R.C. Sproul's Blog, page 554

Twitter Highlights (12/18/11)

Here are highlights from the various Ligonier Twitter feeds over the past week.

[Jesus] did not simply share our forsakenness, but He saved us from it. He endured it for us, not with us. -Joel Beeke bit.ly/e9IDBP

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) December 12, 2011

If we do not abide in prayer, we will abide in temptation (Owen).

— Tabletalk Magazine (@Tabletalk) December 13, 2011

Our deepest fears flow out of our fragility. -Dr. Sproul

— Ligonier Connect (@LigonierConnect) December 13, 2011

To contend against Omnipotence is insanity (Charles Spurgeon).

— Ligonier Academy (@LigonierAcademy) December 13, 2011

There is no such thing as a closet Christian; we’re to bear witness to the world of our commitment to Christ and not hide it. - R.C. Sproul

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) December 14, 2011

The practical benefits of God's infinity are great and marvelous. God is able to be present with you and me. - Dr. Sproul, President of RBC

— RefBibleCollege (@RefBibleCollege) December 15, 2011

He who came for us as a baby now dwells in us as the Lord of glory through His Spirit. -Sinclair Ferguson bit.ly/o8lTuo

— Reformation Trust (@RefTrust) December 15, 2011

You can also find our various ministries on Facebook:

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

Denise Sproul is at home with the Lord

Denise, enjoying the blessed vision of our God and Father, is at home with the Lord. Cancer no longer afflicts her, and every tear has been dried away. The Queen of Orlando casts her crown at her Savior’s feet, and together, they dance. 

 

The Most Dangerous Place On Earth

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God." (1:21-24)

There is no more dangerous place to be than where the direct, straightforward teaching of the Word of God confronts dead religion. As long as dead religion is allowed to sleep the sleep of death, all continues placidly and peaceably. But when the truth of Scripture challenges empty religion, a cataclysmic collision is sure to result. This is because whenever the Word is taught in houses of worship that are devoid of gospel truth, hell is aggravated. As soon as the light of holiness and truth shines into the kingdom of darkness, sin is exposed, unclean spirits are angered, and Satan is provoked. Satan has no greater strongholds than houses of worship where the truth is suppressed. Nowhere is he more deeply entrenched in the lives of people than among those who are religious but who have no supernatural light of holiness and truth. But there is no greater threat to Satan's kingdom than the penetrating light of holiness and truth as it invades these fortresses of demons.

Satan has no greater strongholds than houses of worship where the truth is suppressed. -Steven Lawson

It was in such a dangerous place that Jesus found Himself one day in Capernaum. The synagogue there was a place where Satan had gained a foothold. It was a place that had religion but no repentance; ritual but no regeneration; rules but no relationship with the living God through His holy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Make no mistake, it was a ruthlessly religious crowd that most opposed Christ. They attributed His works to the Devil, accused Him of being born out of wedlock, maligned Him, slandered Him, and ultimately nailed Him to a cross. When Jesus fearlessly advanced with the truth into this bastion of demonic religion, He met the Devil head on. What followed was a clash between light and darkness, truth and error, heaven and hell, and holiness and un-holiness.

Excerpt from Steven Lawson's contribution in Holy, Holy, Holy: Proclaiming the Perfections of God. Available in the Ligonier store.

Peter Hitchens on Atheism & His Brother's Death

As many of you know by now, outspoken atheist Christopher Hitchens died Thursday night at the age of 62. We were deeply saddened to hear of his passing without any public acknowledgement of repentance and trust in the finished work of Christ.

Many Christians are aware of the hostile views of Christopher Hitchens. However, few Christians are aware that his brother, Peter, was also for many years antagonistic toward Christianity and a self-avowed atheist like his brother. Unlike Christopher, however, Peter is a prodigal son who has returned home. The story of the way God used simple beauties, such as architecture and painting, to draw Peter to faith is truly moving. Many Christians have wondered what is going on inside the heads of atheists to make them so angry. In a June 2011 interview with Tabletalk magazine, Peter Hitchens gave us a glimpse into his life and thought as a Christian who was converted from atheism.

Read the Interview

Read Peter Hitchens' reflections on his brother's death. 

Excerpt from the Interview

Tabletalk: How does the death of a loved one challenge atheism at its core?

Peter Hitchens: Death is the great reminder that this life is limited, and that it may not be the end. For most of our lives, we behave as if this is not so. It is only when death touches those close to us that we are forced into this understanding, especially in a modern world where death is kept at a distance, ignored, undiscussed, and shuffled off into corners.

RBC - Priority Application Deadline is January 1st

We look forward to welcoming the Fall 2012 class to Reformation Bible College. Remember that the early application deadline is quickly approaching and if you apply by January 1st you will receive priority consideration.  To meet our educational goals, Dr. R.C. Sproul has designed this college to provide a culture of learning that is unparalleled. So that means space is limited and we can only accept up to fifty students per year. Will you be one of them?  

Also, RBC is pleased to announce we will be offering a new bachelor of arts degree in sacred music starting Fall 2012. This is a much-needed degree program that provides students excellence in music training combined with deep biblical and theological instruction. You can learn more about this new degree here.

Our mission is to pass on the knowledge of God to the generations who follow. Through academically rigorous scriptural study, our desire is to offer a deep, meaningful encounter with the Author of history, the Source of truth, and the Sustainer of our faith. To that end, we need qualified students who want this kind of rewarding education. Come immerse yourself in the Word of God and study to the glory of God.

APPLY NOW
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Please don't hesitate to call 888 RBC-1517 or email us at admissions@ligonier.org if there is anything we can do to answer questions or help you in this process. Let us hear from you soon.

7 Toxic Ideas Polluting Your Mind

7 Toxic Ideas Polluting Your Mind. The title sounds scary. The book's cover looks scary. The truly alarming thing about the book, though, comes with the realization of how very common, how all-pervasive these ideas are in contemporary Western culture. If I were explaining any one of these ideas to the average American, she would nod in understanding and agreement as she listened. If I should suggest that this is one of seven ideas an author suggests is harmful, my listener would probably frown and say, "What? What's wrong with that?"

What could possibly be problematic about the blessing of technology?
Don't we all have to take our stand as individuals and do what's best for ourselves? Isn't it the mark of some kind of disorder if we're so concerned about others that we're not taking care of our own needs?
And who doesn't know that no one has the right to boss me around? Why would I put up with nonsense like that? This is the 21st century!
And how can it be harmful to have and enjoy the things I can afford?
New is better than old. Isn't it? Things always improve, right?
Personal beliefs are just that: personal, not universal. It's just plain bad manners to try to convince someone that his opinion is wrong.
And all educated people understand that we can only fully trust what we can verify with our senses and prove with science, right?

You surely recognize that, in certain contexts, there is at least a measure of truth in each of those statements. Maybe, in one or more of them, you can't see how there is anything but truth. Anthony Selvaggio is out to convince you that there are, in all seven of these ideas, falsehoods that Satan, as ultimate deceiver, would like you to believe, falsehoods that our culture, for the most part, has swallowed, hook, line, and sinker.

Giving a chapter to each idea, Selvaggio does a much better job than I did above in setting forth these ideas as they actually exist in today's world. At least at some point in each chapter, I found myself thinking, "Oh my goodness, that is exactly what I hear all the time." That's why I kept thinking how useful this book would be to a new believer, especially someone thirty or younger. While some of these ideas have been deeply entrenched in modern thought for decades, some of their more radical expressions are more recent. People of my generation (never mind what generation that is; suffice it to say I have young grandchildren!) can remember a time when some of these ideas were new, or at least not held in popular acceptance. For people coming of age today, these ideas are as common, as invisible, and therefore as unnoticed as the air they breathe.

Most, if not all, of these seven ideas have had whole books written about them. Selvaggio has done his homework, not just launching diatribes off the top of his head, but quoting from these other expert sources. The value of this particular work is in bringing these ideas together in one place and summarizing them briefly, then demonstrating in what ways they oppose a biblical worldview.

Each chapter sets forth its particular toxic idea, bringing in "expert witnesses" who have studied and written about it, and demonstrating at length how very toxic the idea can be. Concrete examples from everyday life are given. The author shows how, in each case, the opposite idea is the one set forth in a biblical worldview. The chapters provide practical suggestions, some briefly, some at greater length, on how to prevent the seven ideas from seeping into our minds by default.

The thing I appreciate most about this book is the way that, in almost every chapter, the author leads us on a quick excursion through the Bible in order to provide evidence that the ideas opposite to the "toxic ideas" are the ideas set forth in God's word. He does this sometimes by reminding us of principles explicitly stated in Scripture, sometimes by bringing out assumptions that underlie all of Scripture, sometimes by doing both. I love it that Selvaggio does not just quote isolated proof texts to make his points. In many chapters, he begins at the beginning, in Genesis, and leads us briefly, but thoroughly, through Bible history to show what God would have us believe about the idea in question.

That's why I was so disappointed with the author's use of Proverbs 22:28: "Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers." Early in his chapter on neophilia (love of the new), he says that this verse informs us that there are two kinds of people in this world: stone movers, those who relish the new, and stone preservers, those who are preservationists at heart. The verse, Selvaggio says, admonishes us to preserve tradition, and he returns to it several times, using it as a main support for valuing tradition. When we look at the similar verse in Proverbs 23:10-11, we see that the problem with moving boundary stones is the dishonest advantage taken of poorer landowners, as is forbidden in Deuteronomy 19:14 and 27:17. It may seem a minor point, but I always cringe when a given Scripture is used to say something—however true—that it doesn't actually say.

My other complaint is with comments made in the discussion of egalitarianism. Sometimes, the discussion is lucid and biblical. It's especially helpful where it's applied to modern-day churches. Sometimes, though, the author confuses what are two different issues: the failure to recognize superior ability (which is foolish—handing out trophies to all contenders, even if all they did was show up) and the failure to submit to authority (which is sin). Early in the chapter, he says that God establishes hierarchies, that hierarchies produce order, that hierarchies are systems with superiors and subordinates—all of which are true. Then he says that, "in a properly established hierarchy, the superiors in the system achieve their status because they possess superior qualities as a result of their natural abilities and experience"—which is not necessarily true. We all know at least one refined, well-educated woman whose husband is almost oafish by comparison. In the hierarchy of marriage, she is, biblically, required to submit to him—regardless of who possesses superior qualities. Submission to authority is based on a person's position of authority, not upon superior qualities. Even Selvaggio ends the chapter by pointing out that "the Lord Jesus Christ, being equal in essence with the Father, willingly submitted himself to the authority of the Father." Surely, we would not argue that the Father possesses qualities that are superior to the Son's.

I whole-heartedly recommend '7 Toxic Ideas Polluting Your Mind' by Anthony Selvaggio

Those two concerns aside, I whole-heartedly recommend 7 Toxic Ideas Polluting Your Mind, and I especially recommend it as a useful tool to study with people of high school and college age. I could see it providing an excellent springboard for discussion and an exercise in developing discernment, either for parents to work through with their teens, or for those who teach classes or lead Bible studies for people in high school or college. Any age group would profit, but younger people, especially, are the most likely to embrace these ideas without giving them a second thought.

Starr Meade is the author of several books for families of children and teens and teaches classes for junior high and high school students from home school families.

$5 Friday: Covenant Theology, Holiness & Philosophies

Find $5 Friday resources today on youth & worldviews, covenant theology, John's Gospel, Jonathan Edwards, end times, the character of God, sanctification and spiritual growth. Special thanks to P&R Publishing for partnering with us this week. Sale starts Friday at 8 a.m. and ends Saturday at 8 a.m. EST.

View today's $5 Friday sale.

Help Sustain Ligonier's Momentum into 2012

It's almost the end of the race. The runners are making their final push for the finish line. Their legs hurt and they are tired, but they don't let this slow them down. In fact, they work harder to increase their speed and take advantage of the momentum they have in order to propel themselves to victory.

As we approach the end of 2011, I am well aware that though the past year’s leg of the race is almost over, the race as a whole isn’t finished yet. As Christians we are in a race that will last until Jesus returns. Each year is but another leg in our goal to make disciples of all nations. Moving from one leg to the next requires us not to think on the circumstances that might slow us down but to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities we see around us. We must run faster, better, and smarter.

Ligonier Ministries is committed to teaching the world all that Jesus commands, and we want to sustain our momentum into 2012, the next leg of our race.

Momentum for the recovery and proclamation of historic, biblical orthodoxy is building, and we don’t want to refuse anyone who asks us for help. Even as our outreach increases, so do our costs.

There is a growing hunger for the truth of God’s Word that I have rarely seen in my life. We can barely keep up with the new contacts who want our teaching materials. Families, church leaders, prisoners, military chaplains, residents of poorer countries in Latin America and Asia, and many others are asking for our help. Christian leaders around the world are asking us to help train them for God-centered ministry.

By God’s grace, Ligonier Ministries has proclaimed the glorious truth of God’s sovereignty since 1971, and we need your help before December 31, 2011, to continue this work at full strength in 2012.

Now is not the time to take a breather but to press on in service to God and His kingdom. He is working all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11), and He is rekindling the desire for His truth in a world that often seems impossibly dark to us. Let’s seize this moment.

Friends like you enable us to seize the moment and take advantage of the momentum we are seeing. As our outreach increases, so does the expense of proclaiming God’s truth to the world. You can help Ligonier meet its year-end budget need of $2,145,791 by December 31, 2011 so that we can start off the next leg of the race in 2012 on the right foot. If you are blessed by Ligonier and understand the critical need for solid teaching, can you help us by making a secure donation here?

Ligonier’s commitment to teaching the whole counsel of God — even the truth of His sovereign grace — puts us in a unique position to help satisfy this hunger.

This is a donor-supported ministry that God faithfully sustains through the gifts and prayers of committed people like you who want the church to reclaim a proper, biblical understanding of the Lord’s majesty. By standing with us through your gifts and prayers at the end of 2011, you will help us accomplish the following goals in 2012:

fund vital new outreaches into Asia, Africa, and Spanish-speaking countries so that we can serve fellow believers in the regions where Christianity is growing the fastest
expand our free online learning library of audio, video, and articles
sustain the Renewing Your Mind program on 300 radio stations across the country and around the world through radio and internet outreach
release new books and video series to equip growing Christians
undergird our many conferences and seminars and educate students for Christian service at Reformation Bible College
put Tabletalk magazine into the hands of military chaplains, prisoners, and translate it into other languages.

Your gifts and prayers send forth the life-changing Word of God to people like Shawn. He recently described Ligonier’s impact on his life:

"Your material was critical to my growth as a Christian in college. You helped me to see the majesty and glory of God and communicate His greatness to others. Continue in what you do, for this information needs to become commonplace for the laity so that we will have more laborers fully equipped for the work of our Lord."

This energizes me. As a co-laborer in the Lord, I am asking for your help to close Ligonier Ministries’ budget gap by December 31, 2011. Your support will encourage us to continue serving so many who depend on Ligonier to help them grow into a deeper knowledge of God’s sovereignty. Thank you for standing with us.

Your servant in Christ,

 

 

P.S. It is critical that we receive a total of $2,145,791 by December 31, 2011, to finish the year strongly and position Ligonier to continue proclaiming God’s sovereignty in 2012. Your tax-deductible year-end gift will help us meet this goal. Thank you.

 

The Origin of Calvinism

Of course, like every other man besides Jesus Christ, John Calvin was imperfect. His renown is not owing to infallibility but to his relentless allegiance to the Scriptures as the Word of God in a day when the Bible had been almost swallowed up by church tradition. He was born in July 1509, in Noyon, France, and was educated at the best universities in law, theology, and classics. At the age of twenty-one, he was dramatically converted from tradition-centered medieval Catholicism to radical, biblical, evangelical faith in Christ and His Word. He said:

God, by a sudden conversion subdued and brought my mind to a teachable frame, which was more hardened in such matters than might have been expected from one at my early period of life. Having thus received some taste and knowledge of true godliness, I was immediately inflamed with so intense a desire to make progress that although I did not altogether leave off other studies, I yet pursued them with less ardor.

Continue reading The Origin of Calvinism, John Piper's contribution to the December issue of Tabletalk.

The Lure of Rome

Last month, Westminster Seminary California's Office Hours podcast spoke with Ligonier Teaching Fellow, Dr. Robert Godfrey, about why evangelicals and other Protestants become Roman Catholic and how we should respond.

Listen: The Lure of Rome

Dr. Robert Godfrey is president and professor of church history at Westminster Seminary California.