Ligonier Ministries Blog

1. An Apologetic for Education

   Our great God is worthy of all praise (see Ps. 19:1; Isa. 6:3). We long for everyone on earth to know and worship Him, for that is His due. God created human beings in His image to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. If we are to fulfill that wonderful end, we need to learn of God, His works, and His ways. One generation is to pass on that eternal treasure to the next as David declared: > Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, > and his greatness is unsearchable. > One generation shall commend your works to another, > and shall declare your mighty acts. Ps. 145:3–4 If each generation is to learn of God, each needs to be able to read His Word. Each needs to learn of God’s mighty deeds in history. Each generation needs to explore His astonishing wisdom in creation. If each generation is to be equipped to love their neighbor, they need to be trained in all the competencies that enable societies to function well. The creation mandate calls us to develop the earth’s resources responsibly, for the glory of the great King of all the earth, and for the blessing of the people made in His image. If we are to fulfill the creation mandate well, we are to pass knowledge from generation to generation. There is always more to learn, discover, explore, and develop. A Glorious Vision Education is how we can learn of God and His world. It is a way to glorify Him and better serve others. It brings glory to God as we explore the frontiers of science and knowledge. God’s glorious creation is infinitely complex and beautiful, and there is more to discover and enjoy. Through the last two thousand years, Christians have been at the forefront of promoting education for all. We have a clear vision of our purpose as human beings: to glorify God and serve others. We have a clear vision of our identity as human beings: created in God’s image. He has endowed us with reason. Yes, we are fallen. But even sinful human beings can study and learn, and, in God’s common grace, achieve great things. We have a solid basis for epistemology (the basis for knowing anything): there is knowledge because the Creator has laid down laws and patterns, the cosmos is designed, and it is orderly. We have a solid foundation for morality: God has written His moral law on tablets of stone, and also on every human heart. The moral law of God, summarized in the Ten Commandments, is for all peoples, at all times, in every place. It is important for us to observe that the humanistic worldview is not neutral. The lie that there is no God leads straight to the lie that there is no absolute morality, and there is no ultimate truth. That undermines the foundation of the educational enterprise. A Practical Commitment From the inception of Christianity, education was seen as a priority. In the centuries after the collapse of the Roman Empire and in subsequent centuries, the church provided rigorous schooling for many. Christians want people to be able to read the Bible for themselves and in their own language. They pioneered female education in many nations, which has played a major role in elevating the dignity of women. The earliest universities were all built on Christian foundations. Vishal Mangalwadi, an Indian scholar who converted to Christianity, writes: “Western missions . . . birthed, financed, and nurtured hundreds of universities, thousands of colleges and tens of thousands of schools. They educated millions and transformed nations.” A Scientific Enterprise We reason, observe, experiment, deduce, speak, infer, argue, communicate, love, and relate because God has endowed every human being with the capacity to reason. The cosmos can be investigated, discovered, and explored because it is created by God who is characterized by order, truth, reason, and beauty. He has provided an astonishing array of natural resources to be developed. Modern science arose because men such as Kepler, Newton, and Faraday believed that the whole universe is like a book written by God, waiting to be read and understood by people made in His image. It can only be understood because the faithful God ensures that it functions according to reliable principles. “[The Son] upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3). Still, today, there are many committed Christians deeply involved in scientific endeavor. Conclusion In conclusion, we are all called on to learn of God and His works and His ways. Learning is a life-long endeavor, as there is always more to learn. We are called to pass on that knowledge to the next generation, so that they too may glorify and serve God and be well-equipped to serve others. The hymn writer and educationalist, Isaac Watts, wrote this reminder: > Your God, O Zion, ever reigns! > Let every voice, let every age, > In this exalted work engage: > Praise Him in everlasting strains! : Calvin, Institutes, Vol. 1 explains that we give God the glory when we benefit from the knowledge attained even by unbelievers. : This is a bold claim, but ample evidence to support it can be found in Mangalwadi’s The Book That Made Your World, as well as in the chapter on education in my book How Christianity Transformed the World. : Isaac Watts, “Psalm 146.” Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on May 22, 2023.

2. What Does It Mean to Be Free in Christ?

   “Would you be free?” So goes the opening lyric of the old hymn “Power in the Blood.” But though the song was written more than a century ago, the question is never old. To many, however, it’s a puzzling question. To ask someone if they wish to be free assumes that they are currently not free. To put a finer point on it, to ask the question presumes that someone is currently enslaved or imprisoned. But in our enlightened age, we find ourselves happily freer than ever before. We fancy ourselves a liberated people. We use terms like self-actualization or agency to underscore that we can do as we please. As Jean-Jacques Rousseau declared in the first line of The Social Contract, “Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.” Scripture testifies otherwise. Quite the opposite of Rousseau’s quip, mankind is not only enslaved—we are born so. Still worse, the enslavement that Scripture speaks of is not from without but from within. Indeed, the full line of the hymn is, “Would you be free from the burden of sin?” These are strong words. Should not concepts such as slavery be reserved for more serious situations? But Scripture proclaims that mankind’s deepest and most incurable of problems is sin. When Adam fell, he plunged both himself and all mankind into sin. We are no longer free to obey God. As the Apostle Paul says, “You are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness” (Rom. 6:16). Notice that there is no neutral option. We will serve something, either sin or God, but there is no middle ground. While this is stark news, it also speaks to something glorious. We are created after God’s image and, as such, we are to obey God. However, the great tragedy is that while we are created to serve God, we are no longer free to do so. In our corrupted nature, we lack the ability to obey Him. On a more practical level, this is why we open our mouths and gossip pours out. We are quick to be angry. We fall into greed, malice, lust, bitterness, covetousness, and complaining. Even if we catch ourselves not wanting to do such things, we repeatedly do the very things that we do not want to do, with all the consistency of a dutiful servant. As Jesus said, “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). It would be one thing if our slavery was merely a ball and chain that we could physically break off with a mallet or solve with the stroke of the political pen. It would be one thing if our bondage could be remedied with therapy, self-help, positive thoughts, or an extra dose of discipline, gritted teeth and all. But our enslavement runs deeper—down to the soul. Only as we understand the depths of our bondage does the concept of redemption shine so brightly. The word redemption simply means to be bought back—in our case, to be bought back or purchased from slavery to sin. But if we are unable to unshackle ourselves, what hope is there of deliverance? No sooner had Adam and Eve fallen than God promised to send a Redeemer (see Gen. 3:15). The Old Testament rolls forward with this promise in mind when, in the fullness of time, Jesus reads aloud these words from Isaiah at the outset of His ministry: “[God] has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives” (Luke 4:18; see also Isa. 61:1). Liberty! Freedom! However, Christ did not merely proclaim this liberty; He secured it by giving up His life as a ransom. When Christ died upon the cross, He satisfied the wrath of God as He paid in full the just penalty for the sins of His people. Christ has “redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). Then, by virtue of His resurrection, Christians are said to be no longer “in [our] sins” (1 Cor. 15:17). Instead, we are in Christ. To be in Christ is to be free. Just as a former inmate should no longer think of themselves as in prison, likewise, Christians should no longer consider themselves as in their sins. Certainly, we will fight against sin in this age, but we have been delivered from the dominion that it once held over us as we await the final day when we shall receive our full liberation as God’s children. Lastly, let’s clear up a possible confusion regarding the word free. Whenever we hear the word free, we typically add the word “from,” as in, “I am free from debt,” or “free from cancer.” This is gloriously accurate because Christ sets us free from our sin, shame, and guilt. But there is more. We are also set free to. Before, we not only failed to submit to God’s law, but we were also unable to do so. When the Holy Spirit applies the finished work of Christ to believers, we are now empowered to obey the God who created us and loves us. So, would you be free? The only way to answer this question rightly is to recognize that apart from Christ, mankind is held captive to sin and death. But if we are in Christ, we can join Paul in saying that we too have “redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,” and all because of God’s lavished grace upon us (Eph. 1:7–8).

3. Heroes of the Christian Faith: Book by R.C. Sproul

   Who were your heroes growing up? No matter our age, we admire those who reflect qualities we want to see in ourselves. But the Christian life calls us to look higher. Heroes of the Christian Faith is a new book with teaching from R.C. Sproul that introduces imperfect yet faithful servants of God from the Bible and church history. Order your copy today and discover how courage, perseverance, and obedience are not traits reserved for the extraordinary. They’re marks of all who follow Christ, our true and perfect Hero. A Look Inside the Book > “I’m convinced that all of us pattern and shape our lives after models that we observe, often from our youth onward. The Bible not only calls us to imitate Christ and to be in conformity to Him, but frequently calls attention to the patterns of life evidenced by some of the great saints of Scripture.” —R.C. Sproul Read a sample and order your copy today. Follow in the Footsteps of the Faithful This book from R.C. Sproul presents saints of the past whose lives point—not to their own greatness—but to the great God they served. Learn from figures throughout redemptive history, such as: Moses Isaiah Mary Paul Polycarp Athanasius Jonathan Edwards And More Surrounded by a Cloud of Witnesses God has given His people a great cloud of witnesses—men and women throughout the Bible and church history who lived with steadfast faith and bold conviction. Order this book today to explore how the stories of God’s people encourage us to live faithfully in our day. Ordering from Canada? Place your order through Reformed Book Services to receive the lowest shipping rate.

4. Surprising Bouquets of Grace

   I was pleasantly surprised recently while on a walk with my four-year-old daughter. She pointed out a flower, stooped over it to smell it, and then turned back at me to smile. Armed with this cute smile that was framed by her curly hair, she made her request, “Come and smell this one, Daddy.” Being neither willing nor able to refuse her, I complied. And after smelling the flower I have to admit, it smelled surprisingly beautiful. The strange thing is I have walked up and down this street for years but never noticed this flowerbed. My little girl pointed it out and gave me the privilege of enjoying this moment with her. Do you walk down the same road week after week in your worship gathering or personal devotions? Have you become too familiar with the scenery? Does the bouquet of grace fade into the background of life? As Christians we want to be regularly taken by the beauty and sweetness of the gospel flower. This happened to me twice in the last few days. On both occasions it was while singing some of the most common hymns that we sing as Christians. The first instance was during family worship while singing Amazing Grace. We are trying to teach the words to our two youngest (ages four and two) while reinforcing the song to the rest of us. This results in us singing it many times on many consecutive days. As a result, we have great familiarity with a most familiar song. However, as we sang, I realized I wasn’t as familiar as I thought. I was arrested by a particular phrase: “Twas grace that taught my heart to fear And grace my fears relieved.” I crumbled inside when I sang these words. Do you see the diversity of grace? It carves up the hard heart of stone to make it responsive and reverently fear God. It is grace that initiates and sustains any real and true view of God as inflexibly holy and just. It is grace that gives us sight to see the God who, with a word, can calm the seas, and then make us tremble before Him (Mark 4:35–41). It is also grace that draws us to God to find refuge in Him. Isn’t that an amazing thought? It is grace that makes us see that there is no escape from God but there is rescue in God. As we sang I was undone by these all-too familiar words. I was drawn to the bouquet of grace and bidden to smell. What a glorious surprise to our soul when God graciously reminds us of truth. In the second instance we were gathered for our Sunday morning worship. We sang the familiar hymn Holy, Holy, Holy. As we sang, I was surprised again. This was the phrase that did it: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Merciful and mighty, God in three persons, blessed Trinity!” Do you see those two words nestled adjacent to one another? “Merciful and mighty.” These words don’t seem to go together. Mighty ones often demonstrate their might by not showing mercy. How many powerful men in history can we identify that are known as being merciful? And what of being merciful? When one is merciful isn’t it often because they can identify with the weak or otherwise pitiable people? With God however, you have infinite might and infinite mercy bound up in one being. There is no earthly parallel that can appropriately reflect God’s wonderful weightiness on either one of these attributes, never mind at the same time. But, this is what the song rightly says. It reminds me of Jonathan Edwards famous sermon The Admirable Conjunction of Diverse Excellencies in Christ Jesus. Speaking of Christ and this surprising explosion of perfections he writes, > There do meet in the person of Christ such really diverse excellencies, which otherwise would have been thought utterly incompatible in the same subject; such as are conjoined in no other person whatever, either divine, human, or angelical; and such as neither men nor angels would ever have imagined could have met together in the same person, had it not been seen in the person of Christ. In the One being that is God there is more than a sufficient amount of fodder for the eternal bedazzling of our souls! In thinking about the blessings of this last week I have a few items to help cultivate this: Pray for eyes to see and savor the surprising beauty of God. Expect to see this. If you go sightseeing at a zoo, new city, or out in the country, you expect to see something. After all, that is among the reasons for the trip. So too when coming to the Word of God or the preaching of the word, come to see. After praying, come with eyes peeled to see something of God’s manifold beauty. Slow down. My mind finishes familiar sentences in the Bible if I‘m not careful. I can do the same with songs and books. In order to see the flowers and smell the bouquets we must slow down. Sometimes we are too smart and too rushed for our own good. Slow down and smell the roses. Respond in thanksgiving. When you are surprised by, or simply reminded of a truth revealed—stop and give God praise. After all, you in your flesh did not stumble upon that glorious nugget. Satan is not laying these before you. No, seeing and savoring the supremacy and sufficiency of God actually comes from God. So with a wide smile, heap praise back upon Him. This too brings Him glory.

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