In my last blog, I shared some of the passages in the Bible that I find to be, well, scary. Many of these were verses spoken by Jesus himself, which warned about people missing out on the kingdom of God because of their unrighteousness. For the One who brought the Gospel, much of what he said sounded more like the Law and its requirements. After all, Jesus did say, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).

So then, why do I not despair over all the scary verses? Simply because the Scripture is full of comforting verses which proclaim the Gospel, the good news of why Christ came and what he accomplished for us. The passages are full of promise, and put the scary verses in context. I call these comforting verses my “happy verses.”

Here are some of the “happy verses” that give me hope and comfort, and why they make me happy. We begin with the Old Testament:

1. Psalm 103:12 “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

This verse is one of my favorites for two reasons. First, because of the promise that my transgressions will be fully separated from me as far as can be. I don’t want my forgiven sins to cling to me like a bad aroma. They are gone! Second, I love what it says about Who is removing those sins: God himself. The One who knows me and my sins perfectly, and who set the standards, is the One who removes them. And if God is for me, who can be against me? (Romans 8:31).

2. Jeremiah 31:34 “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Repeated in Hebrews 8:12 and 10:17).

Another wonderful verse, full of promise and hope. Is it possible that God could forget anything – he who is omniscient of everything there was, is, or will be? Not in a forgetful sense; not in the sense of a senior moment; not in the sense of me forgetting why I went into  room. No, it is a purposeful deciding not to hold my sins against me. And that is a blessing that makes me happy!

3. Joel 2:32 “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Also quoted in Romans 10:13.)

This is a welcome promise, not only for me, but for the entire world. While not everyone will call on the name of the Lord, those who do will be saved. This offer shows the attitude of God toward us; he loves us and wants us to be saved. And the way of salvation is not some difficult, complicated process. It’s just a simple calling on the Lord.

Now we move to the New Testament.

4. John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

This verse was my confirmation verse! But that’s not the only thing I like about it. I like that it promises an intimate, family relationship with God. He’s not some far-off deity removed from us and our concerns, but a Father who cares for us, protects us, and provides for us more perfectly than any earthly father could do. We are promised that as children of God, we will abide with him forever (John 8:35).

5. John 3:16 “ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

How could I not include this verse among my favorite “happy verses?” This verse has been called “the Gospel in miniature.” It tells God’s attitude toward us (love), what he did about it (sent his Son), what we are to do (believe in the Son), and the ultimate result (eternal life). In the words of the hymn, “What more can He say than to you He hath said?”*

6. John 3:17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

When I read all the law-oriented words spoken by Jesus, demanding perfection and righteous living, I turn to this verse, which reminds me of the purpose of Jesus coming into the world: not to condemn us, but to save us. He has provided a way to save us by his death and resurrection; without his work we would be condemned.

7. Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

At the end of Romans 7, Paul tells of being prone to sin, and laments, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” He answers himself in 7:25, saying, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” followed by this happy verse: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” He realizes he sins even though inwardly he tries to obey God. He is helpless to save himself, but God provides what he needs – or Whom he needs – Jesus Christ. When I slip and do , say, or think what I should not, I can affirm with Paul that I have a Savior and not a Condemner.

8. Romans 8:37-39 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This is one of the most triumphant passage in all of Scripture. It proclaims that no power in the universe, even death, can separate us from the love of God. It even names the things that would threaten our salvation, and says that with Christ we are not just victorious, but more than conquerors! When I read this, I can hear trumpets and drums sounding as God surrounds little old me with legions of angels. These are truly happy verses!

9. 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

In this verse, Peter is answering those mockers of his age (and ours!) who say, “Where is the supposed return of Christ?” Peter tell us to be patient, because he is coming, but in God’s timing. This verse also reiterates that God is patient with mankind, and wants to give us a chance to repent and be saved. Think of all the people who wouldn’t have been born if Christ had returned in Peter’s day during the first century. But because God is patient, the Gospel has spread throughout the world to billions of people.

10. John 3:8b “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

The phrase used by theologians is Christus Victor; he is victorious. He has accomplished what he came to do: to destroy the devil and his works. What is the devil’s chief work? To oppose God by leading mankind to sin, causing the rightful condemnation of God’s highest creation. We were made in God’s image, so by destroying us, the devil has struck against God himself. But Christ came to undo the devil’s work, providing salvation by taking our punishment on himself. Christ wins, the devil loses, and we get to join in Christ’s victory!

11. Revelation 24:3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’”

Do I really need to explain why this passage makes me happy? Or why I often used it in funeral services to call the mourners’ attention to what awaits us in heaven? God has not revealed all of what heaven is like, but these verses give us enough of a picture to comfort us. We don’t know all that heaven will hold, but we know what won’t be there: death, pain, or loss. And that is good enough for me!

So there you have it: some of my happiest Bible verses. They give me comfort when I read my scary verses, because I know where all Scripture points – to Christ’s victory and our eternal life with him in glory. Thanks be to God who has won us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Revelation 19:1-8.

* How Firm a Foundation, 1787 by “K.”

At various times while reading or preaching from the Bible, I have come across certain passages that have, how should I put this? How about: they have caused me consternation? Or how about: they have caused some trepidation? Or more plainly: they have scared the bejeebers* out of me!

To many people, the Book of Revelation is scary. Talk of a beast rising out of the sea with the number 666, locusts with tails like scorpions, stars falling to earth killing a third of all people, water turning to blood, and four horsemen who bring famine, pestilence, war, and death. Yeah, that’s plenty of scary stuff. But Revelation doesn’t scare me, because its message is that Christ, the Lamb of God, wins in the end. Evil is destroyed, and God’s people are vindicated and rewarded with everlasting life in a restored paradise. Not so bad, in spite of the tribulations on the way there.

No, the biblical passages that really frighten me are the ones that raise questions of who will be included in the people of God, and specifically, the warnings by Jesus himself against false belief and unrighteousness. They are enough to make me ask, “Am I really saved?” and “Can I lose my salvation?” It’s the most important question anyone faces, because the thought of spending eternity in conscious pain and terror, knowing it will never end, should scare the bejeebers out of everyone!

Now, I know that my salvation is sealed by faith in Christ and what he did on the cross, and not by my own works of righteousness. And it’s a good thing it is up to him and not up to me, because without that assurance, the following scary verses would destroy me. Here they are, and why they make me tremble:

1. Matthew 5:20 “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The scary thing is not that the scribes and Pharisees said this, because you might expect them to hold themselves up as the epitomes of righteousness. On the contrary, Jesus said this. And who were the scribes? They were the Bible experts of their day; they studied the Scriptures and probably knew them by heart. They were the ones you went to to know what God had said. And the Pharisees? They were the people who kept the Law and traditions perfectly, down to the smallest letter. In fact, the word Pharisee means “separated,” referring to them being set apart from other people because of their “holiness.” So, if Jesus said my own righteousness has to exceed these two experts of keeping God’s Law, I could be in trouble!

2. Matthew 5:48 “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Forget the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees! Now Jesus ramps up the comparisons: now I must be as perfect as God the Father! How is that even possible? Who can even approach even a tiny sliver of God’s perfection? By this impossible standard, I am doomed forever.

3. Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

This passage contradicts universalism, the belief that everyone goes to heaven, that “God is too loving to condemn anyone to hell.” Not only do some people not make it to heaven, most people don’t make it. While I, like many people, think we are on Jesus’ narrow path, this passage causes me to ask whether I am truly on the narrow way to life. This is especially true because I don’t find belief in Jesus very hard; I have always believed in him and sought to follow him. Has it been too easy for me to be on the hard path?

4. Matthew 7:21-23  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Ouch! Just when people think they are “in,” Jesus warns them that he will cast them aside because he never knew them. When I read that even if many people do mighty works in his name, yet they would still be rejected, I wonder if all my work as a pastor (and blogger) give me a sense of false security. How does Jesus consider my works, even if done in his name? If some Christians I look up to as paragons of the faith could be lost, then how will little old me fare better?

5. Matthew 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.”

Okay. So I don’t plan to cuss out the Holy Spirit. I agree with the Nicene Creed which says about the Holy Spirit, “with the Father and the Son he is to be worshiped and glorified.” So what does this warning mean? In the original context, Christ cast out a demon. When his religious enemies heard this, they said “It is only by Beelzebul**, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Jesus said no, it was by the Holy Spirit, and warned them not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Why the Spirit and not the Father or the Son? It would be wrong to blaspheme all persons of the Trinity. But the difference with the Spirit is that he is the one who creates faith in us, so to blaspheme him is to reject the saving faith he would give us. So with out that faith, we are lost. I don’t think I could accidentally blaspheme the Holy Spirit, but it is a warning. . .

6. Hebrews 6:4-6 “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”

As a Christians, I believe I have been sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). But then I read this passage which warns Christians not to fall away, for then it would be impossible to restore me. But what does it mean to “fall away?” Some blatant sin? A momentary doubt? Could I do this accidentally, or does it have to be willfully done? Could this be done privately in my own mind, or must it be a public rejection of Christ? Jesus said if we deny him before others, he will deny us before the Father (Matthew 10:33). Is this what he means?

7. 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

Is this appearance in public before the great multitude, or in private with my friend Jesus and me? Will he bring up all my sins (my evil deeds)? Will I get a chance to tell him why I acted the way I did, or will my defenses melt when he looks at me. While I like the thought of rewards, I don’t want to receive what I am due for evil acts and thoughts. I thought all those other guys will face judgment, but me too?

8. Revelation 21:8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

I like to think of myself as not being one of these doomed groups. Yay for me! But then I remember what Jesus taught, that we are guilty of these sins by desiring to do them in our thoughts. Lust in our hearts makes us guilty of adultery. Coveting is guilty of stealing. Name calling and hateful speech is like murder (Matthew 5). Since all of us have committed many sins in our hearts, I hope this passage refers to those who continue to desire and act in these sinful ways. Otherwise, we would all be lost.

Whew! That’s a lot off my chest! These are truly scary verse, but fortunately the Bible does not just contain warnings and the Law; it also contains many comforting words of assurance in the Gospel promises. Gospel means “good news,” and in the next blog we will read words of divine comfort. Don’t miss it!

Now may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Read: Matthew 5:17-58.

*I have no idea what “bejeebers “means, but it gets scared out of people all the time, especially in olden days.

**Beelzebul was a name for the devil, or Satan.