Christian Data Resources

It could be said that John 3:16 is the most important Bible verse for unbelievers.  After all, what’s more important than understanding the gospel message–that eternal life with God is possible through the saving blood of Jesus Christ?  However, if that’s true, then what’s the most important Bible verse for believers–those who have already experience the saving grace of Christ Jesus? 

The most important Bible verse for believers could well be 1 John 1:9, which says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Although a believer’s eternal fellowship with God is never in question, his temporal fellowship can be quite volatile while still in this fleshly life.  We can think of this as two concentric circles where the outer circle is our eternal fellowship, and the inner circle is temporal fellowship.  Upon salvation, we’re moved from outside both circles to within the inner circle, where we can bring the ultimate glory to God through our spiritual gifts.  At this point, we will never move outside of the outer circle again.  However, in our daily walk, we can still sin, and sin can knock us out of the inner circle. 

So, if we have eternal salvation, yet sin is keeping us from the ultimate experience of daily fellowship with God, we have a problem.  How can we get back inside the inner circle?  1 John 1:9 gives us the answer.  We must simply confess those sins which have formed a temporary barrier. 

So, what’s the deal with confession?  What does it mean, and who do we confess to?  We simply admit to our sins by naming them to God.  This clears the way, and we’re immediately back in temporal fellowship with Him.  In addition, there are further benefits for us: 

Regular confession can actually help us to sin less.  It’s like weighing every day–we subconsciously turn down those desserts because we know that we will be weighing again tomorrow (by habit). 

Confession also helps us to avoid depression, without those lingering unconfessed sins hanging around to cause guilt (another sin). 

Finally, confession renews our liberty.  We restore the freedom of our salvation through Christ Jesus our Lord.

In recent years, we have become more vigilant about acknowledging our military veterans of World War II, and, to a lesser extent, of the Vietnam War.  It’s high time that we did so.  We’re finally realizing that we’re quickly losing those generations.  In their day, it didn’t seem to them that they were heroes.  They were just among a vast number who were exercising their patriotic duties.  So, it’s a wonderful thing when they are recognized for the true value that they have added to our lives. 

However, what about all of those veterans who died years earlier, before we got around to recognizing them?  Should we feel bad about our oversight?  Maybe so, but there are some deep spiritual truths to help us all feel better about this. 

2 Corinthians 5:10 tells us of the coming judgment of all believers.  “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”  One day, Jesus Christ Himself will personally judge each believer.  We will be rewarded with heavenly treasures for our good deeds, and we will suffer loss for our bad deeds (although we will keep our salvation–Romans 8:31-39, 11:29).  So, in Matthew 6:20, He tells us to “… store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” not earthly treasures. 

However, there’s another verse in Matthew 6 that can be related directly to our veterans who were never appropriately honored for their sacrifices.  Matthew 6:1 says, “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.”  This verse assures us that Jesus Christ will reward them, and eternal rewards from Christ are much more valuable than temporal earthly rewards.

Although all Scripture is inspired (2 Timothy 3:16), some verses are more profound than others.  Some are less obvious, and others encapsulate the truths of many other verses, more concisely and comprehensively.  This is not a list of the verses that are most often memorized, quoted, or referenced.  This is a list of the most precious verses–those that we should cherish if we could pick only ten verses.  Thankfully, there are 31,102!  If your list is different than mine, let me know! 

#10) Matthew 6:20

“Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” 

Prosperity (click here for the full commentary)

#9) Ephesians 4:12

“Christ established the Church in order) to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

The Church (click here for the full commentary)

#8) 2 Corinthians 5:10

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.  ”

Judgment (click here for the full commentary)

#7) Philippians 4:6

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Prayer (click here for the full commentary)

#6) Philippians 2:3

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.” 

Humility (click here for the full commentary)

#5) Romans 12:2

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” 

Learning (click here for the full commentary)

#4) Romans 5:19

“For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” 

Imputation (click here for the full commentary)

#3) 1 John 4:16

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 

Love (click here for the full commentary)

#2) Galatians 2:16

“Nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

Faith (click here for the full commentary)

#1) Ephesians 2:8

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” 

Grace (click here for the full commentary)

This blog, as well as our ChristianDataResources.com website, is primarily a site about the Christian faith.  However, we also delve into politics occasionally, and some readers wonder why.  Well, one of today’s news stories might shed some light on this. 

It was reported today that a group of religious leaders (Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant) are offering sanctuary to the Wisconsin Democrats who are boycotting the union bill vote by not showing up for work in their elected positions.  Here’s an example of where morality meets politics.  These state legislators are violating the scriptural (and logical) doctrine of 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (“The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”), as well as Romans 13:1 (“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.”)  They are violating the law, as well as public trust.  Also, the teachers who called in sick (they lied–Exodus 20:16) to attend the rallies have no excuse either. 

Incidentally, these teachers and others on government payrolls need to pay an increased (and reasonable) amount toward their benefits and retirement, just like those in the private sector have had to do over the past twenty years.  It’s really for their own benefit, because if they don’t, many of them will be laid off.

We have been blessed with two grandchildren–both are still under the age of two.  In my prayers for them, I ask for God’s blessings for them in every way I can think of.  Recently, I thought of a new blessing to pray for them, but I changed my mind. 

Our family is like many others in that we seem to all have poor eyesight–nothing serious–we’re all just near-sighted.  I decided to pray that my grandchildren would break out of this trend of their parents and grandparents, and be blessed with perfect vision.  If they didn’t have to spend time and money on glasses, contacts, and laser surgery, they would have that much more time for other things throughout their lives, and they would be more comfortable. 

However, God put on my mind the words of Christ on the Mount of Olives, as he faced a much more severe situation than any of us ever will.  Luke 22:42 says, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” 

So, I didn’t pray that my grandchildren would have perfect vision.  Instead, I prayed that God’s will would be done in their lives.  Each of us will face our own particular set of problems throughout our lives–issues with health, family, finances, etc.  As we ask God to help us work through our troubles, He will.  However, He will do it in the way that He chooses, and we should pray that the final outcome brings glory to God, not that we will be more comfortable through our struggles.  He will enable us to overcome our trials, and He might even let us struggle with a few problems so that we can learn, and remain humble.  If bringing the ultimate glory to God means that He wants to bless our grandchildren through poor eyesight, then so be it.

I just read about two veterans of the Vietnam War, Maj. Robert Leon Tucci and Col. James Eugene Dennany, who were shot down in combat over Laos in 1969.  They were declared Missing In Action, and their bodies weren’t recovered during the war.  Their remains have just recently been identified, and are just now being flown home for burial.  I can’t begin to imagine the anguish that their family members endured over the years, wondered what happened to them.  Maj. Tucci’s father, Leon J. Tucci, died in 2009, and his last words were, “I’m just sorry that I won’t find out about Robert.”  Mr. Tucci probably spent his first forty years with normal issues like the rest of us, and then the last forty wondering about his son. 

I knew another man with a similar story.  In 1967, Captain James Paul Gauley was shot down over Laos, and his body was never recovered.  In 1992, I spoke to his father, Bill Gauley, shortly before his death.  He told me that he still believed that his son was still alive somewhere, probably being held as a prisoner of war.  Bill had suffered every day throughout those 25 years, wondering what his son might be going through. 

This makes my troubles seem small.  As my wife sometimes tells me, when we discuss such tragic circumstances of others, “We don’t have any problems.”

                                        Bible Questions

Our attitude of giving during the Christmas season can stir old memories.  Sometimes we remember something nice we’ve done for someone else, and other times we recall others’ acts of kindness toward ourselves.  Have you ever suddenly (and for no apparent reason) remembered something good that you’ve done in the past?  I believe that there may be a connection between these memories and the heavenly rewards that believers will receive in eternity. 

Matthew 6:1-4 says, “1 Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.  2 So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others.  Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” 

It’s obvious from this passage that if we draw attention to our giving and other acts of kindness, we will receive no reward for them in heaven.  We can receive either paltry earthly rewards and honor from men, or superb eternal rewards and attention from God in heaven.  However, I think there’s an even deeper meaning in these verses. 

We’re told to not let our left hand know what our right hand is doing.  This seems almost impossible, but I believe that it’s an analogy about our thoughts and our actions.  We should give so freely that our hands are almost constantly giving, whether or not our minds can even keep up with that giving.  In fact, we should even hope to forget these things.  We should be doing so many acts of kindness that we can’t remember them all.  These should just be a part of our daily routine–nothing abnormal. 

I believe that pride sometimes causes us to remember good things that we’ve done.  In the best case, we remember how good we were, and in the worst case, we become bitter that we didn’t receive proper recognition, or a thank-you, for our generosity.  This probably means that our giving wasn’t done in grace.  Instead of freely giving, with no expectation of payment, we gave while expecting something in return. 

Johnny Cash once recorded a song called, “I Forgot to Remember to Forget Her,” obviously putting a comical slant on a tragic situation.  We wonder why the man was able to forget to remember, yet unable to forget his true love.  Have you ever wondered how much you’ve forgotten?  Are you disappointed that you may have forgotten a lot?  Hopefully, we’ve all forgotten plenty of things.  In fact, we should thank God for forgetting.  The Bible assures us that these things will be remembered at the appropriate time, by an omnipotent God.

Johnny Cash has always been one of my favorite singers and songwriters.  In addition, his life was a perfect example of the ongoing struggle between spirituality and the flesh.  Johnny rebelled with hard living, drugs and alcohol, but his rough life always convicted him to seek a spiritual answer to the evils of the flesh.  In his biography, his daughter Roseanne makes an interesting observation about her dad.  Roseanne said, “I don’t think that he believed that having faith had anything to do with being good.”  Johnny was nothing if not profound, and, in true fashion, this statement is both true and false. 

Of course, the Bible commands us to be good, but the problem is that we’ve all done bad deeds, along with our good works.  Many people mistakenly believe that salvation is achieved through one’s good works and deeds.  This doctrine teaches that God will somehow decide our eternal fate by weighing our good deeds against our bad deeds.  Although we will all be judged, this doctrine confuses two forms of judgment.  We will all be judged as to whether or not we claim Christ as our Savior from our sins, and this judgment will determine whether or not we will spend eternity with God.  In additions, believers will then indeed be judged to determine their additional eternal rewards, and this judgment is indeed based our good works. 

However, the question of our salvation is decided by one simple thing, and it’s not our good deeds.  We are saved by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).  The Bible offers more clarity on this fact than anything else.  One of the many places where this is emphatically stated is Galatians 2:16:  “Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”  For a detailed explanation on this doctrine, please go to Salvation By Grace. 

So, on the one hand, the observation about Johnny Cash is true, because it can indeed be said that faith has nothing to do with being good.  However, this is only try if we are talking about our being good by our own means.  If we could live a sinless life, we might have an argument for going to heaven based upon our good deeds, and the complete absence of bad deeds in our lives.  However, we have all sinned (Romans 3:23), so none of us could get to heaven on this basis. 

However, from another perspective, God indeed demands righteousness.  God cannot allow sinful men into heaven, as this would corrupt the perfection there.  Thankfully, His plan of grace provides an answer for even this.  When we are saved, many great things occur, in addition to receiving eternal life with God.  One of the greatest things is that Jesus imputes His perfect righteousness to us (Imputation).  Now, when God looks at a believer, He sees the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ–not the sins of the believer, because Christ’s death on the cross was the perfect sacrifice for those sins. 

So, in this way, the observation about Johnny cash is not true.  Faith does indeed have a lot to do with being good.  In order to enter heaven, we have to be perfect, but the only way we can be perfect is for Jesus Christ to impute His perfect righteousness to us.

Psalm 131 offers a series of challenges for all believers: 

- 1 “My heart is not proud, LORD, my eyes are not haughty;”

Our flesh causes us to be proud, and our prosperity deceives us into thinking that we have something to be proud of.  Even when we achieve some level of humility, we’re usually proud of that. 

- “I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.” 

This verse isn’t telling us to be unconcerned.  Instead, it’s telling us not to worry.  For example, on a physical level, we should be concerned about political policies, but not worried about their outcome.  On a (more important) spiritual level, we should question things and search the Bible for answers, but we shouldn’t worry about the things of God that are too big for us to understand. 

- 2 “But I have calmed and quieted myself,”

One of our biggest challenges is dealing with stress in our lives.  We should be able to take comfort in God and His Word, but too look to medications like Xanax for our comfort. 

- “I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.” 

We should have calm and quiet hearts, like the contentment of a small child with his mother. 

- 3 “Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.” 

Like the nation of Israel, we should put our faith and our hope in God.  We should be less concerned about the material challenges of this life, and more concerned about eternity.