How can we truly know that God always does what is best for us? Focusing on Romans 8:32, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson reminds us what lies at the heart of the gospel. In the atonement, we behold the Father who refused to spare his own Son - and the Son who was obedient in being delivered up on our behalf. If this is the kind of God we have, and if this is what he has already shown us of himself, then we can confidently say he is for us.

A Heart for God is written out of the conviction that the world’s greatest need, and the contemporary church’s greatest lack, is the knowledge of God. In a popular, readable style, this helpful book draws us to an awareness of the character of God and the nature of his relationship to his people. In these pages, Sinclair B. Ferguson guides us, step-by-step, to see the greatness of God in His majesty and creating power; to sense the tenderness of His care and the marvel of His love. A Heart for God is “practical, pastoral and profound” (J.I. Packer). It unfolds the grace of God with a simple clarity which should lead each reader to pray (with John Calvin, the Reformer): “I offer my heart to you, Lord, eagerly and earnestly.”

"Blessed is the man ... his delight is in the law of the Lord."John Calvin described the Psalms as "an anatomy of all the parts of the soul." The description is an apt one, says Sinclair B. Ferguson in the foreward to this volume, "since every experience, every emotion, all the heights and depths, all the joys and sorrows, all the mysteries of human life, are here."These select readings from Calvin's Commentary on the Psalms provide us with a year's worth of rewarding daily meditations. Calvin wrote as one whose own experience is mirrored in the Psalms. Here we witness his remarkable knack for seeing the real issues, particularly how Christ is the focus of all of Scripture."In these pages you will find the Spirit-inspired biblical anatomy of the Psalms and the hands of an oustanding physician and surgeon of the spirit. Reading them on a daily basis can hardly fail to bring you spiritual health and strength. . . . Calvin seems to come to us from within the Bible, from inside the reality described in the text. He had learned the meaning of the command to love God 'with all your mind."—Sinclair Ferguson"This elegantly produced paperback presents daily readings from key portions of John Calvin's Commentary on the Psalms . . . . To read each day a carefully selected, one-page portion of Calvin's Commentary is an edifying exercise."—David B. Calhoun, Presbyterion (Spring 2001)

Sometimes one word is all that stands between the truth and a lie, between life and death. In the Reformation, that word was sola, “alone.” At a time when leaders in the church claimed to speak for God, the Protestant Reformers reminded God’s people that Scripture alone is our infallible authority. While many people sought to work their way to heaven, the Reformers boldly proclaimed the only true gospel: salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone. That word, “alone,” made all the difference then, and the same is true today. Take up this devotional to spend ninety days with the five solas of the Reformation. These core biblical truths display the reliability of God’s Word and the depths of His mercy, helping you grow in faith day by day.

Following Jesus is not easy. It involves self-denial, daily cross-bearing, and lifelong obedience. Salvation is promised to the one who “endures to the end.” Christians need much encouragement, especially in “difficult times.” This the Lord supplies through pastors who love Him and care for His people. John Owen was such a pastor. One way he sought to help his fellow-believers was to hold occasional meetings for spiritual conference and fellowship at which various topics were addressed and discussed, with Owen providing a concluding summary of the proceedings. The short chapters in Searching Our Hearts in Difficult Times contain a number of Owen’s talks and sermons on a wide range of subjects which are as relevant to Christians today as they were to believers some three and a half centuries ago.

Even good things can become idols if we give them central importance in our lives. Having children changes everything, and as mothers, we risk looking for life, purpose and meaning in motherhood. While being a mother brings its unique set of challenges, these years of raising children and helping them grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord provide an opportunity to grow in our own Christlikeness as well. Writing from her own personal experience as a mom, Christina Fox encourages mothers to prayerfully and thoughtfully examine their own hearts, and to let God use motherhood as a means of sanctification. Split into three sections, the first chapter looks at the meaning motherhood; chapters 2–4 are about idolatry; chapters 5–9 focus on a few different idols that mothers might worship (not an exhaustive list, but a common few); and the final chapters are about facing idols, dethroning them, and turning our heart back to the One true God.

Although postmodernism, polytheism, and the ancient heresy of Gnosticism seem unrelated, Peter Jones shows that they are part of an ancient religious worldview that seeks to impose significant elements of a pagan civilization on our once “Christian” Western culture. Jones helps us to understand this opposing spiritual system so that we can counter it with the biblical gospel.Written to equip and strengthen laypeople in their defense of the faith, Christian Answers to Hard Questions challenges contemporary opposition to Christianity with concise, practical answers.

This is John Flavel’s classic work on union and fellowship with God. In a comprehensive and helpful manner Flavel helps us understand better what ‘keeping the heart’ means. He tells us why we should take this commission seriously and speaks about there being particular times when we need to be especially wary of being distracted from our goal. He then shows how we can go on to develop a greater ability in keeping our hearts in tune with God. His advice is timeless, sensitive and profound. Flavel was an English Puritan who became a non–conformist after the ‘Great Ejection’ of 1662. It was 10 years before he was licensed to preach again, and then only in his own home. His writings, when collected in the 19th century, filled 6 volumes. Flavel’s writings are known for their practical nature. He was instrumental in promoting the ‘Happy Union’ of Presbyterians and Congregationalists.

The Heart of Christ in Heaven towards Sinners on Earth was first published in 1651, and it soon became Thomas Goodwin’s (1600-1680) most popular work. It is a fine example of his Christ-centredness and his mix of theological rigour and pastoral concern. In it he aims to show from Scripture that, in all his heavenly majesty, Christ is not now aloof from believers and unconcerned, but has the strongest affections for them. Goodwin begins with the beautiful assurances given by Christ to his disciples, taking as an example of that love Christ’s washing of his disciples’ feet (John 13). The heart of his argument, however, lies in his exposition of Hebrews 4:15, in which Goodwin shows that in all his glorious holiness in heaven, Christ is not sour towards his people; if anything, his capacious heart beats more strongly than ever with tender love for them. And in particular, two things stir his compassion: our afflictions and—almost unbelievably—our sins. How we need Goodwin and his message today! If we are to be drawn from jaded, anxious thoughts of God and a love of sin, we need such a knowledge of Christ.

Shepherding a Child's Heart is about how to speak to the heart of your child. The things your child does and says flows from the heart. Luke 6:45 puts it this way, ". . . out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." (NIV) Written for parents with children of any age, this insightful book provides perspectives and procedures for shepherding your child's heart into the paths of life."Tedd Tripp knows what he is talking about and who he is talking to. He knows children, he knows parents . . . and he knows the ways of God. This book teaches you what your goals should be and how to pursue these ends practically. It teaches you how to talk to your children and what to talk about. It will inspire you to become a different kind of parent. This is a masterful Book." —Dr. David Powlison, Professor of Practical Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary.“Dr. Tripp’s material on parenting is the clearest, most biblically framed, and most helpful that I have ever encountered. It has become the backbone of my own parenting. I am not alone, either. His seminar tapes are by far the most frequently requested biblical teaching material among my students, counselees, and friends.” —Dr. Ed Welch, Professor of Practical Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary

From interaction with their peers to the instruction and correction that they receive at home, children interpret their experience from a worldview that seeks to answer their fundamental questions: Who am I? What do I exist for? Where can I find joy? We need to provide our children with a consistent, persuasive, biblical framework for understanding the world God has made and their place in it.Instructing a Child's Heart is essential to Shepherding a Child's Heart. The instruction that you provide for them not only informs their mind; it is directed to persuading their hearts of the wisdom and truthfulness of God's ways. Impress truth on the hearts of your children, not to control or manage them, but to point them to the greatest joy and happiness that they can experience—delighting in God and the goodness of his ways."Biblical. Practical. Pastoral. This insightful book on godly childrearing is everything is everything we would expect from the author who brought us Shepherding a Child's Heart . Its tremendous value comes from the fact that it centers on the essential but oft neglected heart of biblical parenting: the Gospel of grace. I am glad to recommend it."—John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher, Grace Community Church

This piano and SATB arrangement of “Create, O God, a Pure, Clean Heart” from Dr. R.C. Sproul’s new sacred music project, Saints of Zion, offers biblical truth through beautiful choral arrangements by composer Jeff Lippencott. This project provides hymns to enrich the worship of the people of God and bring glory to our Creator.Browse all of the available sheet music from Saints of Zion.By purchasing digital print licensing, you agree to the Terms & Conditions. Digital print licensing is not transferrable. If you need additional licenses, you may purchase a combination of print licenses to meet your needs. For more details, explore the Frequently Asked Questions. All sales are final.

This arrangement for orchestra and choir of “Create, O God, a Pure, Clean Heart” from Dr. R.C. Sproul’s sacred music project Saints of Zion offers biblical truth through beautiful choral arrangements by Jeff Lippencott. This project provides hymns to enrich the worship of the people of God and bring glory to our Creator.The download includes a conductor’s score, orchestral parts, and a piano/SATB arrangement for choir rehearsal. The conductor’s score prints best on legal-sized paper. The other pieces can be printed on standard letter-sized paper.By purchasing digital print licensing, you agree to the Terms & Conditions. Digital print licensing is not transferrable. If you need additional licenses, you may purchase a combination of print licenses to meet your needs. For more details, explore the Frequently Asked Questions. All sales are final.

opposite is the case. The more I study God’s holiness, the more I see my utter unholiness. I am utterly dependant on the grace of God.

how glorious is the good news of the gospel. The good news is simply this: I can be reconciled to God. I can be justified, not on the basis of what I do, but on the basis of what has been accomplished for me by Christ.

Of course, Protestantism really teaches a double imputation. Our sin is imputed to Jesus and His righteousness is imputed to us. In this twofold transaction, we see that God does not compromise His integrity in providing salvation for His people. Rather, He punishes sin fully after it has been imputed to Jesus. This is why He is able to be both “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus,” as Paul writes in Romans 3:26. So, my sin goes to Jesus and His righteousness comes to me. This is a truth worth dividing the church. This is the article on which the church stands or falls, because it is the article on which we all stand or fall.

It is strange to me that Rome reacted so negatively to the idea of imputation, because in its own doctrine of the atonement, it holds that our sins are imputed to Jesus on the cross, which is why His atoning death has value for us. The principle of imputation is there. Furthermore, Rome teaches that a sinner can receive indulgences through the transfer of merit from the treasury of merit, but this transfer cannot be accomplished except by imputation.

The Roman Catholic Church declared that the Reformation view of justification involves God in a “legal fiction” that undermines His integrity. Rome was asking how God, in His perfect righteousness and holiness, can declare a sinner to be just if he is not, in fact, just. That seems to involve God in a fictional declaration. The Protestant response was that God declares people just because He imputes the real righteousness of Christ to them. There is nothing fictional about Christ’s righteousness, and there is nothing fictional about God’s gracious imputation of that righteousness.

We have all heard evangelists quote from Revelation: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). Usually the evangelist applies this text as an appeal to the unconverted, saying: “Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. If you open the door, then He will come in.” In the original saying, however, Jesus directed His remarks to the church. It was not an evangelistic appeal.

So what? The point is that seeking is something that unbelievers do not do on their own. The unbeliever will not seek. The unbeliever will not knock. Seeking is the business of believers. Jonathan Edwards said, “The seeking of the Kingdom of God is the chief business of the Christian life.” Seeking is the result of faith, not the cause of it.

When we are converted to Christ, we use language of discovery to express our conversion. We speak of finding Christ. We may have bumper stickers that read, “I Found It.” These statements are indeed true. The irony is this: Once we have found Christ it is not the end of our seeking but the beginning. Usually, when we find what we are looking for, it signals the end of our searching. But when we “find” Christ, it is the beginning of our search.

The Christian life begins at conversion; it does not end where it begins. It grows; it moves from faith to faith, from grace to grace, from life to life. This movement of growth is prodded by continual seeking after God.

In your spiritual walk, are you moving from faith to faith, from grace to grace, from life to life? Are you continually seeking after God?

Our natural condition is to have a heart of stone, which means we’re dead to the things of God. When we’re reborn by the Holy Spirit, that which was stony now is flesh—it’s alive. That’s problematic because in the New Testament the term “flesh” is a synonym often for our sin nature. So, God is not saying in the Old Testament, “Someday I’m going to give you a sin nature”—you already have that—but rather He’s saying that He will change the disposition of the heart. The Bible makes it clear that people in the Old Testament were born again by the power of the Holy Spirit, just as in the New Testament. This is what Paul labors in Romans 3 and 4, where he presents Abraham as the model of what it means to be both justified and a Christian. Abraham was renewed inwardly by the power of the Holy Spirit, who changed his heart from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. Most of Israel remained stone-hearted in the history of the Old Testament. They became stiff-necked and hardhearted. So, God promised a future outpouring of His Spirit where there would be multitudes of people, not just Jews but Gentiles as well, who would be born of the Spirit.

philosophical and theological question: If God is a spirit, how can the Bible speak of seeing Him in the purity of His essence, when His pure essence is spiritual and invisible?

Jonathan Edwards had some interesting thoughts on this question. His thinking is certainly speculative, but it gets me excited when I think about it. We put great stock in being an eyewitness; someone will say that something is true because he saw it with his own eyes. We know how important physical sight is, and what a blind person would give to have his sight restored. So, we must have functioning eyes to see, as well as a brain that correctly interprets the images. But the ability to see is not enough; we need light. We can't see in the dark. Edwards suggested that the experiences that we think of as direct and immediate eyewitness experiences are really indirect and mediated experiences. They pass through the intermediate steps of light, sensation, nerve stimulation, and so on. According to Edwards, the ultimate vision of God will be one that takes place without the eyes. It will be a direct and immediate apprehension by the human soul of the very essence of God—a completely and dramatically transcendent mode of perception. All of the barriers that prevent our seeing God will be removed, and we will be filled in our souls with direct, immediate apprehension of the being of God.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." The thing that keeps us from having the vision of God now is our impurity, our sin. John said that when we see Him, we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. The question remains as to whether God will glorify us in heaven, allowing us to see Him as He is, or whether He will show Himself to us, which will purify us. We don't know the answer to that, but it's interesting to think about, because nothing would be a greater agent of purification than a direct, immediate vision of the nature of God. John said that even the promise of this future vision works to begin our purification right now. So, keep it always in front of you as the ultimate promise for the fullness of your soul.

This excerpt is taken from R.C. Sproul's Crucial Questions booklet How Can I Be Blessed?. Download more free ebooks in the Crucial Questions series here.

furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. (Ex. 19:17-18)

Over and over again God invited the people, “Come near to Me.” But that invitation was balanced by what God said following the deaths of Nadab and Abihu: “By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy.” We are commanded by God to come into His presence—to come near to Him. Not only that, we may come boldly into His presence, as Hebrews 4:16 makes clear. But there is a difference between coming boldly into the presence of God and coming arrogantly. When we come boldly into His presence and draw near to Him, we must always remember that we are to regard Him as holy.

We also must remember that we have no right to come into God’s presence on our own. No amount of preparation that we can do is enough to make us fit.

As we consider the history of God’s people in the Old Testament, we do not observe a people who served the Lord faithfully. The people of Israel did not demonstrate their love for God with all their hearts. Even some of the great heroes of Israel manifested the depths of depravity in their lives.

Nevertheless, it is through our careful study of Israel’s past that we find great comfort. With spiritually discerning minds, we have been given the ability to understand the way in which God’s redemption of His people has been displayed throughout history. As such, we possess insight into the unfolding drama of redemption, from the beginning of life itself to the very end when death itself is conquered.

It is for no small reason that God’s record of His people is replete with stories of failure and renewal. For it is in the history of redemption that the patient God of Israel restores His people time after time, demonstrating His enduring love and faithfulness. Despite their lawlessness and rebellion, the people of God in the Old Testament were repeatedly brought to repentance by the kindness of God and were always renewed in their sweet communion with Him. This common theme of restoration is perhaps best illustrated in the life of David who was the son of Jesse, the shepherd of Bethlehem, the defender of the kingdom of God, the king of Israel, the adulterer, the deceiver, and the murderer. In the biblical portrait of David, we observe a man whose heart was broken by his sin and healed by his Lord.

Upon the occasion of David’s anointing, we recall the words of God to Samuel concerning David’s older brother Eliab: Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. (1 Sam. 16:7)

The boldness and sheer magnificence of these words demand that we hearken to the words of Samuel when he proclaimed to Saul that “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart…to be prince over his people” (1 Sam. 13:14). David was a man after God’s own heart, not because the heart of David was pure. Rather, he was a man after God’s own heart precisely because he understood that his heart was not pure, and for that reason he hid the Word of God in his heart so that he might not sin against the Lord and so that he might love the Lord with all his heart, coram Deo.

for Him by rewriting His law into my heart so that I begin to love what He loves. The Bible calls this being “born from above.”

Q.5. Does this mean I will never sin again?

A. No. I will continue to struggle with sin until I am glorified. God has given me a new heart, but for the moment He wants me to keep living in a fallen world. So day by day I face the pressures to sin that come from the world, the flesh, and the Devil. But God’s Word promises that over all these enemies I can be “more than a conqueror through him who loved us.”

Q.6. What four things does God counsel me to do so that my heart may be kept for Him?

A. First, I must guard my heart as if everything depended on it. This means that I should keep my heart like a sanctuary for the presence of the Lord Jesus and allow nothing and no one else to enter.

Second, I must keep my heart healthy by proper diet, growing strong on a regular diet of God’s Word — reading it for myself, meditating on its truth, but especially being fed on it in the preaching of the Word. I also will remember that my heart has eyes as well as ears. The Spirit shows me baptism as a sign that I bear God’s triune name, while the Lord’s Supper stimulates heart love for the Lord Jesus.

Third, I must take regular spiritual exercise, since my heart will be strengthened by worship when my whole being is given over to God in expressions of love for and trust in Him.

Fourth, I must give myself to prayer in which my heart holds on to the promises of God, rests in His will, and asks for His sustaining grace—and do this not only on my own but with others so that we may encourage one another to maintain a heart for God.

This—and much else—requires development, elaboration, and exposition. But it can be summed up in a single biblical sentence. Listen to your Father’s appeal: “My son, give Me your heart.”

There are moments in our lives when we are in danger, such as when we sin and don’t immediately repent but rather we nurse that sin or nurse a grievance when things don’t go our way. For example, we wanted someone and thought we were marrying one person, but he turned out to be someone else. We wanted to be rich. We wanted to live in a big house, have wonderful vacations, and so on.

It’s a struggle. For someone, it might be, “I had dreams, but cancer came.” Then you begin to nurse resentment. You need to confess that resentment to the Lord and ask Him to forgive you. You need to ask Him to bring you back into a right relationship, in which you accept God’s providence. That doesn’t mean things can’t change, and it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pray for things to change. However, you don’t want to nurse wounds and grievances.

I’ve seen it too many times: someone is angry about something that happened thirty or forty years ago and still talking about it, still nursing it. That person has wasted all these years, unable to do certain things because of the burden of anger, frustration, and resentment. To reference 1 Peter 5:6: “Humble yourselves beneath the mighty hand of God, and He will exalt you in due season.”

ever-changing passions of his own heart, but to proclaim the heart of God in His never-changing Word. Calvin was not concerned that his congregants behold him but that they behold the Lord. This should be the aim of every pastor, and, if necessary, every pastor should place a placard behind his pulpit with the following words inscribed: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus” (John 12:21). Such was Calvin’s aim in his preaching and in all his life.

the face of God.