The Scariest Verse in the Bible

I read a blog post the other day because of its title displayed on Facebook: “The Most Frightening Verse in the Bible”. Intrigued, I clicked on over.  Apparently the offending passage was 1 John 4:7-8: “Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

Not only the author of the blog but several commenters took this verse to mean if we did not show love, we’d better be worried about our salvation.

I had to leave a comment. Because any time we think our relationship with God is dependent on how we act, we are headed for serious trouble.

We are saved through grace alone. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man think to boast. The key to salvation is in understanding that nothing I can do could ever earn forgiveness or favor with God. When I realize my insufficiency, I can then, in turn, put my trust in the sufficiency of Christ. His sacrifice more than paid for my guilt. When I believe in him, I am saved.

But as we go on from there, trying to live out our lives as believers, the reality of our insufficiency can fade. In our zeal to live holy lives, it can become once again about obeying the rules, earning favor with God. If I am not acting like a Christian, I will fall out of his good graces. I might not even have been a Christian to begin with.

What happened to grace?

Grace is undeserved merit. By definition we cannot earn it. It is one of those inexplicable sides of God: he gives it freely to those who believe. He continues to supply grace after we are saved: it is crucial to our relationship with him. Paul urged believers to “continue in the grace of God” (Acts 13:43, emphasis added). Our sense of dependency should only grow stronger as we walk with Christ. It should drive us to keep our eyes fixed on him, because looking at ourselves, our weaknesses and continual failure, will only lead to despair. When we understand grace, and how badly we need it, we cling to him like a life preserver. It will always be about grace.

So why are commandments like this one to love so strongly stated?

1. There is a purpose in our love. God’s intention is to reveal himself through the Church. In Philippians 2:14-16, Paul reminds his readers their behavior (loving each other) will show God to the rest of the world. One sure-fire way to get some notice is by living the way the Bible instructs, foremost, living lives of love (see John 17:20-21).

2. Love is an expression of who we are. We have been rescued from sin’s hold over us. Why would we shed the robe of righteousness and don the metaphorical garments of our old life? Paul writes, “Our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin” (Romans 6:6-7). We were rescued from the misery of sin’s mastery over us. This includes living for self and carrying hatred and bitterness in our hearts. Why willingly jump back into the cesspool?

3. Love is a healthy life-style. God loves us. The opposite of love is apathy. He won’t stand idly by and watch us self-destruct. Because when we choose sin over his way, it is exactly where we are headed. When continued unabated, sin will wreak a path of destruction a mile wide. We are our own worst enemy when we turn from holiness to rebellion. So he intervenes. Hebrews 12:5-7: “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him; for those whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and he scourges every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons, for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”

In short, yes, 1 John urges us to love each other. It is the mark of a true believer. It is the way we can show God to the world. Loving brings meaning and satisfaction to our every action.

But in no way is loving others a condition for our salvation or even our ongoing relationship with God. As children of God, we live under the huge umbrella of grace. He loves us, not because of what we do for him, but because he is a merciful God. Any sense of accomplishment we get from following his commands should not undermine the reality of our dependence on him for the most basic of spiritual needs.

He is all-sufficient. We must rest in that fact alone. Not only for our salvation, but for the rest of our lives here on earth.

What is the scariest verse in the Bible for you?