Truth For Life Blog

What does it really mean to be a Christian? In this study, Alistair Begg identifies the essential elements of the believer’s life, starting with conversion and then elaborating on how believers are to act out their faith. “To be a Christian,” he says, “is to declare that Jesus is Lord. His Lordship affects both our minds, teaching us what to believe, and our morals, changing the way we live.” While each follower of Christ is uniquely called, all Christians share the same fixed features of genuine faith.

Topics: Ministry Updates, Monthly Resources

The world’s chaos may tempt us to cry out, “Is anyone in charge around here?” Reminding us that the Lord Omnipotent still reigns, Alistair Begg examines the biblical clarity, mystery, and security of God’s providence. Our creator and sustainer, God remains sovereign over all things—including rulers and rebels alike. Even when the wicked flourish and we are disheartened, we can trust Him to keep His promises and fulfill His purposes for His glory and our good.

Topics: From the Archives

Dear Friend,

In the 1980s, I had the privilege of meeting and becoming a friend of the late Alec Motyer. (You may find this link helpful in learning about him: www.ivpress.com/j-alec-motyer.) Alec was a biblical scholar and pastor known widely for his commentaries on the Old Testament. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he was ordained in the Church of England in 1947 and later was Principal at Trinity College, Bristol, UK. In 1986, we were speaking at the Portstewart Convention in Northern Ireland. During the week, we took walks together after lunch. I have the fondest memories of those conversations. When we parted at the end of the week, he said, “My dear boy, I will pray for you.”

Topics: Letters From Alistair Begg

When news of Israel’s defeat reached Eli and his pregnant daughter-in-law, their responses were peculiar. Their deepest concern was not their loved ones’ deaths, the child’s unexpected birth, or even their own demises, but that the ark had been captured and God’s glory had departed from Israel. For the church to remain effective, Alistair Begg warns, we must also turn our attention from “me” and “now” to God’s glory as we nurture the next generation in the things of Christ.

Topics: From the Archives

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe--
His craft and pow'r are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Topics: Hymns and Worship

Defeated by the Philistines, Israel’s army brought the ark of the covenant to Shiloh to assure victory in the next battle—and were soundly beaten again! Their mistake? Failing to recognize their first defeat as punishment for disobedience, they forsook repentance and superstitiously trusted in the ark rather than in the living God. Such misplaced faith is still common today. Rather than defining God by our own terms, Alistair Begg encourages us to know the God of the Bible and glorify Him through our obedience.

Topics: From the Archives

Because Eli’s sons had rejected God’s sacrifice as the basis for forgiveness, the Lord declared judgment against Eli’s house. Acting as God’s prophet, Samuel presented His message to Eli, experiencing for the first time the immense challenge of conveying God’s word—especially the truth of coming wrath. As Alistair Begg explains, though, God’s word will always accomplish His purposes, whether spoken faithfully by Samuel or fully and finally through the Word of God Himself, Jesus Christ.

Topics: From the Archives

“The Kingdom of God - The Bible’s Story, from Genesis to Revelation”

Look out an airplane window at 35,000 feet, and you’ll see patterns in the landscape below that would be unobservable from the ground. In the same way, when we examine the sixty-six books of the Bible through a wide-angle lens, we discover far more than a collection of disjointed writings. The Bible is one book, inspired by one Author, with one supreme subject: Jesus Christ, who came to secure God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule and blessing.

Topics: Ministry Updates, Monthly Resources

After years of spiritual famine when the word of the Lord was rare and visions infrequent, God broke into the silence through the calling of Samuel. With tender persistence, the Lord called until Samuel recognized His voice. His first assignment? To deliver devastating news to Eli about the coming judgment of the priest’s household. In the same way, Alistair Begg notes, God continues to shine through our own days’ darkness by the light of His Word.

Topics: From the Archives

While everyone has a family tree, not everyone knows their family’s history. As Christians, however, we have the distinct privilege of claiming the shared narrative of Christ’s Church, our very own family of faith that spans two thousand years. How can we begin to trace the fragments of a story that has coursed through twenty centuries, branching north and south, east and west, into the whole of our modern world?

Topics: Monthly Resources