Brave by Faith: God-Sized Confidence in a Post-Christian World by Alistair Begg

Brave by Faith: God-Sized Confidence in a Post-Christian World Reviews

• 
  Bill Pence

  Pastor and author Alistair Begg tells us that secularism pushes back again and again against what the Bible says about sexual ethics, about salvation, about education, about the role and reach of the state, and about matters of public welfare. Public opinion has turned against Christians in America. Christians are suddenly a minority group within an increasingly secularized nation. We are finding out how it feels to be outsiders, and we don’t like it.
  He tells us that the message of the book of Daniel is incredibly relevant for us in our generation. The message of Daniel is this: don’t be discouraged. You have not reached home. This isn’t it. And Jesus shall reign.
  Begg uses the familiar first seven chapters of the book of Daniel to teach American Christians what it looks like to live as a Christian in a society that does not like what Christians believe, what we say, and how we live. He writes that we will be able to navigate our present moment to the extent that we realize that the God of the exiles in the sixth century BC has not changed in the intervening two and a half millennia. God is powerful, and God is sovereign, and even in the face of circumstances that appear to be prevailing against his people, we may trust him entirely.
  He asks how can we, as Christians, keep our courage and hope, in this culture? The answer is to look to the God whom Daniel knew and we will find out why, and how, to live as his people. Here is how you stand firm and live bravely when the wind is blowing hard against you. We will only live brave like Daniel did if we first know the God who Daniel did. We are in Babylon—and God is sovereign even here.
  He writes that we are going to face challenges. We will be challenged to give into the beliefs of our secular culture. Those crises we will face will reveal what is inside us. He tells us not to assume that you will stand firm in those moments. Equally, don’t assume you will have to give in. Resolve now. Think through where to draw the lines you will not cross. The crises will come; the moments will arrive when we are called to go with the flow of our culture rather than obedience to our God in the workplace, or the sports club, or in how we raise our children, or what we say from our pulpits, and so on.
  The purpose of the book of Daniel is to say again and again essentially the same thing: that God is in charge of the whole universe and you can trust him.
  Among the topics covered in this short book are compromise, idols, evangelism, trials, and pride.
  Below are 15 of my favorite quotes from the book:
  • We will not necessarily all draw all our lines in the same places. The lines may be drawn in different places, but drawn they should be, and crossed they must not be.
  • Here is the main and the plain thing: human history is under the control of God, and he has a purpose which will be achieved.
  • This was the message of the dream for the exile and the king, and for us: God is God, God is in control, and God’s kingdom has no rivals.
  • God sets up and God brings down kingdoms. These kingdoms will come and go, but God has established a kingdom that will never come to an end and will never be passed on to somebody else.
  • Idolatry—in your life and more broadly in society—precedes immorality. If we would understand why immorality is tolerated or even promoted, we need to look behind the behavior to the worship—to the idol.
  • Our hearts naturally worship idols that exalt our agenda, our goals, our significance, or our reputation.
  • We are not called to be pragmatic but faithful: to say, God has said this, and so I will do it.
  • Obedience to Jesus does not mean we skip the fires; indeed, often obedience will bring us into the fires. It is in the midst of the fire that God often shows himself the most clearly to us and reveals his strength to us.
  • It is in trials that the Christian is formed, and in trials that we find the greatest blessings.
  • The extent to which we truly believe in the God of Daniel will be demonstrated by the confidence of our evangelism in a pagan culture.
  • Your job, and mine, is not to convert people. It is to communicate the gospel. God is big enough to do the rest, according to his sovereign plan to build his church.
  • Pride is at the very heart of human rejection of God. We do not want to accept that there is someone other than us who is in charge of our lives and who gives us our breath and our every success.
  • We are called to do far more than to be good workers and to serve our society well; but we are certainly not called to do less.
  • God is on the throne and the future is securely in his hands.
  • Don’t look back to the “glory days.” Live well in this day. If you’re a banker, be a banker to the glory of God. If you’re a teacher, teach to the glory of God. If you’re a scientist, research to the glory of God. If you’re a salesman, sell to the glory of God.
• 
  Shauna

  I am a Christian who gets discouraged sometimes by the degradations of our society, most especially our American way of life. This book is a, not always gentle but realistic, reminder that this is not my home. I am to do and be my best no matter the circumstance I find myself, and that this is honoring to God. To be reminded that there have been others, like Daniel, who were adrift yet persevered and served God with their whole being is just the balm I needed today.
• 
  Jennie

  A book for such a time as this
• 
  Tim Zornes

  The book of Daniel is not about Daniel. Not about Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego. It's not about Nebuchadnezzar or Darius. The book of Daniel is about God. Begg does a great job showing that boldness in our faith comes from God's strengthening and enabling.
• 
  Aaron

  Do you find yourself struggling to be brave, confident, and obedient in an increasingly secular society? In Brave by Faith, Alistair Begg gives God-sized confidence in a post-Christian world.
  
  Be as Brave as Daniel
  
  The book is set against the background of modern America, where it is no longer applauded to live a life of Christian faith. Begg calls us back to the Bible, and shows us how we can be as brave as Daniel if we have faith in Daniel’s God.
  
  While much of Daniel is familiar to students of God’s word, Begg is able to break down the main truths and make them memorable. In Chapter 3, we are called to obey God despite the consequences. Begg makes a startling and succinct statement by showing how idolatry precedes immorality. None of us are immune to idolatry, and he specifically calls out how parents may worship their children, and how many Americans worship their politics. We make sacrifices to our idols, and God calls us back to worship him alone.
  
  God Humbles Hearts
  
  What I most appreciate is how Begg is able to draw parallels from the life of Christ and show the Gospel message in this Old Testament book. As Daniel was delivered through the furnace, we now see how Jesus went through the cross before us. We are called to be living sacrifices, offering acceptable worship to God with our lives.
  
  This book calls us to faithfulness and boldly proclaim the gospel. In Chapter 4, we are reminded to speak out because God is king. Our job is not to convert but to communicate. If God can humble the mightiest kings, he can absolutely humble the hearts of our families, friends, and even our enemies.
  
  Jesus Reigns and Will Return
  
  Begg helps us see that the whole life of Daniel was one long act of obedience. Daniel is well over 30 years old when he meets Belshazzar, and Daniel was 80 years old when he was thrown into the lion’s den. We see that God calls us to faithfulness throughout the duration of our lives. Begg brings us to Christ, and we remember the tomb of Jesus where he was delivered from death.
  
  The book takes an interesting turn in Daniel 7, and we see that the events in this chapter have already happened. The chapter refers to Jesus’ ascension into heaven, and we see that he is the Son of Man who reigns and gives us reason to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world. We can be certain of our mission because of what he has accomplished and where he is right now. But we are also reminded that we are still in a war. We must trust our powerful and sovereign God. We will receive the kingdom, and Jesus reigns and will return.
  
  I received a media copy of Brave by Faith and this is my honest review.
• 
  Ryan

  The book of Daniel is such an important and valuable book of the Bible to read and know, and Begg, one of todays most prolific expository biblical preachers, does a wonderful job presenting and applying it. This is a great book to ponder, argue with, and talk about with fellow believers in light of today’s cultural shifts.
• 
  Zach Scheller

  As Begg takes us through the book of Daniel, we’re reminded of what our task is as citizens of a different kingdom living in exile. But, as he ends the book:
  
  “Do not be discouraged. You have not reached home. This isn’t it. And Jesus shall reign.”
• 
  Christine

  Audiobook read by Begg (awesome accent). This a short book through the book of Daniel. Really helpful and he "points to God 6 times to Daniel's 1". Encouraging to the saints who live in modern day Babylon.
• 
  Alisha Knapp

  This quick read deep dives into Daniel’s life and reminds us to not be discouraged as we look around at a broken world. This world is not our home, and God is just as sovereign now as He was then. The story of Daniel is so relevant and necessary as we process our current culture, and our hope cannot be in the culture around us, but must be in the eternal glory of the Lord.
• 
  AMBER

  God be praised for giving us Daniel!
  Jesus shall reign.
• 
  Zak Schmoll

  This is a wonderful little commentary on the book of Daniel. Rather than focusing on how we ought to be like Daniel, the central contention of this book is that Daniel is most importantly about God being in control over all things, even in times of adversity, and we can trust Him. At every juncture in Daniel's life, God made things happen. Daniel was faithful, but God provided time and again.
  
  Another feature of this book I appreciated was the use of frequent scriptural cross-references. We always talk about the Bible being the story of God from beginning to end. That's true, but sometimes commentaries can get so focused on their topic that they don't bring in the bigger picture. Begg rightly focuses on Daniel, but he continually strives to put the themes of Daniel in their larger Biblical context.
  
  This is a very short book. You can read it in a few hours. However, I very much enjoyed it. In a culture that seems to be running away from God faster and faster, it is good to remember that the world has gone crazy before, and God has always been there and always will be.
• 
  Jeff Garrison

  A collection of short essays on the first seven chapters of the Book of Daniel. Begg uses Daniel as a way to provide a lens into our modern world and the challenges Christians may face. However, to his credit, he doesn't think we're nearly as "persecuted" as the Jews were in Daniel's day. He ends up focusing on "Christ"appearing in Chapter 7, who came to reconcile God and humanity. I wish the book would have been a little deeper and had covered the remaining chapters in Daniel. This is not a commentary but a series of essays that provide insight into the ancient text.
  
  I really like this quote about the debate in America over prayer in school:
  
  "isn't there something wrong with us as a church that we have expended such effort o the absence of prayer in our state-run public schools while being unprepared to acknowledge the absence of prayer in our local churches or to increase our own commitment to praying? It's almost like a smokescreen. If I can make a fuss about the lack of prayer over there, then maybe I can forget about the lack of prayer in my own life..." (98)
• 
  Whittney Huette

  A pint-sized book on the power of Daniel’s God. Short enough to read or listen to in a few days time but packed with encouragement about living a Christian life in a secular society. This book touched on one of my biggest fears - the world is awful how will we ever come out of it in one piece - but gently reminded that yes, it’s bad, but it’s not as bad as it could be (Babylon/King Nebi was AWFUL) and that God is still there even in the awful. I love the reminder that it’s not about Daniel and what he did but what’s Daniel’s GOD did. He is the true hero of the story.
• 
  Nitoy Gonzales

  It seems there is a Daniel for every kind of Christian. Well that's what our Christian culture have created. Not that some are bad but the truth we as believers sometimes misses the point of all of what this book is all about. The approach on this book of the Old Testament seems to give us lots of variety to encourage us to read, ground us in thinking about eternity and apply it practically. Daniel can be, a prophetic book for those who are end time speculators. For some that book specially for kids, a heroic story as the popular "Daniel and the lions den" comes to mind. We are challenge to "dare" like Daniel and rise above the crisis. And some it became the famous (or infamous) dietary plan.
  
  Whatever it might be, for better or worse, we should not forget how Daniel fit to the redemptive narrative of the Bible. Most importantly, the God of Daniel should be the highlight of the book. Well, does the examples that I list down in anyway downgrade the God of the Bible. Well I think they don't. However, there are still something that are missing to those I have mentioned. Can we focus solely on God Himself rather than how He can be useful to certain individual Christian.
  
  In Brave By Faith, Alistair Begg explores the Book of Daniel and introduces us to the God that lift up Daniel. As He lifts up this Daniel the Babylonian culture that challenges his faith were are also, as believers living in this post-Christian culture, be encourage like Daniel. Begg's assuring words and biblical lessons though simple yet much needed for Christians who wants to make sense and stand out in this hostile culture.
  
  You might find some points Begg is making are the usual inspirational stuff. Well its not. At first it feels like the usual spiritual encouragement you might have read in other books. However, as I read the book is getting better and better. Begg will give you clarity on who you are as a child of God and how powerful God can be despite tides are rising against your faith. The part when Begg turns the discussion to discipleship and evangelism became the turning point of the book. It's something considering we should expect him to stick on the encouragement part. But this call into action is definitely a winner in this book.
  
  As I have said, as you go further reading the book, its gets better and better. To add to that, it gets more insightful. Begg is now on full mode unearthing treasures of biblical truths. This time in Chapter 5 it is gear for Christian workers specially those who work for the government (like me). This chapter will then be carried over to the next as this chapter dwells on judgement.
  
  "Inevitably (and I think he should), Begg discusses Daniel and the lions den wrap up with more than a heroic story but story of the gospel. He points out themes like redemption, resurrection and judgement in this chapter while still grounded on how Christians should live and die for this culture that is hostile towards the faith. This is also one of the highlights of the book.
  
  Begg finished strong with last chapter dipping a bit on eschatology and carrying it over the epilogue with stories that will drive home the lesson of this book deep in our hearts. Jesus reign. The battle has already won. God wins. That enough for us go stand and continue in this post Christian culture. The book dig a few contemporary issues that challenge Christians but big on biblical encouragement.
  
  Brave By Faith is accessible and clear in equipping the Christian to stand for his faith without overly spiritual or hateful against the culture. This short book, Begg elaborates biblical truths which is badly needed for Christians.
  
  My verdict:
  
  5 out of 5
  
  (Review copy of the book was provided by The Good Book Company)
  
  Read my favorite quotes from the book
  here.
  
  Buy the book by clicking
  this link.
• 
  Josh Olds

  This is one of those books that I wanted to like, but made me wonder if there’s just something about the world that I’m missing.
  
  Brave by Faith is subtitled God-sized Confidence in a Post-Christian World. The primary theme of Begg’s teaching is that, even as the world grows more secular, we should hold on to our faith because God is sovereign to see us through.
  
  My concern with the book is how Begg presents Christianity as a victim of the “culture wars.” This starts in the introduction, entitled “The Wind Has Changed.” Begg writes that American Christians are beginning to find out “how it feels to be outsiders” and posits the life of Daniel as an example of how Christians are to live in a culture antithetical to their views.
  
  This isn’t a new association. “Babylon” has long been used as a symbolic term for any non-Christian culture. Daniel (along with Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael) has long been used an example of confronting non-Christian empires. But it is a bit dangerous to compare any modern Western nation—America, in particular—to Babylon. Christians in America enjoy unprecedented freedoms and political access. Evangelicals actually hold disproportionate political and cultural power in relation to their percentage of the population. It’s simply not an equitable comparison.
  
  What Brave by Faith misses is why Daniel is in Babylon. The nation of Judah has been brought into captivity by the Babylonians as a direct result of God’s supernatural protection leaving them. One can look back to the prophet Amos—the earliest writing prophet—to see God’s condemnation of the empty religiosity and lack of justice that defined his people. God’s judgment of them for their behavior and lack of repentance was to be placed in Babylon.
  
  The message that Christians need simply to hang on and keep doing what we’re doing fails to account for why we might be ended up in “Babylon” in the first place. The very point of Daniel is that he wasn’t continuing on in the religious tradition that put Israel in Babylon. Christians, if we truly want to understand why we have become a minority, need to look at why our faith is no longer compelling to the world.
  
  Further, rather than lament our loss of political and social power, perhaps we should recognize that the Church is usually stronger when it is a prophetic minority. A book that is similar in topic, but completely opposite in tone is Onward by Russell Moore. Moore tackles most of the same cultural happenings that Begg does, but from a deeper and more nuanced perspective that accounts for white evangelical Christianity’s cultural failings through its quest for power.
  
  Begg is clear, cogent, and straightforward. Brave by Faith is well-written, passionate, and intended to bring hope to a church that feels increasingly fearful—and is showing that fear through its actions. But I’m afraid it foundationally misses the mark, creating persecution where there is none, causing white evangelical Christianity to become even more insular and continue to fail in its great commission of making disciples.
  
  
• 
  Panda Incognito

  3.5 stars, rounded up.
  
  This is yet another evangelical book about Daniel, but Alistair Begg explores the biblical narrative in a way that keeps God at the center. Instead of focusing on key parts of the story to highlight moral messages or character-building examples, he goes through the whole story in context, understanding God as the central character. He emphasizes God's work within Daniel's life and Israel's exile, and instead of telling us to all be like Daniel, he emphasizes that we should worship and trust Daniel's God.
  
  However, this book includes cultural commentary that I found more frustrating than compelling. Society has shifted, and some Christians in the West face contempt and discrimination because of their beliefs, but given the amount of social and political power that Christians have in America, some of Begg's statements seemed extreme and unfair. He could have addressed contemporary issues in a much more nuanced way, and would gain more credibility if he acknowledged ways that American Christians have historically silenced and marginalized others. Faith-based discrimination is very real, but because of Begg's broad statements and sweeping assumptions, it would be easy for someone skeptical of this to dismiss it entirely.
  
  Despite my concerns about the cultural commentary in this book, I would recommend it to people who are interested in a solid exegesis of the book of Daniel. Begg writes about the first seven chapters, drawing on ancient Near East historical context, engaging with the characters and events, and connecting details from the text to the whole redemptive story of Scripture. He also shares insight into the apocalyptic content of Daniel chapter seven. This book gives a fuller representation of the story than what most Christians remember or know, and the true story is bold, bracing, and inspiring.
  
  I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Holly Ducarte

  I enjoyed the fact this book centred around the gospel. What it is, and what it is not. As well, that we are to understand our role in evangelism. It’s a brief read regarding the book of Daniel and how we can be as confident as Daniel was even when facing exile and persecution. How when we know the creator, God, whom we serve, we can be assured in our faith. The one niggle I had with this book that I think is significant, is not addressing who the “man of lawlessness” is in the apocalyptic sections of Daniel. He mentions the former Kings and Rulers from history (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Rome). The past kingdoms that have come and gone…but to leave out that there will be another world leader (worse than the formers) coming in the future that is charismatic enough to completely deceive many in the world is a major omission. Now, I understand Mr. Begg could not address the antichrist and false prophet in great detail because it would lose the focus of what his point is in writing this book. But even a brief mention would’ve sufficed for clarity. He kind of just glossed over what the Bible said when it mentioned that a lawless one is coming with power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception. Revelation is also very clear about a little horn (leader) with a false prophet coming to deceive the nations. Other than that aspect, this was a good read with inspiration toward going out and fulfilling the great commission.
• 
  Bella Schroeder

  Receiving this book was a huge surprise. When I was filling out the monthly application, I accidentally selected that I would review this title. So when a letter came that gave me the eBook, I was like how did this happen, but my mood changed when I started reading this book.
  
  At first, I was a little upset at myself that I hit that I would review an extra book. Sure, I could tell I was a little bitter at first, but after a while, I set that aside and enjoyed this read. I had already stocked myself up with 7 books other books for the month.
  
  Diving into this book actually helped reveal a lot of things to me. One, it revealed my need to go back and read Daniel, and two, it showed that sometimes it takes accidentally clicking on a book is not always a bad thing.
  
  While reading this book, I learned that sometimes we need to stop running from different difficulties and learn to give God control.
  
  This was a shorter read than I have expected. Despite that, I enjoyed getting to spend the time reading the book.
  
  I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are not my own and are not bought.
• 
  Paul Pompa

  The True Hero
  
  This was such an amazing book. I had no idea it was essentially a study of The Book of Daniel. This is a very timely book. It speaks a great deal into this cultural moment. As you’ll see, Daniel is not the real hero, but the God (the one true God) in whom Daniel had faith. Daniel reminds us that we should recall the story behind the story. We should remember The Creator. We should remind ourselves who the ultimate victor will be. If you’re feeling anxious or angry in any way about the current cultural climate, this is a must. Listen, either He’s sovereign over all good and evil, or He’s not. If He is as the Bible says (and in which I’m confident), there is much to have courage about to have confidence in there is little to fear or be anxious about.
• 
  Ammie

  Daniel was not who he was because God worked through him, but because God is God.
  
  We have no need to fear what the world will throw our way, so long as we believe in and serve the God of Daniel. We do not need to be Daniel, or seek to be an example like he was. We simply need to surrender to the God Daniel laid his life down for, over and over again. In doing so, in living each day to the glory of God, in the life He has placed us, we can be Brave by Faith.
  
  Do not be discouraged my friends. You have not reached home yet. This isn't it and Jesus shall reign at the end of this post Christian world.
• 
  Bobby Bonser

  Incredible, timely book just published this year (2021) by Begg, based on the book of Daniel. Far from being just a moralistic "be like Daniel" Begg's primary goal is to show us that, like Daniel, we serve the same sovereign King. Our confidence in this culture, in this time does not rest on policies, politics or the ever-changing landscape in America, our confidence rests in God. And because of this, we will increasingly stand out as the culture drifts further and further from the Creator. I cannot recommend this book enough. What an encouragement!
• 
  Cyndi Whitmore

  This book was simply fantastic.
  I enjoyed the audiobook, especially since it was read by Alistair himself.
  His points and teaching point us to the sovereign God and away from ourselves.
  As he teaches through a good amount of the book of Daniel, we are reminded that our goal in life is not to be comfortable in this world as it is not our home and that we are not meant to be Daniel either, we are meant to be in awe of Daniel's God.
  As always, I find Begg to be a top tier Biblical teacher.
  God definitely used him to show and remind me of important truths as I listened to this book.
  
• 
  Morgan Hubbard

  Very poignant.
  
  I accidentally came across this book and decided to read it on a whim. It was exactly what I needed to hear. Being a Christian in this current age is starting to be difficult. It's something the West isn't used to yet, and Beth does a great a job balancing the comparison of society today and that of Daniel in Babylon.
  
  I think all Christians should read this. It opens up a lot of questions and calls to action Christian's who turn a blind eye to the dark things we think are normal. A must read!
• 
  Ben

  Short exegesis of Daniel 1-7 applied to the church living in modern day Babylons. Can’t imagine a more enriching, encouraging, or needed word for the church today. God is in absolute control, and we can trust him. Be brave, side with and honor and love Jesus above all else, bear his reproach, and soon the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will *himself* with restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
• 
  Nancy Bandusky

  God is on the throne and He is in control!
  This is NOT our home!
  The above are just two of the important points Begg makes in this short book. This is an excellent look at the current state of the United States and comparison to how Daniel handled his life in a hostile environment. Begg explains how idols come in many forms, including parenting and politics, and we need to always keep God at the center of our world.
• 
  Aaron Smith

  In this book, Rev. Alistair Begg succinctly outlines how we as Christians can live by faith in what is becoming/has become a world where we find ourselves on the outside of the "majority." Through this parallel look at how we are called to live like Daniel, many important truths are brought to light. God is in control of our lives, our world, and His ultimate plan. I encourage this read to anyone who is in need of some refreshing reminders of the call to Christian living in our times.