I still couldn't tell you a single song by O-Town, the boy band formed in 2000 from members of the inaugural season of MTV's Making the Band.
I was eight when they first came out: I listened to Radio Disney, Aaron Carter was my favorite singer (must've been the glossy-tipped hair), and the Backstreet Boys's "Larger Than Life" was constantly playing from my Millenium cassette—forget iTunes, I didn't even have a CD player.
Whenever somebody asked who my favorite group was, I would always answer, "O-Town." I had no idea who they were, but my cousin Emma liked them, and since I thought she was the coolest person on earth, I pretended they were my favorite, too. Of course, I always had to change the subject before somebody asked what my favorite O-Town song was, because I didn't actually know any.I gave a similarly-superficial answer whenever I was asked about my "life verse." I didn't want to pick John 3:16 or Psalm 23, because they were the N*Sync and Backstreet Boys of Bible verses—they were everybody's favorites. So, I always chose the only other verse I knew by heart: Romans 3:23.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
It's still one of the few verses that I never need to look up, probably because it's one of the shorter Scripture passages. It's a good verse, no doubt, but it's not my favorite and it never was. I only chose it because I didn't have any other verse to pick.
I like to think that I have come a long way in the past dozen years. Now, if you asked me about my "life verse," I'd tell you that I can't pick just one; through reading the Bible, dozens of verses have greatly influenced my life.
Some verses comfort me and others challenge me, some I love and some make me want to go all Thomas Jefferson on them and tear them right out of my Bible. But each has affected me in a powerful way.
(I'm not a biblical scholar and can't provide all of the context surrounding each verse. These are simply the verses that have had the biggest impact on my own personal life. Please feel free to comment/share the verses that have most affected your life).
TEN VERSES THAT EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD KNOW:
1. Ephesians 2:8-9
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast."
This passage pretty much summarizes evangelical doctrine. We are not saved by going to church, by being baptized, or by tithing; it's not about good deeds, but about faith in God. We don't deserve heaven, but are given a chance through His grace.
2. Psalm 137:9
"Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks."
Every good atheist knows this verse, so we probably should, too. It's foolish to pretend passages like this are not in the Bible. I won't pose as an expert scholar on the context surrounding this verse, but I can say that the passage has forced me to delve deeper into the complexities of reconciling the loving, forgiving God of the New Testament with the violent, justice-seeking God of the Old Testament.
It has also helped me understand that I can't just toss out passages that make me uncomfortable. It doesn't really matter how we feel about the Bible. A lot of Christians today seem to think, "Well I don't like this verse. It must mean something else." That's a dangerous path to journey down.
3. Matthew 10:32-33
"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven."
I attend a Bible study reading through Francis Chan's Crazy Love and this verse confused us a bit. Does this mean that if we literally deny knowing God then He will deny knowing us on Judgment Day? Or, less literally, does it mean that if our actions don't acknowledge God then He also won't acknowledge us? I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm terrified by the thought of being disowned by God.
4. I Corinthians 10:13
". . . And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also a provide a way out so that you can endure it."
Yay! Finally a happy verse, right? Well, kind of. This verse all but ensures that we WILL be tempted and that at times life may be difficult, but God promises that He will always help us overcome our temptations. But while this is comforting, it also discredits any excuses we make up for why we couldn't resist sinning. "It was St. Patrick's Day. . . I had to drink!" doesn't really hold up.
5. John 14:6
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
It's trendy to believe that there are many different ways to heaven, and that Jesus' death is just one of those options. Jesus doesn't seem to agree, though. I sincerely doubt He would have endured all of the pain and suffering and separation from His Father if there were other alternatives available (see Luke 22:42).
Also, people like to say that Jesus never claimed to be God. . . pretty sure He just did.
6. Job 38:31-35
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| Yeah, He made all those. |
God is asking "Who are you to challenge me, Creator of the universe?" The story possesses two of my favorite rhetorical devices: powerful imagery and biting sarcasm. I have a tendency to ask questions like, "Well if God loved us to much, then why did He even create us in the first place if He knew so many of us would go to hell?" In this verse, God is saying, "I'm God; you are not. Just be quiet."
(Also, check out this awesome video. Kind of puts us in our place, huh?
7. I John 5:4-5
". . . For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."
We should lead lives of victory because He has conquered the world. We don't need to worry or fear or stress; He's got this. There is no trial, no sin, no guilt that is more powerful than our God.
8. I Corinthians 13:1-3
"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."
Above all else, we should show the love of God. It doesn't matter what great works we do; if we aren't loving like Jesus, then it's all a waste.
9. I Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Not just after we win the lottery, not just when we find the man/woman of our dreams, not just after we hit the big shot. No, we should be joyful and thankful always. I sometimes wonder whether prayer really even matters at all, but I know that God commands us to do it. If Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, then prayer is probably effective. We often neglect our prayer lives, but God commands us to go to Him for all our needs and troubles.
So often, I think to myself, "When I get this paper over with, then I'll get my devotionals back on track." Or, "Once this job settles down, I'll start praising God again." But we're supposed to be joyful, thankful, and full of prayer even—especially?—during the rough patches. Life is never going to be perfect. There will always be one more obstacle in our way, one more hurdle we have to jump over.
So let's praise Him now, even as we're waiting.
10. Matthew 5:13
"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people."
This is both encouraging and challenging. We have the opportunity—the responsibility—to live set apart for God so that we are examples for others. We can't become just like everyone else, we can't lose our fervor for the Lord. If we lose our flavor, then how can we flavor the rest of the world? This is my life verse (I wrote it with Sharpie on my wrist back when I played sports) because it reminds me that I should not be just like everyone else. Christ has saved me, and people should see the difference in me.
Putting this blog together, I realized it's pretty much impossible to make a conclusive list of verses every Christian should know. I asked some of my friends and family members which verses most effected their lives, and I received dozens of different answers. Certain passages speak to me that might not mean very much to you, and vice versa. These ten verses are simply ones that I find very significant in my own life.
BONUS VERSE: Esther 4:16!
To see how the passage has affected my life, check out my Fearless Faith page.
Which verses have most affected your life? Which passages do you think all Christians should memorize?
