Ligonier Ministries Blog

1. Always Ready: Join Us in Louisville

   What does it mean to be a Christian today? Teenagers hear many answers to this question—but are they the right answers? If our children are to follow Christ in a confused world, it’s vital that their faith rests on the truth. Not on the opinions of online influencers—or even the authority of their parents—but on the immovable foundation of God’s Word. Join churches and youth groups from around the country on November 14, 2026, in Louisville, KY, for Always Ready. This youth conference invites hundreds of Christians ages 12–18 to hear biblical teaching on the core truths of the Christian faith. SESSIONS: Join us for a full day of Bible teaching and fellowship as we explore who God is, why we can trust the Bible, and how the gospel of Jesus Christ shapes our whole lives. Register today for $35, which includes a welcome bag, lunch, and admission to all sessions. A 20% discount is also available for groups of ten or more. Invite your youth group, family members, and friends to join you.

2. Why Should I Attend Church in College?

   You’ve made it. You stand among the stately ivy-covered halls of your chosen college. You walk across the manicured quad, dorms, and library to your classes. You are on your way to higher education. Everything seems perfectly designed to prepare you for your future life and career—except it isn’t. The college life is not real life. This is not to say that real and important things do not happen in those college years; they do. However, the priorities, place, and pace of college life does not reflect real life and will not adequately prepare you for success in real life. You cannot be properly rooted and grounded in your faith apart from Christ’s church. And if you are not rooted and grounded in the local church, you will major in the minors. Yet, a good local church rarely factors into the decision of choosing a college. More than luxurious dorms, award-winning faculty, a killer rec center, beautiful architecture, or a state-of-the-art library, college students need the church in order to be truly successful in college. College students need the church because all Christians need the church. The priorities of college life do not reflect real life. Even in many evangelical colleges, the pursuit of academic inquiry takes precedence over all other interests. The pressure to perform academically can be overwhelming and all-consuming. The brilliance of PhDs who challenge preconceived notions of truth can capture the imagination. Grades become the ultimate purpose for existence. Or perhaps the student is driven by the social life of college such that hanging out with friends is the sole interest of college. That social life might even be oriented around a parachurch campus ministry. But the emphasis is always, “What are we doing next?” Or maybe the college student is experiencing the modest rebellion of newfound independence and just wants to do his own thing. Independence and self-expression become paramount. These skewed priorities are nurtured and exaggerated by the college experience, and they inhibit the college student from faithful attendance in church. College students need the church. The place of college life does not reflect real life. One of the exciting aspects of college life is to be surrounded by people in the same stage of life. Lifelong friendships are forged in college. Yet the mono-generational environment of college is not a healthy environment for your spiritual life. Being siloed solely with people between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two can warp your perspective. The real world does not look like this. College students need to live around the older and younger members of the covenant community. It isn’t that other generations are better than the current generation of college students, but rather that they have different struggles than college students. They have lived experiences and perspectives that are needed for a well-rounded preparation for adulthood. The knowledge and wisdom that college students can glean from older saints who are seasoned in both the joys and challenges of the Christian life can help them see beyond the unique assumptions that accompany every new generation. The younger and older saints of the church need the energy and creativity of college students, just as the college students need the wisdom of older saints. Plus, those older members of the church might even offer a home-cooked meal and help with laundry. Christians are not meant to live in mono-generational communities. College students need the church. The pace of college life does not reflect real life. What is the number one reason Christian college students give for not attending church on Sunday morning? They stayed up too late on Saturday night. It might be because of studying. It might be because of hanging out late. It might be because they were scrolling down the rabbit hole of their preferred social media platform. Late nights in college are part of the experience. Young adults need to feel that freedom and the ensuing reality of grogginess the next morning. None of that, however, creates an excuse for failing to gather with the saints on the Lord’s Day. Real life will have plenty of moments in which we are tired on a Sunday morning, but we must remain faithful to God’s commands. Sunday church is a Saturday-night decision. College students need the church. Real life is lived with the church. The priorities, place, and pace of college life can push students away from the regular worship of God in the church on the Lord’s Day. Christian college students need to attend church in college because they are Christians. You don’t have to be able to ace Organic Chem 320 or Theory of Partial Differential Equations 412 to understand this. The Christian life needs to be lived with the church. If you are a Christian in college, do not let the priorities, place, or pace of college push you out. College students need the church. Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on May 20, 2024.

3. What Is Holiness?

   Holiness is what God is. It is an attribute of God. Since God is simple, He is indivisible and cannot be apportioned into parts. Therefore, each of the three Trinitarian persons is pervasively holy. The attributes of God are coextensive with His being and thus each and every one is possessed comprehensively, exhaustively, and indivisibly by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In short, God’s holiness is as comprehensive as His being—infinite, eternal, immense. God is not partly holy, partly loving, and so on; He is comprehensively and exhaustively loving, holy, good, and every other attribute that He is. When we think of holiness as it can be expressed in humans, it is often equated with moral and spiritual characteristics. This is seen in exhortations such as the Lord telling His people, “Be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44; 1 Peter 1:13–16). It is an imperative to moral and spiritual purity. Perhaps a more basic idea is separation. God is transcendent, separate from creatures, and in this context calls us to be separate in moral and spiritual terms—although not in any detachment from the world around us. This is a call to abandon idolatry and to be faithful to God’s covenant (Isa. 57:15; 2 Cor. 6:14–18). Yet these considerations only scratch the surface. If holiness were merely separation from sin and idolatry, God would be holy only in relation to His creation—separate and free from all the defilement of the world. It would entail the existence of the creation and the place of the human race within it, together with the sinful rebellion that Adam instigated. It would be to see God not as He is in Himself but in relation to the entities He brought into existence. God, however, is holy in Himself, independently of the existence of the created order. He remains forever true to who He is. He does not change. We can rely on Him absolutely. This tells us that in thinking of holiness, we must begin with God. One of the most sustained treatises on the attributes of God was written by Stephen Charnock. In his dissertation on Charnock’s theology of God’s holiness, Markus Holmbom argues that the holiness of God represents His own integrity, the integrity of all His attributes, all that He is, in His simple and immutable being. Holmbom writes, “Holiness is best understood as God’s metaphysical integrity, undividedness, or wholeness.” This underlines the point, mentioned repeatedly in Scripture, that God is forever true to Himself. He does not change (Num. 23:19; Ps. 110:4; Mal. 3:6; Heb. 7:21; James 1:17). This should lead us to consider that, in such ways as we may by God’s grace reflect His character, personal integrity is at the heart of what is meant. The one who pleases God “swears to his own hurt and does not change” (Ps. 15:4). This was perfectly embodied in Jesus Christ, God’s eternal Son, God with us (Matt. 1:23), the second person of the Trinity, living as man (John 1:14). He was free from sin and could therefore challenge His deadliest enemies to convict Him (John 8:46; 1 Peter 2:21–24; Heb. 7:26). His utter integrity was seen in that He set His face to go to the cursed cross, to suffer human death and human burial. How much this integrity is needed! When Christians, especially Christian leaders, lack personal integrity, that is a reproof to Christians and brings reproach upon the church. It should not be so. As John Calvin wrote in his commentary on 2 Peter, the goal of the gospel is to make us sooner or later like God. Peter spells this out in a range of virtues that are produced in us by the Holy Spirit and perfectly exemplified in our Lord (2 Peter 1:5–11). They can be summed up by the integrity, the wholeness, that is conformity to the character of God, imperfectly in us now but in full flowering when Christ returns in undiminished and unrefracted glory, when we shall be made like Him (1 John 3:1–2). This demands our ongoing attention (1 John 3:3). : Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God (1682); Updated and Unabridged, ed. Mark Jones; 2 vols (repr., Crossway, 2022). : Erik Markus Holmbom, “A Theological Retrieval of Stephen Charnock’s Discourse of Divine Holiness” (PhD diss., Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 2026).

4. 3 Ways to Teach Young People Theology

   If you’re serving in youth or college ministry, you know that advertising an evening of “Dinner and Doctrine” or “Theology Tonight” may not be the most surefire way to draw a crowd. It can be difficult to engage teenagers and young adults in the discipline of theological study—especially as they have often been deeply influenced by an entertainment and social media culture of two-minute video clips and sound bites, which can significantly hinder an appetite for sustained, concentrated theological thought. Even so, it is the role of faithful believers in the local church to challenge our young people to think theologically and grow in their theological understanding as they are guided by God’s Word. I’m grateful that, in our church context, our pastor for youth and college engages our students in sound biblical teaching and presses toward deeper theological understanding. Our college students have met for book discussions on great Puritan works and gathered on Sunday evenings to wrestle through dense theological topics. Our high school and middle school students have worked through the Westminster Shorter Catechism, both memorizing the catechism questions and being taught the meaning and application of its theology. Below, let me humbly offer three encouragements toward engaging youth and young adults in theological thought that our church is seeking to apply in our church context. 1. Convince them that theology is practical. The first “apologetic” in convincing young people to give themselves to theological study and understanding is to counter the common sentiment that theology is impractical—that it belongs in stuffy seminary libraries rather than the hallways of the local high school. It’s good to remind young people that their theology will shape every aspect of their lives: their patterns of thought, decision-making, convictions, cultural engagement, motivation, and relationships. What we believe about God is the most intensely practical thing about us. Perhaps the most striking (negative) example of the practical nature of theological belief in Scripture is spelled out in Romans 1:18–32. What begins with a sinful decision about belief and worship (the “exchange” of the Creator for idolatrous images of created things) bears fruit in all kinds of sinful behavior and actions. Truly, what we believe will bear fruit in how we live. It is helpful, on this point, also to remind young people that they are engaged in theological thought already, all the time. They are being “discipled” in theological thought through song lyrics, tweets, TikTok videos, and social media influencers. Their failure to engage in Christian theological study will not leave them on neutral ground but will make them vulnerable to other forms of inaccurate theological discipleship. 2. Show them that theology is exciting. During my seminary years, Dr. D.A. Carson often remarked that he had learned over the years that while his students would not remember everything he taught them, they always seemed to remember the things about which he was most excited. I want to suggest that, for pastors and lay leaders in the church who work with young people, perhaps one of the first steps toward your students gaining a love of theology is their catching your infectious excitement about God, His Word, and the beauty of Christian doctrine. College and high school students should be able to sense our passion for the depth of theology, the beauty of the gospel, and the riches of the Christian Scriptures, perhaps even before they begin growing in their own understanding of all those treasures. Do we talk about Christian doctrine in such a way that communicates to our young people that we are sharing with them the most weighty and glorious matters in the universe? 3. Remind them that theology must be worshipful. Paul’s beautiful prayer for the Ephesian believers, which he summarizes in Ephesians 1:15–21, is a prayer for their growth in what we might call “theological knowledge,” to be sure. But his prayer for their growth in knowledge tilts undeniably Godward in worship. Paul wants these Christians to grow in deeper theological understanding so that they exult more worshipfully in their glorious Savior. He wants them to “know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe” (Eph. 1:18–19). Paul is not after theological knowledge for its sake alone. For Paul, growth in theological understanding is meant to grow our hearts in more and more worship to God and to praise Him for His glorious saving work in our lives. Theological teaching and study must never be divorced from a relationship with the glorious God who has revealed Himself to us in His Word. As we understand more of Him, we are meant to worship Him and enjoy Him more and more as well.

5. Who Was Archibald Alexander?

   Archibald Alexander was born during a time of upheaval in the American colonies. He was born in 1772 near Lexington, Virginia. The third of nine children, he grew up in a Christian home with parents who were serious about passing along their faith to each of their children. Because of his parents’ instruction, Archibald Alexander had already memorized the Westminster Shorter Catechism by the age of seven. This was a great blessing to him later in life as he began to teach theology to others and to grow in his own understanding. The training he received bore much fruit later in life, and when the Lord opened his eyes to the saving work of Christ, the theology he had already absorbed provided the structure for his future ministry. Charles Hodge, one of his students and later one of his colleagues at Princeton Seminary, remarked particularly on the effect of this early knowledge of the Westminster Standards in training his mind to teach theology in a balanced and biblical way. But despite his early training and Christian upbringing, Alexander did not come to an experiential saving knowledge of Jesus Christ until his teenage years. At the age of ten, Archibald Alexander began formal study under William Graham. From all reports, Graham was an excellent tutor, and he held the same Presbyterian convictions as did Alexander’s parents. By the age of seventeen, Archibald Alexander became a tutor himself, leaving his father’s house to tutor in the home of General John Posey. It was here, through the kind influence of a godly older lady, that Alexander began to think more deeply about the reality of his faith. According to Alexander’s later memory, it was in 1788 that the Lord opened his eyes to the truths of Jesus Christ, giving him a saving knowledge of faith. This was followed quickly in 1789 by a public profession of his faith to the church. As so often happens with many new Christians, Alexander’s conversion led him to become a voracious reader of spiritual books, many of those from the time of the English Puritans and from the sermons and writings of the Great Awakening in America. He drank deeply from these wells of wisdom, and they shed new light on the things that he was taught as a younger man. In 1791, he attended the general assembly of the Presbyterian Church. It was there that he met the grandmother of his future colleague, Charles Hodge. In that same year, he was licensed to the gospel ministry and began itinerant preaching under the oversight of the synod of Virginia. He was ordained to pastor several churches in Virginia in 1794 and, in 1796, became the President of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia while still maintaining an active role as a preacher and a pastor. In 1801, he resigned from that role, partly from exhaustion, and began a journey to New England, which he had long wanted to visit. On the way, while staying with a well-respected minister, he met his wife, Janetta. Though his travels to New England were profitable, he returned to Hampden-Sydney College in 1802 and, in 1806, at the age of thirty-four, was called to be the pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. While his labors as a pastor, evangelist, and college leader were fruitful, Alexander is best known for his work at Princeton Seminary. As a pastor in Philadelphia, he had for some years encouraged the establishment of a Presbyterian seminary in the United States. When the General Assembly finally voted to establish a seminary in Princeton, it was not surprising that they appointed Archibald Alexander to be its first professor and principal in 1812. Just as Archibald Alexander was born in troubling times, so the seminary was established in years of difficulty. The United States was once again at war with Great Britain. Yet despite this, Archibald Alexander ministered with remarkable faithfulness and zeal for the next forty years. A generation of pastors and missionaries were trained under Alexander’s ministry. Even with the addition of Samuel Miller, Charles Hodge, and others to the seminary’s faculty, Alexander was the clear leader. He was a gifted teacher and the author of many books and articles, including the greatest of his works, Thoughts on Religious Experience. But he was best known as a man of deep piety and modesty. Godliness adorned all his labors. This is perhaps captured best by his friend and colleague, Charles Hodge. He reflected on Archibald Alexander’s influence, writing: > The man who can bring us into communion with God, who can reveal to us the glory or the love of Christ, who can unseal the fountains of penitence, or kindle the expiring embers of faith and hope—the man whom God uses to do us such services as these, is one “for whom some would even dare to die.” This was the legacy of Alexander’s leadership at the seminary and of his teaching ministry. Archibald Alexander died on October 22, 1851. He preached his last sermon just over a month before. While on his sickbed, he stated, “My views of theological truth are what they have always been.” His early convictions remained, and he entered the presence of his faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, having served Him well.