Year after year, our aim at Truth For Life is to teach the Bible with clarity and relevance so that unbelievers will be converted, believers will be established, and local churches will be strengthened. As the calendar changes, we wanted to share several of the sermons and articles that were listeners’ and readers’ favorites during the last year, in hopes that they will be an encouragement to you as 2022 begins.
To the Almost Christian
Not all who profess faith in Christ actually follow Him. Not all who give lip service to Christianity necessarily know its truth. Various warning…
(more)Not all who profess faith in Christ actually follow Him. Not all who give lip service to Christianity necessarily know its truth. Various warning passages (e.g., Heb. 2:1–4; 3:7–4:13; 1 John 2:19), along with Jesus’ own words in the Gospels (e.g., Matt. 7:23; 25:41; Luke 13:27), alert us to the possibility that we can appear to have a relationship with Jesus and even enjoy the fellowship of close Christian community without finding a home in heaven in the end.
-jpg.jpeg)
Four Core Truths about the Second Coming of Christ
The second coming of Jesus Christ is absolutely foundational to the Gospel, which concerns not only the birth, life, death, resurrection, and…
(more)The second coming of Jesus Christ is absolutely foundational to the Gospel, which concerns not only the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of God the Son but also His return. This event and the doctrines that surround it are integral to “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
Though Christ’s return is both a main thing and a plain thing in Scripture, enough views on the second coming have circulated over the years to cause confusion and, indeed, to induce conflict among those who share convictions about Scripture’s inerrancy and the event’s imminency. This meditation is intended not to cut through that conflict and assess these various views but to point out what is irreducibly true about Christ’s promised return.
-jpg.jpeg)
Three Traits of a True Friend
A true friend is a real treasure. To have someone in whom you can confide, someone who knows the best and worst about you without making you feel…
(more)A true friend is a real treasure. To have someone in whom you can confide, someone who knows the best and worst about you without making you feel like a fool, is to have found something precious. We could all use someone like Jonathan, who strengthened David “in God” (1 Sam. 23:16). We all need someone like Timothy, who was intensely committed to the good of others (Phil. 2:20).
Despite the instantaneous communication we can have with each other today, so many of us feel empty and alone. We may have more interaction with people, but unlike David and Jonathan or Paul and Timothy, our relationships are often stuck near the surface, superficial and ephemeral. Recovering a biblical vision of friendship—along with turning to our most vital friend, Christ—can help us take a few steps toward filling our relational emptiness.
-jpg.jpeg)
A Warning against Adultery
Proverbs is not a “churchy” book—at least not in the way many of us conceive of church. Its wisdom isn’t prim and proper and fit for afternoon tea.…
(more)Proverbs is not a “churchy” book—at least not in the way many of us conceive of church. Its wisdom isn’t prim and proper and fit for afternoon tea. Rather, Proverbs calls us to the street, to everyday life, to matters that affect us all in some way. Derek Kidner has said that Proverbs puts “godliness into working clothes.” It is godly wisdom for everyday living.
In Proverbs, Solomon devotes much attention to a matter that can sound a little racy to church-trained ears: sexual relationships. The book deals openly and honestly with human sexuality, both from the positive side, concerning the nature of marriage and its fulfillment, and from the negative side, regarding issues of adultery. It’s an apt topic, since God Himself designed marriage and all the accompanying pleasures found therein.
.jpg?width=600&name=TULIPS_Instagram%20(1).jpg)
T-U-L-I-P-S: Six Words to Guide Your Marriage
In some of the most important words ever written about marriage, the apostle Paul roots the marital union in God’s creation design:
(more)“Therefore a man…
In some of the most important words ever written about marriage, the apostle Paul roots the marital union in God’s creation design:
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Eph. 5:31–32)
The first of these two verses quotes Genesis 2:24, which comments on when the first couple lived peaceably in the garden of Eden in the presence of God and describes how their relationship is relevant to all who would come after. The second verse then illuminates that God always, from the very beginning, intended the marriage relationship to reflect the union of Christ and His church. So when we speak of marriage, we’re not talking about a mere cultural construct or a convenient arrangement. Rather, we are approaching a mystery, once enshrouded but now gloriously revealed to us in Christ.
If you want to better reflect and honor Christ through your marriage, consider these timeless biblical principles, which you can memorize in the form of a simple acrostic: TULIPS.
The Power and Message of the Cross
While most people would agree that our world is broken, they may not agree about how to fix it. The only solution, Alistair Begg clarifies, is found…
(more)While most people would agree that our world is broken, they may not agree about how to fix it. The only solution, Alistair Begg clarifies, is found in the execution of an innocent man: Jesus, the Son of God. We must continue to proclaim the message of Christ’s death on the cross both to ourselves and to others, as it establishes the gravity of the human condition, reveals God’s wonder and grace, and offers hope for all of time.
Getting Our Spiritual Bearings
Paul wrote to the early church in Philippi to help them get their spiritual bearings amid a crooked and twisted generation. Today’s world is…
(more)Paul wrote to the early church in Philippi to help them get their spiritual bearings amid a crooked and twisted generation. Today’s world is similarly warped, seeking to dethrone God in favor of selfish pursuits and nebulous beliefs. Reminding us of our true identity in Christ, Alistair Begg warns believers not to be passive. Instead, we are to stand firm in one Spirit, strive side by side for the faith of the Gospel, and shine in the midst of the world’s darkness.
“Will Only a Few Be Saved?”
After hearing Jesus speak on repentance, someone in the crowd asked a single question: “Are only a few people going to be saved?” Jesus’…
(more)After hearing Jesus speak on repentance, someone in the crowd asked a single question: “Are only a few people going to be saved?” Jesus’ response—that one day the door to heaven will be closed and those who did not know Him will be shut out—is one of the most chilling in all of Scripture. In this message, Alistair Begg considers Jesus’ reply and exhorts us to repent before the opportunity to do so has passed.
Dark Days — Part One
After some measure of reconciliation with King David, Absalom began to build his public image. For four years he sowed a spirit of discontent among…
(more)After some measure of reconciliation with King David, Absalom began to build his public image. For four years he sowed a spirit of discontent among the Israelites and offered himself as their hope for resolution. Absalom’s persona fed his political objective—namely, to usurp David’s throne. In response to his son’s rebellion, David fled Jerusalem—a decision, notes Alistair Begg, made not out of fear but in the wisdom and knowledge that no manmade plot can overturn God’s steadfast love and faithfulness toward His people.
Why Worry? God’s in Charge!
Worry is like telling our omnipotent God the unthinkable: “I don’t trust You.” Yet worry is still a struggle for many who have experienced God’s…
(more)Worry is like telling our omnipotent God the unthinkable: “I don’t trust You.” Yet worry is still a struggle for many who have experienced God’s goodness—even mature believers. Reflecting on Jesus’ words about anxiety, Alistair Begg explains that we can think rightly about our troubles when we view them in light of God’s Word. Only then will we trust our burdens to the one who can truly bear them.