Alistair Begg Daily Devotional

Our Compassionate Shepherd

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.””

Luke 7:13–14

The coming of the kingdom of God was not heralded by spectacular and dramatic victories over the powers and authorities of the world but through something much more transformative: the great compassion of its King.

Throughout their accounts of Jesus, the Gospel writers present us with encounter after encounter demonstrating Christ’s unparalleled compassion. In these incidents, Christ’s power is revealed as His compassion is extended. In chapter 7 of his Gospel, for instance, Luke highlights Jesus’ compassionate response to a sorrowful widow—a response which clears any doubts about His greatness.

The woman in this part of Luke’s narrative was in true need. Her husband was already gone, and now her son had just died. In an ancient Middle-Eastern society, this meant that she had no means of protection or provision. She faced a life of sadness, loneliness, and precariousness—and then the end of the family line.

But then Jesus entered into the extremity of this woman’s life, and “when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’”

All it took to arouse the compassion of our tender Shepherd was seeing this grieving woman. Literally, that word “compassion” means “His bowels moved”—our equivalent would be “His stomach churned.” When Jesus, through whom and for whom all things were created, sees sadness and grief in this broken world, He feels it. Here is a King who cares deeply.

Even more beautiful is that Jesus had the power to meet this widow’s need, and so He chose to do something only He could do: to bring the dead back to life. He didn’t just restore a deceased son alive again to a mourning mother and thereby meet her need and obliterate her grief, though. More importantly, Jesus revealed Himself to the crowd (and to us!) in all of His power, kindness, and authority—even authority over death.

Scenes such as this show us that Jesus doesn’t simply comment on or cry over sickness and death, those great enemies of mankind. He overcomes them. He hears the cries of the sorrowful, and He comforts them, not only in an earthly, temporal sense but also in a final, perfect, and eternal way, by offering Himself as the means of salvation to all who believe.

Your King is not merely infinitely powerful; He is infinitely compassionate. And the combination of those two qualities in Him is sufficient to bring you through every sadness and grief of this world, until you stand in His presence and He wipes every tear from your eye.

Going Deeper: Luke 7:1–17

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, 2022, The Good Book Company.

Evidence of Genuine Faith

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“Why do you call me “Lord, Lord,” and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.”

Luke 6:46–48

Jesus wants to see our lips and our lives align. Hence he ends His Sermon on the Plain with this most searching of rhetorical questions: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” He saw a contrast between what people were saying and how they were behaving, and He wanted to call them to perform a serious spiritual self-examination. He wanted them, just as He wants us, to see that a verbal profession of faith in Him must be accompanied by moral obedience to Him.

Jesus did not teach that entry into the kingdom of heaven is through the good works of obedience. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, plus nothing (see Ephesians 2:8). All that we bring to Christ is the sin from which we need to be forgiven. What, then, is He teaching? Simply this: that only those who obey Him—those who express their faith by their works—have truly heard and have been transformed by the gospel. As the Reformers observed, it is faith alone that saves, but the faith that saves is not alone. The apostle John, picking up on Jesus’ words, says in his first letter, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6). Scripture makes it clear that the manner in which we hear and obey Jesus’ words has significance for all of eternity because it reveals the true state and reality of our faith.

No accumulation of visible religious works and no number of religious words will be able to disguise our private behavior from God. The real test of those who name the name of the Lord, says Paul—and let’s not evade for one instant the chilling demand of this—is that they “depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). Therein lies the evidence of genuine faith.

While none of us will live a perfect life, we are all called to live changed lives. We live under the lordship of Christ; His Spirit is now within us. Will we have complete success? No. But we will be different, and our lives will increasingly demonstrate that we have “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). So consider your own life. Do you call Jesus Lord? Good! But, crucially, can you point to evidence in your life—in what you do not do and in what you do, in the temptations you fight and the virtues you strive for and the forgiveness you repentantly ask for—that He is truly your Lord?

Going Deeper: James 2:14–26

Known by Their Fruit

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit.”

Luke 6:43–44

Students will always reflect the instruction of their teachers. No matter how far a student may excel beyond his or her teacher’s abilities, they will always be indebted to the guidance that was given.

When Jesus spoke of trees and their fruit, it was with an eye to the spiritual leaders of His day. In making His point, He gave us a warning: namely, not to choose the wrong teacher. And how are we to discern between good and bad teachers? Jesus says it’s by their fruit—the results that follow their teachings and actions.

We must think of fruit in relation to the teacher’s character—and character can’t be tested by measuring eloquence or giftedness. Rather, when Jesus gave instruction concerning the vine and the branches, He implied that fruitfulness equals Christlikeness (John 15:1-8). Each tree is recognized by its own fruit; therefore, the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)—will be evident in a good teacher’s life.

We must also examine the content of the teacher’s instruction. Paul addressed this issue when he wrote to his pastoral protégé Timothy, telling him to “keep a close watch on yourself”—that is, his character—“and on the teaching” (1 Timothy 4:16). Not everybody who shows up with a Bible has the listener’s best interests at heart. Not everybody who names the name of Christ is a true teacher of God’s word. False prophets abound. It is imperative, then, that as believers, we learn from the Bible not only to grow in holiness but also to be able to recognize sound doctrine, which is a mark of a godly teacher. Furthermore, we can take comfort from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who teaches us about everything and enables us to distinguish between truth and falsehood (see 1 John 2:27).

There is a direct correlation between the character of a teacher and the content of his teaching, and the impact he makes upon those who are taught. So choose your spiritual teachers and mentors wisely. Look not at their speaking gifts or their cultural connectedness or their confidence or their humor but at character and content. Without question, you will show the world the fruit of the teaching you receive. When people come around you, what will they discover? Will they see judgmentalism or bitterness or haughtiness or self-righteousness? Will they sense passivity and a lack of conviction? Or will they taste the sweet fruit of joy, peace, love, and righteousness?

Going Deeper: 2 Timothy 2:15–26

The Speck and the Log

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“How can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,” when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

Luke 6:42

I recall a time when, sitting at a desk in an exam, I turned the paper over and immediately began to look around to see if everybody else felt as bad about the first question as I did. Then I was startled by the teacher’s exhortation: “Never mind looking at others. Just concentrate on yourself!”

Jesus makes a similar point in these verses, using a striking metaphor to instruct His listeners to deal with their own sin before they attempt to point out the sins of others. The word Jesus uses for “speck” often describes very small bits and pieces of straw or wood. In contrast, the word for “log” refers to a load-bearing beam in a house or structure. If I have a log in my eye, it clearly requires my attention more than a speck in someone else’s does.

As fallen creatures, we’re prone to think it’s our responsibility to deal with everybody else’s spiritual condition before dealing with our own. Yet Christ hasn’t called us to be preoccupied primarily and initially with the specks of others. No, He says we must be diligent in examining ourselves in light of Scripture and the standard that He has set.

Jesus’ instruction poses a great challenge. Sometimes we may point out the faults of others under the guise of caring about their spiritual condition. But if we have not first been honest about and ruthless with our own sins, that is hypocrisy! We often fall prey to the mistaken notion that if I can find your flaw and deal with you, then I won’t have to deal with my own issues. It’s far more pleasant to tell someone else about their dreadful condition than it is to face our own.

If we truly want to help others, then we must first be prepared to face the dreadfulness of our own hearts—to acknowledge with Robert Murray M’Cheyne that “the seeds of all sins are in my heart.”[1] When we understand and believe that, then when we go to approach others we will stand on the low ground of genuine love and humility rather than the high ground of presumption. Between those two perspectives there’s all the difference in the world.

Going Deeper: Jude 1:20–25

Footnotes:

[1] Quoted in Andrew Bonar, Memoir and Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne (Banner of Truth, 1995), p 153.

The Immensity of Forgiveness

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Fri, 25 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.”

Luke 6:37–38

Nothing will corrupt our hearts and our thinking faster than an unforgiving heart. But the reverse is also true: nothing grants freedom, joy, and peace of heart and mind more quickly than the genuine experience of offering forgiveness. Indeed, our readiness to forgive is a litmus test of our spiritual status; when we forgive from the heart, we provide evidence that we actually are sons and daughters of the Most High (Luke 6:35).

Jesus often places our being forgiven and our willingness to forgive next to each other (see Luke 11:4). So when we think about practicing forgiveness, we first have to ask where we can find it. The answer is that the source of all true forgiveness is found in God alone. Indeed, out of the abundance of God’s mercy comes forgiveness.

That forgiveness is as indispensable to the life and health of our souls as food is to our physical bodies. Scripture is filled with reminders that point to God as one who forgives. The psalmist says, “If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness” (Psalm 130:3-4). Similarly, the prophet Daniel says, “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness” (Daniel 9:9). The divine Son of God, as He was spat upon and mocked, stripped of His clothes, beaten, nailed to a cross between two criminals, and abandoned in agony declared, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). God’s spirit of forgiveness knows no rival.

As God’s children by faith in Christ, we are to imitate our Father and our Lord by practicing forgiveness. It is so integral to the life of the true Christian that Jesus goes as far as to say that if we are not willing to forgive, then we should ask ourselves very seriously whether we are truly forgiven: that is, whether we have really grasped the gospel in our hearts (see Matthew 6:14-15). If you are harboring unforgiveness in your heart, do not excuse or belittle it. Instead, bring the gospel to it. Reflect on the immensity of what you have been forgiven through Christ. Reflect on the forgiving nature of your Father, whom you are called to reflect in your life. Recognize the corrupting, life-draining burden of unforgiveness. Specify what you need to do, and for whom. That is the path to enjoying the peace and freedom of forgiving just as you have been forgiven.

Going Deeper: Luke 7:36–50

Speak Life, Not Condemnation

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned.”

Luke 6:37

The reason we sometimes assume we have the right to condemn another is that it appeals to our sinful nature. If we’re honest, the minute we acquire any position of leadership or authority, big or small, it’s shocking how quickly we are faced with the temptation to condemn rather than to show mercy.

We must remember that we are not qualified to condemn. Why? Because we cannot read another person’s heart. We are unable to assess someone else’s motives accurately. God alone can say, “I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works” (Revelation 2:23). Since you and I are not God, we are not to condemn.

One of the ways we easily and often ignore Jesus’ command here is with our tongues; we pronounce condemnation by saying things that harm someone’s reputation. In Christian circles, we may even have clever ways to make our slander sound like a prayer request or a concern—but in truth, half the time we’re delighted to say it: “Did you hear about her? Do you know about him? Do you know why they did that?” The spirit of the Pharisee—of condemning others in order to show ourselves in a better light by comparison—is alive and well among believers.

Therefore, we must be exceptionally wary of how we use our words. Rather than using our mouths to condemn, we must ask the Holy Spirit to enable us to speak words of life. Before we open our mouths, we ought to heed the advice of the missionary Amy Carmichael and ask: Is what I’m about to say kind? Is it true? Is it necessary? Scripture is absolutely clear on this point. Indeed, the book of Proverbs teaches us that “a fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul,” but “he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered” (Proverbs 18:7; 11:13).

We have in Jesus a Savior whose blood cleanses us from the sin of every careless word and every condemning comment—a Savior who forgives us from the sinful tendency that rises in our hearts to try to play a role which is His alone. In light of that, we need to repent daily of the sins of our lips and ask the Spirit for a renewed desire to make both the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts acceptable in our Father’s sight (Psalm 19:14).

Going Deeper: Luke 6:37–45

Imitating the Father’s Mercy

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

Luke 6:35–36

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” is a summary statement of Jesus’ famous teaching in the Beatitudes (Luke 6:20-23) and indeed would be a good motto for every believer’s life. These words underscore all that Jesus has previously said concerning how we are to treat others—especially those who hate us on account of our faithfulness to Him (v 22).

This should, however, prompt us to ask: what does being merciful actually look like? As our wise and tender Shepherd, Jesus does not leave us to figure out this principle for ourselves. Rather, He gives us specific instructions on what it means to imitate our merciful heavenly Father.

God “is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” As His children, we must realize that we are called to demonstrate this same kindness by loving our enemies, returning good for evil, and giving to others without expecting anything in return. Notice Jesus lists no exemptions or get-out clauses here.

Having called us to be vessels of God’s kindness, Jesus then immediately says that we are not to judge others (Luke 6:37). He is not asking us to suspend our critical faculties in our relationships; we have to use our minds to discern between truth and error or good and evil. Likewise Jesus is not teaching that we are to turn a blind eye to sin or refuse to point out errors. Rather, when Jesus commands us not to judge, He is condemning a spirit of self-righteous, self-exalting, hypocritical, harsh judgmentalism—an approach which seeks to highlight the faults of others and always brings with it the flavor of bitterness.

An unkind spirit completely violates Jesus’ exhortation to overflow with mercy towards both friend and enemy. Each of us needs to identify any spirit of judgment we may be harboring, to root it out, and to replace cruelty with kindness and harshness with understanding.

This is how we show to others the kind of mercy that God has shown to us. A (possibly apocryphal) story is told of how, when Queen Elizabeth II was a girl, she and her sister, Margaret, would be told by their mother before they went to a party, “Remember: royal children, royal manners.” Their behavior would not make them members of the royal family, but it would demonstrate their membership in that family.

Christian, you and I are members of the royal family of the universe, with the King of creation as our Father. Be sure that your manners reflect who you are and whose you are. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Going Deeper: Ephesians 4:25–5:2

The Law of Love

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”

Luke 6:27

When you read the Bible and it describes Christianity, and then you look at yourself, do you ever wonder whether you’re a Christian at all? I know I do.

Neither our assurance as believers nor God’s love for us hinges on our ability to live out certain Christian principles; rather, both depend on what Christ has achieved for us on the cross. Even so, the Bible teaches us to look for evidences of our salvation in the present. If we truly are the Father’s children, we are bound to display a love for others that resembles Jesus’ love for us.

Jesus calls for us to love people in a way that is not related to their attractiveness, merit, or lovability. We know that this is exactly how God loves us—His love is not based on us cleaning up our act, deserving His attention, or demonstrating that we’re predisposed towards or useful to Him. None of these things contribute to God’s love for us. No—“God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, emphasis added).

The greatest measure of our faith, then, is love—love that reflects the love that we have received in such abundance. We engage in agape love—unconditional, sacrificial love—because it is an expression of the character of God and all He’s done for us. We don’t exercise this kind of love for our enemies because we are blind to who they really are but because we have gazed at God’s love for us. Jesus says that when we see others as they are—in all of their ugliness and spitefulness, all of their cursing, all of their hatred, and all of their unwillingness to pay us what they owe us—we are to be realistic about all of it, and then love them. Seeing all of that enmity, says Jesus, I want you to love your enemies.

By nature, we are incapable of displaying such love. But consider the kind of difference we would make to our culture if we were prepared to live out, in both everyday and extraordinary ways, a Christlike love which seeks to do what’s best for those who have acted in enmity towards us. That would be revolutionary—without any question at all.

Going Deeper: Acts 9:10–28

The Blessing of Persecution

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.”

Luke 6:22–23

It is a truth self-evident to almost all of us that it is immensely important for people to like us. So it comes as a shock to learn that Jesus taught emphatically about the blessing we will come to know when others hate us, exclude us, and insult us “on account of the Son of Man.”

It’s because of our relationship with Jesus that such condemnation comes. In fact, Jesus described something that will be true of every believer: when we stand with Christ, we will be rejected by the world. Jesus develops this truth elsewhere in Scripture. For example, the night before He died, He reminded His followers that the world hated Him before it hated them and that, as His servants, they (and we) must expect the same persecution that our Lord experienced (John 15:18-20).

You may have experienced such persecution at school; maybe you took a stand for the Bible, and then you suddenly found yourself isolated from your peer group. You may have tasted the pain of being ostracized by a friendship group, or passed over for promotion at work, because you had explained to someone who Jesus is, why He died, and what that means. You may even know the pain of being spurned by members of your own family because of your faith. If you stand up and stand out for Christ, then ever so subtly and yet so very clearly the hatred begins to spill out, and the sense of scorn is nearly overwhelming.

There is nothing easy or enjoyable about being maligned or left out when we live in obedience to God. Indeed, there is great heartache that accompanies rejection. How, then, are we to find blessing and comfort in its midst?

We must cling to the truth Jesus speaks of here: that when we find ourselves on the receiving end of the world’s hatred as a response to our faithfulness to the Son of Man, nothing has gone wrong: we are, in fact, in a place to know blessing. In other words, this sort of mistreatment is tangible evidence of our genuine faith and relationship with the Lord. Furthermore, Jesus promises that if we acknowledge Him before men, He will also acknowledge us before His Father in heaven (Matthew 10:32).

The man or woman who leads a holy life—who is prepared to speak and obey God’s word with boldness and who refuses to seek the nonexistent middle way between an obedient life and a popular one—will eventually collide with the ungodly and incur the enmity of the world. How are you being called to risk rejection in order to speak of Christ or live for Christ? Do not lose heart! Instead, respond to slander against you or dislike of you on account of the gospel by rejoicing, “for behold, your reward is great in heaven.” The world has nothing to offer that comes close to comparing with that.

Going Deeper: Daniel 3

Admitting We Are Poor

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“He lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.””

Luke 6:20

Jesus exalts what the world despises and rejects what it admires.

That is the great challenge of the Beatitudes, and nowhere more so than in Jesus’ teaching here on wealth. We live in a world that cries for us to make much of ourselves, particularly in the realm of finances and material wealth. Comfort is king in our consumer culture, and that culture is the water in which we all swim.

So it confronts us that Jesus begins His teaching in this sermon by saying, “Blessed are you who are poor.” What is He doing? Is He suggesting that material poverty is somehow the key to salvation? Absolutely not! Rather, He is explaining that those who truly become aware of their spiritual poverty will enter the kingdom of God.

There are, of course, those who claim Jesus was teaching that if you’re poor, you ought to be really glad because you’re automatically a part of the kingdom of heaven. But that kind of poverty is not the key to entry into God’s kingdom, nor are riches themselves the main reason for someone’s exclusion. Indeed, poor and rich alike are welcomed into the kingdom upon realizing their need for forgiveness and coming to trust in Jesus as their Savior. If this were not the case, then a woman named Lydia, who lived in Philippi as a prosperous merchant, would never have had her eyes and heart opened to the truth of the gospel (Acts 16:11-15). No, it is an awareness of our spiritual poverty apart from Christ that is needed.

It is important to notice, however, that financial poverty may well be a means of spiritual blessing. Such poverty often leads men and women to discover their utter dependence upon God not only for physical and material needs but also for spiritual blessings. For this reason, poverty tends to yield a far greater response to the gospel than affluence. Enjoying plenty materially can so easily blind us to our deepest need: to be brought into the kingdom of God. Wealth is often the ground in which pride blooms, so that our hearts forget that for the rich just as much as for the poor “like a flower of the grass” we “will pass away” (James 1:10).

As John Calvin explained, “He only who is reduced to nothing in himself, and relies on the mercy of God, is poor in spirit.”[1] Poverty brings its trials; but have you ever realized that wealth does too, in its temptations to pride, self-reliance, and spiritual complacency?

So are we willing to admit our spiritual poverty? Or are we too self-assured and satisfied with our earthly riches? Here is one way to know the true answer to those questions: can your heart echo the prayer of Agur in the Proverbs: “Give me neither poverty nor riches” (Proverbs 30:8)?

Going Deeper: Luke 6:20–36

Footnotes:

[1] Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, trans. William Pringle (The Calvin Translation Society, 1845), Vol. 1, p 261 (emphasis added).

A Sacrifice from the Heart

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts.”

Hebrews 11:4

What makes our actions commendable to God?

Genesis 4 recounts the story of the first two children born in this world—Cain and Abel: “In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard” (Genesis 4:3-5). It is this sacrifice to which the author of Hebrews refers when he tells us about Abel and his faith.

First of all, he tells us that it was “by faith” that Abel offered a better sacrifice than his brother. It was through this sacrifice that Abel was “commended as righteous.” It would be easy to get lost in speculative theories as to why God accepted Abel’s actions but not Cain’s. But we need to stay focused on the facts that are given—and, at the heart of what we’re told, this fact is unequivocal: the actions which God accepts are satisfactory not because of their material content but because they are an outward expression of a devoted and obedient heart.

The reason why Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable was not because he offered a beast as opposed to a vegetable. The distinction wasn’t between the sacrifices offered but between the sacrificers themselves. John Calvin, commenting on this, notes that Abel’s sacrifice was preferred to his brother’s for no other reason than “that it was sanctified by faith.”[1]

This distinction concurs with what God communicates through the prophets. In Isaiah, for example, God says, “Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly” (Isaiah 1:13). It’s as if God is saying, I’m not interested in all the bleating of the calves and the goats and the lambs. I yearn for obedience more than sacrifice (see 1 Samuel 15:22). If you want to rely on these works as a means of making yourself acceptable to Me, I want you to know it will never happen.

“Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV). Our good works are a result of our acceptance by God, not a means to acceptance. They are our response to His love, not a means of securing it. If your actions, like Abel’s, are ever to bring God glory and pleasure, it will be because they are an outward expression of your love for, devotion to, and personal faith in Him. So today, do not obey Him in order to be accepted by Him or to remain accepted by Him. It is faith that secures that. Equally, do not complacently fall short of obeying Him because you are already accepted by faith. Instead, enjoy your place in His affections and let His pleasure be the motivation for your obedience.

Going Deeper: Isaiah 1:10–20

Footnotes:

[1] Commentaries on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews, trans. John Owen (Calvin Translation Society, 1853), p 267.

Now and Forevermore

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”

Revelation 21:1

What do we know about Jesus Christ’s return? The Bible tells us certain facts that are straightforward. We know that Jesus is going to return personally, physically, visibly, and gloriously. We also know that the timing of His reappearance will be secret, it will be sudden, and it will bring separation between those who are waiting for Him and those who are rejecting Him.

Further, what was declared to the suffering saints in the first century in the book of Revelation is still being declared to us: no one should be alarmed at our world’s troubles because Jesus is in control. Christ’s reigning power will be established when His kingdom comes in all its permanent fullness, and His return will usher in a new heaven and a new earth.

This idea that heaven can come to earth—that one day the “new Jerusalem” will come “down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:2)—is one echoed imperfectly in so many other modern views of the world, especially in the West. Our culture is by nature confident, and so it attempts to restore our world with a little more education, a little more social welfare, and a little more consideration for everyone. No man-made agenda can ever truly accomplish the restoration that our world needs, though. Human effort can improve things, but it cannot perfect things. Heaven will not come to earth until Christ does. Creation is presently held in sin’s grip, and only God, at the end of all things, can and will fix it, as His people bow down before the Lamb and declare His praises.

For the time being, you and I live as exiles in a foreign land. We live in a world that’s hostile to Christ, hostile to His word, and hostile to a life lived in obedience to Him. The temptation for us, as believers, is to run away and hide, to gather into a little holy huddle and not to concern ourselves with the world. But, as Jeremiah told the exiles in Babylon to seek the welfare of the city they were in (Jeremiah 29:7), so we are to seek the welfare of the world we are in. That requires us to be in this world though not of it, living lives and speaking words that point to a different place.

Rejoicing in the triumphant story of Christ crucified, risen, reigning, and one day returning is what gives us the confidence to point beyond this world. Hope for His return and eternal life in His presence is the perfect motivation for a life of both sustained holiness and zealous evangelism in His name. Look forward now with the eye of faith to His return—and then go and live for the welfare of those around you today.

Going Deeper: 1 Corinthians 15:50–58

There Is No Other

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.”

Isaiah 45:22

Every day, as dawn approaches, swelling crowds make their way to the banks of the Ganges in India to worship the river and the rising sun. Many scatter the ashes of loved ones on the water in the hope of securing their eternal bliss. Representative of the millions of Hindus in India, these men and women believe that “god” is in everything.

While the sights and sounds of such worship may seem far removed from many of us, in another sense, we are much closer to this than we’re prepared to acknowledge.

Look around at our own culture and you’ll notice that idolatry and its subtleties are just as prevalent as ever. It is found in the notion that what you believe does not matter, since the great religions of the world “agree on the essentials.” Corrupted and diluted varieties of Christianity are abundant, for we are very good at worshiping a “God” we have made up, who just happens to fit with our desires and agree with our choices. And superficial forms of panentheism can be discovered in upscale spas and yoga classes, for we are likewise very good at treating ourselves and our bodies as gods.

In fact, we have hundreds of substitute gods—idols that promise us freedom but, in reality, demean and enslave. Worship sex and it will corrode your ability to love or be loved. Worship alcohol and it will ensnare you. Worship money and it will consume you. Worship your family and you (or they) will collapse under the burden of unfulfilled expectations. Worship any substitute god and you will find that it cannot satisfy.

If we become increasingly entangled with idols, it often accompanies a growing loss of confidence in the Bible as the unerring word of God. When this happens, there’s no longer any place for a straightforward declaration of the exclusive claims of Jesus of Nazareth as the second Person of the Trinity, Creator of the universe, resurrected Lord, ascended King, and—someday—returning Christ. So it is an act of grace—albeit an unsettling one—that in His word God says, I’m commanding you, all people everywhere, to repent, to turn from your little idols, and to worship Me, the Creator, the Sustainer, the Ruler, the Father, the Judge (see Acts 17:30).

What is the antidote to your heart’s continual desire to worship idols, which offend the Lord and cannot save? Simply this: “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.” Identify the idols you are prone to worship and set them alongside the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He is God, and they are not. He can save, and they cannot. Turn once more from them, and to Him.

Going Deeper: Isaiah 45:18–25

Eternal Dividends

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice pleasing to God.”

Philippians 4:17–18

Paul’s version of “Thank you for your financial support” as he writes to the Philippian church is novel, to say the least: he says that their generosity made him glad not because of what their gifts meant to him but because of what their gifts would mean to them. He tells them that their giving will be of more benefit to them than to him, the recipient!

Paul’s excitement over their generosity flowed from the assurance that they would benefit from it for all of eternity. His confidence was grounded in Jesus’ teaching. In Luke’s Gospel, for example, Peter had said to Jesus, “See, we have left our homes and followed you” (Luke 18:28). We don’t exactly know what Peter’s motivation was for this remark, but we do have Jesus’ response: He said, “There is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life” (v 29-30). Jesus was saying that Peter and the other disciples had not given things up so much as invested in their future.

The Bible is absolutely clear concerning both the present day and the nearness of eternity. We find it easy to live in such a way that eternity has no bearing on how we give, think, and live now, but the fact is that eternity could be one breath away for every one of us and that it lasts far longer than this fleeting life. It is therefore fitting to give in anticipation of the rich dividends that will pay out in eternal life.

Our ability to give with open hands and in light of eternity is rooted in the generosity of God Himself, who is the great Giver. Perhaps the greatest way we can err in giving is by not giving at all. We might be tempted to think that we can’t afford to give—but the truth is, we can’t afford not to give! As Jesus so lovingly promises us, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).

So, consider your investments—not in retirement plans, or in the stock market, or in a college fund, but the kind of payment that “increases to your credit” in eternity. There is great gain in gospel giving. Let the life to come determine your spending in your life today, and you will find yourself giving both generously and cheerfully.

Going Deeper: 2 Corinthians 8:1–15

The Advantage of Weakness

letters@truthforlife.org (Alistair Begg) (Alistair Begg) — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0400

“We are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

2 Chronicles 20:12

It doesn’t take much for us to see our inadequacies—especially in living for and serving God. When life’s circumstances press in on us, we become painfully aware of the challenge set before us and can quickly sense ourselves recoiling from it. We grow weary of people telling us what we can do when we know that we can’t; but at the same time we are unwilling to face up to our weakness in a world that calls us to be strong and confident.

If you find yourself in that predicament, take courage. You’re not alone.

King Jehoshaphat of Judah was a phenomenon who implemented changes that helped God’s people rediscover God’s law (2 Chronicles 19). He reminded them of the importance of understanding and obeying God’s word so that they could serve God faithfully, wholeheartedly, and courageously.

Nevertheless, Jehoshaphat was not immune to fear. When Judah’s enemies threatened his nation, he was acutely aware of their superiority and of the inadequacy of his own people. Yet he also knew that the proper response to inadequacy was to depend entirely upon God. As he confronted the reality of his powerlessness and uncertainty, he kept his gaze firmly fixed above, praying, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

When the enemy whispers to us that we are a disaster or completely useless, we can set his lies against the truth of God’s word and say, “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). When we feel that we are powerless in our battle against temptation, we can rest on the truth of God’s word and say to ourselves, “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). When we wonder if we have been left alone, we can be assured that “he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

When we admit our weakness, our mighty Savior will use it for our good and His glory. When we do not know what to do, we can keep our eyes on Him and ask Him to guide us and deliver us, just as He did Jehoshaphat and the whole of Judah (2 Chronicles 20:14-17, 22-25).

As with the men and women who served the Lord throughout the Bible, God still chooses to use unlikely, timid, and hesitant people. What set those individuals apart was not their strength or ability or self-confidence but that they were not consumed by their weaknesses; instead, they embraced them and relied on God’s power to overcome.

Will you do the same?

Going Deeper: 2 Chronicles 20