Review of 2008 Ligonier's National Conference- Day 3

The end of the conference is always sad for me and at the same time by the third day my brain is ready for a break! This year was no exception. The morning started out with Sinclair Ferguson preaching on "The Nature of Saving Faith." This was the most challenging message of the conference for me- one I will have to listen a few more times. Ferguson focused on how it is not faith in Christ that saves but Christ who saves through faith. Ferguson pointed out that Paul speaks of "believing into Christ" and how this language is unique to the New Testament. The best part of the message was when Ferguson was explaining that God does not believe for us and how at the point of believing faith is active and faith is wholly receptive. Saving faith does not have a single constructive moment but we embrace Christ actively by faith. This message was very interesting and offered much to chew on.

After Ferguson was one more Q&A session followed by Sproul's last message on "Counted Righteous in Christ." Sproul centered on imputation and how salvation rests on imputation. Sproul explained how our righteousness is not a legal fiction but that we are truly righteous because Christ's righteousness is imputed to us when we believe. Sproul used the example of Abraham who believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness. Abraham was justified before he was sanctified. Sproul also talked about how no one is justified apart from works. The point of disagreement between the Roman Catholic and Protestant church comes in when you ask the question, "by whose works are you justified?" The biblical answer is "by Christ's."

I really enjoyed learning more about the doctrines of subsitutionary atonement and imputation at this years Ligonier conference. I also enjoyed staying for the Hallelujah Chorus this year for the first time- a little glimpse of heaven! I was able to talk to Sproul at the end of the conference while waiting for the mp3 messages to be done. I expressed my thanks to him for his teaching on some of my favorite subjects- the psychology of unbelief and his exposition of Romans 1. I also picked up my first Ferguson book, "The Christian Life" and a few Sproul books I've wanted for a long time, "The Consequence of Ideas" and Classical Apologetics." I can't wait to eat them up!