Begg Quotes & Sayings

We must think ourselves empty when coming to the text of scripture and read ourselves full. — Alistair Begg

The reason most preaching is ignored today is that it deserves to be. — Alistair Begg

Life was fleeting, I had learned, and death guaranteed. There had to be some greater purpose to it than the routine existance of daily life. — Moazzam Begg

How do I know that I am in Christ? Because of my trusting, costly obedience to the Word. — Alistair Begg

If [the devil has] brought you down, make sure that with Christ's enabling you stand back up. — Alistair Begg

Christianity is not about how to escape from the difficulties of life - it is about how to face the difficulties of life. — Alistair Begg

Holy Spirit, take the Word of truth as we find it in the Scriptures and bring it home to our lives. — Alistair Begg

I am fat and flabby and that Dr. J. I. Packer is right when he says, "Here then is the root cause of our moral flabbiness; we have neglected God's Law."3 — Alistair Begg

To expose our minds constantly to ungodly thinking is a great danger. — Alistair Begg

Undefined Christianity is not a problem in our generation. It is defined Christianity that brings the rub. — Alistair Begg

He seemed particularly cheerio, you know," said the Hon. Freddy.
"Particularly what?" inquired the Lord High Steward.
"Cheerio, my lord," said Sir Wigmore, with a deprecatory bow.
"I do not know whether that is a dictionary word," said his lordship entering it upon his notes with a meticulous exactness, "but I take it to be synonymous with cheerful."
The Hon. Freddy, appealed to, said he thought he meant more than just cheerful, more merry and bright, you know.
"May we take it that he was in exceptionally lively spirits?" suggested Counsel.
"Take it in any spirit you like," muttered the witness, adding, more happily, "Take a peg of John Begg. — Dorothy L. Sayers

The death of Jesus is the pivotal event of human history and everything needs to be understood in light of that. — Alistair Begg

Father, write Your Word in our heart; make us men and women who understand Your truth. — Alistair Begg

Once people stop believing in the God of the Bible, they don't believe in nothing
they begin to believe in anything. — Alistair Begg

I do not come to God so that Jesus can give me what I want. But I must come to God so that Jesus will grant me what I need. — Alistair Begg

You will never have a better friend than a friend who points you to Christ. — Alistair Begg

This is no time for wimpy Christians. It's time for soldiers of Christ to arise! — Alistair Begg

We Christians are secure, realizing that even our failures and our sins are under His control. — Alistair Begg

Many of us are tempted to find the key in doing, but the answer is actually found in being. It is vital that we are routinely humbled by the reminder that Christian life is grounded, not in what we can do, but what has been done for us and what we need done to us. — Alistair Begg

Congregational singing is a holy act, and as I organize my thoughts, I hear my old pastor, Alistair Begg, reminding me that in our song worship, we have to be spiritually alive (dead people don't sing), spiritually assisted (through the enabling of the Holy Spirit), and spiritually active (committed to daily walking with the Lord). — Keith Getty

Let us remember the loving-kindness of the Lord and rehearse His deeds of grace. Let us open the volume of recollection, which is so richly illuminated with memories of His mercy, and we will soon be happy. — Alistair Begg

There are no freelance Christians; there is no solo-flying to heaven. — Alistair Begg

Our relationship with God will never be right as long as our relationship with others is wrong. — Alistair Begg

When we become captive to the Word of God, then we discover true freedom. — Alistair Begg

It is imperative that those who name the name of Christ would be instructed in the truth of Scripture. — Alistair Begg

The task of the teacher of the Bible is to open up what's closed, to make plain what is obscure, to unravel what is knotted and to unfold what is tightly packed. — Alistair Begg

Father, we long for the clarity of Your truth to dawn upon our minds and for the immensity of Your love to grip our hearts. — Alistair Begg

We must be willing to say what the Bible says. — Alistair Begg

When grace begins to rule, then our preoccupation with ourselves begins to leave. — Alistair Begg

Our words and our works are evidence that our profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is true. — Alistair Begg

Refusal to forgive reveals we have minimized our offense against God and we have maximized a brother's offense against us. — Alistair Begg

Those who love the Gospel will love to be stirred by its truth all over again. — Alistair Begg

We as [churches] may be lampstands, but all of the light is Christ Himself. We exist in order that He might shine through us. — Alistair Begg

If you live in such a manner as to stand the test of the last judgment, you can depend upon it that the world will not speak well of you. — Alistair Begg

Prayer is the means that God has ordained for the supply of grace that is necessary to be joyful in hope. — Alistair Begg

We are not brought by faith into a realm of passivity, but rather, we are brought into the realm of diligent activity. — Alistair Begg

When a man or woman is born again by the Spirit of God they will give evidence of it in part by striving to live a holy life. — Alistair Begg

Love reacts with goodness towards those who ill-treat it. — Alistair Begg

Father, help us to rest our heads on the soft pillow of Your providence. — Alistair Begg

God's concern is for His name, His glory, His people, His unfolding eternal purpose and for His Kingdom. — Alistair Begg

We're to love our children for who they are, not for what we want them to become. — Alistair Begg

Even the most casual events are connected to God's purpose for His people from all eternity. — Alistair Begg

"The best of men are just men at best. — Alistair Begg

The main things are the plain things, and the plain things are the main things. — Alistair Begg

It is not our believing of the Gospel that makes it true. It exists as independent, true Truth. — Alistair Begg

Despite the obvious emphasis of Scripture (in regard to suffering), we are bombarded by suggestions that the 'successful' Christian living takes place in the realm of constant victory, health, wholeness, and financial prosperity. In response to this we are not to pretend that suffering doesn't exist or that it might be instantly cured. Such notions are the product of empty heads and closed Bibles. — Alistair Begg

If our Christianity doesn't work at home, it doesn't work. — Alistair Begg

Living at peace with everyone ... is not an option, it's an obligation. — Alistair Begg

Unfortunately, preachers who distort God's Word are all too common today. Sometimes this springs from a sincere desire to soften hard hearts, but hearts aren't changed by compromise. — Alistair Begg

Withhold no part of the precious truth, but speak what you know and declare what you have seen. Do not allow the toil or darkness or possible unbelief of your friends to dissuade you. Let us rise and march to the place of duty, and there declare what great things God has shown to our soul. — Alistair Begg

I never met a hopeful Christian who didn't read their Bible. — Alistair Begg

To risk reputation and affection for the truth's sake is so demanding that to do it constantly you will need a degree of moral principle that only the Spirit of God can work in you. Do not turn your back like a coward, but play the man. Follow boldly in your Master's steps, for He has made this rough journey before you. Better a brief warfare and eternal rest than false peace and everlasting torment. — Alistair Begg

There are times in our Christian life when we cannot see beyond the next step and we have to trust God. — Alistair Begg

Prayer is an acknowledgment that our need of God's help is not partial but total. — Alistair Begg

The preacher's task is to declare what God has said, explain the meaning, and establish the implications so that no one will mistake its relevance. — Alistair Begg

The grace of God reaches to the furthest extent to those who are prepared to acknowledge their need. — Alistair Begg

It is impossible to serve God without serving one another. — Alistair Begg

The Creator of the universe knows me. — Alistair Begg

The return of Jesus will be personal, physical, visible and glorious. — Alistair Begg

Only when we are captured by an overwhelming sense of awe and reverence in the presence of God, will we begin to worship God in spirit and in truth. — Alistair Begg

Hold material goods and wealth on a flat palm and not in a clenched fist. — Alistair Begg

Singleness and marriage are both evidences of God's grace that are to be experienced and sustained purely by the strength which God supplies. — Alistair Begg

I once was absolutely useless, and God in His grace has made me useful. — Alistair Begg

The Bible is one story that unfolds in one book, by one author, about one subject. A story that moves from promise to fulfillment. — Alistair Begg

Would anyone choose Hell over Heaven? YES! Why? Pride. They don't want to go in the only way you can go in, on your knees. They don't want to admit they are a failure, that their life is a mess. — Alistair Begg

There's a way to preach the Bible unbiblically ... You can use the Bible as the springboard for all kinds of ideas, can't you? Look around in here and find something that fits your fancy and then launch a rocket off it. People say, 'That was amazing, wasn't it? Remarkable what he got out of that.' Well of course it is because he put it in before he got it out. — Alistair Begg

The Bible is one book, written by one Author, with one subject: Jesus Christ and the salvation God ... provides through Him. — Alistair Begg

The foolishness of the cross is the wisdom of God and the wisdom of God is powerful in its impact. — Alistair Begg

Consider how Jesus came from a position of glory and consistently reached out to the lowly. — Alistair Begg

What kind of wonderful God is this who reaches down into the lives of people, picks them up, grants them faith, and changes them! — Alistair Begg

I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but through Jesus Christ I'm more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope. — Alistair Begg

Children should be able to see the Gospel modeled in the way their father loves their mother with a sacrificial love ... — Alistair Begg

You need to be in a church where the pastors are urging you, not so much to listen to what they say as to turn to the Bible from which they teach. — Alistair Begg

Tam: What begg'st thou then? fond woman, let me go.
Lav: 'Tis present death I beg; and one thing more That womanhood denies my tongue to tell.
O! keep me from their worse than killing lust,
And tumble me into some loathsome pit,
Where never man's eye may behold my body:
Do this, and be a charitable murderer.
Tam: So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee:
No, let them satisfy their lust on thee.
Dem: Away! for thou hast stay'd us here too long.
Lav: No grace! no womanhood! Ah, beastly creature,
The blot and enemy to our general name.
Confusion fall - — William Shakespeare

We may be confident in this: that in the pain of our suffering is the presence of a faithful God. — Alistair Begg

Unless the Bible is first taught to our own hearts, then we have no basis from which to teach it to others at all. — Alistair Begg

The story line of the Bible is the story line of God taking the initiative in seeking out a people who are His very own. — Alistair Begg

Question 1: What is the chief end of man? This most basic question confronts each of us. Why am I here? What is the reason for my existence? What is the purpose of my life? The catechism on the basis of 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Psalm 73:25 provides the familiar answer. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. — Alistair Begg

It is a sin when I place myself deliberately in the place of temptation ... either because I enjoy the prospect or because I'm not determined enough in my desire to overcome it. — Alistair Begg

When we turn luxuries into necessities, we jeopardize our ability for contentedness. — Alistair Begg

The protestant martyrs and their monuments testify to the fact that they died, not on account of ecclesial differences, but because the issue was the way of salvation. — Alistair Begg

Do you want to lead, or do you want to be liked? — Alistair Begg

The Church is where it is today because it has decided that the advertising agents know better than the Holy Spirit of God. — Alistair Begg

There is an old joke that went around- it goes, in the beginning God made man in His own image, and since the fall, man has been seeking to return the compliment. — Alistair Begg

I know that a man is converted when he starts to sing — Alistair Begg

If truth were told, most of us spend longer each day on personal cleanliness than on practical godliness. — Alistair Begg

If we are to say no to covetousness, we must learn to say yes to contentment. This involves learning to be content with what we have (Hebrews 13:5). Much of our discontentment may be traced to expectations that are essentially selfish and more often than not completely unrealistic. — Alistair Begg

We lose our way around the Bible when we take our eyes off the Cross. — Alistair Begg

It is our response to temptation that leads us down the path of righteousness or into the dead end of disobedience. — Alistair Begg

Endurance is a key indicator of spiritual fitness. — Alistair Begg

Father, look upon us in Your goodness and kindness, we pray as a church. Help us to love each other. — Alistair Begg

Gods law has been written on all of our consciences, but only in Christ is it written on our hearts. — Alistair Begg

We can do more than pray, after we have prayed, but not until. — Alistair Begg

Sincere love is not as a result of emotional surges - it's a result of obedience to the Truth. — Alistair Begg

The ultimate fulfillment of God's mercy in Jesus is not something that is supplied in time to correct a default in the system, but is something that is planned from all of eternity. — Alistair Begg

Ladies, [motherhood] is a full-time job. Do not kid yourself that you can be a dental receptionist and a mother; that you can be a typist and a mom; that you can be a Vice President and a mom. One of the two things will win. Now look at your Bible and ask what you have to do. — Alistair Begg

Our gracious God, we need the ministry of the Spirit of God within our lives so that Your Word may take root within us. — Alistair Begg

Singleness is a gift; marriage is a gift. We should not misuse the gifts we've been given. — Alistair Begg

What's descriptive isn't necessarily prescriptive. — Alistair Begg

Death for the Christian is to fall asleep in the arms of Jesus and waking up and finding out that you're home. — Alistair Begg