What Is Discernment?

Someone I know recently expressed an opinion that surprised and in some ways disappointed me. I said to myself, “I thought he would have more discernment than that.”

The experience caused me to reflect on the importance of discernment and the lack of it in our world. We know that people often do not see issues clearly and are easily misled because they do not think biblically. But, sadly, one cannot help reflecting on how true this is of the church community, too.

Most of us doubtless want to distance ourselves from what might be regarded as “the lunatic fringe” of contemporary Christianity. We are on our guard against being led astray by false teachers. But there is more to discernment than this. True discernment means not only distinguishing the right from the wrong; it means distinguishing the primary from the secondary, the essential from the indifferent, and the permanent from the transient. And, yes, it means distinguishing between the good and the better, and even between the better and the best.    Continue at Sinclair Ferguson

Columns from Tabletalk Magazine, June 2013

The June edition of Tabletalk is out. This issue examines faith and repentance.  The words “faith” and “repentance” are misunderstood by many people, including a large number of professing Christians. Skeptics caricature faith as the opposite of reason. Richard Dawkins, for example, has defined faith as “belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.” Repentance is sometimes seen by Christians as optional. Because faith is central to the message of the Bible, and because faith and repentance are demanded of all who hear the message of Christ, it is necessary that we come to a true understanding of the meaning of these words—not in order to increase our vocabulary, but in order that we might trust and obey the living God.

 

Contributors include R.C. Sproul along with Guy Richard, Sinclair Ferguson, Joel Beeke, Keith Mathison, R.C. Sproul Jr., Trip Lee, Douglas J. Moo, Cal Thomas and Abdul Saleeb.

We do not post all of the feature articles or the daily devotionals from the issue, so you’ll have to subscribe to get those. But for now, here are links to several free columns and articles from this month:    Continue at Columns

The Day of Atonement was a Copy of Christ’s Atonement

It is common to think of the Old Testament ritual as providing the model that Jesus’ priesthood subsequently copied and fulfilled. But Hebrews sees things differently. The Old Testament ritual of the high priest moving through the tabernacle—with its various rooms and furniture, especially the Holy of Holies and the ark with the mercy seat—is not the model but the copy (Heb. 8:5).

Christ has made a way into heaven; that is the reality. Hebrews has much to say about this. Jesus “went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is … not a part of this creation” (Heb. 9:11, NIV). “With His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all” (Heb. 9:12). In fact, Jesus now ministers in the heavenly tabernacle (Heb. 8:2).

Notice what grips the mind of the author: if the copy (the wilderness tabernacle) needed purification, then the “heavenly things themselves [had to be purified] with better sacrifices” (Heb. 9:23). But what is this purifying of heavenly things?

For the people to be brought symbolically and temporarily into the presence of God, every part of the tabernacle had to be ritually cleansed, since nothing defiled could be employed in man’s approach to a holy God (Heb. 9:19–23). Therefore, on the Day of Atonement, Aaron slew a sacrifice, entered the Holy of Holies with the blood, and poured it out on the mercy seat between the cherubim (Lev. 16:15–16).   Continue at Sinclair Ferguson

What is the Greatest of All Protestant “Heresies”?

Let us begin with a church history exam question. Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542–1621) was a figure not to be taken lightly. He was Pope Clement VIII’s personal theologian and one of the most able figures in the Counter-Reformation movement within sixteenth-century Roman Catholicism. On one occasion, he wrote: “The greatest of all Protestant heresies is _______ .” Complete, explain, and discuss Bellarmine’s statement.

How would you answer? What is the greatest of all Protestant heresies? Perhaps justification by faith? Perhaps Scripture alone, or one of the other Reformation watchwords?

Those answers make logical sense. But none of them completes Bellarmine’s sentence. What he wrote was: “The greatest of all Protestant heresies is assurance.”

A moment’s reflection explains why. If justification is not by faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone — if faith needs to be completed by works; if Christ’s work is somehow repeated; if grace is not free and sovereign, then something always needs to be done, to be “added” for final justification to be ours. That is exactly the problem. If final justification is dependent on something we have to complete it is not possible to enjoy assurance of salvation. For then, theologically, final justification is contingent and uncertain, and it is impossible for anyone (apart from special revelation, Rome conceded) to be sure of salvation. But if Christ has done everything, if justification is by grace, without contributory works; it is received by faith’s empty hands — then assurance, even “full assurance” is possible for every believer.   Continue at Sinclair Ferguson

By Grace, We Are Free in Christ

In John 8:34 Jesus underlined the bondage in which we are held by nature. On the other hand, He spoke about the freedom into which He brings sinners by grace: “If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

How could the Son set them free? Because of who He was. He was the Son who has been sent into the world by the Father. He knew the Father’s plan. He had the most intimate relationship with the Father. He had heard everything the Father had said, and He came with this message of good news: “The Father has sent Me in order to set you free” (see John 8:28).

How, then, does Christ set us free?

John had answered that question earlier, in the most famous verse in his Gospel. This God, this Father, so loved the world, this world in its sinfulness and bondage, that He sent His only Son into it. He had only one Son, but He sent Him to die on a cross in order to save everyone who believes in Him (John 3:16).

The Son would be “lifted up”—lifted up on a cross, exposed in public shame, hanging between heaven and earth, under the judgment of God against our sins—so that those who believed in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 12:32; 3:16).

Jesus Christ is able to set us free because He has dealt with the sin that enslaves us. Continue at Sinclair Ferguson

The Kingdom of God: A Closer Look by Tullian Tchividjian

This week's essay from the Mission of God Study Bible focuses on the Kingdom of God. I've recently released a book on the Kingdom entitled Subversive Kingdom, but my friend Tullian Tchividjian is the author of today's post.

 

Many of you may remember the three-part interview (part one | part two | part three) I did here on the blog with Tullian when his book Jesus + Nothing = Everything came out. Tullian now has another book that just released called Glorious Ruin in which he takes an honest and refreshing look at the reality of suffering, the ways we tie ourselves in knots trying to deal with it, and the comfort of the gospel for those who can't seem to fix themselves--or others.

I'm giving away a copy of this Bible each week to commenters, so be sure to leave a comment below to be entered in the giveaway. You can also order your copy of the Mission of God Study Bible here.

The Kingdom of God

by Tullian Tchividjian

According to Jesus, it's impossible for Christians to properly understand the practical nature of the Christian life without properly understanding the nature of their citizenship in God's kingdom. In fact, one of the primary biblical descriptions of Christians is that they're citizens in God's kingdom.

So what is the kingdom of God? Sinclair Ferguson defines the kingdom as "the rule and reign of God, the expression of his gracious sovereign will. To belong to the kingdom of God is to belong to the people among whom the reign of God has already begun." George Eldon Ladd defines the kingdom as "the realm in which God's reign may be experienced." Simply put, the kingdom of God is a kingdom where God's appointed King--Jesus--is presently reigning in and through the lives of His people, accomplishing His will "on earth as it is in heaven" (Mt 6:10).   Continue at Tullian Tchividjian

Concerns You About Modern-Day Protestant Christianity

We recently interviewed Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, author of In Christ Alone (Reformation Trust Publishing, 2007) and speaker at this week’s 2008 National Conference:

You begin your book In Christ Alone with a poetic treatment of a passage from John Calvin’s Institutes. Many folks have a view of Calvin that he was cold, stern, and rigid. Yet, you clearly appreciate Calvin’s contribution to the everyday Christian life. In every chapter, your book exudes a practical and passionate view of the Christian life. Has Calvin been misunderstood? 

I think you are right in suggesting that Calvin’s reputation gives a very lop-sided view of the man. In some respects he was “stern.” (I think I would be if I suffered from as many serious illnesses as he did.) He was always in earnest about spiritual things. But the passage I re-translated from his Institutes is a piece of prose that sings like poetry and really does underline that — like many serious, even “stern” people — he had a poetic spirit, born out of his love for Christ.

We need to remember that Calvin was a man who, in his early twenties, knew that his life was forfeit because of his Gospel convictions. He was on the run! In his mid-twenties he was already a significant author and theologian, having spent much of the second half of his life training young people for a life of cross-bearing consecration and even martyrdom.  I have never forgotten a Korean doctoral student I once had who began a seminar on Calvin’s teaching on “Life under the Cross” by saying: “I am so grateful for the opportunity to have studied these chapters. They have helped me understand my grandfather. You see, he was a martyr.” Actually, in my own view probably no theologian has understood the deep humanity of the Lord Jesus better than Calvin. It seems to me that is often the measure not only of a man’s mind, but also of his heart.  Continue at Chris Larson

Sinclair Ferguson 23-Part Series on The Book of Revelation

To download the following MP3 Files, right click and save to your hard drive. 

Sinclair Ferguson is senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C., and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Seminary. One of the most renowned Reformed theologians in our day, Dr. Ferguson is also a member of the Council of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. He is a prolific author whose many books include The Holy Spirit, The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction, and In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel Centered Life

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Revelation or Obfuscation? - Revelation 1:1-3

A Greeting to Die For - Revelation 1:4-8`

Nothing to See on Patmos? - Revelation 1:9-20

Ephesus: The Church that Fell - Revelation 2:1-7

Smyrna: The Church that was Faithful - Revelation 2:8-11

Pergamum: The Church That Compromised - Revelation 2:12-17

Thyatira: The Church That Was Too Tolerant - Revelation 2:18-29

Sardis: The Church With a False Reputation - Revelation 3:1-6

Philadelphia: The Church with the Open Door - Revelation 3:7-13

Laodicea: The Church That Was Lukewarm - Revelation 3:14-22

Heaven's Open door - Revelation 4

The Lion, The Dragon, and the Heavenly Door - Revelation 5

When the Seals are Opened - Revelation 6

Before the Seventh Seal - Revelation 7:1-8:1

When the Trumpets Sound - Revelation 8:1 - 9:21

The Little Scroll - Revelation 10:1-11

Continue at Monergism

77-Part Sermon Series on The Epistle to the Romans by Sinclair Ferguson

Monergism has recently made available a 77-part sermon series from Sinclair Ferguson on the Epistle to the Romans. Download the series here

A Preacher’s Decalogue

Listening to or reading the reflections of others on preaching is, for most preachers, inherently interesting and stimulating (whether positively or negatively). These reflections then are offered in the spirit of the Golden Rule and only because the Editor is a long-standing friend!

Forty years exactly have passed since my first sermon in the context of a Sunday service. Four decades is a long time to have amassed occasions when going to the church door after preaching is the last thing one wants to do—even if one loves the congregation (sometimes precisely because one loves the congregation and therefore the sense of failure is all the greater!). How often have I had to ask myself, “How is it possible to have done this thousands of times and still not do it properly?”

Yes, I know how to talk myself out of that mood! “It’s faithfulness, not skill, that really matters.” “How you feel has nothing to do with it!” “Remember you’re sowing seed.” “It’s ultimately the Lord who preaches the word into people’s hearts, not you.” All true. Yet we are responsible to make progress as preachers, indeed evident and visible, or at least audible progress (1 Tim 4:13, 15 is an instructive and searching word in this respect!).   Continue Reading...

Sinclair Ferguson's Four Steps to Kill Sin

1. Learn to admit sin for what it really is.

Call a spade a spade — call it 'sexual immorality,' not 'I’m being tempted a little'; call it 'impurity,' not 'I’m struggling with my thought life'; call it 'evil desire, which is idolatry,' not 'I think I need to order my priorities a bit better.'

2. See sin for what your sin really is in God’s presence.

'On account of these the wrath of God is coming' (Col. 3:6). The masters of the spiritual life spoke of dragging our lusts (kicking and screaming, though they be) to the cross, to a wrath-bearing Christ.

3. Recognize the inconsistency of your sin.

You put off the 'old man,' and have put on the 'new man' (Col. 3:9–10). You are no longer the 'old man.' The identity you had 'in Adam' is gone. Keep Reading...

Accountability Groups: the Tyranny of Do More, Try Harder

Remembrance vs Spiritual Surveillance

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in “accountability groups” where there has been little to no attention given to the gospel whatsoever. There’s no reminder of what Christ has done for our sin–"cleansing us from its guilt and power"–and the resources that are already ours by virtue of our union with him.  These groups produce a “do more, try harder” moralism that robs us of the joy and freedom Jesus paid dearly to secure for us. 

When the goal becomes conquering our sin instead of soaking in the conquest of our Savior, we actually begin to shrink spiritually. Sinclair Ferguson rightly points this out:

Those who have almost forgotten about their own spirituality because their focus is so exclusively on their union with Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished are those who are growing and exhibiting fruitfulness. Historically speaking, whenever the piety of a particular group is focused on OUR spirituality, that piety will eventually exhaust itself on its own resources. Only when our piety forgets about us and focuses on Jesus Christ will our piety be nourished by the ongoing resources the Spirit brings to us from the source of all true piety, our Lord Jesus Christ. Keep Reading...

I Felt Led To…

Common phrases in evangelicalism today include “I felt led to…”, “God told me to….”, and “The Lord laid it on my heart to….”  I now cringe every time someone uses these phrases because I’ve heard so many unbiblical endings to them.  In fact, I’ve seen people’s lives take a million tough twists and turns because they were ”following the promptings of God.”  For one example, I hesitate to think that God would “prompt’ somebody to avoid the ER when their daughter gets a deep cut that probably needs stitches.   

If I can speak candidly, I believe this has to do with lack of biblical knowledge.  Sinclair Ferguson says that perhaps one reason why our Christian forefathers rarely wrote about finding God’s will is because they knew the Bible better than most Christians today know it.  “They concentrated on teaching themselves and others the will of God which they discovered in Scripture, and the life of obedience to God in a daily submission to and application of his truth.”  Another example: If you know that the Bible says Christians shouldn’t mary unbelievers (2 Cor 6.14), you won’t need or care about “promptings.” Keep Reading...

Dispensationalism, Regeneration, Election, Evangelism, and Harold Camping

Live Stream Q&A (Archived) with R.C. Sproul & Ligonier Teaching Fellows from Ligonier on Vimeo.

Universalism: Not a New Temptation

The temptation is not new: silencing certain biblical texts in order to say that eventually everyone will be saved. In fact, we could just call it recycled liberalism.

Desiring God focused on this subject 21 years ago at the Conference for Pastors — "Universalism and the Reality of Eternal Punishment."

In his sermon that assesses the biblical and theological arguments for universalism, Sinclair Ferguson reminds us:

There is a mighty sermon in Gresham Machen’s book, God Transcendent, on the text in Matthew 10:28, “Do not fear those who can kill the body; fear Him who is able to cast soul and body into hell.” And the sermon begins by the repetition of the text and with these words: “These words were not spoken by Augustine, or by George Whitefield, or by Jonathan Edwards, but by Jesus of Nazareth."

It behooves us to listen to Jesus' testimony; both because this is the testimony of the Savior, and because this is the testimony of the One who names himself as the living and true witness—who is the One who has come back from the dead to tell men that it is so.

Ferguson's other messages from the conference include:

1. Universalism and the Reality of Eternal Punishment: Contemporary Preaching

2. Universalism and the Reality of Eternal Punishment: The Justice and Mercy of God

4. Universalism and the Reality of Eternal Punishment, Panel Discussion

Free to Get Sloshed? Some Principles Are in Order

I've come across an argument trying to justify getting drunk in front of other members of the church that goes along these lines, "Christian liberty permits me to indulge my love for alcohol even in front of people. I don't need to know the state of their consciences. It's their fault if their faith is too weak to recognize my freedom."

Well, the ff. by Sinclair Ferguson, taken from his book, "In Christ Alone," addresses this most grievous argument (found this from one of Ligonier Ministries' FB notes):

It was years ago now, but I still remember the discussion. I was making my way out of our church building some time after the morning service had ended, and was surprised to find a small group of people still engaged in vigorous conversation. One of them turned and said to me, 'Can Christians eat black pudding?'

To the uninitiated in the mysteries of Scottish haute cuisine, it should perhaps be said that black pudding is not haggis! It is a sausage made of blood and suet, sometimes with flour or meal.

It seems a trivial question. Why the vigorous debate? Because, of course, of the Old Testament’s regulations about eating blood (Lev. 17:10ff).

Although (as far as I am aware) no theological dictionary contains an entry under B for 'The Black Pudding Controversy,' this unusual discussion raised some most basic hermeneutical and theological issues: Continue Reading>>>

Practical Guidelines for Mortifying Sin

Often today Christians go to Paul to tell them what to do and then to the local Christian bookstore to discover how to do it!

Why this bifurcation? Probably because we do not linger long enough over what Paul is saying. We do not sink our thinking deeply into the Scriptures. For, characteristically, whenever Paul issues an exhortation, he surrounds it with hints as to how we are to put it into practice.

Notice how this passage (Col. 3:1-17) helps to answer our “how-to” questions:

1. Learn to admit sin for what it really is. Call a spade a spade – call it “fornication” (Col. 3:5), not “I’m being tempted a little”; call it “uncleanness” (v. 5), not “I’m struggling with my thought life”; call it “covetousness, which is idolatry” (v. 5), not “I think I need to order my priorities a bit better.” This pattern runs right through the whole section. How powerfully it unmasks self-deception – and helps us to unmask sin lurking in the hidden corners of our hearts. Read more HERE

Santa Christ?

It is always easier to lament and critique the new paganism of secularism’s blatant idolatry than to see how easily the church-and we ourselves-twist or dilute the message of the incarnation in order to suit our own tastes. But sadly, we have various ways of turning the Savior into a kind of Santa Claus.

Santa Clause Christianity

For one thing, in our worship at Christmas we may varnish the staggering truth of the incarnation with what is visually, audibly, and aesthetically pleasing. We confuse emotional pleasure-or worse, sentiment-with true adoration.

For another thing, we may denigrate our Lord with a Santa Claus Christology. How sadly common it is for the church to manufacture a Jesus who is a mirror reflection of Santa Claus. He becomes Santa Christ.

Santa Christ is sometimes a Pelagian Jesus. Like Santa, he simply asks 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. Continue Reading>>>

Preaching Christmas: What Do You Recommend?

Hell: Remembering the Awful Reality

• Pastoral Perspectives on Hell

• Pastoral Fearmongering, Manipulation, and Hell

  By Mark Dever Our culture sneers at fear, as if there really is nothing to fear but fear itself. Yet Jesus told people to fear hell, and pastors today should do the same. Read more >
  

• There’s Something Worse than Death

  By Kevin DeYoung The doctrine of hell is ballast for our ministries, which will help us sail straight toward our most urgent task: proclaiming the gospel. Read more >
  

• What Then Shall We Preach on Hell?

  By Sinclair Ferguson Hell is an awful and overwhelming reality. Yet where Scripture speaks, pastors must not be silent. Here’s some practical help for this demanding calling. Read more >
  

• Hell in Biblical and Theological Perspective

• Why Hell Is Integral to the Gospel

  By Greg Gilbert Some think that by minimizing or ignoring hell, they are making God more glorious and more loving. Far from it! The horror of what we have been saved from only intensifies the glory and wonder of our salvation. Read more >
  

• Hellfire and Brimstone: Interpreting the New Testament’s Descriptions of Hell

  By Andrew David Naselli The New Testament graphically and horrifically describes hell, which raises a thorny question: how should we interpret those dreadful images? Read more >
  

• How Does Hell Glorify God?

  By James M. Hamilton Jr. Hell glorifies God by vindicating his holiness and faithfulness to his word, demonstrating his infinite worth, and magnifying his mercy and love toward the redeemed. Read more >
  

• An Annotated Bibliography on Hell

  By Gavin Ortlund This article contains brief reviews of seven key books on hell. Read more >
  
  See also:
  
  The Biblical Doctrine of Hell Examined By: Brian Schwertley