).

— Ligonier Academy (@LigonierAcademy) July 27, 2012

You can also find our various ministries on Facebook:

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

Running with the Bulls

He was a pastor, who believed in and preached the doctrines of grace. The church he served is not far from me, and on more than one occasion our paths have crossed. Today he sits in jail, charged with sexual assault against a minor. I don't, of course, know if he is guilty or not. What I do know is that we will be seeing more and more of this as time goes on.

The devil is more crafty than any of the beasts of the field. He is crafty enough to know that just because all Christians know something is wrong, that he can still use that something. There are not, as far as I am aware, any Christians in favor of pornography. We all know it is a sin to consume pornography. If we succumb to that temptation, the devil is there to remind us of what we have done. We have sullied our marriage bed. We have embraced sexual immorality. We have dishonored someone's daughter. We have distanced ourselves from our spouse. It is precisely because of these sins that the internet has been such a boon to the devil. Before the internet the consumption of pornography required real interaction with a live human being. You had to make the exchange with the clerk at the convenience store or the video store. You had to buy a ticket to the seedy theater. All the shame we feel was once public, and therefore potent but is now private and therefore weak.

The devil is content for us to feel this shame for at least two reasons. One, shamed Christians are likely porn for the devil. That is, it excites him, delights him, watching us, beloved of the Father, wallowing in our shame. The second reason is this- when we focus on the destruction wrought by looking at this website or watching that movie, we miss where we are going. It is a sin to alter our minds by injecting heroin, but the great evil is where it will lead, the sins of tomorrow whose path we blaze today. So it is with pornography.

Pornography disguises itself as a rabid ferret- fierce, destructive, but small, when it is actually a tyrannosaurus rex. What starts as immorality, the dishonoring of an unknown daughter of an unknown father, what starts as a small wedge in a marriage bed will and does become imprisoned fathers and husbands, and worse still, scarred little children who are more likely to continue the swath of destruction to another generation.

It's a good thing to fight pornography by remembering the damage a ferret can do. But it's a dangerous thing. Better to understand the nature of our enemy here. Would we not more earnestly flee if we knew our homes will blow up, and our lives will be ruined? Pornography is no cherry bomb; it's an atom bomb. When we bring fire to our hearts, we light the fuse. Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths; For she has cast down many wounded and all who were slain by her were strong men. Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death (Proverbs 7:25-27).

What's the Answer to the Modern Day Church?

We now stand in the twenty-first century, almost five hundred years removed from John Calvin's time, but we find ourselves in an equally critical hour of redemptive history. As the organized church was spiritually bankrupt at the outset of Calvin's day, so it is again in our time. Certainly, to judge by outward appearances, the evangelical church in this hour seems to be flourishing. Megachurches are springing up everywhere. Christian contemporary music and publishing houses seem to be booming. Men's rallies are packing large coliseums. Christian political groups are heard all the way to the White House. Yet the evangelical church is largely a whitewashed tomb. Tragically, her outward facade masks her true internal condition.

...the evangelical church is largely a whitewashed tomb. —Steven Lawson

"We Want Again Calvins!"

What are we to do? We must do what Calvin and the Reformers did so long ago. There are no new remedies for old problems. We must come back to old paths. We must capture the centrality and pungency of biblical preaching once again. There must be a decisive return to preaching that is Word-driven, God-exalting, Christ-centered, and Spirit-empowered. We desperately need a new generation of expositors, men cut from the same bolt of cloth as Calvin. Pastors marked by compassion, humility, and kindness must once again "preach the Word." In short, we need Calvins again to stand in pulpits and boldly proclaim the Word of God.

Charles H. Spurgeon shall have the final word here. This great man witnessed firsthand the decline of dynamic preaching and issued this plea:

We want again Luthers, Calvins, Bunyans, Whitefields, men fit to mark eras, whose names breathe terror in our foemen's ears. We have dire need of such. Whence will they come to us? They are the gifts of Jesus Christ to the church, and will come in due time. He has power to give us back again a golden age of preachers, and when the good old truth is once more preached by men whose lips are touched as with a live coal from off the altar, this shall be the instrument in the hand of the Spirit for bringing about a great and thorough revival of religion in the land...

The moment the church of God shall despise the pulpit, God will despise her. —Charles Spurgeon

I do not look for any other means of converting men beyond the simple preaching of the gospel and the opening of men's ears to hear it. The moment the church of God shall despise the pulpit, God will despise her. It has been through the ministry that the Lord has always been pleased to revive and bless His churches.

May Spurgeon's heartfelt prayer be answered once again in this day. We do want Calvins again. We must have Calvins again. And, by God's grace, we shall see them raised up again in this hour. May the Head of the church give us again an army of biblical expositors, men of God sold out for a new reformation.

Excerpt from Steven Lawson's The Expository Genius of John Calvin. Available from ReformationTrust.com

$5 Friday: The Puritans, The Reformers, & Theology

It's Friday again and that means it's time for another $5 Friday sale. This week's resources cover such topics as the Puritans, the Reformers, theology, Islam, Catholicism, Ecclesiastes, Joshua, apologetics, and more. We thank Joshua Press for their partnership this week.

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

View today's $5 Friday sale items.

Announcing RefNet: 24-hour Christian Internet Radio

We live in a time where there is a proliferation of edifying media available on the web for the Christian, but there isn't a clear way to aggregate this media into a produced, filtered format. Simply putting everything on the web doesn't mean everyone will find it. Yes, some people want an à la carte approach with choosing from a multiplicity of podcasts or searching through long lists and that works well for them. Yet others want an always-on streaming approach. As we see it, the Christian community has only just begun to tap the internet's potential for spreading trustworthy biblical teaching to every nation, tribe, and language on this earth.

It's for these reasons that we have created Ligonier's newest outreach: we call it RefNet.

RefNet (Reformation Network) is 24-hour Christian internet radio featuring biblical preaching and teaching

While Christian terrestrial radio continues to be an effective outreach in the United States, we're pushing to leverage the growth of internet-enabled mobile phones and tablets around the world. RefNet is freely available on your internet connected iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch; on your computer through the RefNet website; or on many other mobile browsers through RefNet's lite mobile version.

You'll hear Renewing Your Mind with Dr. R.C. Sproul, plus hundreds of teaching series, messages from our teaching fellows, and more than twenty-five years of conference messages. Ligonier has a digital library of many thousands of hours of solid Bible teaching and preaching, but up until this point we have been limited in ways to provide useful access to it. RefNet enables us to serve you better with unique daily teaching and preaching.

RefNet is pleased to also feature the ministries of other broadcast partners who echo the same great historic truths that have been well-framed by the creedal consensus coming out of the Reformation. RefNet includes broadcasts from Alistair Begg at Truth For Life, John MacArthur at Grace to You, John Piper at Desiring God, Albert Mohler with The Briefing and Thinking in Public, and many others. And you'll hear daily news briefs from World Magazine and SRN News to help you stay current with that day's headlines.

In the evening, families can enjoy biblically-based audio drama produced by Lamplighter Theater. We then move throughout the night into a blend of Bible reading, brought to you by our friends at Crossway Books, and pleasant music suitable to background listening.

Many people already connect their computers, smartphones, and tablets to their home audio systems, so this will be one additional way to serve Christians who want a Scripture-saturated home.

Watch the Video

Ligonier Ministries' mission statement includes a phrase that takes my breath away: "reach as many people as possible." You probably dream big like me, so the number of people we have to reach is staggering, almost 7 billion by last count. What this means is that in order to reach as many of those 7 billion souls as possible, we need to be wise stewards of the technology God, in His grace, has put in front of us. RefNet is another outreach to help us do just that.

We hope you enjoy using RefNet as much as we enjoyed creating it. We're just getting started and there are more edifying broadcasts to come. Please share RefNet with your family, friends, and churches.

Get Started

Download RefNet from the App Store™
Listen online at RefNet.fm
Like RefNet on Facebook
Follow @RefNet on Twitter