Column: CONSIDER THIS

Favorite Verses (Part 2)

• *Last week I wrote about some of my favorite Old Testament texts. This week I want to share a few favorite verses found in the New Testament. There are good reasons why these passages mean so much to me, but I decided to list them without comment because they speak for themselves.

Verses in the Gospels and Acts

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20, New International Version).

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36).

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25).

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1).

“Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

Verses in the Epistles and Revelation

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

“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. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:2).

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

“This is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

“Be merciful to those who doubt” (Jude 22).

“God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

“Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life” (Revelation 22:16).

The List Is Endless

What biblical texts mean the most to you? To be honest, it’s impossible to reduce the Scriptures to a list of favorite verses. One inspired writer sighed with resignation and wrote, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

John couldn’t write it all down, nor can we capture all of God’s revealed truth by listing a few favorite verses. After all, the Lord even speaks through the parts of the Bible we don’t particularly like!