Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Becoming a Missionary Church

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 31 Num. 9
“Becoming a Missionary Church”
First Published: March 5, 1998

We have just finished a week of spiritual feasting! What a blessing it was to hear from our missionaries: to listen to Jeff Marlowe tell of the exciting work of God’s superintending providence in Senegal; to hear of the wonderful opportunities for discipleship that the Lord is providing Nancy Adams in Charlottesville, Virginia; to reflect on God’s faithfulness as we hear Jed Johnston --a covenant son of this congregation-- tell of the strategic campus work in which he and Marney are engaged in Chattanooga; to praise God as we consider John Kinser’s account of how the Lord is building a church in Lake Oconee, Georgia; and to thank God when we ponder the tremendous ministry to medical students at UMC that the Lord is doing through Jimmy Turner.


We also feasted during the preaching of the Word. Fergus Macdonald challenged us to consider our debt of grace and to engage in paying it back in world missions. He taught us the significance of the parable of the dinner (Luke 14:16-24) for missions, and then (at our Thursday luncheon) provided a breath-taking panorama of what the Lord is doing around the World. Dr. David Sinclair showed us the King --our great God and Savior-- and challenged us with the truth that “once you’ve seen the King, you can’t help but have a heart for the kingdom.” May God bring the reality of his grace home to us in such a way that we become grateful witnesses for him.

There is much more to do. We are encouraged by the growing interest in missions in our congregation, but there is more to do. Our generation at First Presbyterian has been bequeathed a tremendous heritage in this field, but there is more to do. First Church has, for many years, been known as a congregation keen in its support of missions, but there is more to do. If we are to become a truly missionary church, then our hearts and lives must be gripped by the Gospel of grace: enrapt with the awesomeness of God, convicted by the sinfulness of sin, captivated by the grandeur of redemption, amazed by the extravagance of God’s love. Hearts taken captive by such realities cannot help but become missionary hearts.

Join us in praying for widespread involvement in missions giving here at First Presbyterian: wider than ever before. Join us in renewed commitment to pray for missions and missionaries. Join us in praying for people in our congregation to be called to the work of missions. Join us in praying that this conference would be used of the Holy Spirit as an instrument of revival in our midst. May we all long for the nations to tremble in the Lord’s presence.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan

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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: "The Bible's First Promise"

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 31 Num. 1
“The Bible’s First Promise”
First Published: January 8, 1998

As we begin a new year, it is wise for us deliberately to focus our hearts on the first things: the things that matter most. Among our resolutions, we should not fail to think of matters of eternal significance. Indeed, these things ought to be foremost in our thoughts. And as we contemplate the issues of prime importance in our lives we do well to remember the first promise of the Bible:
“And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel” (Genesis 3:15).

The first thing that we learn from this proto-evangelium is that sin is our greatest problem and our greatest enemy. This promise comes to fallen Adam and Eve (though its words are addressed to the serpent), immediately after their rebellion against their loving Lord. Sin had destroyed their fellowship with Him, thrust them forth from the garden, and brought woe and death into God’s pristine world. We truly ought to ponder this. So often we think our problems are not having enough money or possessions, or not being liked by certain people, or not being accepted by a particular crowd, or not having the kind of relationship we’ve always dreamed of (you can fill in the blank for you own particular temptation in this regard). And we throw ourselves into trying to find solutions for these problems, all the while neglecting the biggest problem of our life: sin, and the estrangement it brings from God and others. Let us strive to hate our sin, and to grow in grace in the new year.

Secondly, we must expect trials, temptations and tribulations — accepting them as providential opportunities to grow in faith and trust in the Lord. In this verse the Lord establishes enmity between Satan and the seed of the woman (that is, the Lord’s people). Did you notice that? It is the Lord who establishes enmity between the world and His people. Hence, the conflicts that we face here in the fallen world are not all to be avoided. Some of them actually result from the Lord’s redemptive blessings. This teaches us to expect strife in this life. Sometimes the very strife we face is the result of God’s master plan to protect you from the Evil one and to wean you from carnal affections. May the Lord enable us to contemplate the tribulations of 1998 in this light.

Third, we must often dwell on the perfect fulfillment of Genesis 3:15, when all sin and misery is finally vanquished in the ultimate triumph of the Lord. C. H. Spurgeon says: “This is the first promise to fallen man. It contains the whole gospel, and the essence of the covenant of grace. It has been in great measure fulfilled. The seed of the woman, even our Lord Jesus, was bruised in His heel, and a terrible bruising it was. How terrible will be the final bruising of the serpent’s head! This was virtually done when Jesus took away sin, vanquished death, and broke the power of Satan; but it awaits a still fuller accomplishment at our Lord’s Second Advent, and in the day of Judgment.” Even as we face trouble and hardship in this fallen world, we must keep before us the hope. The blessed hope of the second coming, the glorious appearance of our Lord. May this new year be a year filled with eternal hope in the hearts of the good folk of First Presbyterian. And may that hope give us joy even in the midst of sorrow in the days to come. Happy New Year.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan




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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: "Who is the Child of Mary?"

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 50
“Who is the Child of Mary?”
First Published: December 18, 1997

Isaiah’s words are not far from us in this season of the year: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14). We all do well to make our way to Bethlehem, and “in company with wondering shepherds and adoring Magi, let us see Him who was born King of the Jews, for we by faith can claim an interest in Him, and can sing, ‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.’” We ought to ponder some of the lofty truths wrapped in the nativity.

First, we remember that Jesus is God Incarnate (“Immanuel” means “God-with-us”). He is the eternal Son of the heavenly Father, in the flesh. He is the embodied Second Person of the Holy Trinity (as John 1 reminds us of this). He does not divest himself of his divinity as he comes into the world (that would be metamorphosis not incarnation!), but rather intersects space and time as true God and man, at once. He is the divine man. “Our Saviour, although truly man, was as to His human nature the Holy One of God. Let us reverently bow before the holy Child whose innocence restores to manhood its ancient glory; and let us pray that He may be formed in us, the hope of glory.”

Second, we take comfort that though he walks the earth as our Lord and our God, he is yet our brother and friend. Surely this is a mystery. The eternal Son, my brother by incarnation and by saving grace. Think of it, though “very God, begotten not created,” our Lord is really and truly and fully human (yet without sin). And further, through the uniting work of the Spirit he becomes our brother and we God’s children, by faith. If this does not lead us to adoration and admiration, nothing will.

Third, we should notice our Lord’s miraculous conception (“the virgin birth” we call it). Though skeptics mock at it, we revel in its reality and significance. Spurgeon reminds us: “It was a thing unheard of before, and unparalleled since, that a virgin should conceive and bear a Son. The first promise ran thus, ‘The seed of the woman,’ not the offspring of the man. Since venturous woman led the way in the sin which brought forth Paradise lost, she, and she alone, ushers in the Regainer of Paradise.” God’s grace is glorious, is it not?

Fourth, we should allow our hearts to break and then worship as we contemplate his humiliation. Notice his humble parentage, his humble estate, the meagerness of the provision around his nativity (“how miserable the accommodation afforded to the new-born King!”), and the humble life to which he was called. What a comfort to think of it: “Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendour.”

Merry Christmas to you all.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan


[Quotes are from C. H. Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening]


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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: "Don't forget to read the words you sing!"

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 49
“Don’t forget to read the words you sing!”
First Published: December 11, 1997

Our worship will be chock full of familiar and beloved carols this month. I hope that you will all use the occasion not merely to enjoy the sentiment but to reflect upon the profound theology contained in these hymns. Our singing ought to be lifted up to God, from hearts filled with gratitude for grace and from hearts praising Him for the glorious gift of the Incarnation.

So as you sing well-known songs and tunes this month, make a double effort to concentrate on the words. Aim to understand them and to “make them your own” as you sing to the Lord. You may even want to discuss the words around the dinner table at home or during family worship. The reflection will not only prove to be of personal encouragement: it will also help you in your intelligent and fervent participation in corporate worship.

Our “Hymn of the Month” will be the ancient song “Let all mortal flesh keep silence.” It comes from the Liturgy of St. James and dates from the 5th century. The beautiful (indeed, haunting) melody to which we sing this carol is French in origin and probably was composed in the seventeenth century. No doubt most of us have heard this song sung frequently at Christmas time, but in the Scottish Psalter and Church Hymnary it is also recommended as a communion hymn.

The first stanza bids us stand in awe and silent reverence as we contemplate the incomprehensible mystery of the Incarnation, and calls on us to give our full homage to Christ. The second stanza reflects on the paradox of Christ’s eternity and birth, and the reality and necessity of his true humanity. The third stanza pictures a myriad of heavenly beings preparing the way for his descent from heaven’s halls to earth, and reminds us that came in the flesh to vanquish the forces of hell. The final stanza asks us to remember that Isaiah has told us that the seraphim continually cry holiness and praise to him. Should we not join them in wonder and bafflement in exclaiming “Alleluia” to our Incarnate Lord?

May we be good “carolers” for our gracious and sovereign Lord this Christmas.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan




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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: "In God's Strength"

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 46
“In God’s Strength”
First Published: November 20, 1997

As we face the challenges of life that God puts before us all, individually and corporately, we are deeply in need of a sense of our own weakness and utter dependence upon the Lord. Now this may seem strange advice, for it is completely contrary to the spirit of the age in which we live. Self-help gurus and confidence men constantly tell us: “you can do it,” “awaken the giant from within,” “you can achieve anything you want to, be anything you want to, do anything you want to,” “you have the power.” But nothing could be further from the thought-world of the Bible.

It is precisely the New Testament teaching which points us to approaching all our responsibilities in a posture of dependence upon the grace of the Lord. For Paul (himself a paragon of self-discipline and self-mastery) has told us: “[The Lord] has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
C. H. Spurgeon beautifully captured the proper Biblical attitude when he wrote: “A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God’s warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, ‘I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory,’ defeat is not far distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength, for “it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” God will have no strength used in His battles but the strength which He Himself imparts.”
The good news is that this Biblical view is both realistic and encouraging. It is realistic, because the fact is we all face challenges and circumstances that are beyond our control (“our battle is not against flesh and blood . . .”). No amount of effort on our own part can change that, so the sooner we learn to rely on the Lord and serve in His strength the better off we will be. It is encouraging, because we may be acutely aware of our weakness and frailty: to the point that we wonder “what’s the use of doing anything at all?” But reliance upon God’s grace, far from reducing us to passivity, is the great dynamic of consecrated Christian activity! Again Spurgeon tells us: “Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give you victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.”
A Spiritual awareness of our weakness, then, is not designed to prompt us to inactivity or passivity in the fight of faith, but rather to make us conscious of our need of a divine supply of strength for the living of the Christian life. Our third question for church membership beautifully captures this Biblical balance when it asks: “Do you resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ?” Such an endeavor can only be successful if we are aware of our inherent weakness and thus avail ourselves of His Almighty power and resources. May God help us to do so.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan




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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: God-Centered People

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 45
“God-Centered People”
First Published: November 13, 1997

We live in a time of spiritual and theological tumult in the various evangelical churches. Even though many of us recently enjoyed a study luncheon celebrating the impact of the great sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation, we look around ourselves to witness, on virtually every side, a loss of the distinctive doctrines of the Reformation. Why is it that in evangelical and Protestant churches where the Reformed faith has been heralded for generations we see this loss of faithful teaching of and belief in the faith once delivered?


Sadly, it seems, we have lost the doctrines of the Reformation because we have lost the God of the Reformers. That is, behind this theological crisis we see in the church today, there is a spiritual crisis. For just as it is true that false doctrine cannot lead to the living God, so also it is true that without fellowship with the living God, true doctrine cannot be maintained. Without true godliness to anchor us in the truth, we will follow after the imaginations of our heart in our theology. I believe that we are seeing the dreaded consequences of this spiritual axiom in our own day and time.

What is the remedy to this situation? I would propose to you that the theology of the Bible provides the remedy. We must be reacquainted with the God of the Scriptures. We must refuse to define him by the standards and expectations of our age, but must listen to Him define Himself as he speaks to us through the inspired Scriptures. Then God Himself must become our greatest desire; this is my first suggestion. God Himself must become our priority. No longer can God be seen as someone who is simply a means to an end, a means to accomplishing our own purposes, a means to our achieving whatever goals we have, but God Himself must become our greatest desire and if He is to become our greatest desire, we must recover a view of His greatness. This was a key to the spirituality of the Reformers, that was the spirituality of the Psalmist, and of all the writers of Scripture.

If we are to become lost in the glory of who God is, and if we are to become lost in the pursuit of all the glory that it is to fellowship with Him, we must be convinced of His greatness to the bottom of our being. Christians must re-focus their lives on God Himself, reorder their thinking according to His Word, and let God be God just as He has revealed Himself in the Word. We must be God-centered in our thinking, God-fearing in our consciences, and God-honoring in our living. We must recover the same view of the greatness of God. We must recover those spiritual priorities that our catechism sets out so beautifully when it says "the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever." Our greatest goal must be to glorify Him. Our greatest fruition must be to enjoy our fellowship with Him both here and hereafter. Until we do that, we'll never recover the great faith of the Reformers because we will never have recovered the God that they knew and loved and worshiped.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan



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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Prayer as Praise to God

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 18
“Prayer as Praise to God”
First Published: May 22, 1997

Over the past several weeks, we have been surveying Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:3-14. Today, we bring our study to a close. When we first began to consider this great prayer, we suggested that there are two marks of God-centered prayer: the presence of much adoration of God, and the presence of much thanksgiving.


These marks are reflected perfectly in Paul’s prayer. We have, so far, seen that it is trinitarian (that is, it highlights the work of the blessed Trinity in our salvation), decretal (that is, it accents the sovereignty of God in the whole work of redemption), redemptive (that is, God’s redeeming, saving blessings are systematically rehearsed in it), Father-focused (that is, the Father’s goodness, love, and initiative are celebrated repeatedly), Christ-centered (that is, the integral role of the Son’s redemptive work is accentuated), and Spirit-dependent (that is, the Holy Spirit is viewed as both the substance and conduit of blessing).

The final attribute of this prayer to which I would draw your attention is that it is doxological (that is, the prayer’s ultimate direction is toward the praise of God). Our English word “doxology” is borrowed directly from a Greek (and then Latin) word which means “uttering praise” or “giving glory.” Hence, the “Doxology” which we sing so frequently (a beautiful composition of Thomas Ken) is literally “an utterance of praise and thanksgiving to God.”

There is a real sense in which the whole of Paul’s prayer is a doxology. He is focused on the adoration of God (giving Him glory) and on thanksgiving (acknowledging his gratitude to God for Who He is and for His specific blessings). But, additionally, there are three little doxologies included in Paul’s prayer. He concludes his section focusing of the work of the Father (in verses 3-6) by indicating that His plan of redemption is “to the praise of the glory of his grace” (6). He closes the section that emphasizes the role of the Son (in verses 7-12) by indicating that Christ’s saving work and ultimate exaltation is all “to the praise of his glory” (12). And he finishes the prayer, and specifically the section that concentrates on the blessing of the Holy Spirit (verses 13-14) by indicating that the Spirit’s assuring work is also “to the praise of his glory” (14).

What a pattern we have here for prayer: fulsome adoration and thanksgiving. May God make us all mighty in this kind of prayer.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan



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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective:Prayer Dependent on the Spirit

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 17
“Prayer Dependent on the Spirit”
First Published: May 15, 2009

So far we have reviewed five aspects of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:3-14. It is trinitarian (that is, it highlights the work of the blessed Trinity in our salvation), decretal (that is, it accents the sovereignty of God in the whole work of redemption), redemptive (that is, God’s redeeming, saving blessings are systematically rehearsed in it), Father-focused (that is, the Father’s goodness, love, and initiative are celebrated repeatedly), and Christ-centered (that is, the integral role of the Son’s redemptive work is accentuated). Two more emphases remain to be surveyed.


Today, I want to draw your attention to the fact that this prayer of praise is also Spirit-dependent (that is, the Holy Spirit is viewed as both the substance and conduit of blessing). Throughout the prayer, Paul acknowledges that the Spirit Himself is gifted to us by the Father, and the Spirit Himself is the means of the Father’s conveying the various blessings to us.

Notice, for instance, at the very beginning of the prayer that it is stressed that all the blessings are SPIRITUAL: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (3). That is, these blessings are OF the Holy Spirit. They are Spiritual in nature, and they come from the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, all the blessings are received and pledged in the Spirit: you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory” (13-14). In other words, God’s blessings are experienced by virtue of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling us (they are “sealed” to us by the baptism of the Spirit), and the Spirit Himself is God’s pledge (or down payment or deposit) guarantying that we will one day receive the fullness of all His promises. To put it plainly, the Spirit Himself is the seal - a living, sovereign seal (assurance) of God’s promises. That is why He is called here: “the Holy Spirit of promise.” When we are brought to Christ and Spiritually regenerated, we experience a foretaste of divine fellowship, in fulfillment of Abrahamic promise and which is at the heart of our salvation: God with us.

Are not these things matters for praise which ought to populate our prayers of adoration. May God grant to you a greater appreciation and apprehension of the Spiritual riches which are yours in Christ. And then may that realization overflow in praise and devotion.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan




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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: "Christ-Centered Prayer"

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 16
“Christ-Centered Prayer”
First Published: May 8, 1997

So far we have seen that Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:3-14, is trinitarian (that is, it highlights the work of the blessed Trinity in our salvation), decretal (that is, it accents the sovereignty of God in the whole work of redemption), redemptive (that is, God’s redeeming, saving blessings are systematically rehearsed in it), and Father-focused (that is, the Father’s goodness, love, and initiative are celebrated repeatedly).

But there is yet more gold to be mined in this glorious prayer. For instance, we may note that the prayer is Christ-centered (that is, the integral role of the Son’s redemptive work is accentuated). Over and over Paul brings us back to thoughts of the centrality of Christ in every aspect of God’s saving work.

Paul emphasizes that every Spiritual blessing is enjoyed IN CHRIST. This means, among other things, that all God’s benefits are experienced only in a vital faith relation to Christ. Many today (even in the evangelical world) are toying with the idea that salvation can be experienced apart from a saving faith relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul utterly rejects such an idea, insisting that all those and only those who are “in Christ” are the beneficiaries of His redemption.

But Paul’s emphasis on every Spiritual blessing being enjoyed “in Christ” also reminds us that all the benefits of God are obtained when one has been united to Christ in faith. Thus Paul , as He catalogs his list of God’s lavish blessings stresses that they are experienced “in Christ” (that is, in covenantal relationship to Him). According to Paul, God blessed us IN CHRIST (3); chose us IN HIM (4); predestined us THROUGH JESUS CHRIST (5); bestowed grace on us IN THE BELOVED (6); lavished grace on us (8), made known his plan to us (9), and purposed his whole divine plan IN HIM (9, 7a & 10b) and sealed us IN HIM (13).

Furthermore, our every blessing is based on Christ’s work. For we have REDEMPTION through his blood (7); and our INHERITANCE is solely in Him (10b-11).

As William Guthrie said so long ago: “Less would not satisfy. More is not to be desired.” Have your prayers been characterized by such a Christ-centered focus in adoration? May God refresh us with such a thirst for Christ, that our focus of praise falls directly upon Him.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan




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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Father-Focused Prayer

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 15
“Father-Focused Prayer”
First Published: May 1, 1997

Paul’s prayer, in Ephesians 1:3-14, is trinitarian (that is, it highlights the work of the blessed Trinity in our salvation), decretal (that is, it accents the sovereignty of God in the whole work of redemption), and redemptive (that is, God’s redeeming, saving blessings are systematically rehearsed in it). Have you taken the opportunity to incorporate these aspects into your own prayers of adoration this week?


As glorious as these three themes are, there is even more to be discovered in these rich paean of praise to the One True God. Indeed, a close look at Paul’s prayer will reveal that it is also Father-focused (that is, the Father’s goodness, love, and initiative are celebrated repeatedly).

For instance, notice how our attention is drawn to the Divine fatherhood in Paul’s ascription of blessing to the “Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (3). Such a phrase reminds us that He is the Father of Grace. When we remember (or realize) who the Almighty One is to whom we pray, our prayer life is revolutionized. We marvel at the perfection of our dear Savior, and at His love for us - and then we remember that He is the very image of His Father. Who wouldn’t long to pray to such a Father?
Let me mention, in passing, that this truth is so important for those who have never experienced holy love from (and for) their earthly fathers (for whatever reason). He is not merely a father. He is the Father: the great and glorious and good Father. And He is not merely the Father. He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: the very Father of Love and Mercy and Compassion. Run and embrace Him freely in prayer, for He loves His children with an incomprehensible and undying love.

Second, we observe that God’s activity as Father is stressed in verse after verse of this prayer: HE blessed (3); HE chose (4); HE predestined (5) HE bestowed grace (6); HE lavished (8); HE made known (9); HE purposed (9); HE sealed (13). In all these blessings, general and specific, the Father is in view as the source and instigator and supplier. Do we regularly remember that it is our Father who has done these things for us? Does it show in our prayers?

Third, our God’s “redemptive fatherhood” (that is, God’s redeeming purpose to make us His very own children) is emphasized in the beautiful phrase “He predestined us to adoption as sons ... to Himself” (5). Can you take that in? From before the foundations of the world, the God of the universe planned to embrace you as His child, to make you His own, to enfold you into His family, to give you His name and His inheritance. If this is not a matter for praise, I don’t know one!

Fourth, do you see the emphasis on the Father’s love in that precious phrase “In love he predestined” (4b-5a)? So often, people only want to argue about the doctrine of predestination. Here in Ephesians 1:5, however, Paul shows that predestination flows from the fountain of the love of God, and leads to our adoption as God’s children. In other words, predestination is the most loving plan imaginable (since it originates in God’s love and has as its goal our adoption). So, the next time someone wants to argue with you about predestination: take them to Ephesians 1!

Finally, the words “with a view to God’s own possession” remind us that we are HIS inheritance (14). We are the Father’s inheritance? We are the treasure He has been saving for from eternity? We are the reward that He longs for? Yes, that is precisely what Paul is saying. We often praise God that He has stored up a rich inheritance for us (fellowship with Him and mansions in glory), but do we pause to wonder in awe that we ourselves are His heritage, His estate, His legacy? In the covenant of grace, we gain Him and He gains us. O blessed, mysterious transaction. Let us praise the Father for His choice of an inheritance.

Your friend,

Ligon Duncan


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The Blind Side
The Story of Michael Oher

The world was introduced to the life story of Michael Oher in 2006 following the publishing of Michael Lewis' bestselling book, The Blind Side. Now left tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, then a junior at the University of Mississippi, Michael Oher became a living example of the enduring power of true love to completely change a person's life.


Oher's life story has recently been adapted for the big screen and will be released to theaters everywhere on November 20th. John Lee Hancock, the film's writer and director, was compelled by the message the story communicated: a young couple (Leigh Anne and Sean Touhy) are filled with compassion for a troubled young man and open their lives to him, providing all he needed to succeed, especially love. Most importantly, however, is the fact that this couple's love for Michael Oher was rooted in, motivated by, and an expression of their still deeper love for the Lord Jesus Christ.


Working with the Touhy's during the film's production, Hancock was more than a little impressed by their genuineness of their faith. But Hancock wasn't the only one who witnessed this. Apparently leading actress Sandra Bullock, who plays the role of the wife (Leigh Ann Touhy) in the film, was equally encouraged by the authenticity of the Touhy's faith. After working with Leigh Ann and Sean for months, Bullock says, "I now have faith in those who say they represent a faith. I finally met people who walk the walk."

An encouraging review of the film was recently released by World Magazine. You can find the review here.

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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Praying Specifically in Thanks for our Redemption

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 15
“Praying Specifically in Thanks for our Redemption”
First Published: April 24, 1997

So far, in our study of Ephesians 1:3-14, we have pointed out that Paul’s prayer is trinitarian (that is, it highlights the work of the blessed Trinity in our salvation) and decretal (that is, it accents the sovereignty of God in the whole work of redemption). Today we will consider a third quality in that great prayer. Paul’s prayer may be characterized as redemptive (that is, in it, God’s redeeming, saving blessings are systematically rehearsed.

Very often we praise God for His redemption of us in generic terms. But even as specific sins ought to be repented of specifically (as the good old Puritans remind us), so also ought the Lord to be thanked and adored specifically for His bestowal of specific blessings on us. Notice eight aspects of God’s redemptive work that Paul makes matters for praise here in Ephesians 1.

Paul, first, reminds us that God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing” (3). This blessing indicates, among other things, that the Lord has brought us great and true happiness by virtue of his Spiritual gifts to us. This, for Paul, is a matter worthy of praise.

Second, Paul highlights the truth that “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world” (4). Paul sees our election in Christ as a biblical truth that will stoke the fires of our devotion to God, and so he reminds himself of it even as he adores God.

Third, Paul exults in the glorious truth that “In love He predestined us to adoption as sons” (5). It is not simply the realization that God chose us that floods Paul’s heart with wonder, love, and praise. It is the apprehension that God chose us with a view to our being His own children. His purpose in choosing us was that we should become the very sons of God.

Fourth, Paul also speaks of God’s “grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved” (6). Here Paul emphasizes that the whole of our salvation is the gift of God. We do not merit it. We do not deserve it. But God freely bestows His grace on us, because of His electing love and our covenantal union with His Son.

Fifth, Paul speaks of God’s forgiveness of sin as a revelation of the riches of His grace
which He lavished on us”(8). In other words, Paul knows that God’s gift of His only Son as the sacrifice for our sin is a truly extravagant provision. It is beyond reason. Beyond explanation. Beyond comprehension. “Christ for us” is a divine logic that we cannot (and will not) ever be able to penetrate even in eternity. But as we contemplate it, we may praise Him forever for it.

Sixth, Paul also rejoices that God “made known to us the mystery of His will” (9). He is deeply moved at the thought that the Lord has graciously revealed Christ to us. The Lord did not have to. He could have left us in blindness, like so many others in the day of our Lord’s earthly ministry, who heard His voice and saw His miracles and yet remained stone-hearted. The thought leaves Paul choking back tears of praise.

Seventh, Paul glories in the “kind intention [of God’s will] which He purposed in Him [that is, Christ]” (9). In other words, Paul is awed by God’s divine plan of redemption as it is revealed in Christ. How sovereign and how kind are God’s purposes. And so they ought to be matters for adoration.

Finally, we note in Paul’s prayer praise to God that “having also believed, you were sealed in Him” (13). Paul rejoices that God will never let us out of His saving grasp. We have been sealed in the blessings of God, in Christ and by the Holy Spirit!
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow, indeed.

Your friend,

Ligon Duncan

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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Praying in Celebration of God’s Decree

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 14
“Praying in Celebration of God’s Decree”
First Published: April 17, 1997

Three weeks ago we began a study of seven special qualities of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:3-14. We proposed there that if we are to become mighty in prayer, then God must be at the center of our prayers. And that, God will not be at the center of our prayers if they lack adoration and thanksgiving. Rehearsing these seven characteristics found in Ephesians 1 supplies us with rich biblical content and thankful thought with which we may supplement and improve our own praise of God in prayer.

Today, I want to draw your attention to the second of those seven qualities: Paul’s emphasis on God’s sovereignty. We might put it this way - Paul’s prayer is decretal (that is, it celebrates the eternal, sovereign decree of Almighty God). Sometimes we are reticent to stress this aspect of our doctrine of God in public prayer, for fear we might offend those who do not embrace a Reformed view of God’s heavenly rule. More often, however, we simply overlook the enormous potential of this truth as a matter for Christian comfort and adoration. Not so for Paul.
We see that in Ephesians 1, God’s Sovereignty is unashamedly and emphatically asserted and rejoiced in by the Apostle Paul. This aspect of the prayer is seen in three ways. First, Paul openly praises God for His work of predestination. Notice verses 4, 5, and 9, where it is stressed that God “chose” (4), “predestined” (5), and “purposed” (9) our salvation. For Paul, predestination is not a matter simply to be argued about, but one which moves us to adore God.
Second, the accent on God’s sovereignty is seen in Paul’s stress on the central role of the will of God in our redemption. Whereas some only want to think of “our choice” in salvation, Paul wholly concentrates on God’s choice - speaking of God’s “will” in verses 5, 9, and 11, and mentioning God’s “kind intention” (9) and “purpose” (11) elsewhere.
Third and finally, God’s sovereignty is stressed in Paul’s description of the comprehensiveness of God’s will. It is not that God is sovereign over some things or even most things, but rather (says Paul) God “works all things after the counsel of his will” (11). Such a view of the sovereign and gracious God stirs Paul to praise, and so it should us.
Do our prayers reflect much adoration of God’s eternal predestination? Do we strive to be consciously aware of God’s sovereignty in the plan of salvation? Do we ever concentrate on that work as a subject for adoration in our prayers? If not, let us use Paul’s prayer as a model to enrich our expression of thankfulness to the sovereign God who loves and saves us.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan



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Men of the Covenant
Mr. Bill Moore

Men, our final Men of the Covenant Lunch for the fall is this Thursday (December 3rd) in Miller Hall from 11:45-1:oo. We have the privilege of hearing Mr. Bill Moore address us on the topic of "Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself."

Reservations are not required and the cost of the lunch is $5. If you have any questions, please contact Shannon Craft in the Discipleship office at 601-326-9243 or shannonc@fpcjackson.org


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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Prayer and the Trinity

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 12
“Prayer and the Trinity”
First Published: April 3, 1997

Last week we began a study of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:3-14 (you will, perhaps, want to take up your Bible and read that glorious prayer now). We proposed there that if we are to become mighty in prayer, then God must be at the center of our prayers. And additionally that God will not be at the center of our prayers if they lack adoration and thanksgiving.

Today, I want to draw your attention to the first of seven qualities of Paul’s prayer. Have you ever noticed how Trinitarian this prayer is? The unified work of the Trinity is constantly in view throughout the prayer.
Verses 3-6 concentrate on the work of the Father (notice especially verse 3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ”) and end with a doxology: “to the praise of the glory of His grace” (6). Verses 7-12 focus on the work of the Son (note especially verse 10: “the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth”) and end with a doxology: “to the praise of His glory.” Verses 13-14 highlight the work of the Spirit in our assurance (see especially 13b-14a: “you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance”) and also end with a doxology: “to the praise of His glory.”
Furthermore, even though specific sections of the prayer emphasize the works of one or another Person of the Holy Trinity, have you noticed how Paul intermingles his references to the three Persons? By doing so, he is able to underscore both the oneness and the threeness, the unity and the diversity of our Almighty God.
For instance, in verse 3 he is blessing God the Father for His blessings on us, and he cannot refrain from mentioning that the God is the Father of Christ and that all His blessings are enjoyed “in Christ” alone! Again, in verse 5, Paul is emphasizing the Father’s work of adoption and he cannot resist reminding us that the Father makes us sons “through Christ” -- In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself. And again in verse 13, where Paul is speaking of the sealing (assuring) work of the Holy Spirit, Paul intermixes reference to our union with Christ -- In Him [in Christ], you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Do our prayers reflect much praise of the Trinity? Are we aware of how gloriously our Triune God’s work is interwoven in the plan of salvation? Do we ever concentrate on that work as a subject for adoration in our prayers? If not, use Paul’s prayer as a model to enrich your expression of your grateful ardor to God for our Trinitarian salvation.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan



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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: God-Focused Prayer

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 11
“God-Focused Prayer”
First Published: March 27, 1997

Let me continue our study in prayer with this proposal: If we are to become mighty in prayer, God must be at the center of our prayers. And God will not be at the center of our prayers if they lack adoration, and if they fail to hold together the gift and the Giver. In short, I am suggesting that God-focused prayer is prevailing prayer. The great prayer warriors of Scripture and Christian history are men and women whose prayers reflect the twin realities that God Himself is their greatest desire and that God’s agenda is their ultimate concern.

There are at least two ways that this God-centered emphasis can be detected in prayer. The presence of much adoration of God is the first mark of God-centered prayer. People who sincerely love to adore God in their prayers are manifesting the hearts. They love Him and adore Him because He is their chief end, and it shows up in their prayers.

The second mark of God-centered prayer is thanksgiving. Often we ask for things and receive them, and fail to thank God for answered prayer. This is sign that we care more about the gift than the Giver. But prevailing prayer is always thankful prayer, because it cannot conceive of receiving a gift without concentrating gratitude upon the One Who gave the gift in the first place. Thanksgiving, then, helps us hold together the gift and the Giver, and manifests a God-centered prayer life.

Paul gives us a beautiful example of a God-centered prayer in Ephesians 1:3-14. In this prayer, Paul beautifully combines adoration and thanksgiving: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Over the next several weeks, we will study seven aspects of this glorious Scriptural prayer in the hope that we will be challenged by it to renewed devotion to the Lord in prayer.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan



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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Teach us to Pray

The Pastor’s Perspective

Vol. 30 Num. 10
“Teach us to Pray”
First Published: March 20, 1997

Last week we began a series of discussions in the First Epistle on biblical patterns for prayer. In so doing, we will study some of Paul’s great prayers, prayer requests, and prayer reports in his letter to the Ephesians (today, though, we will look at our Lord’s prayer). Our goal will be to learn to pray according to Scripture. That is, we want to pray with a biblical understanding of prayer, with a biblical motivation for prayer, with a biblical proportion in prayer, and by a biblical pattern of prayer.

This is not, however, primarily a “how to” issue. It is not a matter of technique. When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He gave them a Scriptural pattern for prayer (Luke 11:1-4). He did this not because rote memorization of a set form is the secret of prevailing prayer, but because divinely inspired Scriptural patterns of prayer teach us what prayer is, why we should do it, what needs to be emphasized in it, and what ought to be included in it -- even as we pray through those patterns.
For instance, when Jesus taught His disciples to pray: “Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (Matthew 6:9-13), note what we learn just by praying this prayer.
“Our Father who is in heaven” teaches us what prayer is: spiritual conversation and fellowship with our loving heavenly Father (rather than a vehicle to get what we want). It also motivates to pray, reminding us as it does that we may approach the Lord of Heaven confidently because He is our Father (and so we approach Him not just to obtain things, but because we love Him and want to talk to Him).
The petitions “Hallowed be Your name,” “Your kingdom come,” and “Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven” remind us of our priorities in prayer: we are to emphasize God’s agenda rather than our own when we engage Him in spiritual conversation (that is, His glory and our acknowledgment of His Lordship ought to manifest itself in all our prayers).
The supplications “Give us this day our daily bread,” “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,” “do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” teach us that we must be dependent on the Lord for provision of our daily needs, for forgiveness our daily sins, and for protection against daily temptations. They also teach us that such intercessions are to be regularly included in our prayer (in other words, the ordinary concerns of our own lives and the lives of others are matters about which God desires us to speak with Him!).
In short, by praying through the Lord’s prayer with spiritual understanding, we learn what prayer is, why we should do it, what needs to be emphasized in it, and what ought to be included in it, even as we pray it! And this is but one example of the power and practicality of Scriptural prayer. May God grip our hearts with the prayers of Scripture and changes our lives by them.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan

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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Praying Scripturally

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 9
“Praying Scripturally”
First Published: March 13, 1997

Just prior to the Missions Conference, we had been reflecting on prayer and, in particular, prayer for those in ministry. I would like to return to that subject again and focus on some of the problems and potentials in our practice of prayer.

Few of us, probably, are satisfied with our private, family, and corporate prayer habits. And surely we all recognize that the Church of our day, at least in our land, is weak in the way of prayer. We do not pray often. We do not pray with Scriptural proportion, nor does our prayer much reflect the language and thought of the Bible. We do not pray fervently. Some, perhaps, lack confidence in the efficacy of prayer. There are many roots to this problem, and hence many aspects to its solution, but I can think of no more significant component to changing our prayer habits for the better than learning to pray according to Scripture.

Resorting to a more Scriptural pattern of prayer may be a simple (but profound) answer to many problems in our practice of prayer. Praying Scripturally will teach us what prayer is, even while we do it. It will correct "shopping list" views of prayer which abound in the Christian community. It will begin to solve in our own minds the question of "unanswered prayer." It will remind us of just how much there is to pray about day by day. It will teach us of the extreme urgency of prayer. It will return proportion to prayers long on petition, but short on adoration, confession, and thanksgiving. It will instruct us how best to pray for ministers, missionaries, and one another. It will show us the proper way to approach God in prayer. It will remind us of the good things that God does for us (which we, more often than not, take for granted). It will remind us to always give thanks to God (which, paradoxically, is so important for our own assurance of His faithfulness in answering prayer). It will begin to engrave in our minds Biblical patterns of thought which can help immunize us from the enticing folly of the world's view of life. It will force us to rehearse the solemn warnings and precious promises of God (which will do eternal good to our souls). And it will move us from our inherent man-centeredness in prayer to a Biblical, God-centered way of praying.

Over the next few weeks we will look at biblical patterns for prayer, but for now there is a book which I heartily recommend as an aid to your renewal of Scriptural prayer in daily life. D.A. Carson’s A Call to Spiritual Reformation (Baker Book House), a study of Paul’s prayers. It is perhaps the best book recently written on Scriptural prayer. A dear friend of mine, Dr. Mark Dever (Minister of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC), reported to me that when Professor Carson gave the lectures on prayer that eventually became this book to the Christian Union at Cambridge University, it made a profound and lasting effect on the students’ Christian walk.

May the Lord revive our hearts and make us a people of prayer.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan


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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Ambassadors for Christ

The Pastor’s Perspective

Vol. 30 Num. 8
“Ambassadors for Christ”

We have been deeply moved by the preaching of our esteemed brother Derek Thomas (a Professor and Dean at RTS) during the Missions Conference this past week [editor's note: this was originally published in February of 1997]. He has provided for us a clear, biblical vision of the call to, the meaning of, and the urgency of missions. Let us pause for a moment to reflect on some of the spiritual wisdom he imparted. Those of you who heard his messages will, no doubt, be stirred at their remembrance. Those of you who did not hear these great sermons will, no doubt, be motivated to get the tapes!

In his first Sunday morning exhortation (2 Corinthians 5:6-20), Professor Thomas reminded us that Christ has made us ambassadors (that’s what we are, not something that we choose to be at some point in our Christian experience!) and that our calling as ambassadors involves at least four things. First, he showed that the Ambassador makes it his aim to please Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:9). In other words, those who have been redeemed by Christ, willingly and joyfully live their lives for Him. Do we?

Second, we learned that the Ambassador sees it as his task to bring others to Christ (2 Cor. 5:11). Here we were challenged to view all life and relations from the standpoint of the judgment seat. Do we “see” unbelievers as human beings standing in the shadow of the eternal throne of judgment? Do we seek to persuade them in that light? And do we labor as those who live in the light of eternity and long to hear “Well, done” at the great assize?

Third, it was emphasized that the Ambassador derives his energy from Christ (2 Cor. 5:14). Many have tried to serve Christ in their own strength or for mistaken reasons. There have been some, for instance, who have labored for Christ because they thought “if I work enough for Him, maybe He will love me.” But this is wrong. Indeed, it is Jesus’ love for us that constrains us to serve, empowers us to serve, equips us to serve, and motivates us to serve. We serve, because He loves us. We are able to serve, because He strengthens us. Do we live from the base of His grace?

Fourth, we saw that the Ambassador builds the foundation of his life on Christ (2 Cor. 5:19). Our life with and service of God is based on Christ’s work of reconciliation. Through Christ’s atoning work, our alienation from God has been exchanged for friendship with God. Here Professor Thomas made a profound point that none of us should ever forget. He said: “The Gospel is not that ‘God has not counted our trespasses against us,’ but rather that ‘God has not counted our trespasses against us, but against Christ.’” In other words, the Gospel is not “God forgives,” but “God forgives, because ‘He spared not His own Son.’” This reminds us of the centrality (in the Gospel and in our lives) of the atoning work of Christ.

Many today preach that “God loves” is the essence of Christianity, but our lives are based on a foundation more glorious than this: “God so loved that He poured out His wrath on His own Son that we might be redeemed from wrath, alienation, and estrangement into an eternal fellowship with Him.” “How firm a foundation,” indeed.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan

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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Called to Missions

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 7
“Called to Missions”

We are now in the midst of our annual Missions Conference [editor's note: this was originally published in February of 1997]. What a blessing it is to hear God’s Word proclaimed with a view to building a missionary spirit in our hearts. As Henry Martyn once said “The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions, and the nearer we get to Him the more intensely missionary we must become.” Last week, we said that missions “is the work of Christ through the Church to call all the peoples of the earth to Himself by repentance and faith, and to make them His disciples, and through baptism to incorporate them into His body (the Church).”

All Christians are called to this task, this purpose. We may not be called in the same way, to the same particular job, or to the same region of ministry, but --let us be clear about it-- we are called to be witnesses to Christ in the world. As it is said: “No Christian is outside our Lord’s last command.” Whether one is a faithful CPA or homemaker in Jackson, bearing witness to the truth, or a lifetime missionary to Brazil, we are all called to be witnesses.

During this week you will have been encouraged to become involved in the missionary activity of the church. No doubt, many of those addressing you will remind you that you can be involved by praying, giving, and going. This is true. But I want to be more specific.

Whenever God prepares to employ someone in His service, He changes that person (think of Saul/Paul). He creates a new heart (new character, new priorities, new desires) in that person, out of which all their activities naturally flow. Our involvement, then, in the activities of witness is a natural expression of our union with Christ. We are His and He is ours, and so we live and speak in light of that relationship. So, the first way we can become involved in missions is to remember who we are (what God has made us). We are witnesses, by definition. But what does this mean, practically, for our involvement in missions. Well, it means at least five things.

1. We are to be witnesses to the truth of the Gospel: it has radically changed our lives. Do we live in such a way that our neighbors can see that we believe the claims of Christ in His Scriptures really matter? Do we ever enter into conversation with them about spiritual things?

2. We are to be witnesses to the saving Lordship of Christ: He has redeemed us and rules over us. Can those who know us best see a difference in our lives? Does it show in our choices and priorities?

3. We are to be witnesses to the power of grace to sanctify: we now walk in the way of holiness. Are we good examples to our families and friends? Could we say to them “do as I do”?

4. We are to be witnesses to Christ in the midst of our community and culture: He has placed us here to be a living testimony to the Truth. Are we looking for ways to impact our culture, our business, our social circles, with the Gospel?

5. We are to be witnesses to Christ to our neighbors: in our love and integrity and informal speech we show forth the good news of salvation. Do we practice radical hospitality? Do we befriend those from “the wrong side of the tracks” for the sake of the Gospel? Do we seek the best interest of others, despite the personal cost? Do we reach out and welcome strangers at Church, and invite them into our homes?

Well then, that’s who we are: we are His witnesses. Every Christian is a witness to Christ (it is not an option, it is who we are!). And so, the only question is: “will I be a good witness or a bad one?” Dear ones, let us pray and let us give and let us go -- but let us be, ourselves, the witnesses that God has intended us to be.

Your fellow missionary,


Ligon Duncan


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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Going to the Mission Field

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 6
“Going to the Mission Field”

This Sunday [editor's note: this was originally published in February of 1997] will mark the beginning of our Missions Conference. It is appropriate for us to ask the question “What is missions?” This may seem elementary, but even scholars of missions (called missiologists) remind us that it is helpful to reflect on the exact nature of our task before we throw ourselves into it.

Sometimes we hear folks say evangelism is bringing the gospel to people close at hand, while missions is bringing the gospel to those far away. This is not entirely incorrect, as long as we realize the evangelism, Biblically defined, is simply the presentation of the gospel (the good news of salvation through Christ) -- wherever and to whomever it is proclaimed! If we present the gospel to our next door neighbor, we are doing the work of an evangelist. If we share the gospel on the street in the Ukraine, we are doing the work of an evangelist. Sharing the gospel (evangelizing) is a basic responsibility of every Christian.

Every Christian is called to be a witness to Christ (Acts 1:8; 8:37). We are to bear witness to who Christ is, what He has done on our behalf, and to His Lordship over us, through our lives and our words. When we bear witness through our words we are “evangelizing.”
So, back to our question: “What is missions?” Missions is an important (indeed, an essential) aspect of the Church’s duty to be a witness to Christ, rooted way back in God’s covenant with Abraham (and before that in the counsels of eternity). The word mission comes from the Latin missio which means “a sending away.” Hence, a missionary is one sent by the call of God and by the authority of the Church to bear witness to Christ in place or culture away from his own people.

God has commanded not only that we be witnesses, but that we be witnesses to the very ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). In God’s covenant with Abraham, He indicated that Abraham was to be a blessing to “all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3). In the fulfillment of the covenant of Abraham, Christ told his disciples that his message was to be preached to “all the nations” for a blessing (Matthew 28:19).

What then is missions? It is the work of Christ through the Church to call all the peoples of the earth to Himself by repentance and faith, and to make them His disciples, and through baptism to incorporate them into His body (the Church). What a privilege to be an instrument of the risen Lord to bring the light of eternal life to all peoples. Let us go then to the task. And if we cannot reach the mission fields on our feet, we can reach them on our knees.

Your friend,



Ligon Duncan



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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Praying for the Preacher’s Boldness

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 5
“Praying for the Preacher’s Boldness”

Last week, we continued our look at Ephesians 6:19-20 where Paul details a list of seven prayer requests for preachers. We have now reviewed the first six of those seven directions: (1) Christians are to faithfully intercede for ministers; (2) Christians are to pray for their ministers’ consistency in heralding the word of God; (3) Christian are to pray for their ministers to be given a divine supply of truth; (4) Christians are to pray for the fear of God in their ministers; (5) Christians are to pray for their ministers to make known the mystery of the Gospel; (6) Christians are to pray for their ministers’ endurance under tribulation. This week we conclude with a look at the seventh request.

7. Christians are to pray for their ministers’ fearless declaration of the Gospel. Finally, Paul asks that we pray “that I would declare it fearlessly (boldly), as I should.” Here, we are reminded of the minister’s need for holy boldness. The preacher is speaking a message with eternal consequences. He must speak “as a dying man to dying men.” For this he needs spiritual boldness. So, if we want to intercede for our ministers, we would do well to implore God to make them fearless in proclamation.
In Edinburgh, Scotland on Saturday nights from 7:30 to 9:30 a small band of faithful church members/prayer warriors gathers in the church hall of Holyrood Abbey Church. There they intercede for the evangelical ministers and missionaries of their denomination supported by their church. Thus, if your are a minister of the Gospel and your name is on the prayer board of Holyrood Church, you know when you climb the pulpit steps next morning that you are not alone and you are not without the prayers of the saints. What a comfort to know the surrounding of the prayers of the saints.
Who knows what blessings the Lord will rain down if we seek His face in prayer for His servants: for the campus ministers who preach to our collegians, for the pastors that mount our pulpits, for the missionaries who preach the Word in far countries, for youth ministers who herald the gospel to our children, for the seminarians whose ministry is before them, for the seminary professors who are entrusted with crafting ministers of the Gospel. Let’s all determine to be in prayer for the all the ministers of the Church, and to pray for them biblically.

Your friend,



Ligon Duncan


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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Continuing to Pray for Ministers

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 4
“Continuing to Pray for Ministers”

Last week, we began a look at Ephesians 6:19-20 where Paul details a list of seven prayer requests for preachers. We saw, first, that we are to faithfully intercede for ministers and, second, that we are to pray for their consistency in heralding the Word. This week we consider the next four directions (#3-6) for prayer that God sets down in that passage.

3. Christian are to pray for their ministers to be given a divine supply of truth. Note that Paul asks that we pray“that . . . words would be given to me.” It is not the word of man that saves, but the Word of God. We need men who will speak His Truth, not their opinions, if we expect to see the hand of God in revival. So we need to pray for God to put His Word in ministers’ mouths.
4. Christians are to pray for the fear of God in their ministers. Paul asks for petitions “that . . . I would make known with boldness the Gospel.” This may refer to him speaking boldly (a request he makes later), or it may point to his desire to preach the word in the fear of God (rather than man). That is, Paul wants to be conscious of the fact that God is his judge and audience when he preaches. What God thinks is what ultimately matters, not what men think. Whatever the case, we ought to pray that our ministers are God-fearers and not man-pleasers.
5. Christians are to pray for their ministers to make known the mystery of the Gospel. The flip side of this last prayer request is “that . . . I would make known the mystery of the Gospel.” In other words, Paul does not want to be sidetracked in his proclamation. He needs to get to the heart of the issue if he is going to get into the hearts of people. We, too, need to pray that preachers get to the essence of the Gospel every time they preach. The “mystery” (which means a “public secret” -- something that was once concealed that has now been revealed) is that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and that through his life, death, and resurrection He is the one and only Savior for the world (Jew and Gentile).
6. Christians are to pray for their ministers’ endurance under tribulation. Paul adds the comment“for which I am an ambassador in chains” This reminds us that every minister worth his salt is going to be tested. Paul was imprisoned, and eventually martyred. Luther was excommunicated and hunted. Rutherford was exiled. Whitefield was mocked. Show me a faithful minister and I’ll show you a man who knows tribulation: a man with a broken heart. This is the way God insures that you have a man with a tender heart to care for you in time of need. First, He breaks the heart of the shepherd. Then he calls the broken-hearted shepherd to tend His sheep. So, we need to pray that God’s men hold up under His divine discipline.
Well say more next week. Until then, may the Lord keep you all.

Your friend,



Ligon Duncan


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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Prayer for Ministers

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 3
“Pray for Ministers”

Prayer is one of the most important aspects of the Christian life. Indeed, it is so important that we often talk about our “prayer life” as if it were a separate existence! Prayer is one of the three great means of grace (the Word and sacraments being the others of that triad). Most of us probably know more about prayer than we put in to practice. It is the doing that is difficult for us. But I am also convinced that one of the things that keeps us from praying is not knowing what to pray. Fortunately, God has not left us to our own devices and creativity here. The Bible is filled with instructions, specific instructions on what we ought to pray for one another.

For instance (if you will allow me to be a bit selfish for a moment), God tells us exactly what to pray for ministers. There are, of course, many legitimate things we can ask of God for them. But the Bible gives us some specific matters for prayer that we dare not ignore. When you pray for ministers, youth workers, campus ministers, missionaries, church planters, and seminarians, what do you ask? Well, in Ephesians 6:19-20 (and we could look at other passages), we find seven directions on what to pray. This week we’ll look at the first two directives.
1. Christians are to faithfully intercede for ministers. “Pray for me,” Paul says. He repeats this plea elsewhere:“I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf” Romans 15:30. This first point, of course, is that we ought to pray for ministers! Surely if the exalted Apostle needs prayer in his ministry, his lesser brethren need your intercessions as we fulfill our duties. We actually join the minister in the work of the Gospel when we pray for him (as Romans 15:30 indicates).
2. Christians are to pray for their ministers’ consistency in heralding the word of God. Paul says pray “that whenever I open my mouth words would be given to me.” It is the Gospel minister’s job to herald the truth “in season and out of season.” But we preachers are often tempted to unfaithfulness or perhaps we grow weary in well-doing, and so we need supporting prayer, even as Aaron and Hur supported Moses. Furthermore, Paul asks that we pray for him to speak the very words that the Lord would have him speak. Surely every minister would be the beneficiary of such a prayer.
How blessed is the minister whose congregation so prays for him. We’ll look at the next four directions in Ephesians 6:19-20 next week. Until then, God bless you all.

Your friend,



Ligon Duncan



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Men of the Covenant

Dr. Sean Michael Lucas

Men, please join us for our Men of the covenant Luncheon on Thursday, November 5, in Miller Hall from 11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Our speaker will be Dr. Sean Michael Lucas. Sean currently serves as the Senior Minister at First Presbyterian Church, Hattiesburg, MS. Sean is from Stratford, New Jersey. He graduated from Bob Jones University with a BA in Pastoral Studies in 1993 and a MA in Theology/Church History in 1994. Sean earned his PhD at Westminster Theological Seminary in 2002. Since 2004, Sean has served at Covenant Seminary. He has held a number of positions at the seminary including Dean of Faculty, Vice President of Academics, Chief Academic Officer and Associate Professor of Church History. While serving the seminary, he served as Assistant Pastor of Preaching at The Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in St. Louis. Sean and his wife, Sarah, have four children, Samuel (12), Elizabeth (10), Andrew (8), and Benjamin (5).

Reservations are not required and the cost of lunch is $5.00 at the door. If you have any questions, please contact Shannon Craft at 601-326-9243 or shannc@fpcjackson.org.
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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: The Ground and Substance of all our Hopes

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 30 Num. 1
“The Ground and Substance of all our Hopes”

In the beginning of a new year, we often devote ourselves afresh to important principles and goals for our lives and families. We also look back, reflecting and reassessing the events of the year past: happy and sad, triumphant and tragic.

There will be many within our congregation for whom 1996 was filled with inexpressible grief. These may have been private griefs known to few (or none), but which have broken the heart, or public griefs, in which we found support in the midst of our losses and crosses from friends and family. Surely, these folk must be wondering what the future holds for them.

Others in our church family may recount the victories and blessings of 1996 among the sweetest in life: answered prayers for which we had never dreamt how wonderful God’s answer would be, the gift of children, or marriage, or meaningful vocation, or financial prosperity, or family love and tranquility. And those blessed, too, will be wondering: what next in God’s plan?

For most, however, 1996 was somewhere in between: filled with favors and difficulties, but neither the best nor the worst of times. Whatever our individual circumstances may be, all of us would do well to reconsider our Spiritual priorities in the dawn of this new year. And while we do so, we also do well to reevaluate our dependence on God’s grace.

Many years ago Robert Hawker said: “I am every day more and more convinced that the lack of living wholly upon Christ is the sole cause why so many of God’s children go lean from day to day.” In your prosperity or poverty are you going lean? Are you finding joy in the midst of hardship, because of the sense of Christ’s presence? Are you unimpressed with the best of the world’s treasures because your treasure is hid away in Christ? You see, one key to Spiritual growth is complete dependence on Christ.

If I may paraphrase some important counsel from Robert Hawker’s, The Poor Man’s Morning and Evening Portions (an excellent devotional book which I recommend to you all): The Christ of God is the whole of salvation in the Lord’s arrangement. Therefore, the believer who really and truly knows and accepts the Lord Jesus in this comprehensive way must be, in his or her growth in sanctification, completely dependant upon Christ for God’s glory and his or her own happiness. The source of our growth and felicity (that real and profound happiness and contentment that worldlings think they can find apart from God) is Christ. And so, as we purpose to grow in grace this year, we must purpose not trust in our feelings, nor our moral virtues, nor our holiness, nor our pious desires, nor even in our faith (which is but an instrument of grace, not the basis of it) but in Jesus the Christ. He is the ground and substance of all our hopes.

Yours devotedly,



Ligon Duncan


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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Christ as Grace and Truth

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 29 Num. 15
“Christ as Grace and Truth”

This is a season full of sentiment, but the Christian’s sentiment should be fuller and deeper and richer than all others’ because it is based on a divine verity: the incarnation of our Lord. We would do well to meditate often on the Lord Jesus’ enfleshment and its significance for our salvation, and there is no better passage than John 1:14-18 to help us: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, “He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.”’ For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.”

Here, are set out three great truths to encourage our hearts. First, the reality of the Incarnation is stressed. It really happened: the Word became flesh. The eternal Son of God took on human nature. Do we have a hard time believing it? Well, John says, there is proof. “We” witnessed His glory. That is, all the Apostles and eyewitnesses saw His glory show through. Furthermore, John the Baptist testified of Him. John saw and confessed Him too. Finally, we know He is true because “we” have received grace after grace through Him. As “we” (not only the Apostles, but all who are in Christ) have experienced the benefits of His person and work, the reality of the incarnation is confirmed.

Second, we learn here that the work of Jesus Christ was savingly effective. Notice that John explicitly identifies Jesus Christ is the Incarnate Word (17). What does it mean that “Grace and truth have been realized” through Him? Grace means “saving favor” -- the saving favor of God. This favor is realized through (and only through) the person and work of Christ which bring to expression God’s eternal love and saving purposes. “Truth,” here, refers to the “reality” pointed to by all the Old Testament promises and prophecies. The Old Testament foreshadowed that reality, but in Christ it has been realized. John is saying: “In Christ, we have found saving favor with God and Christ is the reality to which the whole Old Testament pointed.

Third, we discover that the Word has explained the Father (18). It is a standing theological principle of Scripture that God is invisible, but John’s words mean more: No man knows God as He is in himself. However, the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ, is “the Only Begotten God” (notice this unapologetic testimony to the divinity of Christ) and He has revealed Him. In other words, if you want to know God, you must do so through Christ because He is the Father’s definitive revealer. As J.C. Ryle put many years ago: “Christ is the meeting-point between the Trinity and the sinner’s soul.”

May your Christmas meditations be filled with incarnational truth and blessings. Merry Christmas!

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan


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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: O Word of God Incarnate

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 29 Num. 14

In this season of the year, we often gather our families and read the beautiful accounts of Christ’s nativity found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. This is good, but we should not forget John. He, too, gives an important account of our Lord’s entrance into the world. True there are no shepherds or wise men or mangers in his account, but his words are chock full of glory and joy.

Remember the opening verses? “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 was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1-5).

As J.C. Ryle has reminded us “. . . there are heights and depths in [this passage] which are far beyond man’s understanding. And yet there are plain lessons in it which every Christian would do well to treasure up in his mind.” Permit me to point to five of these lessons for your edification.

First, note that we learn here that Jesus Christ is eternal (“In the beginning was the Word”). Jesus is here called “the Word” (John explicitly makes the connection in verses 14, 17-18). He was born into the world and born of Mary, but He pre-existed his human birth, and He pre-existed the world itself. Second, we find that Jesus Christ is a person distinct from the Father (“the Word was with God”). Hence, the Word (the preincarnate Son of God) is not only eternal, but also personal (a He not an it), and indeed He is alongside God the Father eternally.

Third, John boldly states that Jesus Christ is very God (“the Word was God”). This is a straightforward assertion of the deity of our Lord. No other estimation of Jesus will suffice. As Robert Lewis Dabney once said: “He who believes in the divinity of Jesus Christ is a Christian; he who does not, (whatever his profession), is a mere Deist.”

Fourth, Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things (“All things came into being through Him”). Not only is the Word eternally existent, not only is He personal, not only is He ascribed the name of God, but He is also the Creator (a task which every good Jew knew was performed by God alone).

Fifth, Jesus Christ is the source of all spiritual life (“In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men”). John tells us that the Word, the Lord Jesus is the only Hope and Savior of the world because all life and light reside.

By the way, in a nutshell, we have here the rudiments of Scripture’s doctrine of the Trinity. That is, though there is but one true God, there is an eternal personal fellowship between the divine Word and God, the Word shares the name of God, and the Word does the works of God. Correlate with this passage the New Testament teachings on the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit, and you have the doctrine of the Trinity: one God in three Persons.

What a glorious passage on which to reflect in all seasons of the year. Ryle urged: “Would we know . . . the strength of a true Christian’s foundation for hope? Let us often read these first five verses of St John’s Gospel. Let us mark that the Saviour in whom the believer is bid to trust is nothing less than the eternal God. . . . In ourselves we are great sinners. But in Jesus Christ we have a great Saviour.” May you share this message this faithfully and may it be your everlasting comfort.

Your friend,


Ligon Duncan


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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: More than Just Knowing

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 29 Num. 12

Last week we observed that saving faith involves a true knowledge. In other words, we must know certain truths in order to exercise saving faith. These truths are found in the Word of God and are part of true Gospel preaching. So, in order to embrace Christ in a saving relationship, we must also embrace the truth about Him (both about His Person and Work) revealed in the Holy Scriptures. By the way, the importance of catechizing our children becomes apparent when the above truth is grasped.

However, there is more to faith than knowledge, for saving faith also entails a FIRM BELIEF (Hebrews 11:6). That is, when confronted by the truth-claims of the Gospel, saving faith responds not with mere assent or acquiescence (The Bible tells us that the demons “assent” and tremble! - James 2:19), nor with apathetic acknowledgment (that bored yawn that says in the heart “so what?”), but with a firm and hearty conviction. Saving faith always involves a personal embrace of the truth of the Gospel. This conviction of saving truth means a whole-hearted commitment that confesses “I BELIEVE” both the facts of the Gospel and the Savior of the Gospel. In other words, I believe in Christ and His Word, and I believe in the Christ of the Word. The church has always recognized the essential importance of such a faith commitment, and that is one reason it composed creeds (from the Latin “credo” -- “I believe”) -- short summations of Biblical truth meant to be confessed by the church and its ministry
May I mention in passing the dangerous modern tendency to set belief in a Person and belief in truths in opposition to one another. We often hear evangelicals say “Christianity is a Person, not a doctrine.” This is precisely what the Liberals began teaching a century ago. And it is a soul killing lie. Saving faith is a personal relationship, true, but it is a relationship with a Person who is revealed to us in the Word of God alone. So if we are going to know Him, we are going to have to know Him as He has revealed Himself (and not on our own terms). Saving faith says both “I believe in you, Jesus” (Your Person -- who You are) and “I believe you, Jesus” (Your Word -- what You say)
Let me say in conclusion that GOD GIVES FAITH (Phil. 1:29; Eph. 2:8). It is true, we must believe, but we cannot do it on our own. We need the grace of God. There are two enemies of real faith: self-confidence and despair. Self-confidence assumes that faith is an almost effortless action -- anybody and everybody can do it. Despair fears that faith is impossible. Satan knows this and so he tempts us with two lies or half-truths. On the one hand, he persuades some to believe that faith is the easiest thing in the world. Thus they think that they can do it on their own. But in the end, they end up trusting themselves, or their faith, and not Christ. On the other hand, he persuades others that faith is the hardest thing in the world. Thus they never believe because it seems impossible. They are paralyzed by the fear that they might not be able to believe, and thus their fears become so many self-fulfilling prophecies.
The Bible unties this knot by reminding us that for us alone, by ourselves, on our own, faith is impossible, but that with God all things are possible! The Lord gives faith. The Lord enables our belief. This is the blessed truth of Scripture. The Bible teaches that saving faith is the fruit of divine election (Acts 13:48), the result of regeneration (I John 5:1) the effect of the Spirit’s work (I Cor. 12:3). It is the Father who enables us to come to Jesus (John 6:65) and Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). So the proper Biblical posture with regard to faith is always: “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

Yours joyfully,


Ligon Duncan

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Gleanings from the Pastor's Perspective: Faith and Knowledge

The Pastor’s Perspective
Vol. 29 Num.11

Last week we noted that saving faith is much more than a momentary decision or something that we did in the past. In fact we saw that, according to the Bible, saving faith involves both acceptance of truth and personal trust. It is the instrument by which we lay hold of Christ in all His benefits.
We live in a day that is characterized by a preoccupation with our emotional responses to events (rather than the realities themselves), and with our perceptions (rather than the facts). In such a time as this, then, it is important for us to remember that FAITH ENTAILS A TRUE KNOWLEDGE.

We often hear people say “we believe in a person (Jesus), not in propositions.” But though it is true that the object of our faith is a Person (the Lord Jesus), we must know something about Him before we can have a saving relationship with Him. In other words, saving faith involves both trust and beliefs. Saving faith is not “contentless faith” or a faith without knowledge, nor is it “faith in faith” (“if I just believe enough it will come true” -- which is not Christian faith), nor “faith in ourselves” (“you just have to believe in yourself” -- which is pagan).

Our Lord Himself stressed that the truth makes us free (Luke 24:25, 45), so before we can have saving faith in a Person we must know some things about Him. This is why Paul says “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). A key part of faith’s knowledge is the realization of the love and mercy of God in Christ Jesus. That is, we must recognize that, in spite of the fact the we deserve to be condemned, God had manifested His readiness to save repentant sinners by giving His Son on our behalf. Only God’s grace can reveal this to a sinner.

The fact that saving faith involves a true knowledge reminds us of the importance of being good students of the Bible and Christian Doctrine. Saving faith is a faith which is instructed by the Word of God. Saving faith trusts in Christ as He is presented in the Gospel (not Christ according to our opinions). So, if we do not know the Book and its teachings, our faith will be deficient (or even empty).

We will continue our reflections on saving faith next week. In the meantime, let’s commit ourselves to attaining the true Biblical knowledge that fortifies faith.

Your friend,



Ligon Duncan

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