R.C. Sproul | – Ask Ligonier with John MacArthur


On November 5, Dr. John MacArthur joined us as a special guest on our Ask Ligonier team and answered your biblical and theological questions live online.

Introduction (0:00)

Questions:
1. If I’m truly saved, why do I still feel guilt from my past? (2:30)
2. Is there a prayer that God cannot hear or answer? (3:38)
3. What does Jesus mean in John 8.7 when He says, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”? (4:23)
4. When is it appropriate to leave a church? (5:25)
5. Why did Jesus weep at the death of Lazarus? (6:17)
6. Which Bible commentaries do you recommend? (6:53)
7. How should we live “in the world but not of the world”? (7:29)
8. Do you use a Bible app or listen to an audio Bible? (8:34)
9. Does God hear the prayers of unbelievers? (9:15)
10. What does it mean to fear the Lord? (9:58)
11. How do we offer worship to God with “reverence and awe” (Heb. 12.28)? (11:44)
12. Can people be possessed by demons? (14:37)
13. Can Christians be possessed by demons? (16:41)
14. What happens to the souls of babies who die during abortions? (20:14)
15. My son is convinced by the theory of evolution. How can I help him maintain a respect for science while also retaining respect for Scripture? (22:30)
16. How should we interpret 2 Cor. 5.14–15 when it says that “one has died for all”? (27:58)
17. What does it mean that Christ “emptied Himself” in Phil. 2.6–7? (31:44)
18. Is speaking in tongues still a practice for the church? (33:48)
19. Why is it important that Christians understand penal substitutionary atonement? (36:43)
20. How is limited atonement true when Scripture says that Christ died for the whole world? (40:34)
21. If you needed to preach through only one book of the Bible, which would you choose? (42:48)
22. Why do some people believe that they can choose to be saved? (43:26)
23. Does God give people free will? (44:51)
24. How do I mortify sin? (45:53)
25. Why is it impossible for Christians to lose their salvation? (47:23)
26. What Christian biographies have impacted you the most? (48:53)
27. Should we tell unbelievers that God loves them? (51:08)
28. Looking back, what advice would you now give yourself at the beginning of your ministry? (52:56)
29. How would you describe the people at Grace Community Church? (54:35)
30. What advice would you give to the successor to a senior pastor? (55:24)
31. How do I discern if I’m called to be a pastor? (56:16)
32. What do you think the church will look like in the next 10 to 20 years? (58:23)
33. How can I obtain assurance of salvation? (59:27)

Note: Answers given reflect the views of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dr. R.C. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries. Here is our Statement of Faith [support us]

#AskLigonier

About The Author

Ligonier Ministries Ligonier Ministries is an international Christian discipleship organization founded by theologian Dr. R.C. Sproul in 1971 to equip Christians to articulate what they believe, why they believe it, how to live it, and how to share it. Proclaiming God’s holiness is central to Ligonier’s purpose. Ligonier produces Renewing Your Mind radio broadcasts, the Reformation Study Bible, Tabletalk magazine, books through the Reformation Trust Publishing division, and various teaching series. It also offers academic degrees through Reformation Bible College. In addition, Ligonier hosts national and regional conferences, offers an online learning community through Ligonier Connect, streams twenty-four-hour Christian internet radio through RefNet, and makes available thousands of unique discipleship resources online at Ligonier.org. Ligonier Ministries

Comment (48)

  1. I enjoy John MacArthur, and he is pretty much dead on. My only take would be if all babies go to heaven, then abortion clinics are doing a great service for God. God decides who is in his fold not man. John says a baby has no way to understand. This is true, but it is still a sinner.

  2. How sad that you defer to this man, who has not repented over teaching the lie that Christians can take the Mark of the Beast and still go to Heaven………where is your discernment?……a little leaven…..

  3. thanks John, wonderful answers for everyone ( saved and unsaved) alike. Keep up the great work and dont stop learning as well as dont stop preaching. We ARE living in the last times now i beleive and we need you more than ever at this time….

  4. You cannot rid yourself of your memories; the new creation is incarcerated in the flesh, MacArthur says at 7:29. SO, WE GET SAVED TO BE INCARCERATED !!!! Why call it salvation if you are still incarcerated ??? If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed !! This is heresy !!!! Another gospel (Gal. 1). MacArthur is incarcerated because the Son has never set him free. If the Son quickens you, you're never incarcerated !!!!! What a heretic !!!

  5. Amen! " It isnt the perfection of your salvation but the direction . It is in the direction of love, humility, and righteousness. You will love the LORD. You will love the scriptures. You will love the church. You will love the lost. You will not be proud, brash, boastful, self exalting. You will possess a sweet brokenness. "

  6. Romans 3:23
    For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
    Hebrews 9:27
    And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
    Isaiah 64:6
    But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
    Revelation 21:8
    But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
    Romans 5:8
    But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
    John 3:16
    For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
    John 14:6
    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
    Romans 10:9-10.
    That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
    For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
    John 5:24
    Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
    1John 5: 10-13
    He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
    And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
    He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
    These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
    Ephesians 2:8-9
    For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
    Not of works, lest any man should boast.
    Romans 8:1
    There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

  7. If you make the case, that all aborted children go to heaven, then one might continue that thought and say: well than abortion is good.. For better all those babies go to heaven, than growing up and maybe going to hell

  8. Questions:
    1. If I'm truly saved, why do I still feel guilt from my past? (2:30)
    2. Is there a prayer that God cannot hear or answer? (3:38)
    3. What does Jesus mean in John 8:7 when He says, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone"? (4:23)
    4. When is it appropriate to leave a church? (5:25)
    5. Why did Jesus weep at the death of Lazarus? (6:17)
    6. Which Bible commentaries do you recommend? (6:53)
    7. How should we live “in the world but not of the world”? (7:29)
    8. Do you use a Bible app or listen to an audio Bible? (8:34)
    9. Does God hear the prayers of unbelievers? (9:15)
    10. What does it mean to fear the Lord? (9:58)
    11. How do we offer worship to God with “reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28)? (11:44)
    12. Can people be possessed by demons? (14:37)
    13. Can Christians be possessed by demons? (16:41)
    14. What happens to the souls of babies who die during abortions? (20:14)
    15. My son is convinced by the theory of evolution. How can I help him maintain a respect for science while also retaining respect for Scripture? (22:30)
    16. How should we interpret 2 Cor. 5:14–15 when it says that “one has died for all”? (27:58)
    17. What does it mean that Christ “emptied Himself” in Phil. 2:6–7? (31:44)
    18. Is speaking in tongues still a practice for the church? (33:48)
    19. Why is it important that Christians understand penal substitutionary atonement? (36:43)
    20. How is limited atonement true when Scripture says that Christ died for the whole world? (40:34)
    21. If you needed to preach through only one book of the Bible, which would you choose? (42:48)
    22. Why do some people believe that they can choose to be saved? (43:26)
    23. Does God give people free will? (44:51)
    24. How do I mortify sin? (45:53)
    25. Why is it impossible for Christians to lose their salvation? (47:23)
    26. What Christian biographies have impacted you the most? (48:53)
    27. Should we tell unbelievers that God loves them? (51:08)
    28. Looking back, what advice would you now give yourself at the beginning of your ministry? (52:56)
    29. How would you describe the people at Grace Community Church? (54:35)
    30. What advice would you give to the successor to a senior pastor? (55:24)
    31. How do I discern if I’m called to be a pastor? (56:16)
    32. What do you think the church will look like in the next 10 to 20 years? (58:23)
    33. How can I obtain assurance of salvation? (59:27)

  9. I find these "lightning rounds" so irritating, rushed, anxiety-ridden, and distracted: they emphasize quantity over quality and detract from a truly thoughtful conversation. I thank God that Dr. Sproul never implemented them while he was alive, and I wonder what he would have thought of this mechanical exercise. I can't imagine Martyn Lloyd-Jones or any Puritan submitting to this forced, ridiculous, millennial exercise, which is why I no longer support Ligonier.

  10. Eschatology can hugely affect the ability of men to be deceived in the last days. If one is a-millennial in his eschatology, he is prone to trust the modern "experts" of the day with regards to science. The a-millennialist does not believe that the world is sinking deeper and deeper towards the appearance of THE antichrist. This could also be said of those who are post-millennial in their eschatology, those who believe the church will gain control of the earth and establish Christ kingdom here, before His return.

    That said, Sproul gives respect and acceptance of what pagan science has deceptively proclaimed. He calls these pagan's "students of natural revelation" admitting that they have corrected our own interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. He forcefully says Calvin and Luther were wrong in their literal interpretation of the Genesis account of creation.

    "Sola Scriptura" has become a catch phrase with these folks who have been deceived by not just the pagan scientists, but more importantly, Satan himself. Make no mistake about it, these are the last days and Jesus said of these times, many times, "be not deceived". We have a literal repeat of the words of Jesus taking place today of "the blind leading the blind" and all I can say is when you stand before HIM on that day, you won't be able to say, "But RC said…"

    If you want to read more of what God's cosmogony truly is, then this link is a start:
    youtu.be/-yEZQPxNGYw

    And consider Psalm 2 and 2 Timothy 4:3-4 in the context of living in the last days. Just because they show us pictures and videos doesn't mean they’re not trying to deceive you. Hollywood is really good at special effects and the rulers and principalities of this world have all the resources they need to pull off such a deception. It takes a lot of cooperation between the secret societies of man to orchestrate such a theater. (Free Masons, Vatican Jesuits and many others). Do your own research

  11. JM knows a lot and he has taught me a lot but he is not infallible and he doesn't get everything right. It's wrong for a pastor to insist that people believe what he believes because he believes it to be true. To tell people that they can't possibly accept the Bible as God's word if they don't accept certain accounts literally, and not to accept that literally every word in the Bible is God's, is an unfair judgemental accusation. God did not dictate the Bible and the Bible doesn't say that He did. The Bible is true but it does not mean that every word in it was literally said by God. In his answers JM does use expressions like 'I think' and 'I believe' which means I don't have to think and believe it as well just because he does.

  12. I wrote a book, regarding my first 49 yrs. being here on earth. Very lost in much of its darkest, darkness. While writing this book, I can tell you this, I used Bible scriptures to back up my examples of how Not too live life without knowing and obeying God, as I did.
    God loves me so much I know this now. He's come alive through me, yes hallelujah, living and coming out through my testimony(s).
    I've since been forever trying to self publish it, but it's been a me thing, up until about 1 yr ago, when I came to the full conviction that it's Not what I can do… It's what God is doing through me and for me. Amen.
    Oh yeah, I'm starting another book, as of 2 days ago.
    God, is Always Good!!
    It was I who didn't Get It, until I was in my late 40's. I'm now 59 yrs. young!
    Praise the Lord our Father God and His Son, Jesus Christ and too our comforter the Holy Spirit. Amen!
    Oh, John MacArthur? God bless you, I'm coming to Sun Valley to see you, too worship with you and your church. This is also, of the Holy Spirit's prompting. An answered prayer.
    Hopefully I'll be able to tell you about it someday soon.

  13. I know I'm coming in a bit late, but my question is this…
    … Is it ok to keep praying and asking God for the same thing.? I'm confused because of hearing different viewpoints regarding it. I do ask God humbly, for His help with the same issues until I hear in my heart not too and to move on. Other times, I pray continual for answers for what I feel are urgent biblical needs. I can't go through the day without Jesus, I talk to God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit all the time. I've stop talking to myself and waiting for those answers. God has me now, I hope, I truly Got It finally, for the Glory of God!
    Amen.

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