Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
The Bible is clear that God intends marriage to be a lasting commitment. In many cases, remarriage is considered an act of adultery. Study along as Alistair Begg examines the three biblical reasons a person may remarry. That’s our focus on Truth For Life.
From the Sermon
Marriage and Divorce
1 Corinthians 7:8–16 Sermon • Includes Transcript • 38:04 • ID: 1638
Love in Action
The “burning coals” in this passage are not a metaphor for revenge or pain. Rather, they signify the shame and remorse that individuals feel when, instead of giving them the retribution we think they deserve, we show them kindness and generosity. It is the effect caused when Christians treat those who have wronged them in a way that is entirely without malice or vengefulness, and is therefore foundationally supernatural. When that happens, John Calvin observes, the mind of the enemy may well be “torn in one of two ways. Either our enemy will be softened by kindness, or … he will be stung and tormented by the testimony of his conscience.”[1]
These coals, therefore, are not to ultimately bring hurt but healing. Our generous actions are to encourage reconciliation, drawing the individual to us, not pushing them from us. It’s just like the mercy we received from God when we were still His enemies (Romans 2:4; 5:8).
If we are honest, though, those are not really the kind of coals we are looking for when we are wronged and hurt. Many of us would be quite happy to find out that coals actually would land on our enemies’ heads, burning and scarring them. After all, it’s nothing less than they deserve! But this reflects our fallenness and not our faith. This doesn’t look or sound like Jesus. That is what makes these verses so incredibly challenging.
Notice that God’s word calls us not merely not to react in vengefulness but to be proactive in blessing. When we manage not to retaliate, we have not yet fully obeyed. As disciples of Jesus, we’re not only to refrain from doing our enemies evil; we’re actually to do them good. It is easy to convince ourselves that ignoring our foes will take care of the problem or is the most we can realistically be expected to do; but here we discover that we’re actually supposed to show them hospitality! Our role is to respond to wrongdoing with a spirit of generosity, trusting that God will always judge justly and therefore we do not need to judge, and indeed must not do so (1 Peter 2:23).
Even as members of Christ’s body, many of us still seek to justify our disobedient, retributive actions or thoughts. Yet while our enemies’ minds may be able to cope with our arguments and their spirits will be strong enough to stand against our threats, love in action might bring them to repentance.
How does your heart need to be transformed or your actions affected by these verses? Do not duck the challenge of them. Part of growing in Christlikeness is to look for ways to do good to your enemies, acting out of the overflow of God’s radical kindness and generosity.
How is God calling me to think differently?
How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?
What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?
Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus
47bWhile he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called cJudas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, 48but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 49And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike dwith the sword?” 50And one of them struck the servant8 of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52Then Jesus said to the chief priests and eofficers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? 53When fI was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is gyour hour, and hthe power of darkness.”
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.
Trust in God Alone
And so in the matter of the envoys of the princes of Babylon, who had been sent to him to inquire about the sign that had been done in the land, God left him to himself, in order to test him and to know all that was in his heart.
Hezekiah was growing so inwardly great and priding himself so much upon the favor of God that self-righteousness crept in, and because he trusted in himself, the grace of God was for a time, in its more active operations, withdrawn. If the grace of God were to leave the best Christian, there is enough sin in his heart to make him the worst of transgressors. If left to yourselves, you who are warmest for Christ would cool down like Laodicea into sickening lukewarmness: You who are sound in the faith would be white with the leprosy of false doctrine; you who now walk before the Lord in excellency and integrity would reel to and fro and stagger with a drunkenness of evil passion. Like the moon, we borrow our light; bright as we are when grace shines on us, we are darkness itself when the Sun of Righteousness withdraws Himself.
Therefore, let us cry to God to never leave us. "Take not Your Holy Spirit from me! Do not withdraw from us Your indwelling grace! Have You not said, 'I, the LORD, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone punish it, I keep it night and day'?1 Lord, keep us everywhere. Keep us when we're in the valley so that we do not grumble against Your humbling hand; keep us when we're on the mountain, so we do not lose our balance by being lifted up; keep us in youth, when our passions are strong; keep us in old age, when becoming conceited in our wisdom, we may therefore prove greater fools than those who are young and silly; keep us when we come to die, in case at the very end we should deny You! Keep us living, keep us dying, keep us working, keep us suffering, keep us fighting, keep us resting, keep us everywhere, for everywhere we need You, O our God!"
1) Isaiah 27:3
Devotional material is taken from Morning and Evening, written by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg. Copyright © 2003, Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.org. Used by Truth For Life with written permission.
Daily Bible Reading for June 29
God Commissions Joshua
1After the death of Moses the aservant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' bassistant, 2“Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3cEvery place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4dFrom the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5eNo man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just fas I was with Moses, so gI will be with you. hI will not leave you or forsake you. 6iBe strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7Only be strong and jvery courageous, being careful to do according to all the law kthat Moses my servant commanded you. lDo not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success1 wherever you go. 8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but myou shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9Have I not commanded you? nBe strong and courageous. oDo not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua Assumes Command
10And Joshua commanded the pofficers of the people, 11“Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for qwithin three days ryou are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”
12And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said, 13“Remember the word that sMoses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’ 14Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them, 15tuntil the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. uThen you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
16And they answered Joshua, “All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17Just as we obeyed Moses in all things, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God vbe with you, as he was with Moses! 18Whoever rebels against your commandment and disobeys your words, whatever you command him, shall be put to death. wOnly be strong and courageous.”
Psalm 120
Deliver Me, O Lord
A Song of mAscents.
1In my distress I called to the Lord,
and he answered me.
2Deliver me, O Lord,
from lying lips,
from a deceitful tongue.
3What shall be given to you,
nand what more shall be done to you,
you deceitful tongue?
with glowing qcoals of the broom tree!
5Woe to me, that I sojourn in rMeshech,
that I dwell among sthe tents of tKedar!
6Too long have I had my dwelling
among those who hate peace.
7uI am for peace,
but when I speak, they are for war!
Psalm 121
My Help Comes from the Lord
A Song of mAscents.
1I vlift up my eyes to wthe hills.
From where does my help come?
2xMy help comes from the Lord,
who ymade heaven and earth.
3He will not zlet your foot be moved;
he who akeeps you will not slumber.
4Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your bshade on your cright hand.
6dThe sun shall not estrike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7The Lord will akeep you from all evil;
he will akeep your life.
8The Lord will keep
your fgoing out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.
Psalm 122
Let Us Go to the House of the Lord
A Song of mAscents. Of David.
1I was glad when they said to me,
g“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3Jerusalem—hbuilt as a city
that is ibound firmly together,
4to which the tribes jgo up,
the tribes of the Lord,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5There lthrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.
6mPray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
7Peace be within your nwalls
and security within your ntowers!”
8For my brothers and companions' sake
I will say, o“Peace be within you!”
9For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will pseek your good.
The Year of the Lord's Favor
1sThe Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has tanointed me
to bring good news to the poor;1
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and uthe opening of the prison to those who are bound;2
2vto proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
wand the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
xto give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
ythe oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
zthat they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, athat he may be glorified.3
4bThey shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
5cStrangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
6dbut you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
eyou shall eat the wealth of the nations,
and in their glory you shall boast.
7fInstead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
they shall have everlasting joy.
8gFor I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;4
hI will faithfully give them their recompense,
iand I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.
10jI will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
kfor he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself llike a priest with a beautiful headdress,
mand as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause nrighteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
1And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to vhis own city. 2wAnd behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus xsaw their faith, he said to the paralytic, y“Take heart, my son; zyour sins are forgiven.” 3And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, a“This man is blaspheming.” 4But Jesus, bknowing1 their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7And he rose and went home. 8When the crowds saw it, cthey were afraid, and cthey glorified God, who had dgiven such authority to men.
Jesus Calls Matthew
9eAs Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called fMatthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10And as Jesus2 reclined at table in the house, behold, many gtax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, h“Why does your teacher eat with gtax collectors and sinners?” 12But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn iwhat this means: j‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For kI came not to call the righteous, lbut sinners.”
A Question About Fasting
14Then mthe disciples of John came to him, saying, n“Why do we and othe Pharisees fast,3 but your disciples do not fast?” 15And Jesus said to them, p“Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? qThe days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and rthen they will fast. 16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17Neither is new wine put into old swineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
18tWhile he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and uknelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20And behold, a woman vwho had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched wthe fringe of his garment, 21for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, x“Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” yAnd instantly4 the woman was made well. 23And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw zthe flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24he said, “Go away, for athe girl is not dead but bsleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25But cwhen the crowd had been put outside, he went in and dtook her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26And the report of this went through all that district.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
27eAnd as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, fSon of David.” 28When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29gThen he touched their eyes, saying, h“According to your faith be it done to you.” 30And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, i“See that no one knows about it.” 31jBut they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
Jesus Heals a Man Unable to Speak
32As they were going away, behold, a kdemon-oppressed man who was mute lwas brought to him. 33And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds mmarveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few
35nAnd Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36oWhen he saw the crowds, phe had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, qlike sheep without a shepherd. 37rThen he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore spray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to tsend out laborers into his harvest.”
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