Most Christians have a favorite Bible verse. Usually, it’s a verse that saw them through a hard time, or one that they find particularly encouraging. Sometimes they use a verse out of context, but that’s a topic for a different post. Today, I’m going to share my top three favorite Bible verses. I chose three because I can’t really pick one over the other. Additionally, this list could easily change as I grow in Christ. With that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get started. I’m going to sort from most familiar to least.
Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
This verse is very well known. I’ve written on it before, but this verse really brought a lot of peace to my life when I was struggling with anxiety and fear of the future. The thing I find so comforting about this verse is the fact that it makes it abundantly clear that absolutely anything that happens is part of God’s bigger plan for the universe. It may not be pleasant (indeed, life often is not), but it is all a part of the plan.
Something to note is that we are finite humans and often cannot understand how some things could possibly lead to good. We must trust that God is faithful to his Word. Sometimes, God blesses us with hindsight that allows us to see how he “worked things for good”, but just as often he doesn’t. Just because we can’t always see it doesn’t mean God isn’t faithful
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Let me break this verse down a bit.
The “therefore” at the beginning is in reference to the Hall of Faith written about in the previous chapter.
The author of Hebrews exhorts his addressees to lay aside every sin and weight and run the race set before us. This means that anything which hinders us from running to the best of our abilities should be removed, even if it is not sinful in and of itself.
Additionally, a command is given to look to Jesus. This is interesting. One would think, given the great heroes of the faith listed in the previous chapter, that we would be told to look to those that have gone before us. But we are not. We are told to look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Our faith not only finds its basis in Christ, but its completion.
I love this verse because it provides an amazing overview of what the Christian life is all about. We should constantly look to Jesus as the motivation and energy for running our race, while simultaneously removing burdens that make running difficult.
2 Peter 1:9
I’ll go ahead and give some of the preceding verses for context on this one
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
While the verses at the start of this passage are also excellent for study (they reveal that there is power in the promises God has given us), the part of this group of verses I really like is verse 9. This passage was presented to me when I had fallen deeply into sin and my relationship with God was in shambles. It was part of a Bible study that has had a great impact on my life to this day.
The passage opens by explaining that we should seek to grow in certain characteristics as Christians. It also explains why a believer wouldn’t be growing in Christ. It is because they have forgotten that they were cleansed from their former sins. The Bible says that at our conversion it is like we go from blindness to sight. When we forget the beautiful message of our salvation, we blind ourselves once again.
The only way one can avoid forgetting the wonderful Gospel is to constantly have it at the forefront of our minds. Indeed, this verse pairs quite nicely with Hebrews 12:1-2 discussed above in that it approaches from the negative angle the same notion of looking to Jesus.
This verse has been one of the most powerful verses in my life when I fall into sin. Sometimes I feel guilt and shame, while at other times I just feel numb and shell-shocked. Regardless of my emotional response, I feel separated from God. Then I read a verse like this one or like Romans 8:1, which remind me that I was forgiven of all my sins, and that this forgiveness is based on faith. This drives me to worship God as I remember that nothing I do will increase or decrease God’s love for me or my forgiveness before him. Both are wholly complete.
Well, there you have. These three verses have been some of the most important in my life. Like I said, what I label as “favorite” might change over time, but for the time being, this is it.
What is/are your favorite Bible verse(s)? Tell me in the comments below!
Want more Semi-Structured Thoughts? Subscribe here.