The Person & Work of Christ¶
We've crafted an unofficial, source-cited, non-commercial index of Dr. R.C. Sproul's publicly available teachings, weighted by how many independent sources corroborate each point. The content is authored by Dr. R.C. Sproul and published by Ligonier Ministries (a few items are third-party YouTube re-uploads); see the Methodology & Rights page for more info. Quotations are brief, linked to their source, and reproduced for study under Ligonier's Copyright Policy (ligonier.org/copyright-policy). This site is humbly offered for personal use only, out of love and respect, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Ligonier Ministries or St. Andrew's Chapel.
768 positions — 69 corroborated across multiple sources.
Well-attested positions¶
Independently stated in two or more of his messages.
Christ possesses two distinct natures, divine and human, which are united in one person.
So we say here the God-man, who has two natures, a divine nature and a human nature, at times reveals His human side. At other times reveals His divine side, and we are distinguishing the two without separating them.
Corroborated across 6 sources: Born of the Virgin Mary (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 12:32 · The Centurion's Servant (Ligonier) · Jesus in the Synagogue (Ligonier) · The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier) · Since Jesus is God, who is a Spirit, how can Christ also be human? (Ligonier Q&A)
Because human beings are finite, their understanding is limited and cannot contain the infinite nature of God.
Human beings are finite creatures, so our minds always work from a finite perspective. We live, move, and have our being on a finite plane, but God lives, moves, and has His being in infinity. Our finite understanding cannot contain an infinite subject; thus, God is incomprehensible.
Corroborated across 4 sources: Divine Incomprehensibility (Ligonier article) · God Is Incomprehensible (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 5:15 · The Centurion's Servant (Ligonier)
Chalcedon established that Christ is truly God and truly man, with the two natures perfectly united without confusion, mixture, division, or separation.
Over against both heresies, Chalcedon gave its famous formula by which it declared that Christ is truly God and truly man, with the natures perfectly united in such a way that they are not confused — the natures are without mixture, confusion, division, or separation; each nature retains its own attributes.
Corroborated across 4 sources: Does Jesus Have One Nature, or Two? (Ligonier article) · Setting the Stage: The First Millennium (Ligonier article) · Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier) · A Fearful Deliverance (Ligonier)
The two natures (divine and human) are perfectly united in Christ without being confused, mixed, divided, or separated.
At the Council of Chalcedon, in dealing with the mystery of the incarnation and affirming the two natures of Jesus, the church said that the two natures, divine and human, are perfectly united in such a way that they are not confused, mixed, divided, or separated.
Corroborated across 4 sources: Does Jesus Have One Nature, or Two? (Ligonier article) · Setting the Stage: The First Millennium (Ligonier article) · Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier) · The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
The divine nature retains all attributes of deity (like omnipotence), while the human nature retains its own attributes (like finitude).
The divine nature is still eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. It manifests all the attributes that belong to deity. God did not stop being God when He took on a human nature in Jesus. At the same time, the human nature retained its own attributes, being finite, contained, unable to be at more than one place at the same time, limited in knowledge, and limited in power.
Corroborated across 4 sources: Does Jesus Have One Nature, or Two? (Ligonier article) · The Centurion's Servant (Ligonier) · Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier) · The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
Human dignity is derived from God, and the image of God is what uniquely sets humans apart from other creatures.
Human dignity is derived from God. Man as a finite, dependent, contingent creature is assigned a high value by his Creator. The creation account in Genesis provides the framework for human dignity: Creation in the image of God is what sets humans apart from all other creatures.
Corroborated across 4 sources: Radical Corruption (Ligonier article) · What Do We Mean When We Speak of the “Sanctity of Human Life”? (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 12:44 · R.C. Sproul @ 17:53
The primary significance of the title Son of Man is that it refers to an Old Testament heavenly personage sent from heaven for a mission, describing more of Jesus' divine nature than his human nature.
But the principle and chief significance of the title Son of Man is that it refers to the Old Testament personage who is a heavenly character, a heavenly person who dwells in the presence of the Ancient of Days and is sent from heaven to descend to earth for a mission (Dan. 7:13–14).
Corroborated across 4 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 12:04 · R.C. Sproul @ 2:16 · A Basket Case (Ligonier) · Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath (Ligonier)
The Athanasian Creed affirms that during the incarnation, the divine nature did not change or mutate into a human nature, but rather the immutable divine nature assumed a human nature.
Context: Stated by Thomas, but Sproul is responding to this theological point.
Finally, the Athanasian standards examined the incarnation of Jesus and affirmed that in the mystery of the incarnation the divine nature did not mutate or change into a human nature, but rather the immutable divine nature took upon itself a human nature. That is, in the incarnation there was an assumption by the divine nature of a human nature and not the mutation of the divine nature into a human nature.
Corroborated across 3 sources: The Athanasian Creed (Ligonier article) · Jesus at Gethsemane (Ligonier) · Does the incarnation mean that God has changed in space and time from that point on? If not, why and how do we respond to the question? (Ligonier Q&A)
Eutyches incorrectly taught that Christ had only one nature, which was a blend of divine and human.
So what Eutyches was saying is that in Christ there's only one nature, and it's a theanthropic -- a divinely human -- nature. Or, you could conceive of it the other way around, a humanly divine nature. But it's not like you have two distinct natures, one divine and one human. But you only have one nature, and in fact, what you have in this (and this is what the church realized in the Fifth Century), is that you have a concept of Christ where He is neither God nor man.
Corroborated across 3 sources: Does Jesus Have One Nature, or Two? (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 5:48 · The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
Christian love (agape love) is not a natural human emotion but a divine gift originating from God.
Context: Prayer (not a direct doctrinal statement)
This is not a natural love; this is not a love that is found in the flesh of mankind. This is a love that has its origin in God himself. It is a divine gift.
Corroborated across 3 sources: The Holy Love of God (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 5:51 · Free from Indwelling Sin (Ligonier)
The New Testament repeatedly affirms that Jesus Christ is the unique and necessary Redeemer of humanity.
And again, and again, and again, the New Testament reiterates either through the lips of Christ or through the writings of the Apostles this theme that Jesus is uniquely the Redeemer of mankind.
Corroborated across 3 sources: Jesus: The Only Savior (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 4:52 · R.C. Sproul @ 12:06
Satan is a creature whose power is limited and who is not omnipotent, omniscient, or omnipresent.
Satan, however powerful, however sly, however guileful and crafty he may be, he is still a creature. As a creature, his power is limited. He is potent, but he is not omnipotent. Only God is omnipotent. He is smart, but he’s not omniscient. He has minions and legions of demons at his beck and call to help him execute his plans, but he himself is not omnipresent.
Corroborated across 3 sources: Satan the Proud and Powerful (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 0:14 · Can the Devil Read My Mind? (Ligonier Q&A)
Being created in God's image means that humanity has a unique capacity and responsibility to reflect God's character.
One thing it means is that man has a unique capacity to mirror and to reflect the character of God. That I am set in this world by God, and I am given a human nature by which I have an ability and a responsibility to live in such a way that my life resembles the character of God.
Corroborated across 3 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00 · R.C. Sproul @ 14:22 · When Jesus says, "Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect," does that mean we can attain perfection, and should we? (Ligonier Q&A)
When Christ died, the human nature died, but the divine nature remained intact.
The human nature dies, but the divine nature doesn't die. Of course now the divine nature is united with a human corpse. The unity is still there, but the change that has taken place, has taken place within the human nature, not the divine nature.
Corroborated across 3 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00 · R.C. Sproul @ 13:00 · The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
Human life and existence are entirely dependent on God's being.
In You we live. In You we move. In You we have our being. Without You, there is no life. Without You, there is only inertia. Without You, there is no possibility of existence.
Corroborated across 3 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 14:03 · Israel's Rejection Not Final (Part 4) (Ligonier) · The Promise Granted Through Faith (Ligonier)
Because God is the sovereign creator of the universe, all things derive their meaning and significance from their relationship to Him.
Ladies and gentlemen, if God is the creator of the whole world and has not simply been isolated by a power higher than Himself to have dominion and rule over one tiny corner of human life that we call "religion," but if He's really the creator of the universe and if He is the sovereign ruler over all things, then all things find their meaning and their significance as they are related to Him.
Corroborated across 3 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 14:49 · The Magnificat (Part 1) (Ligonier) · The Magnificat (Part 2) (Ligonier)
A self-existent, eternal being is not only logically possible but also logically necessary.
There is nothing irrational about the idea of a self-existent, eternal being who has the power of being within Himself. In fact, such a concept is not only logically possible but (as Thomas Aquinas demonstrated) logically necessary.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 38:58 · What Came Before God? (Ligonier article)
God's being is necessary, meaning He cannot not be, and this necessity is both ontological and logically necessary.
A necessary being is a being who cannot not be. It exists by the sheer necessity of its eternal being, of its aseity . A self-existent being is not hypothetical or dependent on another concept; it’s necessary. God can’t not be. Not only is God’s being necessary ontologically, but it’s also logically necessary.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 50:01 · The Self-Existent God (Ligonier article)
God's invisible attributes, such as His eternal power and divine nature, are made known and understood through the things that have been created.
Paul says that "the invisible attributes of God, namely His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen and understood through, by means of, what has been made so that they are without excuse."
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00 · R.C. Sproul @ 39:39
Before a person was ever born, God determined their destiny in Christ, choosing them for salvation from eternity.
That if you are a Christian, before you were ever born, before your mother was born, before your father was born, before Adam and Eve were made, God determined from all eternity your destiny in Christ, that you have been chosen in the Beloved unto salvation and that you are His craftsmanship unto eternal life.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 14:17 · R.C. Sproul @ 11:55
Federalism teaches that Adam served as the representative head for the entire human race.
Federalism says that Adam was the federal head of the entire universe and of the entire human race. The very name Adam means mankind. What Adam did in the garden was not to act simply for himself but for all of those whom he represented.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Is It Just That in Adam All Die? (Ligonier article) · Death in Adam, Life in Christ (Ligonier)
God has plainly manifested His eternal power and being and character to every human being, making every person accountable to Him.
Paul labors the point that from the very first day of creation and through the creation, God has plainly manifested His eternal power and being and character to every human being on this planet. In other words, every human being knows that there is a God and that He is accountable to God.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Are Those Who Have Never Heard of Christ Going to Hell? (Ligonier article) · Are those who have never heard of Christ going to hell? (Ligonier Q&A)
True godliness is not merely intellectual adherence to doctrine, but rather a manifestation of God's will that shapes one's life.
What true godliness looks like, he tells us, is not a matter of merely holding to right doctrine with our minds, though that is essential. No, true godliness means that doctrine shapes our lives to such a degree that we manifest the kind of life God wants us to live.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Caring for Widows (Ligonier article) · Do You Care About the Widows? (Ligonier article)
If God is utterly dissimilar from humanity, communication between God and mankind would be impossible.
If God is utterly dissimilar from us, there is no way for Him to speak to us.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Divine Incomprehensibility (Ligonier article) · God Is Incomprehensible (Ligonier article)
Because humans are made in God's image, communication is possible, allowing God to reveal Himself using human language.
The Bible tells us that we are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-28). In some sense, human beings are like God. That makes it possible for communication to occur. God has built this capacity for communication into creation.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Divine Incomprehensibility (Ligonier article) · God Is Incomprehensible (Ligonier article)
When the Logos took on human nature, that human nature remained genuinely human, not deified.
When the Word, Jesus, took upon Himself flesh and a human nature, He did not deify that human nature. That human nature remained human.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Does Jesus Have One Nature, or Two? (Ligonier article) · The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
God is a simple being whose attributes are not separate parts but are all present simultaneously and in relation to one another.
As Christians we believe in a God who is simple and not made up of parts. God is not one part sovereign, one part just, one part immutable, one part omniscient, one part eternal, and one part loving. Rather, He is all of His attributes at all times.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Holy Love of God (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 17:30
Sacraments, in general, serve to help people remember God's past actions and promises because humanity is inherently weak and forgetful.
The sacraments represent the Lord accommodating Himself to this weakness of ours in order to assist us in remembering what He has done for us.
Corroborated across 2 sources: How Do the Sacraments Help Us? (Ligonier article) · The Angel & Zacharias (Part 1) (Ligonier)
God's character is the ultimate measure and source for goodness, truth, and beauty.
God, Scripture tells us, is the ground or fountain of all goodness. All goodness finds its definition in His character. In the final analysis, God's character is the measure of goodness. At the same time, the Scriptures speak about God as the author, source, and foundation of all truth. In the same way and in the same dimension, the Scriptures speak about the beauty of God.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Meaning of God’s Will (Ligonier article) · Our Beautiful God (Ligonier article)
Evil is not an independent being, but rather an action or a lack of goodness.
Evil cannot be defined as a thing or as a substance or as some kind of being. Rather, evil is always defined as an action, an action that fails to meet a standard of goodness.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Mystery of Iniquity (Ligonier article) · Why Does God Allow Evil? (Ligonier article)
Because God is both omnipotent and good, and He ordains everything, His decision to allow evil to exist must ultimately be a good decision.
Since His sovereign decisions always follow the perfection of His being, we must conclude that His decision to allow evil to exist is a good decision.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Mystery of Iniquity (Ligonier article) · Why Does God Allow Evil? (Ligonier article)
Christ is truly God and truly man, meaning He possesses both a fully divine and a fully human nature.
What these twin terms mean is this: that Jesus Christ, in the unity of the two natures, that the person of Christ is truly God and truly man -- that He is as a true divine nature and a true human nature.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Perfectly Human (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 15:02
God is the best teacher because He instructs from the perspective of eternity and omniscience, unlike human experience.
But experience is never the best teacher. God, of course, is the best teacher. Why? Because He instructs us from the perspective of eternity and from the riches of His omniscience.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Role of Experience (Ligonier article) · What is the Role of Experience in the Christian Life? (Ligonier article)
A Christian who is indwelt by the Holy Spirit cannot be possessed by Satan.
If you are indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, Satan cannot get in you. He can come up against you and harass you, but he cannot possess you.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Satan the Proud and Powerful (Ligonier article) · Jesus Meets a Demon (Ligonier)
The Council of Nicaea affirmed the full deity of Christ, declaring him co-essential and co-eternal with the Father.
In that council the full deity of Christ was affirmed, and Christ, the divine Logos, the second person of the Trinity, was declared to be co-essential and co-eternal with the Father.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Setting the Stage: The First Millennium (Ligonier article) · Israel's Rejection & God's Purpose (Ligonier)
The supernatural realm is defined as that which participates in the divine realm, which is above and beyond simple nature.
The difference between the natural and the supernatural is the difference between that which is restricted to this world and that which participates in the realm of the divine, the realm that is above and beyond the reach of what is found in simple nature.
Corroborated across 2 sources: A Supernatural Faith (Ligonier article) · What Was the Star of Bethlehem? (Ligonier article)
A godly person is deeply concerned with the things of God, while a godless person is preoccupied with the things of this world.
This, friends, means that the godly person is deeply concerned about the things of God, but the godless person has no concern for the things of God. He’s preoccupied with this world, and we have to look at that as a mirror.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Things of God (Ligonier article) · Taking Up the Cross (Ligonier)
The distinction among the persons of the Godhead is a real and necessary distinction for understanding, but it is not an essential distinction regarding God's being or essence.
The distinction among persons of the Godhead may be "essential" to Christianity, but the distinction itself is not an essential distinction about God. That is, though the distinction among persons is a real and necessary distinction, it is not an essential distinction.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Trinity Is Not a Contradiction (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 21:13
The divine nature of Christ possesses the attribute of omnipresence, meaning it is present everywhere.
In the incarnation, the divine nature retained its divine attributes, one of which was omnipresence, or what we call the attribute of ubiquity.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Triune Monarchy (Ligonier article) · The Centurion's Servant (Ligonier)
While God loves humanity, the primary object of the Father's affection is the Son.
But we would be mistaken if we thought that the primary or the exclusive object of the love of God were the world, were the people whom he is pleased to redeem. It’s certainly true that God loves us, and it’s through his love that he has sent Christ as John told us to be a propitiation for our sin, but the primary object of the Father’s affection is the Son.
Corroborated across 2 sources: A Unity That Is Evident to the World (Ligonier article) · R.C. Sproul @ 8:59
The speaker believes that the five greatest theologians are Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, and Edwards.
If you were to ask me this question, "RC, who do you think are the five greatest theologians that ever lived," I would have no difficulty identifying the five greatest theologians that ever lived. They would be Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, and Edwards.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 19:17 · Israel's Rejection & God's Justice (Part 1) (Ligonier)
He believes the primary weakness in both liberal and evangelical churches is a poor understanding of the character of God the Father.
My strategy was to focus attention, as much as possible, on the character of God. Because I thought the biggest weakness in the church, both in the liberal church and in the evangelical church, was a grasp of the character of God the Father.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 1:32 · R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
A person's true character and behavior are determined by what is thought and believed at the deepest level of their heart.
As a man thinks in his heart, as a man thinks at the very core of his existence, so is he.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00 · Defilement from Within (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Understanding the character of God is the most foundational element of a Christian worldview, determining how a person interprets all aspects of life.
The third element of the Christian worldview, which really should be placed at the beginning in terms of the order of importance, is our understanding of God. How a person understands the character of God I think, more than any other concept, determines how we live.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00 · R.C. Sproul @ 11:46
Sin is not merely a peripheral or tangential issue, but originates from the very core of one's being.
Jesus says: “No, the defilement comes from the very core of your being. Sin arises not from your stomach, nor from your hands, but from your heart. It comes from the very center of your being.”
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 2:54 · Defilement from Within (Part 2) (Ligonier)
The speaker emphasizes that the God of Christianity is a personal, moral, and ethical being who gives commandments and expects obedience.
It's not enough simply to say, "I believe in God, amorphous, mysterious, cloudy spirit up in the sky," but the God we believe in is personal and the God that we believe in is moral. He is ethical. He is holy, and he gives commandments to his people.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:28 · R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
While humans cannot read hearts, God does possess the ability to know the true state of a person's soul.
But God does read the heart. And when God says that a certain person never was in a true state of faith, we can rest assured that that person never was in a true state of faith.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 15:26 · Good & Bad Fruit (Ligonier)
Freud argued that humans use their imagination to personalize impersonal threats, such as natural disasters, by attributing them to living spirits.
According to Freud, we use our imagination to personalize these impersonal forces. Animistic religion supposes that the threatening forces like floods and storms, or animals like the crocodile, are inhabited by living spirits.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 11:55 · The Calming of the Storm (Ligonier)
God's attributes cannot be cherry-picked or selected based on human preference, as God's holiness encompasses all aspects of His being.
Context: Quoting Jonathan Edwards' points regarding human dislike of God's attributes.
Is God like a smorgasbord restaurant where you can go with your tray through the line and you take the attributes of God that you like – you take a little spoonful of love, a little spoonful of goodness, a little spoonful of mercy and a ladleful of grace and then you pass on the sovereignty, the justice, the wrath and the holiness?
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 52:05 · R.C. Sproul @ 6:36
When Jesus speaks of the day and the hour, he is referring to his human nature, which is not omniscient, even though his divine nature is.
obviously Jesus is referring here to His human nature, and the human nature is not omniscient. It would be heretical to assert that the human nature of Christ knew everything. The divine nature did, of course; but the human nature knows only what a normal, ordinary human being could know or a human who is informed by the divine.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:05 · R.C. Sproul @ 5:04
The existence of God is necessary for the concepts of good and evil to have meaning.
But, of course, if there is no God there is no good, there is no evil, and it doesn't matter who jumps on the tank and who jumps off.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:49 · R.C. Sproul @ 26:18
The Logos is eternal and not a creature, as evidenced by its role in creation.
He was in the beginning with God; He's not a creature. In fact, "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 26:17 · R.C. Sproul @ 22:55
God's love must always be understood in connection with all of his other attributes, such as being eternal, immutable, and loyal.
God's love as an attribute of his character and of his being must be always understood in connection with all the rest of his attributes and we've seen how for example his love is an eternal love, and that his love is an immutable love, and that his love is a loyal love, a steadfast love
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:08 · R.C. Sproul @ 0:07
Every human being inherently knows the existence of the Most High God, even if they repress or bury that knowledge.
every human being knows the existence of the Most High God, but the sinful character of humanity is to do what? In every case one hundred times out of one hundred, we repress and bury that knowledge and exchange that knowledge that God has given us into idolatry, and that is why we are all held guilty before God.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 11:20 · The Road to Emmaus (Ligonier)
All human beings are ultimately accountable to God for their lives and actions.
Human beings who live on this planet, who were created by God, are ultimately responsible to their Creator for how they live. Every one of us will answer before God in terms of our lives.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 7:49 · R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
Monophysitism is a heresy that teaches that Christ had only one nature, rather than two.
The monophysite heresy taught that Jesus did not have two natures -- one divine nature and a human nature -- but He only had one nature. One person; one nature.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:01 · Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier)
The preferred formulation for Christ's nature is 'truly God and truly man' because the phrase 'fully God and fully man' can be confusing.
Well, I prefer “truly God and truly man,” because it can be confused. When you say that Jesus was fully God and fully man, if you mean that that one person was absolutely, totally God, and that’s all, then you would deny His humanity. Or if you say He was fully man, then there’s no room for His deity.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 25:01 · What does it mean when we confess that Jesus has a reasonable soul? (Ligonier Q&A)
From God's ultimate standard of goodness, humanity cannot be considered 'good.'
Bad things don't happen to good people, because the Bible makes it very clear that there is none righteous, no not one, that judged by the ultimate standard of God's goodness, it is a misnomer to credit humanity with the epitaph "good."
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 25:23 · The Indictment of the Jews and Gentiles (Ligonier)
The Kingdom of God is an objective reality, not a subjective feeling found within an individual's heart.
The kingdom of God is an objective state of affairs. It’s a concrete reality where there’s a real King over a real domain, and that kingdom has come and has been revealed now in the midst of these people: “The kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 25:43 · R.C. Sproul @ 1:43
A Christian worldview must include a Christian anthropology, which is an understanding of what it means to be human.
And so, an integral part of any Christian life and worldview must include within it a Christian anthropology, a Christian understanding of what it means to be human.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 0:35 · R.C. Sproul @ 8:04
The ultimate purpose of creation is not merely human existence, but rather the attainment of holiness and rest (Sabbath holiness).
Context: Attributing the theory to Herbert Richardson, but stating it as the ultimate goal of creation.
With this structure of seven days, the goal of creation is not simply the existence of me, but the goal, the ultimate goal of creation is Sabbath holiness, that man is created for holiness and for rest.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 1:46 · R.C. Sproul @ 21:10
Because humans are made in the image of God, they possess a certain dignity and are not called to hold themselves in absolute contempt.
This is because we are made in the image of God, and there is a certain dignity that God assigns to us.
Corroborated across 2 sources: R.C. Sproul @ 6:14 · Put on Christ (Ligonier)
God's actions and works are inherently righteous because they flow out of His own perfectly righteous internal being.
The external righteousness of God refers to what God does in His management of the universe. It refers to God’s behavior. There is no shadow of turning in Him—His acts and His works are altogether righteous. The reason for the external righteousness of God is that it flows out of the internal being of God.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Baptism of Jesus (Ligonier) · Israel's Rejection Not Final (Part 4) (Ligonier)
God possesses a comprehensive, perfect, and exhaustive knowledge of all reality.
Beloved, only God has a comprehensive knowledge of all reality. God knows reality in its absolute fullness. There is no nuance, no microscopic subatomic particle of the universe that is unknown to the mind of God.
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Benedictus (Part 1) (Ligonier) · Israel's Rejection Not Final (Part 4) (Ligonier)
Believers are spiritually joined to Christ, meaning they are in Christ, Christ is in them, and they participate in a mystical union.
By the Holy Spirit, every person who believes in Christ is then joined to Christ spiritually. If I am a believer, I am now in Christ, Christ is in me, and the invisible church is made up of all of those who are in Christ Jesus, all who participate in this mystical union between us and Christ.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Dead to Sin, Alive to God (Part 2) (Ligonier) · The Calling of the Disciples (Ligonier)
By nature, an unregenerate person exists in a state of 'flesh,' meaning the mind, soul, and spirit are all characterized by this corrupt nature.
By nature, we have a mind of flesh, a soul of flesh, a spirit of flesh.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Dead to Sin, Alive to God (Part 2) (Ligonier) · Law Cannot Save from Sin (Part 3) (Ligonier)
Human beings are not naturally sons and daughters of God; rather, all membership in God's family is achieved through adoption, which can only happen through God's only Son.
We are not by nature sons and daughters of God. God is not the Father of us all. In biblical terms, God is only the Father of His only begotten Son. All the rest of His children, His sons and daughters, are adopted. There is no other way to get into the family of God except through adoption. The only way you can be adopted into the family of God is through God’s only Son.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Jairus' Daughter (Ligonier) · The Prologue of John's Gospel (Ligonier)
While the divine nature can communicate information to the human nature, it is distinct from communicating the divine attribute of omniscience.
It is one thing for the divine nature to communicate information to the human nature, which indeed took place in the incarnation. Things only God could know were communicated to the human nature so Jesus could make perfect predictions about the future.
Corroborated across 2 sources: Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier) · The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
Jesus explicitly identifies himself to the woman as the Messiah.
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
Corroborated across 2 sources: The Woman at the Well (Part 1) (Ligonier) · The Woman at the Well (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Further positions¶
Drawn from a single high-trust (official transcript) source.
The nature of various deities, such as Baal, the biblical God, and the gods of Greek or Norse mythology, differs sharply.
The nature of the Canaanite deity Baal differs sharply from the nature of the biblical God. They are not remotely the same. This sharp distinction is also seen when comparing the God of Israel with the gods and goddesses of Roman, Greek, or Norse mythology.
Source: A Rose Is a Rose (Ligonier article)
Mormon theology differs from historic Christianity because it holds that Christ is a creature, not the Creator, and is not eternal.
For example, Mormonism categorically rejects the full deity of Christ. Christ is said to be pre-existent, but not eternal. He is highly exalted—indeed revered—but He remains a creature, not Creator, in Mormon theology.
Source: A Rose Is a Rose (Ligonier article)
The idea of God is not merely a mythical structure, but one that inherently includes the idea of His actual existence.
The idea that we have of God is not that of a mere mythical structure, but of a God who truly exists. There is a sense in which the very idea of God carries with it the idea of His existence.
Source: Who Was Anselm? (Ligonier article)
The Council of Chalcedon condemned both Monophysitism and Nestorianism, affirming that Christ was truly human and truly God, with two natures coexisting without mixture or separation.
Both the Monophysite heresy and the Nestorian heresy were clearly condemned at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, where the church, reaffirming its Trinitarian orthodoxy, stated their belief that Christ, or the second person of the Trinity was vere homo and vere Deus , truly human and truly God. It further declared that the two natures in their perfect unity coexisted in such a manner as to be without mixture, confusion, separation, or division, wherein each nature retained its own attributes.
Source: The Athanasian Creed (Ligonier article)
The Athanasian Creed emphasizes the affirmation of the Trinity, stressing that all members of the Godhead are uncreated, co-eternal, and of the same substance.
The content of the Athanasian Creed stresses the affirmation of the Trinity in which all members of the Godhead are considered uncreated and co-eternal and of the same substance.
Source: The Athanasian Creed (Ligonier article)
John Calvin taught that Christ's presence is through His divine nature, and that His human nature is localized in heaven.
John Calvin insisted, as did the Anglicans, on the true presence of Christ, but he also insisted that the presence of Christ is through His divine nature. His human nature is no longer present with us. It is in heaven at the right hand of God.
Source: The Battle for the Table (Ligonier article)
Calvin used the term 'substance' differently depending on his opponent: meaning 'corporeal' or 'physical' with Luther and Rome, but meaning 'real' or 'true' when debating Zwingli.
On the one hand, in dealing with the Lutherans and the Roman Catholics, he refused to use the term substance with respect to the presence of Jesus in the sacrament. But over against those disciples of Zwingli, who wanted to reduce the sacrament to a mere symbol and memorial, Calvin insisted upon the term substance . Here the term substance had two different nuances.
Source: The Battle for the Table (Ligonier article)
Warfield was the most capable and brilliant theologian among four prominent figures of the nineteenth century, combining biblical knowledge and systematic theology.
Of the four, I am convinced that Warfield was the most able and the most brilliant. He combined a keen grasp of biblical knowledge along with all of the nuances of systematic theology.
Source: B.B. Warfield: Defender of the Faith (Ligonier article)
The ultimate vision of God will be a direct, immediate apprehension by the human soul of God's essence, occurring without physical eyes.
Context: Reporting the view of Jonathan Edwards.
According to Edwards, the ultimate vision of God will be one that takes place without the eyes. It will be a direct and immediate apprehension by the human soul of the very essence of God—a completely and dramatically transcendent mode of perception.
Source: Blessed Are the Pure in Heart, for They Shall See God (Ligonier article)
Deism is characterized by the idea that God created the world but did not remain actively involved in human life.
The idea that God created the world but stepped out of the picture after setting the universe in motion was popular among many deists of the eighteenth century.
Source: Book Review: Christless Christianity (Ligonier article)
The essence of the New Testament gospel is the person and work of Christ, not merely a personal relationship with Jesus.
It is the person and work of Christ that is the essence of the New Testament gospel.
Source: Book Review: Christless Christianity (Ligonier article)
Gnosticism eschews the use of the mind and rationality to achieve truth, preferring mystical insight and intuition.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
They eschewed the function of the mind and rationality in achieving truth. Rather, truth was discovered through mystical insight and imaginative leaps of intuition.
Source: Book Review: Christless Christianity (Ligonier article)
Christ is the supreme Mediator between God and fallen humanity, participating fully in both deity and humanity.
But when Paul writes to Timothy of a solitary Mediator, a single Mediator, with a capital “M,” he’s referring to that Mediator who is the supreme Intercessor between God and fallen humanity. This Mediator, Jesus Christ, is indeed the God-man.
Source: Born of the Virgin Mary (Ligonier article)
Christ's mission was to reconcile the estrangement that existed between God and humanity.
That is, His mission was to reconcile the estrangement that existed between God and humanity.
Source: Born of the Virgin Mary (Ligonier article)
Christ, the God-man, entered into a corporate solidarity with humanity, acting as a representative like Adam.
In His role as Mediator and the God-man, Jesus assumed the office of the second Adam, or what the Bible calls the last Adam. He entered into a corporate solidarity with our humanity, being a representative like unto Adam in his representation.
Source: Born of the Virgin Mary (Ligonier article)
The Word became flesh to effect human redemption by fulfilling the role of the perfect Mediator between God and man.
The Logos took upon Himself a human nature, the Word became flesh to effect our redemption by fulfilling the role of the perfect Mediator between God and man.
Source: Born of the Virgin Mary (Ligonier article)
Only God has the ability to see, change, and preserve the internal status of a human soul.
Only God can see that soul, change that soul, and preserve that soul.
Source: What Is an Apostate? (Ligonier article)
Kant argued that human methods of knowing are limited to the physical world and cannot penetrate the realm of God.
Kant maintained that our normal methods of knowing man never take us beyond the limits of this world and into the realm of God.
Source: The Christian and Science (Ligonier article)
Sproul argues that Aquinas did not separate nature and grace, but rather worked hard to prevent such a separation.
I plead for Aquinas, that he was not guilty of the charge. Aquinas did everything in his power to prevent a separation of nature and grace. He labored tirelessly to combat the efforts of philosophers who were making such a separation.
Source: The Christian and Science (Ligonier article)
Certain doctrines, such as the incarnation or the Atonement, cannot be learned through studying nature or science, but must come from Scripture.
We can study the circulatory system of the body, geometry tables, or any other scientific discipline but we will never discern in them the doctrine of the incarnation of Christ. Through a study of nature, we will never learn of the Atonement of Jesus or the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Such information comes to us from God in Scripture.
Source: The Christian and Science (Ligonier article)
Christians should engage with science rather than avoiding it or adopting intellectual schizophrenia.
Rather than flee from the scientific enterprise or embrace intellectual schizophrenia that only destroys, Christians are needed by the thousands to venture into the realm of nature, armed with the knowledge of grace.
Source: Christians Need Not Fear Scientific Inquiry (Ligonier article)
Sproul believes that if Christ's divine nature made sin impossible for his human nature, the entire experience of temptation would have been meaningless.
I may be wrong, but I think it is wrong to believe that Christ's divine nature made it impossible for his human nature to sin. If that were the case, the temptation, the tests, and his assuming of the responsibility of the first Adam would have all been charades.
Source: Could Jesus Have Sinned? (Ligonier article)
Sproul argues that Satan was attempting to corrupt the human nature of Christ, not the divine nature.
He was trying to get the human nature of Christ to sin, so that he would not be qualified to be the Savior.
Source: Could Jesus Have Sinned? (Ligonier article)
Reformed theology describes Christ's willingness to submit to receiving the curse of God on humanity's behalf as 'the passive obedience of Jesus.'
This, Reformed theology describes in terms of “the passive obedience of Jesus.” It points to His willingness to submit to His reception of the curse of God in our stead.
Source: The Covenant of Works (Ligonier article)
The fact that all life forms share basic building blocks does not prove they came from a common source.
A common substance or structure, however, does not necessarily imply a common source.
Source: The Creation Doctrine in Reformed Theology (Ligonier article)
The necessity of satisfying God's righteousness comes from God's own character and nature, not from external forces.
When the church confesses the necessity of the satisfaction of God’s righteousness, this necessity is not something that is imposed upon God from the outside, but it is a necessity imposed upon God by His own character and nature.
Source: Why the God-Man? (Ligonier article)
The ultimate framework for discerning what is right, good, and pleasing is the character of God.
As Christians, the character of God supplies our ultimate ethos or ethic, the ultimate framework by which we discern what is right, good, and pleasing to Him.
Source: The Difference Between Ethics and Morality (Ligonier article)
The Bible, while divine, is also a human book that reflects how human beings tell stories, meaning variation in accounts is expected.
The Bible is a divine book—but it’s also a very human book, not in that it is filled with human errors but in that it reflects how human beings tell stories.
Source: Difference or Contradiction? (Ligonier article)
True human dignity is ultimately founded on the conviction that a divine being created humanity.
Ultimately, human dignity is built on the conviction that someone is up there who made us. Behind human dignity is theology.
Source: Dignity, Faith, & Work (Ligonier article)
Respecting people is not merely an ethical matter, but a theological one, stemming from one's philosophy.
Context: Quoting the chairman of the board, but affirming the principle.
How we treat people is a matter of ethics. Ethics are determined by our philosophy. Our philosophy reflects our theology—so respecting people is really a theological matter.
Source: Dignity, Faith, & Work (Ligonier article)
The speaker argues that humanism assigns no ultimate value to life or existence, treating biological life as insignificant.
A creature with no ultimate value, one who is ultimately insignificant, is not worth any sacrifice.
Source: Dignity, Faith, & Work (Ligonier article)
The speaker criticizes those who follow humanism, claiming they are susceptible to sentimentality and accept the humanist's flawed worldview.
We follow sentimentality and accept the humanist’s happy inconsistency. We too are human and we are often content to let the humanist retain the cake he has already eaten.
Source: Dignity, Faith, & Work (Ligonier article)
Western Christianity has become superficial and spiritually deficient, lacking deep theological substance.
Here in the West, we have become immunized or inoculated against the deep things of God, living our Christian lives on a superficial plain of churchiness and religiosity.
Source: Ecclesiastical Myopia (Ligonier article)
God owes nothing to the creature, and the creature is the one who is indebted to God.
Once someone has sinned, God owes that person nothing. Indeed, even before sin, God owes the creature nothing. It is the creature who is indebted to God (for sustaining if not also saving grace), not God to the creature.
Source: Is Election Unfair? (Ligonier article)
The conscience is a mysterious part of man’s inner being that can function without immediate awareness.
Within the conscience, in a secret hidden recess, lies the personality, so hidden that at times it functions without our being immediately aware of it.
Source: Ethics and the Conscience (Ligonier article)
The concept of the elect being given to Christ is confirmed by the author of Hebrews, who describes them as adopted brothers and children.
This text confirms that the elect are given to Christ as His adopted brothers and the Father’s adopted children.
Source: The Father’s Gift to the Son (Ligonier article)
Understanding the character of God is primary and determinant, controlling the understanding of all other doctrines, including salvation.
After Reformed theology articulates its doctrine of the nature and character of God in the first principles of its system of doctrine, it does not thereafter forget its affirmations when it addresses other doctrines. Rather, our understanding of the character of God is primary and determinant with respect to our understanding of all other doctrines.
Source: The Fine Points of Calvinism (Ligonier article)
Because humans are fallen, they can be religious while simultaneously being idolaters by attempting to remake God in their own image.
Because we are fallen creatures, we can be religious and be idolaters at the same time. All of us can remake God in our own image, downplaying or ignoring those aspects of His character we do not like.
Source: For the Glory of God (Ligonier article)
Because Jesus was pure, he must have experienced the beauty of the Father until the moment sin was placed upon him.
But Jesus had no impurity. So obviously he had some experience of the beauty of the Father until that moment that our sin was placed upon him, and the One who was pure was pure no more, and God cursed him.
Source: Forsaken: Jesus Became A Curse (Ligonier article)
Aptitude refers to both a person's latent abilities and their acquired abilities.
At this point the concept of aptitude is relevant. Aptitude involves a person’s latent abilities as well as his acquired abilities.
Source: God’s Will and Your Job (Ligonier article)
The person who dedicates time and energy to a non-motivated ability experiences significant frustration.
The person who gives his full measure of time and energy to a nonmotivated ability is a walking pressure cooker of frustration.
Source: God’s Will and Your Job (Ligonier article)
The assumption that the constituent nature of humanity has changed and that the Word of God has lost its potency is erroneous.
The erroneous assumption is that in the last fifty years, the constituent nature of humanity has changed, as if the heart can no longer be reached via the mind. It also assumes that the power of the Word of God has lost its potency, so that we must look elsewhere if we are to find powerful and moving experiences of worship in our church.
Source: Good Intentions Gone Bad (Ligonier article)
God is omniscient and knows everything about human lives, so He does not require a list of actions.
The Scriptures reveal a God who is omniscient, so He does not need someone to give Him a list of what we have done. He knows everything about our lives.
Source: The Greatest Issue We Face (Ligonier article)
The ultimate purpose of humanity is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
The Westminster Catechism asks: “What is man’s chief end?” The answer provided is: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”
Source: What Is Hedonism? (Ligonier article)
God is characterized by eyes purer than to see evil and is incapable of looking at wrongdoing.
You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong . . .
Source: The Holiness of God and the Sinfulness of Man (Ligonier article)
Sin is not an accidental property of humanity, but rather something that infects the very core of our being.
In other words, sin is not an external blemish, but something that goes to the very core of our being.
Source: The Holiness of God and the Sinfulness of Man (Ligonier article)
The Roman Catholic Church holds the view that man's character is not completely tainted, but that he retains some righteousness.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
The Roman Catholic Church holds the position that man’s character is not completely tainted, but that he retains a little island of righteousness.
Source: How Sinful Is Man? (Ligonier article)
A person's identity is fundamentally linked to their personal history and memory, which connects their past existence to their present consciousness.
My memory contains a record of my personal history—which is an integral dimension of my identity. Memory links my consciousness of my past existence with my consciousness of the present.
Source: "I Believe in the Life Everlasting" (Ligonier article)
Consciousness is not necessarily dependent on a physical brain or body, as evidenced by angelic spirits and God.
Biblically we encounter angelic spirits who can think and reason without the benefit of physical, human brains. The ultimate proof is seen in the nature of God Himself, who, while lacking a body, exhibits the highest possible level of consciousness.
Source: "I Believe in the Life Everlasting" (Ligonier article)
If a beginning exists for the universe, then there must be something or someone responsible for that beginning.
In other words, if there was indeed a beginning to the universe, then there must be something or someone responsible for that beginning; and if there was a beginning, there must be some kind of creation.
Source: In the Beginning... (Ligonier article)
For anything to exist at all, something must be self-existent and possess the power of being.
Something has to be self-existent; something must have the power of being within it for anything to exist at all.
Source: In the Beginning... (Ligonier article)
The idea that the universe's origin lies in a hidden, pulsating core within the universe is problematic because self-existent and eternal things cannot undergo mutation or change.
Likewise, since virtually everything we examine in the material world manifests contingency and mutation, philosophers are loath to assert that this aspect of the universe is self-existent and eternal, because that which is self-existent and eternal is not given to mutation or change.
Source: In the Beginning... (Ligonier article)
God created the universe not by reshaping existing material, but by calling it into being through His command.
God called the world into being, and His creation was absolute in the sense that He did not simply reshape things that already existed. Scripture gives us only the briefest description of how He did it. We find therein the “divine imperative” or the “divine fiat,” whereby God created by the power and authority of His command.
Source: In the Beginning... (Ligonier article)
The divine nature of God cannot perish, as this would lead to the collapse of the universe.
If we say that God died on the cross, and if by that we mean that the divine nature perished, we have stepped over the edge into serious heresy.
Source: Did God Die on the Cross? (Ligonier article)
Death was experienced only by the human nature of Christ, not the divine nature, which is incapable of death.
It’s the God-man Who dies, but death is something that is experienced only by the human nature, because the divine nature isn’t capable of experiencing death.
Source: Did God Die on the Cross? (Ligonier article)
Jesus is understood to be the Messiah, or 'the Anointed One,' who is supremely set apart and consecrated by God to be Prophet, Priest, and King.
But the people of Israel looked forward to that promised individual who was to be not merely a messiah but the Messiah, the One who would be supremely set apart and consecrated by God to be their Prophet, Priest, and King.
Source: Jesus Christ, Anointed One (Ligonier article)
Peter's understanding of Jesus' identity as the Messiah came from a divine source, not from human reasoning.
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven
Source: Jesus Christ, Anointed One (Ligonier article)
John the Baptist recognized Jesus as the Lamb of God who would bear the sin of His people.
He spoke the words that later became the lyrics for that great hymn of the church, the Agnus Dei: “‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29b).
Source: Jesus, Our Substitute (Ligonier article)
Christ's unique qualifications to reconcile God and humanity stem from the second person of the Trinity uniting to a human nature.
In order to bring about reconciliation between God and humanity, the second person of the Trinity united to Himself a human nature.
Source: Jesus: The Only Savior (Ligonier article)
If Christ is who he claims to be, no other person or way can lead to God.
If Christ is who He claims to be, no one else can be a way to God.
Source: Jesus: The Only Savior (Ligonier article)
The Bible teaches that Christ is the sole Mediator between God and mankind, and no one else can be a way to God.
There is only one God, and God has only one Son, and the Son is the sole Mediator between God and mankind.
Source: Jesus: The Only Savior (Ligonier article)
Current human knowledge is partial and imperfect, likened to seeing through a dim mirror.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Source: Love and Maturity: What the Corinthians Got Wrong (Ligonier article)
God's love is characterized by patience and long-suffering, which is a chief characteristic of God.
Why does Christian love suffer long? It is because Christians imitate Christ, who imitates God the Father, and longsuffering is a chief characteristic of God.
Source: Love That Is Patient and Kind (Ligonier article)
The ability to love God with our minds requires regeneration, as the natural man does not seek God.
Any consideration of the human mind, therefore, must begin with the understanding that by nature the mind does not love God at all, and it will not love God at all unless and until God the Holy Spirit changes its disposition immediately and sovereignly to set the affections on Him. Regeneration is the necessary condition for loving God with our minds.
Source: Loving God with Our Minds (Ligonier article)
In ancient Israel, a person's name held great significance and provided deep insight into their character.
In Israel particularly, a name often had tremendous significance and gave deep insight into one’s character.
Source: The Many Names of God (Ligonier article)
The various names God gives Himself, including the distinction between the persons of the Trinity, reveal aspects of the character of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
As we look at the various names that God is pleased to give Himself, we will learn much about who God is. Even the distinction between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit tells us something about the character of the members of the Godhead.
Source: The Many Names of God (Ligonier article)
Jesus was the greatest teacher, who taught profound truths using simple language without ever being simplistic.
Jesus, the greatest teacher ever, taught in simple terms. But He was never simplistic. To oversimplify is to distort the truth.
Source: Marks of a Great Teacher: Understanding (Ligonier article)
God works His plan through the real choices and actions of creatures, acknowledging secondary causes alongside primary causes.
God works His plan through means, via the real choices of willing and acting creatures. There are secondary as well as primary causes.
Source: The Meaning of God’s Will (Ligonier article)
All people, both Jewish and Gentile, are under sin, and no unregenerate person can understand God.
For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: What comprises just under four verses of the New Testament is so radical that if the modern church would come to believe it, we would experience a revival that would make the Reformation pale into insignificance.
Source: None Righteous (Ligonier article)
Knowing the Holy Spirit is a personal realization of who the Spirit is, rather than merely an intellectual understanding of what the Spirit is.
Notice that she said, “Now I know who the Holy Spirit is,” not, “Now I know what the Holy Spirit is.”
Source: Knowing the Holy Spirit (Ligonier article)
Humanity has an inherent drive to build monuments and achieve great things, which is a part of human nature.
It's part of our nature as human beings to build monuments to human accomplishment. You can go through the cities of this world, and you can see magnificent human achievements.
Source: Our Story (Ligonier article)
A person's theological views are not solely determined by their background, education, or the teachings of a single mentor.
But to identify my general approach in theology to Berkouwer’s would be to distort my own views. It would even be incorrect to identify my theology totally with that of my main mentor, the late John H. Gerstner.
Source: Paul: A Servant of Jesus Christ (Ligonier article)
The individual believer is viewed as the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, making them part of God's new temple.
He is showing that the individual believer is a person in whom God the Holy Spirit dwells. Elsewhere, Paul says that our bodies are the temple of God (2 Cor. 6:16).
Source: Peace Beyond Barriers: How Christ Builds His Church (Ligonier article)
For Christ to save humanity, it is essential that He be truly human, as this humanity is inseparable from His role as the second Adam.
If Jesus were only God and not truly man, He could not save us. His humanity is inseparable from His being the second Adam, fulfilling all righteousness, and taking upon Himself all the obligations of God’s law that must be fulfilled for us to receive life eternal (Lev. 18:5; Rom. 2:13).
Source: Perfectly Human (Ligonier article)
Sin is not a necessary attribute of true humanity, and the Bible teaches that humans were originally created without sin but can be sinless when glorified.
Everything Scripture says about human beings and sin suggests that men and women, as originally created, were without sin but were nevertheless truly human. Moreover, the Bible teaches that when we are glorified, we will be without sin but yet truly human.
Source: Perfectly Human (Ligonier article)
Sin is not an inherent part of true humanity, but rather an external intrusion into humanity as created by God.
Sin isn’t a necessary attribute of true humanity; it’s a foreign intrusion into humanity as created by God.
Source: Perfectly Human (Ligonier article)
Existentialism views man primarily through his passions and feelings, rather than his mind or soul.
It views man not so much in terms of his mind or his soul, but of his will, his feelings. Man is a creature of passion.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
Abstract concepts like 'man' or 'humanity' are problematic because they obscure the unique reality of individual persons.
The personal element is obscured by abstract universals. An abstract universal is an attempt to get at what we call the essence of a thing. We know that there are men. But why do we call men, “men”? There are only individuals, and each individual person is different from every other individual person.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
Existential philosophers, particularly Sartre, argue that existence precedes essence, meaning a person's concrete existence is more important than any abstract definition.
The axiom set forth by Sartre was that existence precedes essence. It is the existence of man (or more properly, “men”) that matters, not some abstract essence.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
The universe is characterized by indifference, meaning it does not care about human concerns or suffering.
But an indifferent universe is a universe that doesn't care. It doesn't care, because it cannot care; it is impersonal.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
The speaker suggests that it is better to be involved with an enemy than with an indifferent universe because an enemy might be vanquished or persuaded.
It would be better for us if the universe were hostile. At least we could be involved with an enemy that might possibly be vanquished or persuaded to be more friendly.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
Nietzsche argued that if there is no God, then life is meaningless and human values are arbitrary.
If there is no God, then life is meaningless. If all of human existence is shut up in the here and now, then all human values are arbitrary.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
The true existential man creates his own morality and refuses to follow the conventions of the herd.
For Nietzsche the true existential man, the authentic man, creates his own morality. He refuses to follow the herd. He is his own master, a “Superman.”
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
Existentialism is a philosophy that focuses on human existence and real, passionate life.
Its emphasis, as the name implies, is on human existence, on real, passionate life.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
When humanity no longer lives spontaneously toward God or the super-sensible world, the artist must confront a flat and inexplicable world.
Context: Quoting William Barrett's statement.
When mankind no longer lives spontaneously turned toward God or the super-sensible world—when, to echo the words of Yeats, The ladder is gone by which we would climb to a higher reality—the artist too must stand face to face with a flat and inexplicable world.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
Heidegger discusses 'dasein,' which refers to human beings in their specific location, rather than the general concept of 'being.'
Heidegger doesn't speak simply about human beings; he talks about human beings here or human beings there —here a being, there a being, everywhere a being.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
Human existence is characterized by being thrown into an impersonal universe, forcing individuals to carve out their own destiny and take sole responsibility for their actions.
Man has been hurled into an impersonal universe where nobody is at home. We are expected to carve out our own existence and live between twin poles of nothingness. We come from nothing and we are destined for annihilation.
Source: Pessimistic Existentialism (Ligonier article)
Christ is the ultimate Pilgrim and Sojourner because he literally 'pitched His tent' or 'tabernacled' among us.
The Word of God who “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) translates with the English term dwelt a Greek term with the same root that means “tent” or “tabernacle.” Christ literally “pitched His tent” or “tabernacled” among us.
Source: A Pilgrim People (Ligonier article)
The fundamental nature of sinners is to flee from the presence of God, which was demonstrated by Adam and Eve.
This is our fundamental nature as sinners—to be fugitives from the presence of God. The very first sin provoked Adam and Eve to flee from the presence of God and hide themselves from Him. The last thing they wanted after they experienced guilt and shame was for God to be present.
Source: The Place of God’s Disfavor (Ligonier article)
A person's relationship with God does not improve in hell; rather, they become increasingly hostile toward God.
When a person spends time in hell, his relationship with God does not improve. The person goes to hell in the first place because he is hostile toward God. As he experiences the outer darkness where he weeps, he gnashes his teeth in ever-greater hatred of his Maker.
Source: The Place of God’s Disfavor (Ligonier article)
Pluralism is understood as having diversity and particulars but lacking universals and absolutes, meaning there is no ultimate coherence.
The basic idea of pluralism is this: We have diversity here in this world. We have no access to ultimate unity, no way to bring the diverse things of our experience into a coherent whole. We have particulars but no universals; relatives but no absolutes.
Source: Pluralism and Relativism (Ligonier article)
Polytheism is characterized by multiple gods, each having separate identities and often residing in specific locations.
Here the “gods” have separate identities. They are not mere spirits inside of rocks or crocodiles. They normally have a special abode in the sky or on a distant high place such as Mount Olympus.
Source: Pluralism and Relativism (Ligonier article)
Humanity requires an ultimate reference point, which is found in the character of God, otherwise, humanity is demeaned.
Your humanness is beautiful in the intricacies of its diversity, but your humanness also finds an ultimate point of reference in the character of God. Take away that ultimate reference point and humanity itself is demeaned.
Source: Pluralism and Relativism (Ligonier article)
Paul's contentment was limited to his personal circumstances and the state of his human condition, not a general state of being.
Paul’s contentment pertained to his personal circumstances and the state of his human condition.
Source: Providence and Contentment (Ligonier article)
The Christian life involves an ongoing internal conflict between the sinful nature (flesh) and the Spirit.
My life didn’t begin to be complicated until I became a Christian, because only then did I have to go to war every day between that which is of the flesh and that which is of the Spirit.
Source: Regeneration: The Most Significant Beginning (Ligonier article)
God has revealed to humanity who He is, who we are, and how we are expected to relate to Him.
We assert boldly that God has revealed to us who He is, who we are, and how we are expected to relate to Him.
Source: Revelation and Christian Ethics (Ligonier article)
Human understanding of the psyche and human nature is vastly inferior to the superior wisdom and knowledge of God.
Psychiatrists will never understand the human psyche to the degree the Creator understands that which He made. God knows our frames; it is He who has made us so fearfully and wonderfully.
Source: Revelation and Christian Ethics (Ligonier article)
A true understanding of identity requires recognizing both one's past origins and one's future destiny, which must be anchored in eternity.
To know who I am involved a discovery of my past (my origin) and at least a glimpse of my future (my destiny). If I am a cosmic accident springing from the dust and destined for more dust, then I am nothing. I am a joke — a tale told by an idiot. But if my ultimate roots are grounded in eternity and my destiny is anchored in that same eternity, then I know something of who I am.
Source: Right Now Counts Forever (Ligonier article)
Christianity rejects dualism, asserting that while Satan is opposed to God, he is merely a creature, not an equal force.
Satan may be opposed to God, but he is by no means equal to God. Satan is a creature; God is the Creator. Satan is potent; God is omnipotent. Satan is knowledgeable and crafty; God is omniscient.
Source: Satan Does Not Hold the Keys of Death (Ligonier article)
Secularism is a broad umbrella that unifies various competing philosophies, including humanism, pragmatism, and relativism.
Secularism is the umbrella that shields the various competing philosophies beneath it. Secularism has the necessary common denominator to tie together humanism, pragmatism, relativism, naturalism, pluralism, existentialism, and several other isms.
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
The Bible teaches that humanity is created for eternity, and the core message of the New Testament is that Christ offers life that leads to eternal life.
The Bible teaches us that we are created for eternity. The heart of the New Testament message is that Christ has come to give us a life that wells up into eternal life.
Source: Secularism: Ignoring the Eternal (Ligonier article)
Pelagius held the heretical view that humanity could achieve lives of perfection even without divine grace.
against the heretical views of Pelagius, who denied original sin, arguing that even apart from grace the descendents of Adam could achieve lives of perfection.
Source: Setting the Stage: The First Millennium (Ligonier article)
Worship is a holistic experience that involves all five physical senses, not just the mind, heart, and soul.
We are creatures who live life not merely with our minds, hearts, and souls, but with our senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
Source: Sight, Place, and the Presence of God (Ligonier article)
Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses deny the deity of Christ, arguing instead that he is an exalted creature and the firstborn of creation.
This certainly includes their unabashed denial of the deity of Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons have this denial in common. Though both place Jesus in some type of exalted position within their respective creeds, He does not attain the level of deity. Both groups consider Christ an exalted creature.
Source: A Snare in Your Midst (Ligonier article)
Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses deny the deity of Christ, instead viewing him as an exalted creature.
This certainly includes their unabashed denial of the deity of Christ. Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons have this denial in common. Though both place Jesus in some type of exalted position within their respective creeds, He does not attain the level of deity. Both groups consider Christ an exalted creature.
Source: A Snare in Your Midst (Ligonier article)
The early Greek philosophers were concerned with ultimate reality, which they sought to define using the concept of archē.
The Greek word that captures the essence of their quest is archē .
Source: Socrates or Sophism? (Ligonier article)
Thales concluded that water was the ultimate substance (archē) because it could manifest in liquid, solid, and gaseous forms.
He came up with the conclusion that it was water because everything in this world is either liquid, solid, or gaseous. So he looked for some substance that had the capacity to manifest itself in all three forms, and the most obvious was water.
Source: Socrates or Sophism? (Ligonier article)
Skeptics concluded that because the greatest minds could not agree on ultimate truth, that truth must be beyond human understanding.
That is, they reasoned something like this: if the greatest minds of our culture, people such as Parmenides, Heraclitus, Zeno, Anaximander, Anaxagoras, Thales, and Anaximenes, can’t agree on what ultimate truth is, then it must mean that ultimate truth is beyond the scope of possible human learning.
Source: Socrates or Sophism? (Ligonier article)
The Sophists limited human knowledge to only what can be experienced through the five senses.
The only knowledge that we can possess, this school stated, is the knowledge of what we can see and taste and smell and touch and hear—the knowledge of this realm, the knowledge of the immediate presence in which we live.
Source: Socrates or Sophism? (Ligonier article)
A person's true spiritual status is determined by their fruit, not merely by outward professions or evangelistic statistics.
All we can ever see of a person’s profession is his fruit. And even the fruit can be deceptive. God, and God alone, can read the human heart.
Source: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church (Ligonier article)
Christianity, as presented in the Bible, is fundamentally a supernatural religion that cannot be reduced to natural elements.
The Christianity of the Bible is a religion that is uncompromisingly supernatural. If we take away the supernatural, we take away Christianity.
Source: A Supernatural Faith (Ligonier article)
Jesus is our Bishop (Episkopos), meaning he has the power to look into our lives and gauge our readiness for combat with darkness.
Jesus, then, is our Bishop, our Episkopos , who has oversight of us as our Lord. He is vested with the power to look into our lives, to gauge our readiness for combat with the forces of darkness.
Source: The Bishop of Our Souls (Ligonier article)
Art and aesthetics are concerned with the beautiful, which points to the character of God because God is Beautiful.
We are concerned about goodness because God is Good. We care about truth because God is Truth. We care about beauty because God is Beautiful.
Source: The Christian and Art (Ligonier article)
The ultimate foundation and basis for aesthetics is the work of creation, which reveals God as the supreme artist.
The ultimate foundation and basis for aesthetics is the work of creation. Here we encounter God the supreme artist.
Source: The Christian and Art (Ligonier article)
God's artistic work is evident in creation, such as the beauty of sunsets and the complex shades of nature.
These vistas of creation bear witness to the artistic virtue of God Himself.
Source: The Christian and Art (Ligonier article)
God creates nature with such subtle and harmonious shades and hues that they never clash or appear ugly.
But when God creates nature, He does it with subtleness of shade and of hue and of texture that somehow never clashes and is never ugly.
Source: The Christian and Art (Ligonier article)
A person's actual life and actions reveal their deepest convictions more accurately than their stated theories or books do.
Our lives say much more about how we think than our books do. The theories we preach are not always the ones we actually believe. The theories we live are the ones we really believe.
Source: The Importance of Cultural Awareness (Ligonier article)
Fallen man retains the natural ability and faculties necessary to make moral choices, but lacks the moral disposition or desire for righteousness.
With respect to the making of choices, fallen man still has the natural ability and the natural faculties necessary to make moral choices. Man can still think, feel, desire. All of the equipment necessary for the making of choices remains. What fallen man lacks is the moral disposition, the desire, or the inclination of righteousness.
Source: The Meaning of Man’s Will (Ligonier article)
A person's choices reveal the true level of their desires.
My choices reveal more clearly and more certainly than anything else the level of my desire.
Source: The Meaning of Man’s Will (Ligonier article)
Sanctification involves actively reprogramming the inner self, as humans are not merely victims of mechanical forces.
In a real sense the process of sanctification involves a radical reprogramming of the inner self. We are not the victims of blind mechanical forces that control our destiny. As intelligent beings, we can do something to change the disposition of our heart and the inclination of our mind.
Source: The Meaning of Man’s Will (Ligonier article)
Assuming Adam was created with a predisposition toward evil makes God appear responsible for human wickedness.
If we assume that Adam was created with a predisposition toward evil, we cast a horrible shadow over the character of God, for this would mean that God had created man with a predisposition toward evil and then had punished man for exercising that disposition that God himself had planted within his soul.
Source: The Meaning of Man’s Will (Ligonier article)
The idea that God created man with a disposition toward only righteousness raises the problem of how a creature could choose a wicked act.
A third option is that God created man with a disposition toward only righteousness. If this were the case, then we have an effect without a sufficient cause. How is it possible for a creature created with the disposition toward only righteousness to have chosen a wicked act?
Source: The Meaning of Man’s Will (Ligonier article)
Seeking knowledge of metaphysical essences is considered futile because such essences cannot be known by human reason.
Since meta-physics is concerned with that which is above and beyond the physical, it is deemed a fool’s errand to seek knowledge of essences. The phenomenal realm is the world of existence , not of metaphysical essences or “things-in-themselves.” There may be metaphysical essences but they cannot be known by human reason.
Source: The Origin of the Soul (Ligonier article)
The self is a necessary component of thought, and the human self involves more than just the body.
Descartes was correct: It takes a self to deny the self. That the human self involves more than the body is clear to all except the most rigorous material determinists who reduce all reality to the purely physical, including thought as mind itself.
Source: The Origin of the Soul (Ligonier article)
Christian thought views man as having two distinct substances—a real body and a real soul—that are not in conflict.
Jewish-Christian thought, however, sees man as made up of two distinct substances that are not in conflict. Nor does the Bible view matter as being inherently evil.
Source: The Origin of the Soul (Ligonier article)
The soul is a real entity that exists and is a subject of biblical teaching.
From biblical revelation we know we have souls. The Bible does not banish the soul to some “never-never” noumenal world of agnosticism.
Source: The Origin of the Soul (Ligonier article)
Christians must base their lives and decisions on the objective truth of God's Word rather than on their subjective feelings.
What is the authority in our lives? Our feelings, which are subjective, or the Word of God, which is objective truth? The Christian must live practically each day by the Word of God rather than by his feelings.
Source: The Problem of Forgiveness (Ligonier article)
Jesus rebuked Peter, equating his focus on human concerns rather than divine concerns with the work of Satan.
But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man’ (Mark 8:33).
Source: The Things of God (Ligonier article)
A person's relationship with God is the primary factor that controls their entire understanding of life, the world, death, and heaven.
In a real sense, one’s relation to God is the controlling idea for one’s whole understanding of life, of the world, of death, and of heaven.
Source: Thinking of Home (Ligonier article)
The speaker poses a fundamental question regarding God's involvement in personal suffering and misfortune.
But we still have to ask the question, Where was God in all of it? Where was God in the accidents you have experienced in your life?
Source: Never Safe, Always Safe: The Paradox of God’s Providence (Ligonier article)
Essence refers to the being of God, which is primary, while person is used as a secondary substance within that being.
Essence refers to the being of God, while person is used here as substance within being . Essence is primary and persona is secondary. Essence is the similarity, while personal is the dissimilarity in the nature of God.
Source: The Trinity Is Not a Contradiction (Ligonier article)
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all uniformly testified to by Scripture as being divine, maintaining the unity of God.
All three are testified to uniformly by the Scriptures as being divine. They are not three gods, because the unity of God remains axiomatic in the monarchianism of sacred Scripture. The church still declares that the Lord our God is one.
Source: Triune Monarchy (Ligonier article)
Sin is fundamentally rooted in the core or center of human existence, specifically the heart.
That is, our sin is something that comes from our hearts. In biblical terms, that means it’s from the core or very center of our existence.
Source: TULIP and Reformed Theology: Total Depravity (Ligonier article)
The speaker favors the interpretation that Moby Dick symbolizes God Himself, viewing Ahab's pursuit as humanity's futile attempt to destroy the omnipotent deity.
Other scholars have been convinced that the whale is not a symbol of evil but the symbol of God Himself. In this interpretation, Ahab’s pursuit of the whale is not a righteous pursuit of God but natural man’s futile attempt in his hatred of God to destroy the omnipotent deity. I favor this second view.
Source: The Unholy Pursuit of God in Moby Dick (Ligonier article)
A real unity exists among Christians because they are all united with Christ, and this unity should be visible to the world.
Every person who is a Christian is in Christ, so if you are in Christ and I am in Christ, there is a real unity between us by virtue of our common union with Him. This is true for all genuine believers.
Source: A Unity That Is Evident to the World (Ligonier article)
God, not humans, is the one who corrects us.
It is God who corrects us; we don't correct Him. We do not stand over God but under Him.
Source: The Value of Scripture (Ligonier article)
Confessing God as Creator means acknowledging that humanity is not a cosmic accident but has ultimate value.
To confess that God is Creator is to confess that we are not cosmic accidents, devoid of ultimate value. We came from somewhere significant and we are headed toward a destination of importance.
Source: We Are Not Germs: The Case for Human Dignity (Ligonier article)
The mechanistic view of life, which sees humanity as an accidental cosmic force, fails to provide meaning for existence.
The mechanistic view ofers no understanding of the meaning of life. Attempts have been made to develop a sense of mechanistic ethics. All have failed.
Source: We Are Not Germs: The Case for Human Dignity (Ligonier article)
While both Christianity and humanism care for human dignity, their foundations for that dignity are fundamentally different.
Yes, all forms of humanism share a concern for humanity and its well-being, but apart from God there can be no lasting, permanent foundation for such a concern. Both Christianity and humanism seek the healing of estranged relationships, and both honor the dignity of the human being. However, their bases for dignity are radically different.
Source: We Are Not Germs: The Case for Human Dignity (Ligonier article)
Human beings possess value and dignity because they are created in the image of God, who has infinite value.
The Creator, who possesses infinite value and worth, has stamped us with a value and dignity that is derivative of His own value and dignity. Lose that idea, and you have lost any transcendent, foundational reason to treat human beings any differently than you treat a dog, a dolphin, or even a weed.
Source: We Are Not Germs: The Case for Human Dignity (Ligonier article)
Sproul criticizes philosophical humanism for claiming human significance despite viewing human origins as accidental and destined for nothingness.
But intellectually, I’ve never seen anything more pitiful than the type of philosophical humanism that tells us on the one hand that our origin as human beings is a cosmic accident, that we are grownup germs who have emerged fortuitously from the slime, and that we are destined ultimately to annihilation to nonbeing, to the abyss of das Nichtige, the nothingness, but that even so, we enjoy enormous significance in between our origin and our destiny.
Source: We Are Not Germs: The Case for Human Dignity (Ligonier article)
God's being is entirely self-derived and is not dependent on anything outside of Himself.
God’s being is derived from nothing outside of Himself, nor is He dependent on anything outside of Himself.
Source: What Came Before God? (Ligonier article)
All things in the cosmos, except for God, are creatures and are therefore temporal and dependent.
Nothing differentiates God from the creature more dramatically than this, because the creature, by definition, is dependent, contingent, and derived and lacks the power of being in and of himself.
Source: What Came Before God? (Ligonier article)
Everything in the cosmos, except for God, is creaturely and has a beginning in time.
Everything in the cosmos, apart from God, is creaturely. Everything in creation—in the universe—has a beginning in time. God alone is from everlasting to everlasting and possesses the attribute of eternality.
Source: What Came Before God? (Ligonier article)
Humans must maintain a clear distinction between the Creator and the creature to avoid falling into pantheism.
To confuse the Creator and the creature is to fall into pantheism, which obscures the clear distinction between creature and Creator.
Source: What Does “Ex Nihilo” Mean? (Ligonier article)
God knows what will happen and has the power to act, including the ability to bring both well-being and calamity.
He knows what I am going to say before I say it. He knows what I am going to do before I do it. Does God have the power to stop me? Does God have the right to stop me if He so chooses?
Source: What Does It Mean That God Is Sovereign? (Ligonier article)
The Bible asserts that God is the one who forms light and creates darkness, making Him capable of causing both well-being and calamity.
I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and I create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things
Source: What Does It Mean That God Is Sovereign? (Ligonier article)
The greatest weakness in modern society is the diminished understanding of God's character, which is a crucial area for Christians to learn about.
I think the greatest weakness in our day is the virtual eclipse of the character of God, even within our churches.
Source: What Is God’s Name? (Ligonier article)
God is personal, possessing attributes like sight, hearing, knowing, speaking, and the ability to relate to humanity.
He didn’t say, “It is what it is,” which seems to be the name of false gods of our day. He said, “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex. 3:14). This name is related to God’s personal name, Yahweh. So the very first thing that God reveals about Himself in that name is that He is personal.
Source: What Is God’s Name? (Ligonier article)
Human beings are debtors who cannot pay their debt to God, meaning only Christ can pay the required price.
With respect to the Lord, we are debtors who cannot pay. That’s why the Bible speaks of redemption in economic language—we were bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20). Only someone else—Christ—can pay our debt. That’s grace.
Source: What Is Grace? (Ligonier article)
The Holy Spirit's power is demonstrated by its ability to bring life and form out of nothing, mirroring the creation of the universe.
In the incredible act of the creation of the universe, the Spirit of God hovered over the waters, and out of the formlessness came the form of the universe. Out of the darkness, God spoke light. That was the power of God the Holy Spirit.
Source: What Happened on Saturday? (Ligonier article)
God has only one Mediator between Himself and human beings, who is His only begotten Son.
Only One has been raised from the dead, because God has only one Mediator between Himself and human beings. He has one, His only begotten Son, and He has demonstrated to the world the One whom He has appointed to be the Judge of all the earth by raising Him from the dead—something that He didn’t do for Muhammad.
Source: What Happened on Saturday? (Ligonier article)
Atonement refers to the fact that God pays the price required for humanity to be in a right relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
When we use the word atonement , we’re speaking of the fact that God pays the price that He requires for us to be in a right relationship with Him, and He does that through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Source: What Is Sin? (Ligonier article)
In his descent to earth, Christ acts as a priest-victim who comes under judgment to be judged on behalf of humanity.
By contrast, in His descent to this world, Christ comes under judgment, and His role here is as priest-victim. He comes to be judged in our behalf.
Source: What Is Sin? (Ligonier article)
A Christian who has been made alive by the Holy Spirit and knows the identity of Christ would never accuse Jesus of being satanic.
no one who is in Christ, who has been made alive by the Holy Spirit, who has known the illumination of His knowledge of the identity of Christ, would ever sink so far as to accuse Jesus of being satanic.
Source: What Is the Unpardonable Sin? (Ligonier article)
If a person acknowledges God in all aspects of their life, God will guide their path.
It says that if we acknowledge God in all our ways, He will direct our paths (Prov. 3:5–6).
Source: What Is the Will of God for My Life? (Ligonier article)
While the knowledge itself belongs to God, He is the one who gives it to humanity through revelation.
The knowledge that is ours through revelation properly belongs to God, but God has given it to us.
Source: What Is the Will of God for My Life? (Ligonier article)
While we can sense God's presence and talk with Him in this life, the ultimate hope is the direct, unveiled vision of God's face.
All of our lives we can come close to the Lord, we can sense His presence, and we can talk with Him, but we cannot see His face. But if we persevere through the pain and the suffering of this present world, the vision of God waits for us on the other side.
Source: When All Things Are Made New (Ligonier article)
The Johannine concept of the Logos is central to understanding the person of Jesus Christ.
But nothing captivated the minds of the intellectual leaders of the early church as much as the question, “Who was He?” The question “Who was Jesus?” forced attention on the Johannine concept of the logos.
Source: Who Do You Say That I Am? (Ligonier article)
True freedom for humanity is only achieved when one becomes a slave of Jesus Christ.
the great irony of the New Testament teaching is that no one ever becomes truly free until they become a slave of Jesus Christ.
Source: Will He Find You Faithful? (Ligonier article)
If the architect of the universe is responsible for the world's evil, there is no reason to attribute it to a perfect God.
If he is the architect for this mess down here, it’s filled with evil, why should I attribute it to God, or why don’t I just assume that your God, that you’re saying is the creator, is evil?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 24:17
The evidence presented suggests that there must be an eternally intelligent architect of the universe.
I’ll concede that you’ve demonstrated in this short period of time that there has to be something eternally intelligent, and is the architect of the universe. And that would certainly justify a claim to a creator.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 25:37
The speaker asserts that truth is defined by personal meaning and subjective significance.
Well, what I’m saying is that there is a God, that that may be true for you, because I’m saying the truth is defined by personal meaning. And because you find meaning in this to your own life, subjective significance, then I would agree, Dr. Gerstner, that this is a true statement – there is a God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 8:11
If Jesus, in his human nature, did not know everything, then the speaker questions why one should believe everything he teaches.
Now, isn’t it possible that in Jesus’ human nature that Jesus didn’t know everything? You would agree – GERSTNER: Oh, he says that Himself. – that Jesus did not know everything? Alright, as a man He didn’t know everything? Alright. As a man He doesn’t know everything. Well, if a man doesn’t know everything, why should I believe everything that He teaches?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 21:45
Jesus's statement that 'No man can come to Me unless it is given to him by the Father' suggests a limitation on human ability.
Well, then why did Jesus say in your book there – does not Jesus say, “No man can come to Me unless it is given to him by the Father”? Does He say that? You were just talking here a moment ago about ability. Alright? Now, here Jesus seems to me to limit not only my ability, but your ability and their ability. “No man can come” to Him.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 10:56
Sproul views Pelagianism as fundamentally unchristian and antichristian.
I would consider Pelagianism as unchristian, fundamentally antichristian, not an option for a Christian thinker.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 12:12
A person does not deserve or earn salvation.
I certainly haven’t earned it. I certainly don’t deserve it.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:23
To understand the Word of God in a way that affects us personally, we must examine the humanity of the people in their daily existence.
for us to catch it and have it touch us where we live, we have to see the flesh, the humanity of the people in their existence and touch them, let their existence touch our existence.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 27:11
Humans are called to consider God's work, both in creation and in history, to better understand God's character and nature.
And that's what we're supposed to do, we're supposed to observe the work of God that we might come to a better understanding of the character of God, and of the nature of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:47
Agape love is rooted and grounded in the character of God, and the love we manifest to others reflects this divine character.
Well again, we understand that love, agape love, is rooted and grounded in the character of God. And the love that we are called to manifest to each other is the love that comes from God and a love that mirrors and reflects his character.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:07
Being a kind person means being patient, friendly, and avoiding nastiness, meanness, and bitterness.
To be a kind person is to be patient, to be friendly, to not be nasty, and mean, and bitter in one’s spirit.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 22:06
Personification is a literary device that attributes human characteristics to inanimate objects for poetic effect.
personification is, as the word suggests, the use of personal forms of description for impersonal objects, attributing human characteristics to inanimate things, for example, not in the sense of animated cartoons, but in a poetic sense.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:31
The term 'brother' might be used figuratively by Jacob to mean that the individuals are of the same character or kind.
maybe he is using the term "brother" in a figurative sense, which we find frequently in the Bible, that they are of the same stripe, the same kind of character.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 6:19
Martin Luther was highly intemperate and rude in his theological debates, using strong language against his opponents.
When Luther responded to Erasmus, he would say things like this: "Erasmus, you fool, you stupid idiot." He said, "Why is it that I even take the time to listen to the flimsy arguments that you give?"
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 4:30
The baby born in Bethlehem is endowed with the fullness of God's power, meaning He is an almighty deity, not an impotent one.
And so, this babe is endowed from on high with the fullness of the power of God. That’s the One we worship. Not an impotent deity, but an almighty One.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:37
The prevailing philosophical view that humans are insignificant cosmic accidents is incorrect because humanity is the result of the purposive creation of an eternal and all-wise and holy God.
Everywhere we turn, we are told that we are insignificant cosmic accidents—that we are the result not of the purposive creation of an eternal and all-wise and holy God, but that we are grown-up germs who have emerged fortuitously from the slime.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
The model that the universe and humanity resulted from the equation of space plus time plus chance is nonsensical.
The formula is this: Space plus time plus chance equals the universe and humanity. The universe, and everyone who’s in it, is a result of the equation space plus time plus chance. Have you ever heard that? When they talk like this, they stop being scientists.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:06
The Incarnation is understood as one person possessing two natures, contrasting with the three persons of the Trinity.
In Jesus you have how many persons? Three? One person, two natures.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 24:00
The eternal Son of God takes upon Himself a human nature, thereby maintaining the unity of one person while having two natures.
the second person of the Trinity the eternal Son of God, doesn't loose something of His own nature but He takes upon Himself a human nature, so that the second person of the Trinity adds to Himself a human nature.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 25:15
Focusing only on earthly matters leads to inflated self-image, but turning one's gaze to God's character causes a realization of sin and the need for repentance.
We begin to flatter ourselves and consider ourselves as slightly less than demi-gods until once we turn our gaze to heaven and contemplate just for a single second what kind of being God is. If we do that for an instant, suddenly our self-image is shattered, and we realize that if we examine ourselves in light of the character of God, that we must repent in dust and ashes.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
The God of Christian providence is a caring God who is capable of helping humanity.
The God of Christian providence is the God who can help us. And He is a God who will help us.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:13
He argues that the ghastly images used by Jesus regarding hell should be taken symbolically, not literally.
And people say to me, “Do you think that we should take those literally?” I say, “No, I take them symbolically.”
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:03
The term 'world' has multiple meanings in the New Testament, referring both to a geographical location and to a fallen, anti-God perspective.
Now, obviously the term “world” in the New Testament is used in more than one way and sometimes in some cases the term “world” simply refers to this planet. There’s nothing pejorative, nothing negative about the term when it’s used in that way. It’s simply a geographical location. This place is distinguished from Mars or Jupiter or the heavens above; but also the term “world” is used in the New Testament to refer to the fallen sphere of this planet, to a kind of standpoint, or perspective that is anti-God, that is more man-centered than God-centered.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:38
Nietzsche's concept of the Übermensch (superman) describes a person who rejects the herd and dares to think independently.
He said, “The Ubermensch will be known as a person who will leave the herd and dare to think for himself.”
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 21:32
The core essence of the Christian life is to live every aspect of it in the conscious presence of God.
Luther used this phrase: that the essence of the Christian life is to live one’s life “coram Deo.” Now that may be a strange phrase to you – “coram Deo.” Literally what it means is “before the face of God,” and what Luther was saying simply was this: that the Christian life means to live all of your life in the presence of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 3:08
Adolph von Harnack reduced Christianity's essence to two concepts: the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man.
Von Harnack came to this conclusion; he said that we can reduce Christianity to its core, its two foundational concepts being the universal fatherhood of God, and the universal brotherhood of man.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 15:04
The concept of God's Fatherhood in Scripture is narrow and distinctive, unlike the idea of being a progenitor of the human race.
the Bible normally speaks of the Fatherhood of God, it is speaking of a concept far more narrow, far more distinctive, and far more precious than merely being a creature living on planet Earth.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:40
The Bible does not teach the universal brotherhood of man, and the New Testament views brotherhood in a distinctive way.
The Bible doesn't teach the universal brotherhood of man. Again, The New Testament sees the brotherhood as something distinctive,
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 22:18
While Christ is called the cornerstone, he is also the one who anchors the foundation and supports the entire building.
Again and again, Christ is called the cornerstone. He is the One who anchors even the foundation and the whole building is supported, in a certain sense, by that chief cornerstone.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
God is the ultimate author and sovereign controller of all conditions, including both good and bad times, within creation.
It is saying, however, that God is the author of all of these conditions ultimately. What this passage is communicating, beloved, is the sovereignty of God over the entire creation.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:36
What defiles a person is not what enters their mouth, but what proceeds out of their heart.
but those things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man, for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemy.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 4:43
Humans are not robots; they are volitional creatures who possess minds, hearts, and wills, and they make choices.
God has given us minds and hearts, and he’s given us wills. And we exercise that will all the time. We’re not robots. Robots don’t have minds. Robots don’t have wills. We’re human beings.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
God created man and woman as sexual creatures to establish intimacy between them.
And I think it's also true, as we see in creation, that God creates man and woman as sexual creatures. "Male and female created He them," so that there was a certain attraction between the male and the female, a certain complementing of each own individual humanity found in a relationship of intimacy between two people -- a man and a woman.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 14:14
God's love is intrinsically connected to his goodness and is an expression of his good will.
And now we see that his love is inseparably connected to his goodness. In John 3:16, that famous verse, "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son" and so on, which describes the will of God in sending his Son into the world. And when God sent the Son into the world this was not merely an expression of his will, but obviously it was an expression of his good will, that he was pleased to send his only begotten Son into the world.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 6:19
God's basic attitude toward his creatures, even fallen mankind, is one of kindness and well-being.
But notice that in this particular verse he says that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, because his basic attitude, even to fallen mankind, even those who are exposed to his wrath, is a disposition of kindness, of well-being.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 10:11
God judges according to his righteousness, even when acting out of his benevolent spirit toward humanity.
And obviously, God in his judgment does what is right, he judges according to his righteousness, and this judgment is wrought even in his own spirit of benevolence toward a rebellious race of people.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 14:48
The Arminian position is characterized by people who are not yet regenerated seeing and choosing the King of the Kingdom of God.
▷ A view Sproul explains or critiques — not his own position.
So the bottom line is, the Arminian position has people who are not yet born again seeing and choosing the King of the Kingdom of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 23:36
The Apostle teaches that a person who is in the flesh cannot please God, but those who are in the Spirit are in a different state.
But the Apostle here tells us that in the flesh there's nothing that man can do to please God. But now here is the crushing point, verse 9. "However, you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit."
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 28:22
Those who are in the flesh are unregenerate people who are morally unable to please, obey, or be subject to God.
So when he speaks about those in the flesh, he is speaking of unregenerate people, and it's unregenerate people who cannot please God, who cannot obey God, who cannot do or be subject to God, who experience this dreadful situation of moral inability about which we have been speaking.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 29:41
The fundamental nature of humanity remains unchanged, meaning that true spiritual purification requires obeying the Word and the Spirit, not just intellectual understanding.
The fundamental constituent nature of your humanity remains the same as it was when God created Adam and Eve. That the way to the heart is through the mind, and mindless Christianity never really produces the purification of the soul. The purification of the soul comes through obeying, the truth of the Word of God, through the Spirit of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 4:36
The Son willingly agreed to come into the world and take on human nature from eternity, not because he was reluctant.
But when He sends the Son into the world, He sends the Son because the Son has agreed from all eternity to come into the world. It’s not that the second person of the Trinity was reluctant to enter into our fallenness. But from all eternity, He was pleased to do the will of the Father.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
Feuerbach suggested that people tend to create gods that are mere reflections or projections of human characteristics and desires.
Feuerbach, you know, he noticed, for example that no matter what culture he examined the cultural expressions of their religion tended to depict gods that looked like mirror images of the people themselves—that if they went to an aborigine native in Australia, their deity looked like an Australian aborigine who rode around in a canoe.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 11:55
Human beings tend to take human traits, such as power and knowledge, and exaggerate them to define God's attributes.
We understand power as a human trait. We just absolutize that and we say, "God is omnipotent, all-powerful." We understand that human beings are capable of knowledge. They have science. We raise that to the nth degree and say, "God is a being who is omniscient. He has all knowledge," and so on.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 13:00
The existence of God is not a matter that can be resolved solely through psychological analysis or personal disposition.
And now, what I am trying to say is: the question of the existence of God can never be resolved on the basis of our psychology. That's a question that we have to deal with on other grounds, on grounds of objective philosophical argument, not on the basis of what my psychological disposition is or what your psychological disposition is.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 21:57
God is incorruptible and immutable, meaning He does not change or negotiate His nature, which is a fact that terrifies humanity.
If I find a powerful man, a holy man who is powerful, he can get old and die, but God doesn't get old and die—and God is incorruptible. Not only is He holy now, but He's holy forever. He's never going to negotiate it. We have no hope that He'll ever negotiate it, and that terrifies us.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 52:34
Debates concerning God's existence should be based on grounds other than human psychological desires or dislikes.
So the bottom line is, if we're going to debate the existence of God, I think it would be wise to do it on grounds other than the psychological desirability or undesirability of Him.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 53:09
All of reality, from angels down to rocks, is a manifestation of the being of God.
this: that all of reality, from angels down to rocks, all of reality manifests a certain particular mode of the being of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:44
Sabellius believed there was a sameness of being between the Father and the Son, but argued the Son was not equal to the Father because he was a lower level of being.
And so Sabellius was saying, "I believe that there is a sameness of being between God the Father and God the Son even though God the Son is not equal with God the Father because He is a lower level of being, just as the sunbeam is lower than the center of the sun."
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 11:39
Arius, the chief spokesperson for dynamic monarchianism, taught that the Logos (Christ) was the first creation, pre-dating the world, but was not eternal and therefore less than God.
He pre-dates the world. He has preexistence over the rest of the universe, but He is not eternal, and because He is not eternal, He is not equal with God. So the Logos is less than God, but greater than man.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 17:39
Sproul argues that the New Testament usage of the word 'generation' overwhelmingly and consistently refers to a group of people alive at a specific time, not merely a type or sort of person.
But the usage of it in the New Testament overwhelmingly and consistently refers to a group of people who are alive at the particular time.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:50
The exegetical and linguistic evidence strongly supports the interpretation that 'genea' refers to a contemporary group of people, not a sort or type.
But what I'm saying to you is that the exegetical and linguistic evidence against that is overwhelming, and one would have to have a compelling reason to interpret the phrase "This generation shall not pass away until all of these things be fulfilled," to have to be a compelling reason to interpret that other than the ordinary usage of the term.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 21:58
The Bible uses the word 'naked' to represent not only physical state but also emotional, psychological, and spiritual conditions.
Biblically, there is a close tie between a person's physical sense, his spiritual sense, his emotional sense. And the Bible uses the word "naked" to capture not just the physical, but also the emotional, the psychological, the spiritual.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 8:21
While God brought the speaker to Christ, a human being was the instrument used to deliver the gospel.
I know that it was God who brought me to Christ, but He used a man who told me the gospel, and I will never forget that man.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 28:12
A person who has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them is considered a spiritual person, even if they still struggle with carnal actions.
if a person has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, that person may do carnal things. That person may still struggle with the flesh, but he is a spiritual person.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 26:03
A person who does not possess the Holy Spirit is not a carnal Christian; rather, they are a carnal non-Christian.
Ladies and gentlemen, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ is not a carnal Christian. He’s a carnal non-Christian, okay?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 25:36
A person who pleases God is someone who actively seeks the fruit of the Spirit in their life.
A person who pleases God is a person who seeks the fruit of the Spirit in his life.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 26:30
Sartre argues that the Christian view of God reduces humanity to an object under His omniscient gaze, which he considers dehumanizing.
And so Sartre takes this to the view of God, and he says the Christian view of God has God peering down from heaven, and in His omniscience, reducing every person to an object beneath His gaze, which Sartre says is dehumanizing.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 4:11
Sproul finds it regrettable that Sartre has never experienced the benevolent gaze of God, leading him to view God's gaze only as a source of judgment.
When I read that in Sartre, I think, "What a shame that he's never, ever experienced the benevolent gaze of God and his only thinking with respect to God is that God's gaze will reduce a person not only to an object, but to an object under judgment."
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 4:26
Jesus, who runs the universe, still promises to hear and care for his bride.
But this same Jesus who is responsible to manage the universe promises, and keeps the promise, to hear every prayer that comes to Him from His bride. He listens to His bride. He cares about His bride.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 19:43
The true significance of Christmas is the birth of Jesus, who came to redeem humanity.
I love Christmas, and I don’t care how glitzy they get with it, as long as we get to sing our carols and tell the story of the One who was born to redeem us.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:07
The opening chapters of Genesis are foundational because they introduce the core elements of Judeo-Christian truth, including humanity, the world, and God's character.
our understanding of man, our understanding of the world, our understanding of the character of God are all introduced in their foundational sense in these early chapters.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:26
God's initial response to the realization that man is incomplete is to create a suitable companion.
So, God said, "I will make him a helpmate similar," or suitable, "for him."
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 10:22
Marriage creates a mystical unity where two distinct individuals become 'one flesh' without losing their individual male or female identities.
They will still be male. They will still be female. They will still be Adam, they will still be Eve, but somehow in a mysterious way that God has ordained in the holy state of marriage they will be one flesh.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 20:58
Holy Scripture is divine wisdom and not merely human in origin.
Holy Scripture is not human but divine wisdom.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:51
To survive the challenges of the devil and the world, a person must be deeply rooted and grounded in the Word of Christ.
A man who survives the onslaught of the devil and of the world is the man who is rooted and grounded in the Word of Christ.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 6:03
Jesus was the most radical difference from humanity because of his holiness, which was threatening to others.
But the person who manifested the most radical difference from us in all of history was Jesus because he was holy. Nobody ever had met a person who was without blemish, who was absolutely pure. And that threatens us.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 11:33
The concept of an impersonal evil force is logically contradictory and is merely a substitute for the idea of a personal devil.
You don’t look at rocks and say: “That’s a moral rock, and that’s an immoral rock. That’s a wicked rock, and that’s a good rock.” Do you see that if you think about it for less than five minutes, you see that the idea of an impersonal evil force is a self-contradictory idea?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
God's love (hesed) is described as being eternal, holy, and immutable, making it inseparable.
No one, no power, because hesed, the loyal love of God, is not only eternal, it’s not only a holy love, it’s an immutable love. It’s a love that is inseparable, so that we who have the Father’s love have it now, and forever.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 22:11
While human mysteries may eventually be understood with more information, God's perspective reveals no mystery.
But again the point of contact is we cannot understand a mystery, but it may be that at some point, with more information, and a higher perspective that mystery will be unraveled. And again God can understand.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 9:04
The doctrines of the Trinity and the dual nature of Christ are mysterious because they differ from normal human experience.
And yet, when we affirm the dual nature of Christ, we are affirming something that is unique to Him that differs from normal experience of humanity, and so it's mysterious. As we said when we looked at the Council of Chalcedon, we could affirm the negatives that the two natures are without confusion and mixture, division and separation, and so on.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 9:54
The Greek word for 'genesis' means 'to be,' 'to become,' or 'to happen,' indicating that the author is teaching about the origin of being and the world.
It comes from the Greek, and the Greek word there is gennáō, or ginomai, which means simply "to be," "to become," or "to happen." And that's what the author of Genesis is trying to teach us; where our being comes from, how the world became a world, how it happened originally and ultimately.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:50
The phrase 'the heavens and the earth' indicates that God created the entire substance of existence out of nothing.
What the Hebrew is saying with the expression and with the phrase "the heavens and the earth" is that he is saying that God has created out of nothing the entire substance of what is.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:55
Because there is a God who creates, existence is characterized by substance rather than nothingness.
But because there is a God who creates, we have substance rather than nothing.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 7:42
God's initial act of creation was to provide the substance necessary for Him to form and shape the universe according to His divine plan.
so that God's first act of creation is the substance out of which He will form and shape and mold the universe according to His divine plan.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 13:01
The Bible teaches that creation occurred when no material universe existed, and that God is an eternal being who brought the universe into existence from nothing.
What the Bible says is this, yes, there was a time when no material universe exists but never a time when no one existed. God is not a thing, but He is a being and God is eternal.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 26:04
Without an intelligent, eternal, rational God, humanity's destiny is chaos, leading to waste, void, and darkness.
Without an intelligent, eternal, rational God, the destiny that modern man looks for without God is chaos, where the end of this planet will be like the beginning, waste and void, emptiness and darkness on the face of the earth.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 27:16
The world naturally hates Christ, and people can only maintain peace with Christ by compromising His true identity.
This world by nature hates Christ. They can have peace with Christ as long as we make sure that we strip Him of His real identity.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
The New Testament does not suggest that Jesus was born solely by a virgin's own strength or power.
The New Testament is not suggesting that a virgin walks down the street and on her own strength and her own power suddenly conceives a child
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
The human response to the presence of God is varied and not uniform.
When I read through the Bible, particularly the record of the Old Testament that gives us episode after episode after episode of encounters that people had with God, and you see that the human response to the presence of God is not homogenous.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:23
A person's life and existence are based on the truthfulness of God's Word, not on physical sustenance.
Man does not live by bread alone, but by what? Every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God. I live, Satan, by what God says.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 18:34
Covetousness is a universal human problem that transcends class lines and is even included in the Ten Commandments.
Covet and envy cross class lines, and in fact, they create class lines, and we've heard much in our day in the political and economic struggles that are tearing America apart at its seams, the problem of class warfare.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:16
God is completely self-sufficient and requires nothing from creation, including human beings.
What could you possibly do to add to the fullness of God’s being and sufficiency? God doesn’t need you. He doesn’t need anything from you or anything about you.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:39
The Religious-Historical Method was an approach to Scripture influenced by 19th-century philosophy, particularly the concept of evolution.
Now the second method which was developed in the nineteenth century was called the Religious-Historical Method, the religious-historical method. Now that represented an approach to Scripture that grew out of a whole sweeping movement of philosophy and changing of thinking and method that was characteristic of the nineteenth century.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 19:54
The heavenly Father never allows anything to happen to us that is not for our ultimate good.
The heavenly Father never allows anything to happen to you that is not for your ultimate good.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 7:00
Humans are naturally self-centered and selfish, always seeking their own interests first.
That kind of transcendent display of love is beyond our comprehension because we are by nature self-centered and selfish. We seek our own interests first, rather than the interests of others.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 11:40
A God-centered approach integrates the study of humanity (anthropology) under the study of theology, reflecting that man is created by God.
And the purpose of my diagram is to show that in a God-centered approach to faith the discipline or the study of humanity, the science of anthropology is subsumed under the science of theology.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 6:42
The people corrupted themselves by making and worshipping a golden calf, which represented a theology that was worldly and distorted the true character of God.
They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. And they have made themselves a molded calf and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and they said, 'This is your god, oh Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt.'
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 15:36
True reform of life is impossible until there is a clear understanding of the original model of humanity found in Christ, which is a matter of theology.
And Luther even admitted; he said we find scandalous behavior among our own people, but what we're trying to do first is come to a sound understanding of God, because our lives will never be reformed, our lives will never be brought into conformity to Christ until we first have a clear understanding of the original form, of the model, of the ideal, of true humanity that is found in Christ.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 17:39
Aaron questioned the nature of God, questioning what kind of deity they serve given the death of his sons for a small transgression.
He goes to Moses, and he says, "What's going on here? What kind of a God is it that we serve? I'm devoting my entire life to the ministry and to the service of Yahweh, and what are the thanks that I get? Like that, He takes my sons for a small transgression!"
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:46
When people lack a careful view of God and the world, their behavior is influenced by the herd, making them natural conformists.
And when people do not think about righteousness, when people do not have a carefully constructed view of God and of the world and of life, the thing that tends to influence their patterns of behavior is the herd. We are by nature conformists to whatever is in, whatever is acceptable or expected of us in a given generation.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 18:58
The Bible teaches that God is love, and this love was manifested toward humanity by sending his only begotten Son.
for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. And in this the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:19
Any view of God that neglects to include a profound sense of love would be a distortion of who God is.
any view of God, that is set forth that neglects to include within it this profound sense of love would be a distortion of who God is because love is so closely connected with His character and with his essence.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 13:01
Reducing God's character to only love is a radical distortion of God's true nature.
Or that if God is loving, he can have no sovereignty, or that the love of God precludes his holiness, which would be a radical distortion of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 12:05
Substituting the Biblical God with a god stripped of attributes like justice and holiness is just as much an idol as physical objects.
And a god who is stripped of his attributes of justice, of holiness, of sovereignty, and the rest, is just as much an idol as something made out of wood or stone.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:21
God's attributes are interconnected, meaning that understanding one attribute requires understanding its relationship with all the others.
Rather we think that God is his attributes at all times, so that to understand any single attribute of God you must understand that attribute as it relates and connects with all the other attributes of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 17:53
God is self-existent, meaning he has no beginning and derives his being from no external source.
When we say that God is eternal, we are saying with that, that God is self-existent. That is, that God has no beginning. He derives his existence or his being from no other source, but rather he has the power to be, in and of himself, and I’ve said many times that my favorite theological term, my favorite technical term in theology is the word aseity.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:51
A person's spiritual reality is defined by whether the Spirit of God dwells within them, rather than their physical nature.
You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:45
The Spirit of God is active in creation and meets the criteria for deity, which is evident in the creation account.
But, in addition to that, also in the creation account we encounter already the Spirit of God, who is active in creation and who is bringing something out of nothing and who is meeting the criteria for deity that is set forth, for example, in the New Testament.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:47
Paul's teaching affirms the classical Jewish monotheism of one God who created all things.
So here though, Paul is again affirming clearly, classical Jewish monotheism. One God who has made all things and from whom everything derives.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 14:39
An idol has no real substance, meaning, significance, or power.
We know that there is no substance there is no meaning, there is no significance, no power, there is no being in any idol.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 15:42
Paul affirms the oneness of God while simultaneously attributing deity to Christ.
And so in the very same sentence that Paul is ascribing clearly deity to Christ, he is at that same moment reaffirming the unity of God and the oneness of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:13
Jesus made specific claims regarding his unique role as the sole path to the Father and the only entrance for humanity.
So I began to show her that it was Jesus who made statements like “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father, except by Me.” It’s Jesus who said, “I am the door through which men must enter.”
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 4:57
Sproul argues that even non-Christian artists or musicians give glory to God because they are part of creation, which manifests God's eternal power.
I don’t mean that every artist or every musician is a Christian or intentionally tries to give glory to God, but they give glory to God in spite of themselves because they’re part of the creation that manifests the eternal power and deity of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:27
The answer a person gives regarding Christ's identity will determine their eternal destiny.
I believe your answer to that question will determine your eternal destiny.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 4:36
There is only one true God, who is the biblical God, revealed in the person of Christ.
But friends, there's only one God who is the true God, who is the biblical God. It is the God who is revealed in the person of Christ, and I'm asking you to search for that God, for that God who is majestic in His holiness, who is transcendent in His greatness, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 26:45
Man's greatness lies in his ability to contemplate and reflect, but this very ability also causes misery because it makes him aware of a better existence than he currently has.
Man’s grandeur is found in his ability to contemplate, to reflect, to think, not that other animals, or beings don’t have some brain capacities and everything. But it’s obvious, isn’t it, that the human capacity for reflection and thought far transcends anything else we see on this planet. And that’s the greatness of man. That’s why a man can produce the world that he’s produced and do the things that he does. And yet Pascal says that’s at the same time the basis of his misery.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 22:07
The speaker asserts that he is a contingent being, meaning his existence depends entirely on God.
I am not an independent being. I’m a contingent being. There was a time, beloved, when I was not. Sixty-six years ago, there was no R.C. Sproul, except my grandfather who had that name, but I wasn’t around. I didn’t exist.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:33
Nobody can look directly at God's face and live, only enjoy His presence.
Don't you know, Moses, that nobody can look at My face and live? You can enjoy My presence but you can't see Me.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 14:25
In Biblical symbolism, feet represent creatureliness, connecting humanity to the earth.
So that the feet in the symbolism of Biblical literature become a sign of creatureliness.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:04
A person cannot be led to Jesus Christ by human efforts like rhetoric or compassion; God, through the Holy Spirit, must open the heart.
I can never lead a person to Jesus Christ by my clever rhetoric, or even by my compassion. Unless God, the Holy Spirit, opens that man’s heart, he will never respond to my message.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
The Spirit is the agent responsible for quickening life and making spiritual change happen.
It’s the Spirit who does it, who quickens and who makes it alive.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:15
The speaker finds that the heroes of the Old Testament are often portrayed as unrealistically perfect, but he prefers the relatable, flawed characters like Jacob.
Context: Quoting Kierkegaard
One of the things I find when I look back at the portraits of the heroes of the Old Testament is that they tend to be for us bigger than life, epic heroes beyond our comprehension.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:31
The speaker asserts that Jacob's life was characterized by dishonesty and fraud, which is reflected in his name's meaning.
He was a man whose very name "Jacob" means "supplanter," because his life was basically a life of dishonesty, a life of fraud.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 3:02
Christ's incarnation represents the bridge between heaven and earth, signifying that heaven came down to earth.
Heaven has come down. The gap has been bridged not because man raised himself up to heaven, but because heaven came down to earth, and here He is. Here I am, the link, the bridge, the path, the ladder.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 18:20
God is a sovereign being who commits Himself to His people before they surrender, pursuing them like a hound of heaven.
That's the kind of God that is revealed in this book, a God who commits Himself to us before we even surrender, a sovereign God, not who's playing hide-and-seek that we search high and low throughout the universe to find, but the God who is the hound of heaven, who pursues us His covenant people and chases us down and tracks us down.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 22:04
True spiritual discernment involves understanding that God is not absent, which is exemplified by the servant of Elisha seeing chariots of fire.
For that one second, the servant was given the privilege to view the transcendence and the presence of God. That's what we need to cultivate, the kind of spiritual discernment, not that we see physically, but that we understand that we live in a world where God is not absent, that God would give
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 21:00
The Bible uses human forms and descriptions (like eyes, hands, and feet) to describe God, even though God is not human.
is, the Bible uses human forms to describe God; it talks about God's eyes, His head, His hands, His feet. It talks about His throne -- He's seated on the throne; the earth is His footstool.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 23:22
Despite using human terms, language about God remains meaningful because humanity is made in God's image, allowing for analogy.
No, even though God is not man and we are not God, the Bible tells us that we are made in the image of God and that there is some sense in which we are like God, and that that point of likeness makes it possible us -- to us to speak in terms of analogy, that God is like man.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 25:20
God addresses humanity in human terms because He became incarnate and humanity has a human perspective, making communication possible.
God becomes a man, He takes upon Himself a human nature and He speaks to us in human terms because that's the only way He can speak to us because we don't have the minds of God, we don't have the perspective of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 25:57
The error of concluding that God has a physical, spatially defined body is a fundamental hermeneutical mistake.
Context: Critiquing the Mormon position.
that kind of crass physicalism that you find in Mormonism is because of a fundamental error of hermeneutics, an error of dealing with the biblical language of anthropomorphic description.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 23:22
Sproul believes that humanism, rather than other world religions or secularism, has been the most destructive and competitive movement against Christianity.
The basic movement, in my opinion, that has been most destructive and most competitive with Christianity is, generally and broadly stated, the movement of humanism.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:28
Sproul argues that the fundamental conflict between humanism and Christianity arises when considering who is ultimate.
But when the question of ultimates is raised, then we see the radical conflict that is implied in the differences between the Christian and the humanist.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:17
Sproul defines the Christian view of humanity as being dependent, finite, and subject to judgment from God.
Whereas for the Christian, man is not ultimate, but derived, dependent, contingent, finite, liable to judgment and evaluation from One above and beyond his own sphere of activity.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:37
The New Testament, specifically 1 John, describes the Antichrist in terms of a spirit that is already present in the world.
And this is the spirit of antichrist which you heard was coming and is now already in the world.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:17
Believers must test all spirits to determine if they are genuinely from God.
Beloved do not believe every spirit but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:06
The Antichrist is understood to be someone who both opposes Christ and attempts to replace him as a false god or messiah.
And so the idea is suggested here that the Antichrist is one who both works against Christ and tries to become a substitute for Christ, that is, is a false god or a false messiah.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 7:40
The man of lawlessness is described as physically sitting in the temple of God.
Well, what else does Paul say about the anti -- or the man of lawlessness? That "He exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped so that he sits as God in the temple of God showing himself that he is God."
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 14:50
The speaker asserts that the identity of the restrainer of evil is unknown and that speculation about who it is is unwarranted.
We don't know who the restrainer is. It may simply be the restraints of God who restrains evil.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 19:10
The speaker believes that the figures of the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness, and the beast in Revelation all refer to the same thing.
I would say the majority report in historic Christian scholarship is that the figure of the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness, and the beast in the book of Revelation all refer to one and the same thing.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 21:28
God's actions are never arbitrary, whimsical, or irrational.
God has never done anything irrational; God has never been whimsical or capricious from all eternity.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 17:20
Every descendant of Adam belongs by nature to the covenant of creation, which is binding upon all human beings.
And so that, every descendant of Adam belongs by nature to the covenant of creation. So that, the conclusion is irresistible. All human beings, to this day, exist in a covenant relationship with their creator
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:28
God's presence is invisible, and attempting to see His face directly is fatal.
The God we serve, the God we worship, the God we praise, the God we seek to obey is invisible. When He expelled Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden, and He placed an angel with a flaming sword there to bar access to Eden, to say, "No more stepping forth into paradise. No one will ever see My face, and if you see that—if you seek to see the face of God—you will die. No man can see Me and live"
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 23:57
The ultimate goal of the Christian life is to behold the face of God.
That's the highest goal of the Christian life, is to behold the face of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 25:05
Living Coram Deo means being acutely conscious that all of one's life is visible to God, whether or not one desires it.
And we are going to live Coram Deo whether we want to live Coram Deo or not.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 27:31
When actions flow from a person's disposition and desires, those actions are considered personal and free.
What we're saying all night, along with Edwards and Calvin, is that if my choices flow out of my disposition and out of my desires, and if my actions are an effect that have causes and reasons behind them, then my personal desire, in a very real sense,
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 21:38
After the Fall, humanity retains the ability to choose, but the will is oriented toward evil and away from righteousness.
Still make choices, still have a free will, but that will is now inclined toward evil and disinclined toward righteousness.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 28:42
No person is inherently righteous or actively seeks God.
There is none who does good. There is none righteous. There is none who seeks after God, no not one.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 28:55
The church confesses that the person of Christ has two natures—a human nature and a divine nature.
The person of Christ is confessed to be one person, but with two natures -- a human nature and a divine nature.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:01
Christ's human nature is fully human, possessing all the attributes and limitations of created humanity, except for original sin.
The divine nature of Christ possesses all of the attributes of deity, not lacking any of them. And at the same time the human nature of Christ is fully human, not just truly human, but fully human -- fully human in terms of created humanity. It's -- one thing that it lacks from us is there's no original sin.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:24
Communicating a divine attribute to a human nature is problematic because it effectively deifies that human nature.
Well it's one thing for the divine nature to communicate information to the human nature; it's another thing to communicate attributes because if you communicate a divine attribute to a human nature, you have just now deified it at that point.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 22:05
In the incarnation, neither God nor humanity gives up any of their respective attributes.
that is, in the incarnation God doesn't give up any of His attributes, and nor does humanity give up any of its attributes in the incarnation.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 23:08
The kenotic heresy incorrectly claims that God gave up some of His attributes during the incarnation, which violates the Council of Chalcedon.
But one of the great heresies in the Nineteenth Century was the so-called kenotic heresy that said that in the incarnation deity gave up some of its attributes to be united to this human nature, which is a violation of Chalcedon.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 22:43
From the perspective of an omniscient being, objective reality exists, and eternal destinies are determined by God's perception of reality.
That from the perspective of one who is omniscient, there is such a thing as objective reality, and in fact our eternal destinies will be determined by God's perception of reality—the reality and the truth about me, and the reality and the truth about you.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 12:27
God exists objectively, regardless of whether or how individuals believe in Him.
I'm talking about a God who exists objectively. I'm talking about a God who exists whether I believe in Him or not. I'm talking about a God who exists whether you believe in Him or not.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 17:41
The existence of God is independent of human belief, prayer, or religious activity.
all of your unbelief and all of your disinterest in the matter does not have the power to destroy Him. And in like manner, I'm talking about a God who, if He does not exist, I can pray until I'm blue in the face, I can sing hymns until I'm exhausted, I can preach sermons every Sunday for the rest of my life, and none of those things has the power to conjure such a being up if the One does not exist.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 18:38
If Jesus is not the Son of God, he would be the worst kind of false prophet.
If Jesus is not the Son of God, then He is the worst of all possible false prophets, isn't He?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 39:15
The statement 'Behold the man' carried the ultimate meaning that Jesus was true humanity perceived by God.
One of the most powerful statements of truth Pontius Pilate ever made was the words that he allegedly said in Latin, ecce homo, "Behold the man." "Behold the man." He was saying more than he intended to say, because the ultimate meaning of that statement is that "Here is true man. Here is real humanity—truth as perceived by God Himself.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 38:56
The Son of God is distinct from the Father in terms of personhood, as the Father's person is expressed in the person of the Son.
And so, I just want us to see here that the Son of God is distinguished from the Father in terms of the idea of personhood. It is the Father's person who is expressed in the person of the Son.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:12
The term 'person' used by the early church to distinguish the Trinity was used differently than the term 'person' is used in modern culture.
Now one of the problems that we have admittedly with the language of our expression of the Trinity is that when the early church used the term "person" to distinguish the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost from each other, the term "person" was used in a somewhat different manner from how the term "person" is used in our culture today.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:50
God is pure being and pure actuality, meaning He has no potentiality.
God is pure being; he is pure actuality -- no potential in Him.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 13:33
The concept of existence is fundamental to language and communication, and its etymological root means 'to stand out of something.'
So, in any case, the entomological derivation of the word existence is that it comes from the prefix in Latin ex which means "out of", and the root systeri, a verb, which means "to stand." So literally, "to exist" means to stand out of something.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 17:14
The Bible uses the theme of nakedness to illustrate profound concepts, such as humiliation in warfare and the vulnerability of the human condition.
We see, for example, that in warfare in the Old Testament, if you were to defeat your enemy in war and in battle, the consummate insult to the dignity of your enemy was not simply to strip him of his arms and of his booty, but to strip him naked and parade the enemy in chains without any clothes.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 4:15
The purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to restore humanity's relationship with God the Father.
And we sometimes forget that the purpose – why Jesus came here – was to reveal to us and restore for us our relationship with the Father.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 6:16
When approaching the subject of God's holy character, humanity recognizes that it requires God's abiding mercy and grace to prevent it from being swallowed by sin.
we know that we are embarking on an impossible task, that even at this moment we are standing upon holy ground, ground that were it not for your abiding mercy and grace would open up beneath our feet and swallow us into the pit.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:09
God designs creatures, including angelic beings, with specific features (like extra wings) to make them perfectly suited for their environment and function.
And so when He creates angelic beings, whose specific task and function in creation is to minister to Him in His immediate presence, He constructs them in such a way as to make them fit for their environment.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:17
Believing in God means believing in a personal God who has a name and a personal history.
Do you believe in "Yahweh," a God who has a name and who has a personal history? That's all the difference in the world.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 13:36
Polytheism involves having many separate gods, each with a specific job description, as seen in ancient cultures.
Where you have in each nation a separate god with a separate job description for some specific task. Like, you have the god of war, you have the god of fertility, you have the god of hearth and home, you have the god of wisdom, you have the god of strength, the god of speed and all -- you have different gods, the Greek gods, the Roman gods, a god for everything.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 20:38
The concept of monotheism is affirmed by the understanding that God is the Creator of heaven and earth, establishing a single, universal deity.
The Father of Jesus Christ according to Christianity is the Creator of heaven and earth. That our redemption is brought about by the activity of our Creator, and that there is only one God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 26:47
The inclusion of 'maker of heaven and earth' in the creed was necessary to counter the Gnostic idea that the true God was separate from the Creator.
It was at that stage that the church inserted in its creed: "I believe in God the Father Almighty [comma], maker of heaven and earth," to dispute this idea of a distinction between the God who is and the Creator.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 26:28
Human nature is inclined to reshape God to fit our desires rather than worshiping Him as He truly is.
our very nature does not want to worship God as He is, but rather we want to worship a God who is the creation of our own hands.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:48
People who struggle with the doctrines of grace or God's sovereignty are doing so because their basic human nature resists God's true character.
Because in your basic human constituent nature, you don’t want God to be sovereign. You don’t want God to be angry, or just, or holy because it’s our nature to reshape God the way we want to have Him.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
The Bible teaches that suffering is a certainty for God's people.
Jesus not only says that suffering is possible for His people, but it is certain.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
The speaker asserts that the question of what happens to people who have never heard of Christ is a complex question that challenges the assumption that such people can be truly innocent.
What happens to the poor innocent native in Africa, or Australia, or South America, or wherever who has never ever heard of Jesus Christ? It’s amazing how often that question comes.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
The Scriptures teach that God is the ultimate source of all goodness, establishing an inseparable link between understanding goodness and understanding God.
I think we know that the Scriptures teach that God is the source, the fountainhead of all goodness, and that there is an inseparable bond and relationship between our understanding of goodness and our understanding of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:06
God's external actions are always perfectly consistent with His internal nature, meaning His behavior reflects His pure being.
That distinction in simple terms simply means this, that what God does externally is always perfectly consistent with what He is internally. His behavior is pure because His being is pure.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 8:35
Abraham was expected to be more careful and knowledgeable about God's character than he was when questioning divine judgment.
a man as close to God—a man as knowledgeable of the character of God as Abraham was—would have bitten his tongue before he asked such an insulting question of the Almighty.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 15:05
Only God possesses the attribute of goodness.
Hey, why do you call Me good? Only God is good.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 26:07
The call of God on a person's life is to suffer.
The call of God on your life is to suffer.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 42:26
For anything to exist now, something must have had eternal being, which belongs only to God.
if there’s anything in existence then something must have eternal being. Because there ever was a time that there was nothing, absolutely nothing, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist or a philosopher to know that if there ever was a time there was absolutely nothing – think about it – absolutely nothing, what could there possibly be now?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 15:04
The history of the Old Testament demonstrates that God is fundamentally a patient, loving, merciful, and gracious deity.
The history of the Old Testament, ladies and gentlemen, is the history of an incredibly long-suffering, patient, forbearing, loving, merciful, gracious deity.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:36
Sproul asserts that a key goal of study is deepening the understanding of God's character, specifically noting that God is holy, righteous, and just.
I think one of the most important things we do is to try it to deepen our understanding of the character of God. I think we will discover very soon through our study of Scripture that God is holy. He's righteous. He's just.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:09
While Scripture sometimes uses human characteristics to describe God, these descriptions should not be taken as an exhaustive definition of God's character.
we must be careful that we don't take those human characteristics and set them in concrete as if they exhaustively describe the character of God because elsewhere in Scripture, even though it uses human characteristics, says God is not a man; He's like a man, but he is not a man.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 10:09
In contemporary secular settings, a large majority of people do not believe in the existence of a real, personal devil.
And I said, “How many of you believe that there really is a personal devil?” and three hands went up out of 30. That’s 10%, so that, as I phrased the question, 90% of my students in this contemporary philosophy course did not believe in the existence of a real, personal devil.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:18
Satan must be understood as a personal being with a mind, will, and consciousness, not merely as an abstract evil force.
Forces, sheer forces, have no moral capability to them, and so it’s – it’s not sound to talk about an evil force unless we’re talking about a force that is flowing out of a personal being that has a mind, a will, and consciousness
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 13:47
Satan is fundamentally a creature who uses craftiness and subtlety to deceive, appearing deceptively as an angel of light.
The first gift that is displayed is his gift of craftiness, or subtlety that he used on Adam and Eve. The New Testament says that Satan appears as an angel of light.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 17:06
Christianity is fundamentally supernatural, and removing the supernatural element from the New Testament guts its core meaning.
Christianity is thoroughly supernatural. Take away the supernatural from the New Testament, and you have gutted the New Testament.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 22:38
The fundamental problem of humanity is that God is holy, righteous, and just, while humanity is not.
The biggest problem that the human race has is this: God is holy. He’s righteous. He’s just. And we’re not.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:52
The primary object of God's love, pleasure, and delight is his son.
Now we said all along that the number one object of God’s love, the perfect object of his pleasure and of his delight is his son.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 3:29
God knows everything, including every person's name, from the beginning of time.
God knows everybody in the cognitive sense, in the intellectual sense, from the foundation of the world, because God knows everything. He’s omniscient, and he knows your name, my name, everybody’s name from the foundation of the world.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 11:46
Guilt is a pervasive and deeply impactful issue in contemporary humanity, capable of molding and inhibiting a person's personality for life.
I have had psychiatrists say to me that the number one problem that they have to deal with in their medical practice is the problem of unresolved guilt, and we discover that the problem of unresolved guilt is not something that affects a person for one day or for one week or for one year, but it can mold and shape and inhibit the personality for one’s entire life.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 3:29
Defining a living human person requires specific qualifiers, as simply being alive or human is insufficient.
Cancer is life. Cancer is human life. But we don't call cancer an individuated living human person in its own right. And so it's not simply a question of life or humanity but we need all of those qualifiers "living, human person."
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 12:31
Luther was a bombastic personality who used strong, intemperate language when criticizing his opponents.
We certainly know without question that Luther was a bombastic personality given to strong emotional outbursts and frequently to intemperate speech.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:55
True knowledge of a person's inner self cannot be obtained through external data or observation.
you can get all kinds of external data and information about RC Sproul, but no matter how much you study that, you cannot know who I am inside because if you ask me where do I live, I'm going to tell you, "I live in Orlando, in 408 Timber Ridge Drive, Longwood," okay? But that's not really where I live.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 11:12
The speaker finds the human soul to be the most fascinating subject to study, noting that every person has a unique and interesting personality.
But there is no more variety, nothing more provocative, nothing more fascinating than a human soul. We can say that people look like each other, but every single person has a unique personality, and there is no such thing under God's heaven as a dull person once we get beneath the surface.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 26:29
Due to being fallen human beings, people naturally tend to create idols, sometimes in a subtle or refined manner.
Your natural disposition as a fallen human being is to be an idol factory. If we don’t do it in a crude way, we’ll do it in a refined way by stripping God of those things we don’t like about God and replacing the biblical God with a distortion.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:32
The concept of the imago dei means that God creates human beings in His own image and likeness, which is not to be confused with being divine.
It's that God creates human beings in His own image and in His own likeness. This does not mean that God creates us as little gods or junior grade deities.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 8:29
Modern humanity is arrogant because it believes that merely describing reality is sufficient to fully explain it.
We’re the most arrogant generation in human history because we think that by describing reality we’ve explained it.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
A Christian is called to seek the mind of Christ and view the world from an eternal perspective.
but a Christian, I'm convinced, is called to seek the mind of Christ, to seek an understanding of his or her world from the viewpoint of the eternal, to see things as best as we possibly can the way God would have us view them so that the things that
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:27
Human existence is meant to demonstrate that the world was not created solely for humanity.
That’s man’s raison d’être, that’s the reason why God placed us here, so that we see that the world was not created just for man.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 6:27
Man was created for inner peace and stability that comes from fulfilling his nature in relation to God, which is linked to rest and holiness.
man was not made for restlessness, but he was made for that inner peace and stability and quietude that comes from the fulfillment of man's nature as it relates to God, but that there is a link between rest, that is, freedom from anxiety, freedom from this haunting loneliness, this awful empty feeling of anxiety that buffets us every day.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 23:04
Understanding one's origin is crucial for human self-understanding, as our destiny is linked to where we come from.
It's a question of origin, because we understand somehow that who we are and where we are going is all bound up with from whence we have come. Our destiny is linked to our origin.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:59
To discover who man is, he must trace his roots back to his ultimate origins.
But if man is to discover who he is, he must trace his roots back to his ultimate origins.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:53
The Christian response to humanism must be historically grounded and deeply concerned with humanity's origins.
But the Christian response to humanism, from a historic base, going back to creation, very much concerned, intimately concerned with man's origins.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 6:39
Sproul prefers the interpretation that the plural form 'let us' is an example of the Hebrew literary form called the 'plural of intensity,' indicating God's fullness of character rather than polytheism.
There's another possibility, and the one that I happen to prefer but certainly wouldn't push dogmatically is that what we have here perhaps is an example of the Hebrew literary form that is called the "plural of intensity" that calls attention to the fact that God, though God is one, He is not a one-dimensional being, but He has a fullness of character and a fullness of personality by which it's perfectly appropriate to use this plural of intensity to describe Him.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 9:28
Man's unique dignity and special status are derived from the fact that he is the image-bearer of God.
And that the uniqueness of man, indeed the basis, ultimately, for the dignity of man is found in that he is the image-bearer of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 11:17
The image of God encompasses the whole person, including both the spiritual and physical aspects.
But if we're faithful to the text, I think we're going to have to see that not only the spiritual side of man, but his physical life is also in the image of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 13:39
The Christian view holds that human dignity is extrinsic, while the humanist view holds that it is intrinsic.
The humanist, we'll put him over here, argues that man's dignity is intrinsic. The Christian maintains that man's dignity is extrinsic.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:17
Man's value and dignity come from God stamping His own dignity upon him because he was created in God's image.
You are of incalculable value because the One who is eternal, the One who possesses intrinsic dignity has stamped His dignity on your person. You are created in the image of God. You bear His character. You are to mirror and reflect His dignity.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:39
Human life and the principle of our being originate from God.
But we're saying that our life, the very principle of our being, comes from the being of God. God breathes into us, His animus, His spirit by which we live and move and, as the New Testament says, have our being.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 23:25
God created man and woman with equal dignity and shared participation in the divine image.
And at the beginning of the creation of the race, God builds in unity and diversity, a shared humanness, a shared participation in the divine image, and a shared dignity. So that we see a clear equality in creation of dignity between the male and the female.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 25:58
The text indicates that both male and female share the exalted dignity of having the image of God.
For we see here in the text that participation in this exalted dignity of having the image of God stamped upon our humanness is male and female. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In the beginning, God created us male and female.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 27:43
The presence of the Holy Spirit in an individual is a sign of being a Christian.
Because if you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit lives in you.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 7:26
Effective leadership requires recognizing and addressing the unique individual characteristics of the people being led.
And a good leader gets to know the individual characteristics of the people he’s leading. The Good Shepherd knows His sheep, and He speaks softly to one sheep, and He speaks loud to the other sheep, because that’s the way we are as individuals.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:47
Jesus was concerned with the individual, rather than adhering to a simplistic, uniform set of guidelines.
And He didn’t have some simplistic little set of guidelines that He’s going to treat everybody the same. He was concerned for the individual.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 3:06
The truth of God's Word does not depend on human agreement or acceptance.
If God said it, it’s settled. God does not need your agreement for His Word to be true.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
A Christian life and worldview must begin with a Christian view of God, as this view dictates how one thinks about the world and one's life.
So, if we're going to have a Christian life and worldview, the first thing we have to have, beloved, is a Christian God view because how we think about God will determine how we think about the world and how we think about our lives.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:04
Sproul argues that the word 'any' in the passage likely refers to the believers (the 'us' or 'we'), not all of humanity.
Now grammatically the immediate antecedent here of the word any is the word us, and I think it's perfectly clear that what Peter is saying here is that God is not willing that any of us should perish, but that all of us should come to salvation.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 20:26
God created man not just as a spirit, but as a person with both a soul and a body, and the New Testament shows concern for man's physical well-being.
But we believe in a God who made a physical world, who made man, not just as a disembodied spirit but as a person who has both a soul and a body; and the New Testament, for example, in the teaching of Jesus, shows a profound concern for man's material well being
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 4:33
The historical record from contemporaries of Nero consistently describes his bestial character.
And so, the historical record, not from the Christian community but from the contemporaries of Nero from the Roman culture itself, describes consistently and constantly the bestial character of this madman of antiquity.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:47
Some scholars interpret the beast and antichrist as having been fulfilled in the historical figure of Nero.
character of the beast are seen in the actual life of Nero, leading many historians and scholars to believe that the beast in view as well as antichrist and man of lawlessness in the first century church was fulfilled in the person of Nero
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 24:22
Some people who believe the Antichrist is still future believe that he will manifest similarly to Nero.
And those who believe that the Antichrist is still future yet to come say that he will be like Nero in his manifestation.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 25:07
The mercy of God is comprehensive, surrounding the believer completely.
It's not that we will just be touched lightly or tapped on the shoulder by mercy, but the mercy of God will surround us, be all around us. We'll be engulfed by the mercy of God.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:50
The Christian community is currently experiencing a diminished understanding of God's character.
And what my burden is about this in the church today is really here is where the Christian community experiences the eclipse of God, which is the last place in the world the people of God should be placed in darkness about His character.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:19
The primary mark of the Christian lifestyle is being an intellectual nonconformist who views the world through God's perspective.
We are intellectual nonconformists. That's the first mark of the Christian lifestyle. We look at the state, we look at the church, we look at the whole creation from the perspective of God himself.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:00
God's primary and defining characteristic is holiness, which is a dimension that constitutes His very essence.
But that He is holy, holy, holy. This is a dimension of God that consumes His very essence.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 5:18
Metaphysics is the field of study concerned with the ultimate source and nature of reality.
When we're talking about atomic theory and so on, we're trying to get beyond what we perceive physically and get down to the ultimate source and stuff of reality. Now the science of metaphysics, maybe that's what he's thinking about.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 13:08
Ontology is defined as the study of being, derived from the Greek word 'ontos,' which relates to the verb 'to be.'
Ontology is the science or the study of being. "Ontos" is a participial form of the verb "to be," and so it just simply means "being," and ontology is the study of being.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 14:53
The philosopher engaged in metaphysics is concerned with the question of ultimate being, which is an ontological question.
Well the philosopher who's engaged in metaphysics is asking the question of ultimate being. It's an ontological question.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 15:23
The speaker argues that understanding what something fundamentally is (its 'issence') is necessary, using the concept of energy as an example.
I don't want to know what it can do. I don't want to know its function. I want to know what it is because you people keep telling me that ultimately the world is made up of energy. You speak of energy in terms of amounts. So, what is it?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 16:39
Christianity is profoundly intellectual because the Word of God is addressed first to the mind, and all devotion requires mental content.
That is to say, the Word of God is addressed first to the mind. And nothing can be in the heart or in the will that is not first in the mind.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:42
Ancient philosophers, such as Plato, struggled to define what makes a human being distinct from other animals.
Plato mused over the question, what is it that makes a human being distinctively human? What separates us from the other animals?
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 6:47
The current era is marked by an unprecedented pessimism regarding the significance of human personhood.
We live in a time, I believe, of unprecedented pessimism with respect to the significance of human personhood.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 10:36
Sartre's book Nausea is described as a vivid depiction of the futility and meaninglessness of human existence.
And the book Nausea was Sartre's perhaps most vivid description of the futility and meaninglessness of human existence.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 11:57
Sproul believes that humanism is a pseudo-intellectual philosophy that does not deserve serious consideration.
In my judgment, humanism as a philosophy, though it is the dominant philosophy in our culture today, is pseudo-intellectualism.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 18:36
He argues that humanism teaches that humanity is the supreme being and the creature of highest value.
The humanist teaches us that the supreme being of this created universe is man. That we are the creatures of highest dignity and value and esteem.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 19:08
Sin is profoundly serious because it not only violates other people but also constitutes a lie about the nature of God, which is described as cosmic treason.
That's why when we sin our sin is so serious, because not only do we violate each other, but we lie to the creation about the nature of God. We are involved in cosmic treason.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 27:08
Human dignity and identity are derived from being made in the image of God, and our ultimate purpose is found in God's divine plan.
So, we need to integrate our understanding of man in light of our understanding of God, because we get our identity from being made in the image of God. God is not made in the image of man. He is sovereign, we are not. Our humanity is defined by Him, and therein we find dignity.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 29:02
Because all people are created in God's image, ethical treatment of all people is necessary, and we are called to love them as we love ourselves.
It matters how we treat white people and black people, Jewish people, any kind of people, because they're created in the image of God, and they bear that image even in their sinfulness. We are called to love, to love them as we love ourselves.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 29:49
Rationalism is a school of thought that places significant emphasis on the mind as the primary source of truth and knowledge.
Rationalists, or rationalism, that puts a heavy emphasis upon the mind as the real source or the true – the source of truth and for knowledge.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 8:21
God is invisible in this world, and humanity cannot see the deity directly.
No man shall see God and live. That we hope for finally when we experience what is called the beatific vision, or the Visio Dei, when God, we’ll actually see God. But not in this world, we don’t see God. God is invisible.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 17:36
God is singular and absolute, and humans cannot fashion or prefer any other deity.
But there is no other. I am the Lord, your God. There is no other.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 4:20
The Holy Spirit is a personal being, not merely an impersonal force or power.
is to understand that the Holy Ghost is a person not merely an impersonal force or a power. The Holy Ghost is a 'He' not an 'it.'
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:25
The Holy Spirit was involved in the creation of the world.
Remember when God calls the world into being and that the world was without shape, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. The Spirit of the Lord hovers or broods over the water and out of that primordial portrait of what seems to be an unordered, or unstructured, or perhaps even chaotic situation, comes light, stability.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 2:05
In a natural or fallen state, a person is characterized by wicked desires and spiritual death.
In your natural birth, in your natural state, you were born in the state of sarx or the Biblical concept of flesh in this fallen condition where the desires of your heart are only wicked continuously and which the apostle says that you walk according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air and that you are dead in your sin.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 12:36
Jesus asserts that no human being possesses the inherent power or ability to come to Him.
And what Jesus is saying here is that no human being has the power or the ability to do something. Now these are strong words coming from the lips of our Lord. This isn't Augustine or Calvin or Luther. This is Christ Himself saying something about man's ability. And he says no man is able; no man has the power to do what? To come to Me.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 13:15
God is the one who initiates the process of salvation.
It is God who initiates salvation.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 0:51
Regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that changes the disposition of the soul.
where God, working through the immediate power of the Holy Spirit, enters into the human soul supernaturally, divinely changes the disposition of your soul, quickens you from spiritual death, raises you from spiritual death, changes the disposition of your heart.
Source: R.C. Sproul @ 1:01
Sin is fundamentally lawlessness, which is why the antichrist is described as the man of lawlessness.
One of the most frightening titles for the antichrist in the New Testament is man of lawlessness because that is what sin is: sin is lawlessness .
Source: Abraham Justified Before Circumcision (Ligonier)
The world is owned by God, and humanity is not the most significant creation in it.
We live in a world that is owned by God and we are not the highest creatures in it.
Source: The Angel & Zacharias (Part 1) (Ligonier)
Understanding God requires thinking in terms of His transcendent reality, specifically the One who will save humanity from sin.
We need to think in terms of the transcendent reality of the One who is speaking, the One whose name will be called Jesus, because He will be saving His people from their sin.
Source: The Annunciation (Ligonier)
The natural disposition of unconverted, fallen human beings is not to seek God, but rather to flee from God.
The natural disposition of unconverted, fallen human beings is not to seek after God. There is not a one of them who seeks after God—no, not one. The natural activity of the unbeliever is not to seek after God, but to flee from God. That is our natural disposition.
Source: Asking & Knocking (Ligonier)
Jesus is understood to be the 'second Adam,' who follows the first Adam and brings salvation to humanity.
the One who comes after the first Adam. Adam was the father of the human race who was, we are told, a type of the One who was to come. The greater Adam would come to bring salvation to the human race.
Source: The Baptism of Jesus (Ligonier)
Sin entered the world through one man, resulting in death for all humanity.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
Source: The Baptism of Jesus (Ligonier)
Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God, possessing both perfect humanity and perfect deity.
Paul’s ministry began with his proving that Christ was the Messiah and with Paul proclaiming Jesus in His fullness—in His perfect humanity and perfect deity as the Son of the living God.
Source: A Basket Case (Ligonier)
The peace Christians should pursue is not a worldly or false peace, but the unique peace given by Jesus Christ.
As I mentioned before, it is not a carnal peace, a false peace, a Neville Chamberlain kind of peace, but the peace that passes understanding, the peace that Jesus Himself left as His legacy.
Source: Bearing Others' Burdens (Ligonier)
Christ's mission is not to destroy humanity but to destroy the works of the devil and the works of darkness, while simultaneously building up a people who reflect God's image.
Yet what Christ has come to do is not to destroy us but to destroy the works of the devil and the works of darkness. At the same time, He has come to build for Himself a people that will manifest His own image.
Source: Bearing Others' Burdens (Ligonier)
The Beatitudes are presented in a literary form familiar to Jewish people, specifically the 'form of the oracle.'
I pointed out that the literary form of the Beatitudes is one that was familiar to the Jewish people. It was called the “form of the oracle.”
Source: The Beatitudes (Ligonier)
The speaker asserts that he knows that God hates abortion.
But if there is anything I know about God, I know that God hates abortion.
Source: Behave Like a Christian (Part 1) (Ligonier)
A kind person is considered successful in the eyes of God.
A kind person is a successful person in the eyes of God.
Source: Behave Like a Christian (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The Christian community functions as a unified body where the experience of one member affects all others.
If one rejoices, everybody rejoices. There are no politics of envy in the kingdom of God—none. If my brother prospers more than I do, instead of saying, “He doesn’t deserve that; why should he get this wonderful advantage?” I should delight in the prosperity and blessing that he has received.
Source: Behave Like a Christian (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The ultimate visitation from God was the incarnation of Christ.
Beloved, the ultimate visit from on high was the entrance of Christ into the world, and for those who received Him, to them He gave authority to be called the children of God.
Source: The Benedictus (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The Messiah is the one who comes with enormous strength that cannot be overcome.
In any case, it is the Messiah who is described as having the horn of salvation, as being the One who comes in His messianic office with enormous strength that cannot be overcome.
Source: The Benedictus (Part 2) (Ligonier)
All things are possible for God, provided they are consistent with His character and nature.
That means all things that are consistent with His character and with His nature, but ultimately there are some things that are impossible.
Source: The Benedictus (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Naturally, human beings are in a state of enmity against God, considering Him a personal enemy.
Your natural human proclivity, the natural tendency of your soul, is enmity against God. You consider Him your personal enemy.
Source: The Benedictus (Part 3) (Ligonier)
Describing God as a personal being who holds people accountable is more serious than speaking vaguely about God in general terms.
But there is something to fear when we talk about the God of the Bible who is personal and holds every one of us accountable for our lives, and who tells us that we will experience everlasting damnation if we never repent and come to Christ.
Source: The Benedictus (Part 3) (Ligonier)
The only true deity within the Roman Empire was Christ, who was born in the manger in Bethlehem.
The only deity within the confines of the Roman Empire was to be found in the manger in Bethlehem.
Source: The Birth of Jesus (Ligonier)
The individual mentioned (John) was consistently accompanied by the hand of the Lord throughout his life.
It was with him the day he was born. It was with him before he was born, when he leaped in his mother’s womb. It was with him when he came to the Jordan River to baptize and call Israel to repentance. It was with him when he was in prison, and it was with him when he was martyred.
Source: The Birth of John the Baptist (Ligonier)
A person is blessed if they are excluded, hated, or reviled specifically because they are a Christian.
Jesus added that people treated this way for the Son of Man’s sake are blessed. If you are being excluded, hated, or reviled because you are a Christian, then you are under the benediction of Christ and called blessed.
Source: Blessings & Curses (Ligonier)
God is not a distant, benign figure, but rather a consuming fire capable of wrath and judgment.
Our God is a consuming fire, and it is a fearful thing to fall into His hands.
Source: Blessings & Curses (Ligonier)
The man's vision was consistently blackness, regardless of the time of day or night.
When it came to be high noon with the sun shining at its brightest, all the man saw was complete and total blackness—blackness in the morning, blackness in the afternoon, blackness at night.
Source: The Blind Man (Ligonier)
Jesus Christ possesses the inherent power and ability to provide the most essential needs, unlike human figures or earthly sources of comfort.
one thing we know about Jesus is that He does not need any reindeer, any elves, or any help to give us anything we need. He has the power and ability to give us what we need the most.
Source: The Blind Man (Ligonier)
The most crucial need for humanity is understanding who God is and how to be reconciled to Him.
The people’s greatest need is to find out who God is and how they can be reconciled to Him. They don’t feel it all.
Source: The Blind Man (Ligonier)
Many people remain spiritually distant from Jesus, acting as fugitives who are still afraid to fully commit to Him.
There are people in this room who are still fugitives, who are still fleeing from Jesus, hiding from Jesus, wearing a mantle or a cloak of respectability by coming to church and so on, but in their hearts, they’re still saying: “Depart from me. I’m not ready to forsake all and to follow You.”
Source: The Catch of Fish (Ligonier)
God created the entire universe out of nothing, not by shaping preexistent matter.
Context: Reporting what the professor taught about Augustine's view.
I heard him tell how Augustine said that the Lord God Almighty created the whole universe ex nihilo , out of nothing. He didn’t just shape and form some preexistent matter. Out of nothing, God created the entire universe.
Source: The Centurion's Servant (Ligonier)
God called the universe into being by giving a divine imperative, or command, through His voice.
He said God called the universe into being by the power of His voice, giving a divine imperative, saying, “Let there be light,” and the lights came on.
Source: The Centurion's Servant (Ligonier)
While the human nature can only be in one place, the divine nature allows Christ to be everywhere, and the person of Christ is always present.
The divine nature was still omnipresent, but the human nature wasn’t. The human nature can only be in one place at a time. He couldn’t be in Capernaum and Jerusalem at the same time. But touching the divine nature, He could be everywhere. That’s why we say in our confessions and creeds, “Touching His human nature, Jesus is no longer with us.”
Source: The Centurion's Servant (Ligonier)
When a believer communes with Christ, they commune with his whole person, not just his divine nature.
When I commune with Him, I don’t just commune with the divine nature, I commune with the whole Christ.
Source: The Centurion's Servant (Ligonier)
The Father's eternal plan involves the Son and the Spirit, resulting in a unified purpose and mind within the Godhead.
From all eternity, there is one purpose and one mind in the Godhead, and it is out of the love of God that He sends His Son to take His wrath for us.
Source: Christ in Our Place (Ligonier)
The group of ten lepers was likely composed of people from various backgrounds, including Jews, Samaritans, and other nations.
We know from this text that the ten lepers were made up of at least people who were Jews and Samaritans, but they also might have included people from other countries.
Source: Cleansing of the Leper (Ligonier)
All humans are naturally sinful, likened to spiritual lepers, and have been cleansed by God's grace through Christ.
All of us have suffered from spiritual leprosy at some time. We are lepers by nature, and the God of all mercy and grace, through His beloved Son, has made us clean.
Source: Cleansing of the Leper (Ligonier)
Invincible ignorance is an inability to overcome ignorance, meaning a person in normal circumstances would not be able to overcome it.
But invincible ignorance, ignorance that cannot be conquered, is so described as an ignorance that a person in normal circumstances would not be able to overcome.
Source: The Crucifixion (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Sin is not merely a part of our nature but is our master, controlling our actions and behavior.
What the Bible teaches us again and again is that we are slaves to sin. Sin is not only in our nature, beloved, but it is our master.
Source: Dead to Sin, Alive to God (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Sin is not limited to physical acts or appetites but is deeply rooted in our thoughts and souls.
We have a tendency never to have gotten rid of our Greek roots, and we tend to think of sins simply in terms of physical appetites and physical acts of disobedience, gluttony, sex, drunkenness, and things along those lines that immediately involve our body. We think that sin is just contained in our physical extremities. But no, we have a mind of flesh. Sin is something that is in our thoughts. Sin is something that is deeply rooted in our souls.
Source: Dead to Sin, Alive to God (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Human opposition to God stems from evil, while God's opposition to humanity stems from holiness.
What drives our opposition towards God, which we have innately, is evil. Our estrangement is based in a wicked opposition against God. His estrangement from us is founded in a holy opposition to sin.
Source: Death in Adam, Life in Christ (Ligonier)
Federalism teaches that Adam was the representative head of both the universe and the human race, meaning his actions were not just for himself but for all humanity.
Federalism says that Adam was the federal head of the entire universe and of the entire human race. The very name Adam means mankind. What Adam did in the garden was not to act simply for himself but for all of those whom he represented.
Source: Death in Adam, Life in Christ (Ligonier)
The speaker warns that it is human nature, even for Christians, to be tempted to push the wrath of God onto others who have offended us.
Is this not our nature, even as Christians, to flee from God’s wrath for ourselves but push our neighbor into the direct path of it?
Source: Discipleship (Ligonier)
Paul asserts that nothing is unclean in itself, but rather the person who considers something unclean is the one who makes it unclean.
I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Source: Do Not Cause Another To Stumble (Ligonier)
Sin does not merely affect the exterior of a person but penetrates to the core of humanity, leaving the individual morally unable to incline themselves toward God.
Rather, sin penetrates to the very radix , to the very core of our humanity, despoiling us in our bodies, minds, wills, and every aspect of our being, leaving us in a state of moral inability.
Source: The Doctrine of Imputation (Ligonier)
The eunuch's presence in Jerusalem suggests he was either a Jewish person in dispersion or a gentile who had adopted Jewish teachings.
The Ethiopian eunuch had come to Jerusalem to worship, which indicates that he was either a Jew in dispersion or, more likely, a gentile who somewhere along the line had embraced the teachings of Judaism and had made a long journey from Ethiopia to Jerusalem for some special occasion.
Source: The Ethiopian Eunuch (Ligonier)
By nature, fallen people are enemies of God and do not desire God's presence.
The Scriptures tell us that in our natural condition we do not want to have God in our thinking and by nature we are at enmity with God.
Source: Faith Triumphs in Trouble (Part 2) (Ligonier)
The core problem of humanity is not merely ignorance of God, but a hatred for Him.
I told them at the end of the address that their problem was not that they did not know that God exists, as we pointed out in Romans 1, but their problem was that they hated the God whom they know exists.
Source: Faith Triumphs in Trouble (Part 2) (Ligonier)
The physical barrier separating humanity from God's presence was the veil, which was torn by Christ's work on the cross.
Nothing could break through the barrier that separated the people from the immediate presence of God—until Golgotha. Nothing could break that barrier until that afternoon in Jerusalem when the sun was blotted out of the sky in the middle of the day, and it became pitch black, even as night. As Christ was the curse on the cross, there was an earthquake, and in that earthquake, Matthew tells us, the veil of the temple was torn asunder.
Source: Faith Triumphs in Trouble (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Hypocrisy is dangerous because even a small amount of it can spread throughout a person's life, ultimately destroying their character.
Jesus was saying, “Just a little bit of leaven, just a little bit of Pharisee-ism and play-acting, of pretending, of deceitfulness—if you allow it in your life, you will not be able to contain it. It will spread like a cancer. It will fill your soul and destroy your character.”
Source: Fearing God (Ligonier)
All individuals, regardless of their Christian status, will be evaluated on judgment day based on their works and true character.
However, even though our entrance to Heaven is not based in any way upon our good works and our good works contribute nothing to our salvation, every one of us will be evaluated on that day according to our works.
Source: Fearing God (Ligonier)
The judgment will reveal the true character of every person, not merely their professions or outward reputation.
Context: Quoting Charles Hodge
God’s judgment will not be founded on the professions, or the relations of men, or on the appearance or reputation which they sustain among their fellows, but on their real character and on their acts, however secret and covered from the sight of men those acts may have been.
Source: Fearing God (Ligonier)
The character of every man will be clearly revealed in the sight of God, the man himself, and all self-deception will be banished.
Context: Quoting Charles Hodge
The character of every man will be clearly revealed. (1.) In the sight of God. (2.) In the sight of the man himself. All self deception will be banished.
Source: Fearing God (Ligonier)
Naturalism is a philosophy that asserts that nature is all that exists, rejecting any concept of a supernatural realm.
Naturalism, as an “-ism,” simply teaches this: we have nature around us, and nature is all there is. There is no “supra-“ or “super-“ nature, so anything that we find in the written record of the New Testament that suggests a supernatural event must be rejected out of hand.
Source: The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Ligonier)
The significance of Jesus' actions is that God cares about every individual, meaning that every human life matters both in the present and eternally.
What that means is that every human being is made in the image of God, and who sits in the back of the bus matters, and it matters forever.
Source: The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Ligonier)
The supernatural nature of Jesus' feeding of the thousands demonstrates that He is the incarnate Son of God, confirming that God cares about humanity.
What that means, friends, is the radical breakthrough of the supernatural into the natural. What that means is that Jesus of Nazareth is not a clever, ethical teacher. What that means is that He is who He said He was—the incarnate Son of God. What that means is that God not only is, but that God cares.
Source: The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Ligonier)
Without the Bible, humanity loses its connection to Christ and, consequently, loses all hope.
Without the Bible, we’re without Christ. Without Christ, we’re without hope.
Source: The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Ligonier)
If the Bible is not the Word of God, humanity is in a pitiable state, wasting time while others enjoy themselves.
If the Bible is not the Word of God, then we are, as the Apostle Paul declared, “the most to be pitied,” because here we are, wasting another Sunday morning while other people are out having a good time.
Source: The Feeding of the Five Thousand (Ligonier)
The woman was a notorious and serious sinner, but the text does not specify the nature of her sin.
We are told in verse 37, “Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner”—it does not say she was a prostitute.
Source: The Forgiven Woman (Ligonier)
While he lacks omniscience, he asserts that God knows the true state of every person's heart.
But certainly, the Lord knows, and you know where your heart is.
Source: The Forgiven Woman (Ligonier)
A truly converted Christian, who is in Christ, must necessarily live by the Spirit and not by the flesh.
The assumption of the Apostle is that anyone who is truly converted—anyone who is in Christ and in whom Christ dwells—is a person who does not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Source: Free from Indwelling Sin (Ligonier)
When a person is in Christ, they live by the principle of life, which frees them from the life defined by sin and death.
When you are in Christ, you live life. When you are not in Christ, you operate by the principle of sin.
Source: Free from Indwelling Sin (Ligonier)
During the incarnation, God gave all that is proper to humanity to the Redeemer's human nature, except the transfer of sin.
But in the incarnation, all that is proper to humanity is given to the human nature of our Redeemer except the transfer of sin.
Source: Free from Indwelling Sin (Ligonier)
The unregenerate person's defining characteristic is a mindset preoccupied with the world and the flesh.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. The first thing we see that describes the unregenerate person who remains altogether in the flesh is a mindset. Whenever you ask yourself: “Am I in the kingdom? Am I a Christian or am I a pretender,” that is the first place you look.
Source: Free from Indwelling Sin (Ligonier)
A person's mindset is defined by whether their focus is preoccupied with the world or with the things of God.
Are you preoccupied with goals, ambitions, desires, and appetites of this world, of the flesh, of sin? Does that define your thought process, your mindset?
Source: Free from Indwelling Sin (Ligonier)
If a person is not indwelt by the Holy Ghost or reborn by the Holy Ghost, they do not belong to Christ.
Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,” Paul goes on, “he is not His.” If you are not indwelt by the Holy Ghost, if you have not been reborn by the Holy Ghost, you do not belong to Christ.
Source: Free from Indwelling Sin (Ligonier)
Luke's extended genealogy emphasizes that Christ is a historical figure who came into existence in time, not a mythological being.
The presence of Luke’s extended genealogy, which goes beyond the limits of what Matthew gives us, underscores Luke’s concern: the history and account he has given is not of a mythological figure who lives somewhere in the mythological realm of Mount Olympus, but One who came in space and time—indeed, in the fullness of time—to be our Savior.
Source: The Genealogy of Jesus (Ligonier)
The term 'generation' may refer to the specific, wicked generation that existed during Jesus' earthly ministry.
On the other hand, one may argue that the meaning of the term “generation” refers to that particular and singularly wicked generation during the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, because of all the generations that ever lived upon the earth, there was none more wicked than the contemporaries of Jesus.
Source: This Generation Will Not Pass Away (Ligonier)
A person is declared righteous by God through the imputation of Christ's perfect righteousness.
Who is it who justifies? It is the judge of all the earth who declares us just by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, which is perfect righteousness.
Source: God's Everlasting Love (Ligonier)
Nietzsche argued that the defining trait of humanity is the will to power, not merely the ability to reflect or cogitate.
Nietzsche argued that the primary defining trait of humanness is not that we are homo sapiens , that we have the ability to reflect and to be engaged in cogitation and wisdom, but really what defines human beings and separates them from the beasts is our will to power.
Source: God's Everlasting Love (Ligonier)
Nietzsche believed that Christianity was detrimental to humanity because it elevated virtues like mercy and pity, which he felt diminished natural human strength.
He could not stand that Christianity exalted virtues like mercy, love, and pity, which virtues, according to Nietzsche, stripped human beings of their natural humanity.
Source: God's Everlasting Love (Ligonier)
The Übermensch, or superman, is characterized by being a conqueror who is defiant and does not fear opposition or nature.
The chief characteristic of superman, according to Nietzsche, is that superman is a conqueror. He is the man, Nietzsche said, who sails his ship into uncharted waters, the Hemingway of his day who grabs the bull by the horns, who builds his house on the slopes of Vesuvius.
Source: God's Everlasting Love (Ligonier)
The Word of God guarantees that nothing—including death, life, or earthly governments—can separate a person from the love of God found in Christ.
The Word of God promises and guarantees that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ—death cannot do it, life cannot do it, earthly governments cannot do it.
Source: God's Everlasting Love (Ligonier)
Because God's eternal being and character is truth, it is impossible for Him to lie.
But one of the things that God cannot do is lie, because His eternal being and character is truth. It is impossible for God to lie.
Source: God's Judgment Defended (Ligonier)
Homosexual behavior is described in Romans as being contrary to the created nature of humanity.
Paul is saying that these actions are contra naturum , against the created nature itself. When we become involved in homosexual practices, we are not only sinning against God, but we are against the nature of things.
Source: God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness (Ligonier)
Covetousness indicates that a person does not consider God to be present in their thoughts.
When you covet somebody else’s property, prestige, or job, you are saying, “God is not just in giving that person that benefit and not giving it to me.” When that is the case, God is not in your thinking.
Source: God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness (Ligonier)
The speaker acknowledges that humans cannot escape God's indictment or judgment.
Context: This is a prayer, but it reflects a position of acknowledging human inability to escape judgment.
We know that we cannot escape this indictment. O Father, do not ever abandon us to our sin or expose us to Your judgment.
Source: God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness (Ligonier)
The truth that every human being suppresses is the truth of God, which is revealed about Himself in nature.
The truth that every human being suppresses is the truth of God, the truth that God reveals of Himself in nature to the entire human race.
Source: God’s Wrath (Ligonier)
Every human being has heard of God, knows of God, and clearly perceives God, yet rejects that knowledge.
Paul is saying in Romans 1 that every human being has heard of God, knows of God, clearly perceives God, yet rejects that knowledge.
Source: God’s Wrath (Ligonier)
According to Freud, humans invented God to deal with frightening aspects of nature by personalizing and sacralizing those threats.
Context: Reporting Freud's theory.
He explained that we invented God to deal with the things in nature that are frightening. By inventing God, we personalize nature, we sacralize nature, because of things that threaten us so deeply, such as hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, pestilence, or armies attacking.
Source: God’s Wrath (Ligonier)
For God to predestine a people, He must first know who those people are.
If God predestines a people from the foundation of the world, He has to know what people He is predestinating. In that sense, before He acts in this decree of election with respect to certain people, He has to know what He is doing when He does that electing by His grace.
Source: The Golden Chain (Ligonier)
God cannot predestine anyone from eternity unless He first knows that person.
God cannot predestine anyone from all eternity that He does not first know from all eternity.
Source: The Golden Chain (Ligonier)
God chooses people based on the good pleasure of His will, not on human effort or choice.
Elsewhere the Apostle says that God chooses people “according to the good pleasure of His will” (Eph. 1:5). That “according to” tells us the basis God uses or considers in determining the elect.
Source: The Golden Chain (Ligonier)
God chose humanity before the foundation of the world based solely on His sovereign good pleasure, not on any foreseen merit in us.
Context: Prayer/Liturgical statement, but reflects the theological position being taught.
Without any conditions that You saw in advance in us, by the sheer sovereign good pleasure of Your will, You have chosen us to be conformed to the image of Your Son, that He may not be Your only Son, but will be Your firstborn Son of many brethren.
Source: The Golden Chain (Ligonier)
A person's true character is definitively revealed by the fruit they bear, which reflects the state of their inner being.
Jesus was saying that every good tree produces good fruit, and every bad tree produces only bad fruit. He was using this as an exclamation point for His sermon: “For every tree is known by its own fruit.”
Source: Good & Bad Fruit (Ligonier)
A godly person's life is characterized by delighting in and meditating on the Word of God, which is a sure indicator of a changed soul.
If you have no affection or love for the Word of God, that would be a sure indicator that your soul has not been changed.
Source: Good & Bad Fruit (Ligonier)
A person's inner thoughts and desires, which are stored in the heart, determine their true character and actions.
Jesus was telling us that what a man treasures in his heart determines what he is.
Source: Good & Bad Fruit (Ligonier)
Christ is both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God, who takes away the world's sin.
Is that not incredible, that the Lion of Judah was also the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world?
Source: The Gospel of the Kingdom (Ligonier)
Human beings cannot earn God's grace or forgiveness, which is provided by the Holy Ghost.
Teach us, o God, that there is nothing we can ever do to purchase Your grace or earn Your forgiveness. But thank You for the power and the presence of the Holy Ghost who applies to us the riches of the One who could purchase our redemption.
Source: The Gospel to Samaria (Ligonier)
As creatures made in God's image, humans are given an inherent aspiration for significance, which is a part of their humanity.
When God creates human beings, makes them in His own image, He gives to them as part of their humanity an aspiration for significance.
Source: The Greatest (Ligonier)
Jesus recognized Zacchaeus and knew he was a person the Father had given to him.
When Jesus saw Zacchaeus in that tree, He knew that he was one whom the Father had given to Him. He interrupted His trip into Jericho when He saw Zacchaeus perched in the tree. He looked at him, recognized him, spoke to him, and said, “Zacchaeus, get down out of that tree, because I must come to your house today.”
Source: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (Ligonier)
John the Baptist was recognized by Herod as a righteous and holy man.
He recognized that John the Baptist was a righteous man and, indeed, a holy man.
Source: Haunted By Guilt (Ligonier)
The man mentioned in the text had a congenital lameness, meaning he was born lame and never stood on his own two feet unaided.
But the man in our text had a congenital lameness. He was born lame. Never in his life had he stood on his own two feet unaided.
Source: Healing at the Gate Beautiful (Ligonier)
The serpent, who is Satan, was a liar from the beginning and used the power of lies to ruin creation.
Jesus tells us that the serpent was a liar from the beginning, and he used the power of the lie to seduce our primordial parents and bring the whole creation into ruin.
Source: A House Divided (Ligonier)
Satan does not possess the power to perform miracles because he is a creature and lacks the attributes of God.
Satan is not God; Satan is a creature. He is stronger than we are and craftier than we can be but he does not have the attributes of God.
Source: A House Divided (Ligonier)
Fallen humans desire things that God can provide, but they do not desire God Himself.
This is our dilemma as fallen creatures: we want the things that only God can give us, but we do not want Him.
Source: The Indictment of the Jews and Gentiles (Ligonier)
It is impossible for any person to have loved God with their whole heart and whole mind for even five seconds.
There is no one who has loved God with his whole heart and whole mind for five seconds.
Source: The Indictment of the Jews and Gentiles (Ligonier)
God is made manifest because His character and plan are revealed through His Word.
In other words, God said, “I was found because My Word went out to all of the earth and I was made manifest because My character and My plan was revealed through the Word.”
Source: Israel Rejects the Gospel (Ligonier)
Words like injustice, unrighteousness, and iniquity are fundamentally incompatible with the character of God.
Words like injustice , unrighteousness , and iniquity are words that simply do not belong as predicates of the character of God.
Source: Israel's Rejection & God's Justice (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The central mystery revealed by the Apostle is that the gentiles are included in the people of God.
The single most important mystery with which the Apostle grapples time and again in his writing is this: Christ in you, the hope of the gentiles.
Source: Israel's Rejection Not Final (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The Bible was given to humanity so that people might mature in their understanding of God's teachings and not find comfort in ignorance.
God has given us this massive volume that we call the Bible so that we might become mature in our understanding of those things He has set forth and that we not seek comfort or bliss in ignorance.
Source: Israel's Rejection Not Final (Part 2) (Ligonier)
God's gifts and calling are irrevocable, and humanity's disobedience can lead to obtaining mercy.
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.
Source: Israel's Rejection Not Final (Part 3) (Ligonier)
Humans are incapable of knowing the true motives of another person, let alone the motives of God.
The one thing I can never do is get inside the secret chambers of your heart or the privacy of your mental thoughts. How can I know your motive? I might say that you have three or four possible motives, but I do not know why you do what you do.
Source: Israel's Rejection Not Final (Part 3) (Ligonier)
The manifestation of God's presence is so brilliant that human beings must shield their eyes.
It is so brilliant in its refulgence and so excellent in its brilliance that human beings must shield their eyes, lest they go blind. That is the outward manifestation of the eternal inward dignity of God.
Source: Israel's Rejection Not Final (Part 4) (Ligonier)
God is incapable of casting away or rejecting a people whom He foreknew from the foundation of the world, the elect.
God is incapable of casting away or rejecting a people whom He foreknew from the foundation of the world, the elect whom Paul has spoken of from chapter 8 through chapter 9 and into chapter 10.
Source: Israel's Rejection Not Total (Ligonier)
The Christian life is characterized by a fullness of joy, a completeness of peace, and a dimension of hope worked within the soul by the power of the Holy Ghost.
The Christian life is to be manifested by a fullness of joy, a completeness of peace, and a dimension of hope that is worked within our soul by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Source: From Jerusalem to Illyricum (Ligonier)
Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity who assumed human nature and ascended to heaven.
This was the second person of the Trinity who took upon Himself a human nature, whom Luke described in the very beginning, of whose birth we are told.
Source: Jesus Appears (Ligonier)
The Monothelite heresy incorrectly taught that the incarnation involved only one will, which was a mixture of the divine and human.
This heresy taught that in the mystery of the incarnation, in the union between the two natures, the human and the divine, there was only one will. There were two natures, one person, and only one will, a sort of mixture or blend between the divine and the human will.
Source: Jesus at Gethsemane (Ligonier)
The foundation of God's love for humanity is the eternal love He has for His Son.
Often, we fix our attention so much on God’s love for us that we forget the ground of His love for us is the love that He has from eternity for His Son.
Source: Jesus & John the Baptist (Ligonier)
The Son of Man is a divine being who comes from heaven, possessing full deity and the full authority associated with it.
The Son of Man is the One who comes from heaven, who carries the full measure of His deity with Him, and with that deity the full authority associated with Him.
Source: Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath (Ligonier)
The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath, which is a clear declaration of Christ's deity.
All we have talked about and so much more are contained in this title Son of Man and our Lord’s claim that He, as the Son of Man, is the Lord of the Sabbath. This is a clear declaration of the deity of Christ.
Source: Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath (Ligonier)
The New Testament clearly affirms the reality of demonic and angelic worlds, stating that these supernatural beings are real and powerful.
The New Testament clearly propounds the reality of the demonic and angelic worlds. They are supernatural beings who are usually invisible to our gaze but nevertheless are real and powerful.
Source: Jesus Meets a Demon (Ligonier)
If a person is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Satan cannot possess them, though he can harass or oppress them.
If you are indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, Satan cannot get in you. He can come up against you and harass you, but he cannot possess you.
Source: Jesus Meets a Demon (Ligonier)
A person's natural state is one of enmity toward God and Christ, requiring supernatural regeneration to change their disposition.
Your natural state, the state in which you were born, the Scriptures tell us, was a state of enmity. By nature, God is your enemy, and by nature, God’s Son is your enemy.
Source: Jesus Rejected (Ligonier)
The incarnation involves the second person of the Trinity taking upon a human nature.
Within the mystery of the Trinity is the profound mystery of the incarnation. In the incarnation of the Logos, of which John speaks, we find the second person of the Trinity, who takes upon Himself a human nature.
Source: Jesus in the Synagogue (Ligonier)
It is unclear whether Jesus' miracles were a manifestation of his divine nature or if they were performed by his human nature empowered by the Holy Ghost.
Were the miracles that Jesus performed a manifestation of His divine nature? That is, were these works empowered by the second person of the Trinity working through the human Jesus, or was the human nature of Jesus, endowed by the power of the Holy Ghost that rested upon Him, able to perform these miracles?
Source: Jesus in the Synagogue (Ligonier)
When Christ died, it was the God-man who expired, not the divine nature itself.
Whatever else happened in the drama of the cross, it wasn’t the divine nature that died, but it was the God-man who died, and the divine nature was certainly united to the human nature when the human nature expired on the cross.
Source: Jesus in the Synagogue (Ligonier)
The people in Jesus' hometown were unable to accept His divine identity, despite Him being the Son of God and the Servant of the sovereign God.
He was the Servant of the sovereign God, the Anointed Son in whom the Father was well-pleased, but they couldn’t take it.
Source: Jesus in the Synagogue (Ligonier)
The speaker emphasizes that understanding who Jesus is is the most crucial evaluation a person can make.
Before we look at their response, I want to make this point: there is no more important evaluation that you will ever make than in answering the question, “Who is Jesus?”
Source: Jesus in the Synagogue (Ligonier)
The Christian faith teaches that Christ is the God-Man, meaning He was the very incarnation of God.
We confess Him to be the God-Man, and we profess that He was in fact the very incarnation of God.
Source: Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier)
The church, at the Council of Chalcedon, rejected the Monophysite view by stating that Jesus' nature is both human and divine, but neither exclusively.
In this idea you have Jesus, whose one nature is both human and divine, but really it is neither.
Source: Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier)
The Council at Chalcedon established that Jesus is truly man and truly God, affirming both his true humanity and his true deity.
They said that Jesus, in the mystery of the incarnation, is vere homo, vere Deus , “truly man and truly God.” We must affirm both the true humanity of Jesus in the incarnation and affirm His true deity.
Source: Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier)
The Council of Chalcedon defined the incarnation by setting boundaries (negatives) regarding the relationship between the two natures.
They defined the incarnation in terms of what it was not, with these four negatives. They said that Jesus is truly human, truly divine, with two natures perfectly united, but without mixture or confusion: “You hear that you Monophysites? No mixture, no confusion, no blending.”
Source: Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier)
The Council of Chalcedon taught that the two natures of Christ cannot be understood in terms of mixture, separation, or division.
They said that however we understand the incarnation, we can’t understand it in terms of a mixture or blend of deity and humanity, nor can we understand it in terms of a separation or division between the two natures.
Source: Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier)
The Council of Chalcedon affirmed that each nature retains its own distinct attributes.
After the comma, Chalcedon went on to say, “each nature retains its own attributes.” That simple theological affirmation, “each nature retained its own attributes,” has been trampled on and brutally violated throughout church history and even today.
Source: Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier)
The physical attributes and actions of Jesus (like having legs or getting hungry) demonstrate his humanity, not his deity.
When Jesus walked down the street, He had physical legs, physical arms, fingers, and toes, and I’m going to ask you this: Were His legs and arms and fingers and toes a manifestation of His deity? Of course not. God is not physical.
Source: Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier)
While the two natures (divine and human) cannot be divided, they must be distinguished, as the human nature is not a manifestation of the deity.
In answer to this, we can’t divide the two natures, but we must distinguish them. When Jesus walked down the street, He had physical legs, physical arms, fingers, and toes, and I’m going to ask you this: Were His legs and arms and fingers and toes a manifestation of His deity? Of course not.
Source: Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier)
Sin affects not only the body and the will, but also the mind, causing foolish minds to be darkened.
The ravages of sin that fall upon humanity from the fall don’t just affect the body and the will, but they also have a terrible effect on the mind.
Source: Jesus in the Temple (Ligonier)
The truth that Jesus of Nazareth was the appointed Messiah is the most important truth in human history, fundamentally changing every aspect of life.
If Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah of God, that is the most important truth ever revealed in human history. It changes everything. Everything in your life is changed by the truth that Jesus of Nazareth was the appointed Messiah.
Source: Jesus on Trial (Ligonier)
Jesus Christ never misled anyone.
But not once did Jesus Christ ever mislead a single soul.
Source: Jesus on Trial (Ligonier)
The path Jesus led people on was the path of righteousness, which is contrary to human natural desires.
The only path Jesus ever led anybody on was the path of righteousness, but that is not our natural path. That is not the road or the way we want to go.
Source: Jesus on Trial (Ligonier)
The phrase 'Ecce homo' is reserved for Jesus, who is considered the perfect species of humanity.
No one looked at Stan Musial and said, “ Ecce homo .” That was reserved for Jesus, the new Adam, the perfect species of humanity, who the author of Hebrews says is the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person, the new humanity, and all that humanity was created to be is seen in Jesus. Ecce homo .
Source: Jesus on Trial (Ligonier)
Jesus is uniquely positioned as the perfect species of humanity, the new Adam, and the express image of God.
That was reserved for Jesus, the new Adam, the perfect species of humanity, who the author of Hebrews says is the brightness of His glory, the express image of His person, the new humanity, and all that humanity was created to be is seen in Jesus.
Source: Jesus on Trial (Ligonier)
Jesus' peace was a divine gift that the people failed to recognize, despite him being the Prince of Peace.
Jesus had spoken of the peace that would be His final legacy, when in a few days He would gather with His disciples in the upper room and say: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:27).
Source: Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem (Ligonier)
Paul shifts his focus from the universal guilt of humanity to address the hypocrisy of Israel, God's chosen people.
Paul moved from the universal guilt of the human race and aimed directly at his kinsman according to the flesh, Israel. He addressed them at the beginning of chapter 2, calling them “O man.” Paul began to talk about the hypocrisy of those who were in a special relationship to God, God’s chosen people in the Old Testament.
Source: The Jews Are as Guilty as the Gentiles (Ligonier)
It is God's priority for people to understand His holy character, even if the people do not feel the need for that understanding.
The people may not feel the need of that, but there’s nothing they need more desperately than to have their minds exploded in their understanding of who God is.
Source: The Just Shall Live by Faith (Ligonier)
The Son of Man must first suffer many things and be rejected by the current generation.
But first He (the Son of Man) must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Source: The Kingdom Come (Ligonier)
Jesus of Nazareth is the most titled person in all of human history.
I have said in the past that the most titled person in all of human history is Jesus of Nazareth.
Source: The Lamb of God (Ligonier)
The speaker argues that Scripture fundamentally views humanity as a duality (physical and non-physical) rather than a trichotomy (body, soul, and spirit).
But fundamentally, Scripture sees us as a duality: a physical aspect and a non-physical aspect; body and soul.
Source: Law Cannot Save from Sin (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The biblical perspective emphasizes that God created humanity and sustains life without needing human assistance or consent.
It says, “Without our aid He did us make.” This is an idea that so captures the biblical perspective of the relationship of God to His creation: “Without our aid He did us make.”
Source: Law Cannot Save from Sin (Part 2) (Ligonier)
The ability to be inclined to Christ and disposed to come to Him is solely due to super-natural grace from God, not human nature.
The only way you were inclined to Christ and disposed to come to Him was because of super-nature, because God reached down with His grace and changed your desire.
Source: Law Cannot Save from Sin (Part 2) (Ligonier)
When Paul contrasts spirit and flesh, the term 'sarx' refers not just to physical appetites, but to the corrupt nature of the whole person.
One key linguistically that helps us over this hurdle is that almost anytime that you see the Apostle Paul or anyone else in the New Testament contrasting spirit and flesh or mind and flesh, then the term sarx is used not to describe the physical body but the corrupt nature of the whole person, because the corruption of sarx is not just a sinful corruption of physical appetites.
Source: Law Cannot Save from Sin (Part 3) (Ligonier)
Plato viewed the body as a prison house of the soul, believing that the physical aspect of humanity blocked the mind's ability to reach ultimate truth.
Plato saw the highest dimension of human experience in the mind and saw the flesh, the body, as the prison house of the soul. According to Plato, the physical aspect of our humanity blocks the mind’s ability to penetrate ultimate truth, and the mind or soul is eternal, free, and in touch with ultimate reality.
Source: Law Cannot Save from Sin (Part 3) (Ligonier)
The body is not inherently evil, as God created it and pronounced a blessing upon it.
It was God who made our bodies, and when He made them, He pronounced His benediction upon them and said, “That is good.”
Source: Law Cannot Save from Sin (Part 3) (Ligonier)
The New Testament suggests that demon possession can involve multiple demons at one time.
The New Testament sees the possibility of demon possession as involving more than one demon on any occasion. In this case, we are told that the man was possessed by a multitude of them.
Source: Legion (Ligonier)
The demons recognized Jesus' true identity as the Son of the Most High God, even more accurately than the disciples did.
The demons did not have to say, “What manner of man is this?” They knew exactly what manner of man He was, and they recognized what the disciples did not—they were in the presence of God incarnate. They used the title, “Son of the Most High God.”
Source: Legion (Ligonier)
Jesus understood that the animals were created for humanity, not the reverse.
Jesus created the world, and He knew that the animals were created for man, not man for the animals.
Source: Legion (Ligonier)
When a person is born of the Spirit, God covers them with the robe of Christ and its righteousness.
Just as God knelt and covered His shameful sinners, Adam and Eve, the first thing that happens to us when we are born of the Spirit is that He covers us with the robe of Christ and its righteousness.
Source: The Lost Son (Part 2) (Ligonier)
God's pattern of relating to humanity is the model that Jesus teaches believers to display as they imitate Christ.
God’s pattern of relating to His people is the same pattern that Jesus teaches us to display as imitators of Christ, who is God incarnate.
Source: Love Your Enemies (Ligonier)
The image of God requires humans to live in a way that reflects and mirrors God's character.
The image of God carries with it the mandate to live in such a way as to mirror and reflect the character of God.
Source: Love Your Enemies (Ligonier)
Every person, whether a believer or a nonbeliever, must stand before God and be judged accurately and perfectly.
Our consciences tell us that every last person will be held accountable before their Creator, believer and nonbeliever alike. Even though the believer passes out of condemnation, we still have to stand before God and be judged.
Source: Man Is without Excuse (Ligonier)
God will judge every person according to their deeds, without partiality.
He will render to every person according to their deeds, for there is no partiality with God.
Source: Man Is without Excuse (Ligonier)
Jesus' divine person is made manifest in moments when His glory bursts through, particularly in episodes like the stilling of the storm and His authority over the demonic world.
But there are moments when His glory bursts through and His divine person is made manifest. I believe that is what we are seeing in both the episode of the stilling of the storm and sea and of His authority over the demonic world.
Source: A Fearful Deliverance (Ligonier)
The New Testament portrays Christ as the cosmic Christ, who was involved in the original creation of the universe alongside the Father and the Spirit.
The overwhelming testimony of the New Testament is that Christ in His divine nature was not only present at creation but was the acting agent of creation: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came into being through Him, and nothing was made that was made apart from Him.”
Source: A Fearful Deliverance (Ligonier)
Christ's power is demonstrated by His ability to overcome the destructive forces of chaos, both in nature and in the spiritual realm.
The wildness of the waves, wind, and tempest threatened destruction, and the wildness of the demons from hell threatened to destroy the man whose body they inhabited, and they both represent the destructive forces of chaos.
Source: A Fearful Deliverance (Ligonier)
The people saw in Jesus not only the man, but also the evidence of his redemptive touch.
They see the fruit of the redemptive touch of Christ. They see a human being rescued from the ravages of hell.
Source: A Fearful Deliverance (Ligonier)
Jesus is not only the Lamb of God but also the Word of God incarnate, and he has a superior understanding of his own divine vocation.
Context: This is a reconstructed statement, not a direct quote, but it summarizes the theological point he is making about Jesus' identity.
I’m not only the Lamb of God, but I’m also the Word of God incarnate, and I think I have a better understanding of My vocation than even you do, John.
Source: The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus (Ligonier)
The Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus at His baptism was significant because it anointed His human nature, enabling Him to perform miracles.
What is the significance of the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus? It is the Holy Spirit anointing the human nature of Jesus. We tend to think that Jesus performed His miracles in His divine nature. But no, He performed them in His human nature through the power of the Holy Spirit that was given to Him at His baptism.
Source: The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus (Ligonier)
Jesus possessed his divine nature from the moment of his conception throughout his entire life.
Jesus has the divine nature from the moment of His conception all the way through now and on to eternity.
Source: The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus (Ligonier)
The value of a person's soul far outweighs any worldly gain, including the whole world.
What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? As hungry, lonely, and humiliated as I am, none of those things are worth My soul.
Source: The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus (Ligonier)
John the Baptist was the first human witness to Jesus, even before Jesus was born.
Before he was born, John the Baptist bore witness to Jesus. So, he was, in a very real sense, the first Christian witness.
Source: The Beheading of John the Baptist (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The single greatest restraint against evil that God has placed in the world is man's conscience.
Why? The single greatest restraint for evil that God has put in this world is man’s conscience.
Source: The Beheading of John the Baptist (Part 2) (Ligonier)
The man was not born blind, but had lost his sight gradually over time.
The first thing it tells us is the man wasn’t born blind. If he had been, he wouldn’t be able to make a distinction between human beings and trees.
Source: The Blind Man & Peter's Confession (Ligonier)
The disciples initially had some understanding of Jesus but did not grasp the full measure of who he was.
They had some understanding, but not much. For all intents and purposes, when they looked at Jesus, if they had been asked, “Who do you say that He is?” the disciples may have said something like, “I look at Jesus, and I see a mighty oak walking around, but I don’t really understand the full measure of who He is.”
Source: The Blind Man & Peter's Confession (Ligonier)
The spiritual state of a person matters forever, while the physical state matters only for a short time.
What happens to our souls matters forever. What happens to our bodies is for a short time.
Source: The Calling of the Disciples (Ligonier)
Human beings are not satisfied with a personal god who is holy, because the presence of the holy is what most threatens sinful humanity.
Human beings do not want a personal god who is holy. Nothing threatens sinful humanity more than the presence of the holy.
Source: Calming the Sea (Ligonier)
God judges people based on the condition of their hearts, not their outward appearances.
We look on outward appearances, but God looks upon our hearts.
Source: Defilement from Within (Part 1) (Ligonier)
Defilement does not come from external sources like food or drink, but rather from the core of a person's heart.
Sin arises not from your stomach, nor from your hands, but from your heart. It comes from the very center of your being.
Source: Defilement from Within (Part 2) (Ligonier)
By nature, humans are spiritually deaf and blind to the things of God, requiring the Holy Spirit to open their perception.
Understand, dear friends, that by nature we are deaf and blind to the things of God. Our hearts are recalcitrant. They’ve been calcified. They’ve been reified. That’s the way we are by nature. Our hearts are hearts of stone that have no pulse for the things of God, so the Word of God bounces off our hearts just as something might bounce off a rock.
Source: The Feeding of the Four Thousand (Ligonier)
The primary purpose of the narrative is to reveal the character of Jesus, not to provide psychological comfort.
I am convinced that the purpose of this narrative is not to give us some exercise in psychological tranquility. It is not about us. I think the purpose of this text, which follows right on the heels of the narrative of Christ calming the tempest in the Sea of Galilee, is to reveal to us the character of Jesus, just as John told us that his gospel was written that people might believe in Christ, and in Christ, have life.
Source: The Gadarene Demoniac (Ligonier)
The man described in the text was considered unclean due to the presence of a legion of unclean spirits (demons).
First, Mark tells us he had an unclean spirit; not just one unclean spirit, but a legion of them, as we will see in a moment that he was inhabited by demons. The man was tortured by the bodily presence of hell itself. So, first, he was unclean because of the spirit that dwelled in him.
Source: The Gadarene Demoniac (Ligonier)
The idea of one transcendent god is an implicit concept found in every world religion, even those that appear polytheistic or animistic.
The idea of monotheism is not strictly found with the Egyptians or Hebrews, but it is implicit in every world religion. Even the ones given to polytheism still have the idea of one god that transcends all the other gods, the Most High God.
Source: The Gadarene Demoniac (Ligonier)
The primary purpose of the text being discussed is to reveal the identity of Jesus Christ, specifically that he is the Son of the Most High God.
As I said at the beginning of the sermon, I am convinced the purpose of this text is not to tell us how to have tranquility when we are bothered by tempests in this world but rather to let us know who Jesus is. He is the Son of the Most High God.
Source: The Gadarene Demoniac (Ligonier)
God is omniscient, meaning He knows everything, including all past, present, and future events.
He knows everything—past, present, future, and even all possibilities of future events.
Source: The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
God does not surrender any of His divine attributes when taking on human nature in Jesus.
In the incarnation, God does not surrender any of His attributes. The divine nature is still eternal. It is still infinite. It is still omniscient. It is still omnipresent. It is still omnipotent.
Source: The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
The human nature of Jesus retained its own attributes, including being finite and limited in knowledge and power.
At the same time, the human nature retained its own attributes, its being finite, contained, not able to be at more than one place at the same time, limited in knowledge, and limited in power.
Source: The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
The divine and human natures of Christ remain intact and distinct, even when united, and the divine nature did not die on the cross.
The two natures without mixture, confusion, separation, or division remain intact, but there are certain things that manifest the divine nature and other things that manifest the human nature.
Source: The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
The union of Christ's divine and human natures was not broken or separated, even when he was a corpse in the tomb.
Even when He was a corpse in the tomb, He remained united to the divine nature. His human spirit was given to the Father in His last breath. The union of the divine and human was not broken. It was not separated.
Source: The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
If Jesus' knowledge of tomorrow is due to the communication of omniscience to his human nature, it would imply that his human nature could know everything, which is incorrect.
If the reason Jesus knows tomorrow is because the attribute of omniscience is communicated to His human nature, then we would expect Him, touching His human nature, to know everything. But He Himself indicated there were limits, Thomas Aquinas notwithstanding.
Source: The Garden of Gethsemane (Ligonier)
Jesus's character meant that he would not be swayed from the truth because of his consideration for people, even if it made him unpopular.
It means that Jesus would not be swayed from the truth because of His consideration of people with whom He might have been unpopular.
Source: God and Caesar (Ligonier)
Every person belongs to God, and Christians have a duty to render their life, liberty, and possessions to God.
God owns me, and God owns you. In that ownership comes God’s supreme right to claim your life and everything in it for His own. In all things, beloved, we should render to God the things that are His, which include our life, liberty, possessions, and affection.
Source: God and Caesar (Ligonier)
The foundational obligation God gave His people, as summarized in the Shema, is to love the Lord with one's entire being.
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength
Source: The Great Commandment (Ligonier)
The Shema emphasizes that the object of affection is a personal, named God who has a history with Israel.
It starts with an assertion about the identity of God: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one!” In other words: “The Lord, Yahweh, the Lord who has a name, the Lord who has a personal history with you, who has brought you out of the land of Egypt.”
Source: The Great Commandment (Ligonier)
True love for God is not based on His gifts or attributes, but on who He fundamentally is.
Beloved, we are not to love God simply for all the wonderful gifts and benefits we receive from His hand, but we are to love Him for who He is in Himself.
Source: The Great Commandment (Ligonier)
Loving God requires an intense, deep, and unmixed affection that originates from the core of one's being.
It is not a superficial affection nor a casual or cavalier endearment, but an affection from the very root of our being. This affection is not surpassed by any other experience. It is an undiluted, unmixed love for God.
Source: The Great Commandment (Ligonier)
While Jesus's human nature left the world after ascending, His divine nature remains perpetually present with us.
Hence the confessional statement that says, touching His human nature, Jesus is no longer present with us, but touching His divine nature, He is never absent from us.
Source: The Great Commission (Ligonier)
While Jesus's physical presence departed, his divine nature ensures he is never absent from us.
Hence the confessional statement that says, touching His human nature, Jesus is no longer present with us, but touching His divine nature, He is never absent from us.
Source: The Great Commission (Ligonier)
The Greek word 'ousia' relates to the concept of 'being,' which was central to ancient philosophy and Christian doctrine.
We are more concerned about the root of that word, ousia . If you know anything about Greek, you know that ousia is the present participle form of the verb “to be,” so its literal translation would be “being.”
Source: Healing of the Man with the Unclean Spirit (Ligonier)
Human beings possess sufficient inherent wickedness to commit vile acts without needing to appeal to Satan.
There lurks quite sufficient wickedness in the heart of human beings to perform such vile acts without any assistance from Satan.
Source: The Healing of the Possessed Boy (Ligonier)
When Satan influences a person, he utilizes existing weaknesses or frailties to exert his power.
What you need to see throughout Scripture is that when Satan does possess or come into a person’s life, he uses whatever frailty is already there to exploit his power over his victim.
Source: The Healing of the Possessed Boy (Ligonier)
Jesus' human nature was not deified, and the divine nature was not humanized.
The human nature is not deified, and the divine nature is not humanized.
Source: Jairus' Daughter (Ligonier)
Jesus, in his human nature, was not omniscient and was limited in his knowledge.
Jesus, touching His human nature, was not omniscient. He did not know everything.
Source: Jairus' Daughter (Ligonier)
Jesus was calling on the person who touched him to identify himself or herself.
He was looking at the group: “Which one of you did this? Who touched Me and took that power from Me?”
Source: Jairus' Daughter (Ligonier)
A person with leprosy was considered an ultimate pariah, forbidden from approaching others and expelled from the community.
The leper was cast out of the covenant community, not allowed near the temple, and could not enter the gates of Jerusalem. He had to live alone without the fellowship of anybody else under normal circumstances.
Source: Jesus Heals Many (Ligonier)
Jesus of Nazareth was the true 'Barabbas' because he was the Son of the heavenly Father, unlike the earthly son Joseph.
The irony is that the real Barabbas was the one they rejected, because Jesus of Nazareth was Jesus Bar-Abba, Son of the Father, the only begotten of the Father, not the son of the earthly father Joseph, but the Son of the heavenly Father. He was the real Barabbas.
Source: Jesus before Pilate (Ligonier)
God works His will in and through the choices of His creatures, meaning that humans are responsible for their own actions.
Rather, the divine Savior and divine sovereign One works His will in and through the choices of His creatures. Judas was doing exactly what Judas wanted to do.
Source: The Last Supper (Ligonier)
Jesus asserted that the Sabbath was created for humanity, not that humanity was created for the Sabbath, and therefore, he is the Lord of the Sabbath.
The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.
Source: Lord of the Sabbath (Ligonier)
One cannot receive Christ into their life without undergoing a profound personal transformation.
This is something so transcendentally new that you cannot receive Christ into your life without being made new yourself.
Source: New Wine Skins (Ligonier)
Jesus warned that many people would claim to be him and would deceive many.
He continued, “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.”
Source: The Olivet Discourse (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The concept of a 'carnal Christian'—one who is saved but whose life never produces fruit—is a contradiction of terms.
Do not confuse this with what the New Testament teaches about the truly converted person who fights against his flesh all his life; there is no such thing as a Christian who is totally carnal. It is a contradiction in terms.
Source: The Parable of the Sower (Ligonier)
Human nature is inherently hostile toward God, making God's life vulnerable to destruction if exposed to human power.
Nobody wants to hear it, but our basic fallen nature is such that we are not simply indifferent to God. We hate God. God is our mortal enemy, and fallen human beings will stop at nothing to rid themselves of the sovereignty of their Creator.
Source: The Parable of the Vinedressers (Ligonier)
The lamp in the simile is not a generic object, but refers specifically to the subject of the discourse, which is Jesus himself.
He is not talking about any lamp. He is not talking about a lamp. He is talking about the lamp, who is the subject of this discourse. What Jesus says is, “ The lamp comes not to be hidden under a bushel.”
Source: Parables of the Kingdom (Ligonier)
The measure by which a person manifests God's light will be the measure by which God manifests His glory in them.
But the same measure by which you manifest My lamp, I will manifest My glory in you.
Source: Parables of the Kingdom (Ligonier)
The only thing a person truly needs to possess is a soul that has been purchased and redeemed by Christ.
No, what you really have to have is a soul that has been bought and purchased by Christ.
Source: Taking Up the Cross (Ligonier)
The transfiguration represents a visible movement or transformation, revealing the full deity of Christ that was previously hidden by his humanity.
What happens in this text is that Jesus moves in terms of what is visible to the eyes of His disciples. There is a transformation, a movement from one perspective to another. For all His earthly life, the incarnate Logos, the second person of the Trinity, has His glory hidden and veiled in the cloak of Jesus’ humanity, but now suddenly before the eyes of the disciples bursts forth of the full deity of Christ.
Source: Transfiguration (Part 2) (Ligonier)
The appearance of Jesus' clothes and face during the transfiguration was exceptionally brilliant, shining with the intensity of the sun.
His clothes became shining, exceedingly white like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. When the Gospels describe the appearance of Jesus, they talk about the change in His face and the change in His clothes.
Source: Transfiguration (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Jesus manifests His deity through a purity of whiteness that is flawless.
Jesus manifests His deity in a purity of whiteness that contains no spot, no wrinkle, and no blemish. It is the overwhelming manifestation of His deity.
Source: Transfiguration (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Jesus stated that receiving a child in his name is equivalent to receiving him, and receiving him means receiving the Father who sent him.
“Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
Source: Who Is the Greatest? (Ligonier)
Christian education is vital for ensuring that a person's core thinking is informed by the mind of Christ.
That is why Christian education is so important, not to pass a test, not to get a degree, but that our core thinking may be informed by the mind of Christ.
Source: Martha & Mary (Ligonier)
The unique mediator between God and man is Jesus Christ, as stated by the Apostle Paul.
There is one mediator between God and man, and that is the man Jesus Christ” (1 Tim. 2:5).
Source: Mary's Fiat (Ligonier)
The speaker asserts that Mary did not have an eschatological glorification of her body, and that we should not pray to her.
She will participate in the fullness of the bodily resurrection when Christ’s kingdom comes, but Mary died. She went to heaven. She doesn’t have the eschatological glorification of her body as Rome claims. There was no bodily ascension of Mary to heaven. We don’t pray to Mary.
Source: Mary's Fiat (Ligonier)
Mary is not divine, but she is a sinner saved by grace, similar to believers.
Mary is not divine. She is a sinner saved by grace, just as we are.
Source: Mary's Fiat (Ligonier)
The child in Elizabeth's womb at six months was alive, human, and constituted a person.
One thing I’m sure of is that six months into Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the child in her womb was alive, was human, and was a person.
Source: Mary's Visit to Elizabeth (Ligonier)
Jesus Christ is the only mediator, the only one who provided atonement, and the only one appointed to judge the world.
The Word of God says that there is only one mediator between God and man. There is only one who has given an atonement. If you think that God is stingy and lacking in grace by restricting it to one way, you need to ask yourself: “Why is there any way? What have we done that would merit God’s being moved to provide any way of salvation?”
Source: Message from John the Baptist (Part 1) (Ligonier)
A person's name being in the Book of Life is solely determined by God and occurred in eternity, not by their actions.
Your name is either in the Book of Life or it is not. You cannot add it. Nothing you can do can possibly add your name to that register, because the names in that register are written by God and by God alone.
Source: The Mission of the Seventy-Two (Ligonier)
Jesus will reject those who claim to know him merely through association or actions, stating that he does not know them savingly.
He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from.’
Source: The Narrow Way (Ligonier)
A person cannot choose what they do not want, meaning that their inability to choose is rooted in their unwillingness.
If you are free, you cannot choose what you do not want. So, they could not because they would not. They would not because they could not, because they did not have the power to act against their own free will.
Source: The Narrow Way (Ligonier)
A person cannot be born a Christian; rather, they must be adopted into the family of God through the Son.
No one is born a Christian. You are not a child of God by nature; you are a child of the devil by nature. The only way you can be a child of God is to be adopted, and the only way you can be adopted is through the Son.
Source: The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Ligonier)
Being blessed means being the person who comes to the table of God in the heavenly Kingdom.
Blessed is the person who comes to the table of God in the heavenly Kingdom.
Source: The Parable of the Great Supper (Ligonier)
It is impossible for humanity to hide from the gaze of Almighty God.
Dear friends, we might think there is nothing sillier than to light a lamp and put a bushel basket over it or hide it under the bed. However, there is something sillier, and that is thinking we can find a place where we can hide from Almighty God. No such space exists.
Source: The Parable of the Revealed Light (Ligonier)
Every human being will ultimately stand before almighty God and be held accountable for every thought and deed, including every idle word.
If there is anything certain that comes to us from the lips of Jesus, it is that every human being will stand before almighty God and be held accountable for every thought and deed, every idle word.
Source: Paul at Cyprus (Ligonier)
John the Baptist testified that Jesus was the Messiah who would take away the sin of the world.
John said: ‘Why are you asking me who I am? I am not He. The One who comes after me is before me. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’
Source: Paul's Sermon at Antioch (Ligonier)
Satan knew Jesus' identity fully, understanding that he was the incarnate Son of God, but hated him and sought only to destroy him.
He knew that Jesus was the incarnate Son of God, and as much as he understood that intellectually, he hated it passionately. He knew who Jesus was, but he was not interested in following Him, only in destroying Him.
Source: Peter's Confession and Our Cross (Ligonier)
Satan and the demons were the first entities to recognize Jesus' deity, but this knowledge did not translate into affection or devotion.
In the biblical record, the first personages who recognized the deity of Christ behind the hidden veil of His humanity were the very demons from hell. For them, it was not a problem of lacking knowledge of Jesus’ identity. It was a lack of affection for the Son of God.
Source: Peter's Confession and Our Cross (Ligonier)
Knowing Jesus' deity intellectually is insufficient; true faith requires genuine affection and devotion in the heart.
I believed that in my head, but there was no ounce of affection in my heart for the One whom I believed to be the veritable Son of God.
Source: Peter's Confession and Our Cross (Ligonier)
Peter emphasized that Jesus was the ultimate figure of divine righteousness and life, whom the people had betrayed and killed.
Peter essentially said, “God glorified the One you denied, the One you betrayed in front of Pontius Pilate, the One who is the Holy One and the Just One, the Righteous One.”
Source: Peter's Second Speech (Ligonier)
Jesus claimed to be the source of life, truth, and the ultimate divine identity.
Later, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6), and “I am the Alpha and the Omega” (Rev. 22:13).
Source: Peter's Second Speech (Ligonier)
The existence of anything suggests a transcendent being who alone has the power of being.
The very fact that anything is at all screams of a transcendent being who alone has the power of being in His hands.
Source: Peter's Sermon - Part 2 (Ligonier)
Ultimately, every human being on earth will submit to Christ as Lord, regardless of their current willingness or belief.
But the Scriptures tell us that there will be a day when every human being on earth will bow the knee to Christ as Lord.
Source: Peter's Sermon - Part 3 (Ligonier)
When God declares a person clean, that person is considered clean in God's sight, regardless of what others may call them.
Other people may call you unclean, but God said to Peter, “Don’t call common or profane what I have declared clean.” That was the mystery of which Paul was speaking: we who by nature are unclean have been declared clean by God. When God declares you clean, you are clean in His sight.
Source: Peter's Vision (Ligonier)
Unlike the Synoptic Gospels, the primary goal of John's Gospel is not to provide a complete biographical synopsis of Jesus' life.
The other gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—are called the Synoptic Gospels because they provide a biographical synopsis of the life and ministry of Jesus. Even though John gives us other insights into Jesus’ person and work, the goal of his gospel is not to give us a complete synopsis of the life of Jesus.
Source: The Pool of Bethesda (Ligonier)
Despite having clear knowledge of God's righteousness, humanity has failed by fleeing from God's presence and repressing that knowledge.
Nevertheless, despite our clear knowledge of the righteousness of God, we have become fugitives to that righteousness. We have fled from the presence of God. We have repressed the knowledge that He has made available to us.
Source: Present Condition of Israel (Ligonier)
While one can access the mind without reaching the heart, God desires both the heart and the mind.
You can, however, get to the mind and never reach the heart. God wants us, heart and mind, mind and soul.
Source: Pressing into the Kingdom (Ligonier)
The Word (Logos) is divine, existing before God and being the means by which all things were created.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
Source: The Prologue of John's Gospel (Ligonier)
When Jesus calls himself the Son of Man, he is describing both his activity and his divine origin.
When Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man, He is describing Himself not only in terms of His activity, but also His origin. He is telling us where He comes from.
Source: The Prologue of John's Gospel (Ligonier)
John's Gospel establishes that Jesus is the incarnation of the member of the Trinity responsible for creation.
Jesus, who came to this earth, is identified as the incarnation of the member of the Trinity for whom, by whom, and in whom all things were made.
Source: The Prologue of John's Gospel (Ligonier)
All great truths discovered by human intellect are ultimately borrowed from Christ, who is the ultimate source of all truth.
Whatever light they found was borrowed from the light that comes into the world, having its basis, origin, and fountainhead in Christ, who is the fountain of all truth.
Source: The Prologue of John's Gospel (Ligonier)
Jesus demonstrated that He knew the inner thoughts and lives of the people He spoke with.
Context: This is a summary of the speaker's interpretation of the text, not a direct quote from Jesus.
In each of these meetings, we see Jesus piercing the hearts of those with whom He speaks and indicating that He knows what is going on in their lives.
Source: Rebirth (Ligonier)
A person must be regenerated by the Holy Spirit and purified to enter the kingdom of God.
So, to enter the kingdom of God, you have to be purified, and you have to be raised from spiritual death. You have to be quickened and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Source: Rebirth (Ligonier)
By nature, humans are inclined to reject God and the biblical Christ.
By nature, you do not want God in your thinking. It is your normal, fleshly makeup to flee from the presence of God and to have no affection for the biblical Christ.
Source: Rebirth (Ligonier)
The physical characteristics of maleness and femaleness will be preserved but elevated to a greater level.
We have been created male and female and, in our redemption, I assume we will remain male and female. Maleness and femaleness will move to a completely different, greater, more wonderful level.
Source: The Resurrection & David's Son (Ligonier)
Nothing physical or man-made will be needed or allowed in the new heaven, as light will come from God's glory.
There won’t be any lamps there because the light will be given by the glory of the Lamb and the transcendent majesty of the brilliance and refulgence of God Himself.
Source: The Resurrection & David's Son (Ligonier)
People do not truly know who God is until the Son reveals the character and nature of the Father to them.
People do not know really know who God is until the Son reveals to them who He is. The Son wills to reveal the character and nature of the Father to His people. Nobody knows who Jesus really is except the Father and those to whom the Father is pleased to reveal Him.
Source: The Return of the Seventy-Two (Ligonier)
Dives' soul was carried by demons to hell, where he was conscious and saw Abraham and Lazarus.
No mention of Abraham, simply that he was buried. Not only did his body go into the ground, but his soul was carried by demons to hell. Dives was conscious in hell.
Source: The Rich Man & Lazarus (Ligonier)
Jesus stated that things impossible for humans are possible for God.
The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
Source: The Rich Young Ruler (Ligonier)
Jesus taught that only God is good, questioning the concept of human goodness.
Jesus responded, “No one is good but God, so why are you calling Me good?”
Source: The Rich Young Ruler (Ligonier)
Righteousness does not originate from human effort but comes from the One who fulfills all righteousness.
Where did that righteousness come from? Not from Abraham, but from the One who would come and fulfill all righteousness.
Source: The Road to Emmaus (Ligonier)
Jesus warned that those who claim to belong to him but lack genuine connection to him will be rejected.
Jesus said: “I will say to those people, ‘Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity; I never knew you. I don’t know who you are. You are not Mine. I do not dwell in you; you do not dwell in Me.’”
Source: Sanctification (Ligonier)
The Bible contrasts the fallen nature (flesh) with the new, reborn person (spirit).
I mentioned to you before that whenever we see that conflict between spirit and flesh, the flesh refers to the fallen, corrupt nature that we inherit from Adam, and the spirit refers to the new man, the person who has been reborn by the Holy Spirit.
Source: Sanctification (Ligonier)
When the Bible uses the word 'spirit' without the adjective 'holy,' the context is necessary to determine if it refers to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit.
But the only way you can tell between the reference to the Holy Spirit, if the word holy is not there, and the human spirit is by the context.
Source: Sanctification (Ligonier)
A person can be assured of being indwelt by the Spirit by recognizing that their human spirit is directed toward the things of Christ.
But if I state it yet another way: Is there any sense in which my human spirit is directed to the things of Christ, any at all? That guarantees me that I am indwelt by the Spirit of God.
Source: Sanctification (Ligonier)
The flesh is incapable of being inclined toward the things of God.
The flesh is never inclined—indeed, it cannot be inclined whatsoever—to the things of God.
Source: Sanctification (Ligonier)
The Apostle Paul is the greatest theologian who ever lived, second only to Jesus Christ.
First, I will ask this: Apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, who was the greatest theologian to walk the earth? That is a no-brainer: the greatest theologian to walk the earth was the Apostle Paul.
Source: Saul of Tarsus (Ligonier)
Paul genuinely believed that he was the chief of sinners.
He was not just being dramatic or humble, he really did believe that he was the chief of sinners.
Source: Saul of Tarsus (Ligonier)
The body's state of light or darkness depends on the condition of the eye, suggesting a holistic connection between spiritual and physical light.
The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body is also full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.
Source: Seeking a Sign (Ligonier)
Scripture uses the image of darkness to describe humanity's fallen condition, which causes people to prefer darkness over the light.
The image of darkness is in Scripture to describe our fallen condition. We are by nature children of darkness; we prefer the darkness rather than the light.
Source: Seeking a Sign (Ligonier)
The speaker's eighth-grade English teacher significantly boosted his self-image by publicly displaying and praising his writing.
To my utter astonishment, she read my essay. Then, dramatically, the teacher turned around and walked to the bulletin board, and with a thumbtack affixed my essay to the cork. She said, “This deserves to be here because it is a work of art.”
Source: Serve God with Spiritual Gifts (Ligonier)
The deeper a person knows the character of God, the more acutely conscious they become of the severity of their sin.
The testimony of the greatest saints in the history of the church is that the more deeply they came to know the character of God, the more acutely conscious they became of the severity of their sin.
Source: Sin's Advantage in the Law (Ligonier)
A person cannot be completely carnal and also be a Christian, nor can a Christian be entirely free from the struggle with their fallen nature.
There is no such thing as a carnal Christian who is completely carnal. If someone is completely carnal, that person is not a Christian. Nor is there such a thing as a Christian who is carnal-less, who is so Spirit-filled that he does not still have to struggle with the remnants of his own carnality.
Source: Sin's Advantage in the Law (Ligonier)
By nature, humans are morally unable to incline themselves toward the things of God.
The problem is that the desires of our heart by nature are only wicked continually. By nature, we have no disposition or inclination towards the things of God. Therefore, as Augustine argued against Pelagius, we are in a state of moral inability when it comes to doing the things of God.
Source: From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God (Ligonier)
The ontological structure of the Trinity is a unity, meaning there is one being.
When we talk about the ontological Trinity— ontology is the study of being—and when we say that God is three in one, three persons in the Godhead, we mean that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one being. The ontological structure of the Trinity is a unity. There is one being.
Source: The Son of the Father (Ligonier)
Human nature is characterized by a preference for darkness and sin, making people resistant to the truth.
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Source: The Son of Man Must Be Lifted Up (Ligonier)
Simeon was a man of great devotion and righteousness who was told by God that he would not die until he saw the Messiah.
The Bible does not tell us everything associated with Simeon, only that he was a man of great devotion, that he was a righteous man, and that God had given him special revelation as a layperson. God was pleased to say to this presumably elderly man that he would not die until he laid eyes upon the promised Messiah.
Source: Song of Simeon (Ligonier)
Christ's destiny involves both raising many people and being a source of offense to some.
Behold, Mary, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel. This child is destined to be a sign that will be spoken against.
Source: Song of Simeon (Ligonier)
In the New Testament, a saint refers to anyone who is in Christ, regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and set apart by God.
it simply means, “Your holy ones, those whom You have called to Yourself, whom You have set apart, consecrated, indwelt with Your Holy Spirit, and are making holy in their sanctification.” That is what a saint is, and every person who is in Christ, regenerated by the Holy Spirit, is a saint in the New Testament sense.
Source: The Street Called Straight (Ligonier)
God elects individuals not for their own sake, but for a specific purpose or task.
I did not elect him for his own sake; I elected him for My sake. I elected him for the task I wanted him to do. I wanted him to be a tool for my purpose.
Source: The Street Called Straight (Ligonier)
Human life is uniquely sacred because humans are stamped with the image of God.
What makes us different from turtles, whales, chickens, and kangaroos is that we have been stamped with the image of God. What God is saying here is this: If someone, with malice aforethought, rises up and kills his brother like Cain did to Abel, then that attack on a human being is seen by God as an attack on Himself.
Source: Submit to Government (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Sin's consequences are cosmic, affecting the entire creation, not just humanity.
When the Bible considers the condition of fallenness that we experience in this world, the Bible always considers it in cosmic terms, not merely in terms of the human species.
Source: From Suffering to Glory (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The divine synergy by which bad things happen to us working together for good is restricted only to those who love God.
Notice the restriction, the limitation that the Apostle points out: This divine synergy by which all of the bad things that happen to us, through us, or by us are working together ultimately for good is not a statement that Paul makes for the benefit of everyone.
Source: From Suffering to Glory (Part 2) (Ligonier)
The goodness of a person, such as Barnabas, originates as a gift from the Holy Ghost.
When it says Barnabas was a good man, his goodness was a gift of the Holy Ghost.
Source: The Team of Barnabas and Saul (Ligonier)
Jesus was not merely an anointed human being, but also the divine Son.
He confessed that the Messiah was not just be an anointed human being, but He the divine Son as well.
Source: The Transfiguration (Ligonier)
A disciple is a student or learner, while an Apostle is a role of great significance and authority, distinct from a disciple.
We frequently talk about the twelve disciples and the twelve Apostles, as if a disciple was the same thing as an Apostle. Of course, that is not the case.
Source: The Twelve Apostles (Part 1) (Ligonier)
Jesus described Nathaniel as being a person who was utterly guileless and without deception.
What a description of a person’s character: “Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” He was a guileless person.
Source: The Twelve Apostles (Part 2) (Ligonier)
God's involvement in human sin is perfectly holy and righteous, even if He ordains it.
Sin is sin, and we don’t call good evil or evil good, but God’s involvement in it is perfectly holy and righteous.
Source: The Twelve Apostles (Part 3) (Ligonier)
The justice administered by a corrupt human judge is far less reliable than the justice administered by God.
If this crooked, corrupt, miserable human being who holds the office of judge, who has no regard for God and no regard for people, will sometimes administer justice because he’s tired of people pleading for it, how much more will the Judge of heaven and earth vindicate His people who cry unto Him day and night?
Source: The Unjust Judge (Ligonier)
When discussing Christ's two natures, the speaker asserts that human actions (like sleeping or knowing something) were manifestations of the human nature, not the divine nature.
When Jesus slept, that was not the divined nature manifesting itself. When Jesus bled, God did not bleed; it was the human nature bleeding. When Jesus said there was something He did not know, that was not a manifestation of His divine omniscience, it was a manifestation of the limitations of His human knowledge.
Source: The Unjust Judge (Ligonier)
The Lord Jesus Christ is aware of human suffering, seeing people in their grief, sorrow, and death.
The Lord Jesus Christ sees us when we weep, when we suffer, and when we die, just as He saw the pitiable woman from the city of Nain in Galilee.
Source: The Widow's Son (Ligonier)
The divine Shepherd (Bishop from heaven) is a caring figure who not only feels compassion but actively acts for humanity.
But He doesn’t just feel sorry for us, He acts for us, bringing life out of death and joy out of sorrow.
Source: The Widow's Son (Ligonier)
The generation that received the greatest amount of divine revelation and light is the one from whom the greatest accountability is required.
The principle was this: to whom much is given, much is required.
Source: Woes to Hypocrites (Ligonier)
Jesus experienced genuine human needs, including fatigue, hunger, and thirst, which is highlighted in the text.
Jesus, in His humanity—and this is one of those marvelous texts that explore the reality of the human nature of Christ—was tired. Not only was He tired, but He was hungry, and now parched with thirst, so He came to the well.
Source: The Woman at the Well (Part 1) (Ligonier)
The speaker asserts that Jesus declares the woman to be an agnostic.
Context: This is the speaker's interpretation/conclusion, not a direct quote of Jesus.
Except, He declares this woman is an agnostic.
Source: The Woman at the Well (Part 2) (Ligonier)
A profound ignorance of the Old Testament leads to a profound ignorance of the character of God the Father.
One of the most significant problems that follows from an ignorance of the Old Testament is a profound ignorance of the character of God the Father.
Source: The Woman at the Well (Part 2) (Ligonier)
A person does not become righteous or virtuous on their own; rather, they are redeemed and enlightened through meeting the Messiah.
The woman said, “I didn’t suddenly become a righteous woman, a paragon of virtue, where I can say to the community, ‘Follow me.’” No, she met the Messiah. She met the Christ. She knew that she had been redeemed by that encounter, and she wanted everyone in town to know it.
Source: The Woman at the Well (Part 2) (Ligonier)
Sproul asserts that Arminianism is a weak and defective theology with serious consequences for the church and the individual.
I think that Arminianism is an extremely defective and weak theology. It has serious consequences and ramifications for the church in general and for the Christian individual in particular.
Source: Are Arminians saved? (Ligonier Q&A)
God is omniscient and knows human thoughts completely, citing Psalm 139:4 as evidence.
Obviously God can read your mind. God is omniscient. He knows your thoughts as you think them—“There is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord , You know it altogether” (Ps. 139:4).
Source: Can the Devil Read My Mind? (Ligonier Q&A)
Satan, being a creature, is limited to being in only one place at one time.
I would be inclined to say no. I doubt that in my lifetime I will ever have to worry about Satan reading my mind, because I will probably never meet him. He can only be in one place at one time. He’s a creature, and creatures by definition are limited spatially and temporally.
Source: Can the Devil Read My Mind? (Ligonier Q&A)
God's nature is characterized by compassion, loving-kindness, mercy, and tenderness, not by being wrathful or indifferent.
Scripture teaches that God is compassionate and marked by loving-kindness. He shows mercy to thousands, is tender-hearted, and weeps through the eyes of Jeremiah.
Source: Can praying to Mary or the saints keep a professing Christian out of heaven? (Ligonier Q&A)
It is plausible that Jesus laughed because he was fully human and perfect, and because laughter was appropriate at certain times.
Since God has, in his seasons, appointed appropriate times for laughter, and Jesus always did what was appropriate, it would seem to me that when it was time to laugh, he laughed.
The fact that humanity can still perform basic cognitive functions, such as arithmetic and choice, proves that the image of God has not been totally destroyed.
If total depravity meant the total destruction of the imago Dei , the image of God, we wouldn’t be able to add two and two and come up with four. We wouldn’t be able to think at all. We wouldn’t be able to have the faculty of choice.
Source: Does the doctrine of total depravity teach that we have lost the image of God? (Ligonier Q&A)
God is the ultimate source and author of truth, and Jesus Christ is the personification of truth.
Again, that truth is defined by God Himself, who is the Author of truth, the Fountainhead of truth, the Source of all truth. Jesus Himself was the personification of truth: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
Source: How concerned should we be for the lack of truth taught in the church? (Ligonier Q&A)
The Christian understanding of Scripture's doctrine must ultimately be derived from the teachings of Jesus Christ and the understanding of his person.
For me, in the final analysis, our doctrine of Scripture is drawn from the teaching of Jesus and from our understanding of who he is.
Source: How does one convince a nonbeliever that the Bible is the Word of God? (Ligonier Q&A)
It is impossible for a person to be a Christian while retaining a constitutive nature that has not been changed by the Holy Spirit.
Part of it is related to that seriously deficient doctrine of the “carnal” Christian that has been so widespread, which says that a person can actually be a Christian and still not have had their constitutive nature changed by the Holy Spirit. They’re still in a state of total carnality. That’s just an impossibility.
Source: How should we respond to the hyper-grace movement? (Ligonier Q&A)
There are certain fundamental truths, such as the Trinity and the deity of Christ, that cannot be denied.
Context: Attributed to MacArthur, but Sproul is responding to this point.
I think we need to say that there are some absolutely non-negotiable truths that you are false to teach: if you deny the Trinity, if you deny the deity of Christ, if you deny His sinless life and substitutionary death, salvation by grace through faith, the gospel. That’s the drivetrain of truth, saving truth. Those are not negotiable.
Source: How do you define a false teacher? (Ligonier Q&A)
The title Theotokos, applied to Mary, was intended only to indicate that the person she bore was God incarnate, not that Jesus' divine nature came from her.
Mary was called theotokos , the mother of God, but not in the sense that Jesus derived His divine nature from His mother. Rather, this was only to point out that the One whom she bore and nurtured was God incarnate.
Due to our fallen condition, humans are incapable of seeking God on their own initiative.
Paul, quoting the psalmist, makes it very clear that our fallen condition is such that, left to ourselves, we never seek after God.
Source: If “no one seeks for God,” why did Paul call his listeners to seek God? (Ligonier Q&A)
A person cannot desire God or incline toward Him until the Holy Spirit changes their heart.
Context: Summarizing the teaching of Jonathan Edwards, not his own direct words.
You will never seek Him until the Holy Spirit first changes the disposition of your heart and puts a desire in your heart for Him.
Source: If “no one seeks for God,” why did Paul call his listeners to seek God? (Ligonier Q&A)
Humanity is born with a sinful nature because Adam, as the perfect representative, sinned on behalf of the entire human race.
Adam was the perfect representative, not just for himself but for the whole human race. Whether we understand being in Adam through federalism, realism, or different theories, nevertheless it’s because of my unity with Adam and corporate solidarity with Adam that Adam and his progeny were punished with a corrupt nature.
Source: Is God justified in punishing us for Adam’s sin? (Ligonier Q&A)
If a person feels angry with God, they should examine their own life rather than questioning God's character.
And if I find myself feeling angry with God I should ask myself not “What’s wrong with God?” but “What’s wrong with me?”
Source: Is it a sin to be angry with God? (Ligonier Q&A)
Jesus' human nature includes a rational soul and mind, which is a capacity given by God to all creatures made in His image.
He is body and soul, as all human beings are, and that soul is rational. In that sense, the term “soul” is virtually interchangeable with the word “mind,” and God has created us in His image. God Himself is a rational being, and God has planted within the soul or mind of every creature that He has made in His image the capacity for reasonable discourse and thinking.
Source: What does it mean when we confess that Jesus has a reasonable soul? (Ligonier Q&A)
The capacity for logic and rationality originates from God, not from human figures like Aristotle.
Aristotle didn’t invent logic. God did. Aristotle no more invented logic than Columbus invented America. He discovered and found it.
Source: What does it mean when we confess that Jesus has a reasonable soul? (Ligonier Q&A)
It is necessary to distinguish between Christ's human and divine natures, as they possess different attributes (e.g., omniscience).
Touching His human nature, He was not omniscient. Touching His divine nature, He was absolutely omniscient. We can’t separate those; but we must distinguish them, or else all kinds of mischief takes place.
Source: What does it mean when we confess that Jesus has a reasonable soul? (Ligonier Q&A)
When the Bible describes God using human terms, this is referred to as anthropomorphic language.
The theological term for this is anthropomorphic language, which is the use of human forms and structures to describe God.
When stating that Jesus is God, one is referring specifically to His divine nature, not his entire being.
So, when we say that Jesus is God, we don’t mean that the whole of Jesus is divine, because the human nature is not divine. But He has a divine nature, and that’s what we’re saying when we say Jesus is God—we’re saying that He is God incarnate, God united with a human nature.
Source: Since Jesus is God, who is a Spirit, how can Christ also be human? (Ligonier Q&A)
Christ alone possesses the merit required to pay for humanity, and this merit is immutable.
The only one who has earned the right to pay somebody else’s debt is the Son of God. That’s why we talk about justification through Christ alone. Christ alone has the merit to pay for us. He is the treasury of merit. Nothing could be added to or subtracted from the treasury that is in Him.
Source: What is the difference between sin, transgression, and iniquity? (Ligonier Q&A)
Sproul finds the doctrine of hell difficult for humans to accept emotionally, but he accepts it because he believes the Bible teaches it.
I don’t have a difficult time accepting the doctrine of hell because I believe the Bible teaches it and our Lord taught it, so I believe it. It’s not difficult as far as whether the data is there to support it, but the emotional feeling attached to it is difficult.
Source: Which of the Bible’s teachings do you find most difficult to accept? (Ligonier Q&A)
A change in a person's name in Scripture typically signifies that their character has been transformed by God's grace.
That’s an interesting question because when a person’s name is changed in Scripture, it usually indicates that their character has been changed by some act of God’s grace.
Source: Why did God still call Israel “Jacob” after changing his name? (Ligonier Q&A)