Truth For Life Program
Alistair Begg Devotional
C. H. Spurgeon Devotional
One-Year Bible Reading Plan
Audio PlayerTruth For Life 30th Anniversary Interview
Selected ScripturesThis week marks thirty years since Truth For Life's first daily program aired on the radio! Bob Lepine sat down with Alistair Begg to reflect on the ministry's past and present while also looking forward to what we hope God will do through Truth For Life in the years to come.
From the Sermon
Truth For Life 30th Anniversary Interview
Selected Scriptures Sermon • Includes Transcript • 37:16 • ID: 3709
Audio PlayerReligious Formalism
The great tragedy of John 9 is not that a man had been blind for years until he met Jesus, but that a group of men were left spiritually blind despite having seen the work of Jesus.
The healing and transformation of the life of the man born blind caused a great stir in his community. Presumably he had been so much a part of people’s surroundings that it was easy to disregard him. Yet suddenly their normal daily experience was disrupted. The man who was once blind could now see perfectly well, and he was no longer asking for money (John 9:8-10).
Unable to solve this mystery, they presented the formerly blind man to the religious leaders, the Pharisees, to see if they could shed some light on what had occurred. What followed was not a conversation between the man and the Pharisees so much as an interrogation. Instead of rejoicing in his story, they challenged his testimony.
The reason for the Pharisees’ harsh reaction, at least on the surface, was that the man had been healed on the Sabbath (John 9:14-16). The religious leaders were unable to rejoice in the restoration of his sight because they were blinded by their religious formalism. The forms and structures of religion that they boasted in were the very things that proved to be a barrier to their faith in Jesus. They kept their lists of what was acceptable, and so they were unable to recognize the work of the God they claimed to worship, even when the evidence was quite literally (and miraculously) looking them in the face.
Religious formalism cannot face the dramatic impact that Jesus makes when He takes a person and turns him or her upside down—which is actually to turn them the right way up! Unwilling to acknowledge their own need for transformation—and the truth that only a radical internal transformation gives significance to the religious life—religious formalists hide behind maintaining appearances. Nothing challenges the religious formalist more than coming face-to-face with someone who has had their eyes opened to the salvation that is found in Jesus.
The Pharisees’ reaction to the blind man’s healing teaches us, then, to beware of the dangers of religious formalism. A blind commitment to religion has the potential to keep us from Jesus, just as it did with them.
Have your eyes been opened to the salvation found only in Jesus? Or has your focus on religious performance prevented you from rejoicing in the wonder of God’s amazing grace? Are you weighed down by religion’s burden or rejoicing in the awesome, often surprising work of the Lord Jesus? Look to Him alone for salvation and accept that He will not be constrained by your assumptions, for then you’ll find a joy, a transformation, and an excitement in the gospel that no amount of rule-keeping could ever provide.
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?
Righteousness Through Faith in Christ
1Finally, my brothers,1 krejoice in the Lord. lTo write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
2Look out for mthe dogs, look out for nthe evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3For owe are the circumcision, pwho worship qby the Spirit of God2 and rglory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4sthough I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5tcircumcised on the eighth day, uof the people of Israel, vof the tribe of Benjamin, ua Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, wa Pharisee; 6xas to zeal, ya persecutor of the church; zas to righteousness under the law,3 blameless. 7But awhatever gain I had, bI counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of cthe surpassing worth of dknowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I ehave suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having fa righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but gthat which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10hthat I may know him and ithe power of his resurrection, and jmay share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may kattain the resurrection from the dead.
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.
He Promises You
I will never leave you.
No promise is for private application. Whatever God has said to one saint, He has said to all. When He opens a well for one, it is that all may drink. When He opens a granary-door to give out food, there may be one starving man who is the reason for it being opened, but all hungry saints may come and feed too. Whether He gave the word to Abraham or to Moses matters not, believer; He has given it to you as one of the covenanted seed.
There is not a high blessing too lofty for you, nor a wide mercy too extensive for you. Lift up your eyes now to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west, for all this is yours. Climb to the mountaintop, and view the utmost limits of the divine promise, for the land is all your own. There is not a brook of living water of which you may not drink. If the land flows with milk and honey, eat the honey and drink the milk, for both are yours. Be bold to believe, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
In this promise, God gives His people everything. “I will never leave you.” Then no attribute of God can cease to be engaged for us. Is He mighty? He will show Himself strong on behalf of them that trust Him. Is He love? Then with loving-kindness will He have mercy upon us. Whatever attributes may compose the character of Deity, every one of them to its fullest extent shall be engaged on your side.
To summarize, there is nothing you can want, there is nothing you can ask for, there is nothing you can need in time or in eternity, there is nothing living, nothing dying, there is nothing in this world, nothing in the next world, there is nothing now, nothing at the resurrection-morning, nothing in heaven that is not contained in this text—“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
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 February 23
God Promises Deliverance
1But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with ea strong hand he will fdrive them out of his land.”
2God spoke to Moses and said to him, g“I am the Lord. 3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as hGod Almighty,1 but by my name the iLord I did not make myself known to them. 4jI also established my covenant with them kto give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5Moreover, lI have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6Say therefore to the people of Israel, m‘I am the Lord, and nI will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and oI will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7I pwill take you to be my people, and qI will be your God, and you shall know that mI am the Lord your God, who has brought you out nfrom under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8I will bring you into rthe land that I sswore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. mI am the Lord.’” 9Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they tdid not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.
10So the Lord said to Moses, 11“Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” 12But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have tnot listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for uI am of uncircumcised lips?” 13But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron
14These are the heads of their fathers' houses: the vsons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. 15The wsons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon. 16These are the names of the xsons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. 17The ysons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans. 18The zsons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years. 19The asons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. 20bAmram took as his wife Jochebed his father's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years. 21cThe sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22The dsons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of eAmminadab and the sister of fNahshon, and she bore him gNadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24The hsons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. 25Eleazar, Aaron's son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and ishe bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites by their clans.
26These are the Aaron and Moses jto whom the Lord said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt kby their hosts.” 27It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.
28On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29the Lord said to Moses, l“I am the Lord; mtell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” 30But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, nI am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
1mAnd he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2nand he sent them out to oproclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3pAnd he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, qno staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics.1 4And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town rshake off the dust from your feet sas a testimony tagainst them.” 6uAnd they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Herod Is Perplexed by Jesus
7vNow wHerod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that xJohn had been raised from the dead, 8xby some that Elijah had appeared, and xby others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9Herod said, “John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” And yhe sought to see him.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand
10On their return zthe apostles told him all that they had done. aAnd he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he bwelcomed them and cspoke to them of the kingdom of God and ccured those who had need of healing. 12Now dthe day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, e“Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place.” 13But he said to them, f“You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than gfive loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” 14For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16And taking the five loaves and the two fish, hhe looked up to heaven and isaid a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
18jNow it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19And they answered, k“John the Baptist. But others say, lElijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, m“The Christ of God.”
Jesus Foretells His Death
21nAnd he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22osaying, p“The Son of Man must qsuffer many things and rbe rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on sthe third day be raised.”
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
23And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him tdeny himself and utake up his cross vdaily and follow me. 24For uwhoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25wFor what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26For xwhoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed ywhen he comes in zhis glory and the glory of the Father and of athe holy angels. 27But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not btaste death cuntil they see the kingdom of God.”
The Transfiguration
28dNow about eight days after these sayings he took with him ePeter and John and James and fwent up on the mountain to pray. 29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was galtered, and hhis clothing became dazzling white. 30And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure,2 which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and those who were with him iwere heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake jthey saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three ktents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—lnot knowing what he said. 34As he was saying these things, ma cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35And ma voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, nmy Chosen One;3 olisten to him!” 36And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. pAnd they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit
37qOn the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for rhe is my only child. 39And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but sthey could not.” 41Jesus answered, “O tfaithless and twisted generation, uhow long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus vrebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and wgave him back to his father. 43And all were astonished at xthe majesty of God.
Jesus Again Foretells His Death
yBut while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus4 said zto his disciples, 44“Let these words sink into your ears: zThe Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45aBut they did not understand this saying, and bit was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
Who Is the Greatest?
46cAn argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48and said to them, d“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and dwhoever receives me receives him who sent me. For ehe who is least among you all is the one who is great.”
Anyone Not Against Us Is For Us
49fJohn answered, “Master, we saw someone gcasting out demons in your name, and hwe tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.” 50But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him, ifor the one who is not against you is for you.”
A Samaritan Village Rejects Jesus
51When the days drew near for jhim to be taken up, khe set his face lto go to Jerusalem. 52And mhe sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of nthe Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53But othe people did not receive him, because phis face was set toward Jerusalem. 54And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell qfire to come down from heaven and consume them?”5 55But he turned and rebuked them.6 56And they went on to another village.
The Cost of Following Jesus
57As they were going ralong the road, ssomeone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60And Jesus7 said to him, “Leave tthe dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and uproclaim the kingdom of God.” 61Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, vbut let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62Jesus said to him, w“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Job Replies: Where Is God?
1Then Job answered and said:
2“Today also my rcomplaint is bitter;1
my shand is heavy on account of my groaning.
3Oh, tthat I knew where I might find him,
that I might come even to his useat!
4I would vlay my case before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
5I would know what he would answer me
and understand what he would say to me.
6Would he wcontend with me in the greatness of his power?
No; he would pay attention to me.
7There an upright man could argue with him,
and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.
8“Behold, xI go forward, but he is not there,
and backward, but I do not perceive him;
9on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;
he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.
10But he yknows zthe way that I atake;
when he has btried me, I shall come out as gold.
11My foot chas held fast to his steps;
I have kept his way and have dnot turned aside.
12I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have etreasured the words of his mouth more than my fportion of food.
13But he is unchangeable,2 and gwho can turn him back?
What he hdesires, that he does.
14For he will complete what he iappoints for me,
and many such things are jin his mind.
15Therefore I am terrified at his presence;
when I consider, I am in dread of him.
16God has made my kheart faint;
the Almighty has terrified me;
17yet I am not silenced because of the darkness,
nor because thick darkness covers my face.
Warning Against Idolatry
1For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,1 that our fathers were all under bthe cloud, and all cpassed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and dall ate the same espiritual food, 4and fall drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for gthey were overthrown2 in the wilderness.
6Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as hthey did. 7iDo not be idolaters jas some of them were; as it is written, k“The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8lWe must not indulge in sexual immorality mas some of them did, and ntwenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9We must not put Christ3 to the test, oas some of them did and pwere destroyed by serpents, 10nor grumble, qas some of them did and rwere destroyed by sthe Destroyer. 11Now these things happened to them as an example, but tthey were written down for our instruction, uon whom the end of the ages has come. 12Therefore vlet anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. wGod is faithful, and xhe 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.
14Therefore, my beloved, yflee from idolatry. 15I speak zas to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16aThe cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? bThe bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are cone body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18Consider dthe people of Israel:4 eare not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that fan idol is anything? 20No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice gthey offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21hYou cannot drink the cup of the Lord and ithe cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and jthe table of demons. 22kShall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? lAre we stronger than he?
Do All to the Glory of God
23m“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24nLet no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25oEat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26For p“the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” 27If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, qeat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29I do not mean ryour conscience, but his. For swhy should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? 30If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that tfor which I give thanks?
31So, whether you eat or drink, or uwhatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32vGive no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to wthe church of God, 33just as xI try to please everyone in everything I do, ynot seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.
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