Sinclair B. Ferguson Quotes

       Sinclair B. Ferguson
       1948-
      
       Sinclair Ferguson is a Scottish theologian known in Reformed Christian circles for his teaching, writing, and editorial work. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Aberdeen and was a minister in the Church of Scotland from 1971 to 2005, when he transferred to the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, serving as the Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina. He has served as an editor with the Banner of Truth Trust, worked as a minister at St George's-Tron Church, Glasgow, and a Council member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.
      
       Ferguson is the Senior Minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina. He is also a Professor of Systematic Theology at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, prior to which he held the Charles Krahe Chair for Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. He is also a council member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.
      
       Ferguson speaks at numerous conferences worldwide, and has written many books.

The notion that we are children of God, his own sons and daughters, lies at the heart of all Christian theology, and is the mainspring of all Christian living.     Topics: Christianity Christianity is Christ because there isn't anything else. There is no atonement that somehow can be detached from who the Lord Jesus is. There is no grace that can be attached to you transferred from Him. All there is is Christ and your soul.     Topics: Christianity Our thinking about who we are as Christians should not begin with what we can discover about ourselves by self-analysis. Rather, it begins with what God says about those who trust in Christ.     Topics: Christians There is no mere doctrine of "the security" of the believer, as though God's keeping of us took place irrespective of the lives we live. Indeed there is no such thing in the New Testament as a believer whose perseverance is so guaranteed that he can afford to ignore the warning notes which are sounded so frequently.     Topics: Doctrine You cannot open the pages of the New testament without realizing that one of the things that makes it so 'new', in every way, is that here men and women call God 'Father'. This conviction, that we can speak to the Maker of the universe in such intimate terms, lies at the heart of the Christian faith. Through Christ, says Paul, we have 'access to the Father'.     Topics: God Grace is not a 'thing'. It is not a substance that can be measured or a commodity to be distributed. It is the 'grace of the Lord Jesus Christ'. In essence, it is Jesus Himself.     Topics: Grace The story of paradise lost becoming paradise regained is the story of God's grace bringing us from alienation from him to membership in his family. God's grace restores us to what Adam lost for us - sonship to the God who made us, loves us, and provides for us in every detail in life.     Topics: Grace, Providence The way in which we maintain 'the expulsive power of a new affection' is the same as the way we first discovered it. Only when grace is still 'amazing' to us does it retain its power in us. Only as we retain a sense of our own profound sinfulness can we retain a sense of the graciousness of grace.     Topics: Grace There is nothing more important to learn about Christian growth than this: Growing in grace means becoming like Christ.     Topics: Growth Woven into the warp and woof of the New Testament's exposition of what it means for us to be holy is the great groundwork that the self-existent, thrice holy, triune God has -- in Himself, by Himself and for Himself -- committed Himself and all three Persons of His being to bringing about the holiness of His own people. This is the Father's purpose, the Son's purchase and the Spirit's ministry.     Topics: Holiness, The Trinity When the New Testament speaks about the fullness of grace which we find in Christ, it does not mean only forgiveness, pardon and justification. Christ has done much more for us. He died for us, but he also lived for us. Now he has sent his own Spirit to us so that we might draw on his strength. He grew in grace, and when we draw on his power we shall likewise grow in grace.     Topics: Holy Spirit, Growth In a nutshell, abiding in Christ means allowing His Word to fill our minds, direct our wills, and transform our affections. In other words, our relationship to Christ is intimately connected to what we do with our Bibles!     Topics: Obedience