Some poems about our situation before God
Jesus for Life
SELECTED PASSAGES FOR
PRAYERFUL MEDITATION
We are all different, yet we seem to be assailed by many
similar thoughts and concerns. The following selection of
passages from the Bible may provide you with material
for further deep thought and consideration. We suggest
that you do pray to God that He will open the eyes of
your understanding, so that you may truly understand
what He is saying to you here.
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It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who
has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our
righteousness, holiness and redemption.
1 Corinthians
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things
that come from the Spirit of God, for they are
foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians
For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you
proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
1 Corinthians
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, and that he
appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.
1 Corinthians 15:3-6 (NIV)
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his
Son, purifies us from all sin.
1 John 1:7 (NIV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not
sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks
to the Father in our defence -
Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
1 John 2:1 (NIV)
We know that we have passed from death to life,
because we love our brothers.
Anyone who does not love remains in death.
1 John
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
1 John
I write these things to you who believe in the name of
the Son of God so that you may know that you have
eternal life.
1 John
Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will
you waver between two opinions?
If the LORD is God, follow him;
but if Baal is God, follow him."
1 Kings 18:21a (NIV)
See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death
and destruction. For I command you today to love the
LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his
commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and
in the land you are entering to possess.
But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient,
and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods
and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will
certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land
you are crossing the
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against
you that I have set before you life and death,
blessings and curses.
Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his
voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life,
and he will give you many years in the land he swore to
give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (NIV)
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in
sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your
fathers served on the other side of the flood,
and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose
you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods
which your fathers served that were
on the other side of the flood,
or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell:
but as for me and my house,
we will serve the LORD.
Joshua 24:14-15 (KJV)
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed,
but of imperishable,
through the living and enduring word of God.
1 Peter
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even
though you do not see him now, you believe in him
and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
1 Peter 1:8 (NIV)
… you also, like living stones, are being built into a
spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual
sacrifices acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a
stone in
the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious.
But to those who do not believe, "The stone the
builders rejected has become the capstone,"
1 Peter 2:5-7 (NIV)
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation, a people belonging to God, that you may
declare the praises of him who called you
out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you,
leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
1 Peter 2:21-22 (NIV)
Your beauty should not come from outward
adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of
gold jewellery and fine clothes. Instead, it should be
that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle
and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV)
But in your hearts set apart 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
This is good, and pleases God our Saviour,
who wants all men to be saved and to come to a
knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and
one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as a ransom for all men -
the testimony given in its proper time.
1 Timothy 2:3-6 (NIV)
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will
abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and
things taught by demons. Such teachings come
through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have
been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to
marry and order them to abstain from certain foods,
which God created to be received with thanksgiving
by those who believe and who know the truth.
1 Timothy 4:1-3 (NIV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
2 Corinthians
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that
in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do
righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or
what fellowship can light have with darkness? What
harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What
does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
What agreement is there between the
temple
For we are the temple of the living God.
As God has said:
"I will live with them and walk among them, and
I will be their God, and they will be my people."
"Therefore come out from them and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."
"I will be a Father to you, and
you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty."
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NIV)
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for
my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the
teaching of Christ does not have God;
whoever continues in the teaching has both
the Father and the Son.
2 John 9 (NIV)
For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man,
but men spoke from God
as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance
with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of
counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in
every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing.
They perish because they refused to love the truth and
so be saved. For this reason God sends them a
powerful delusion so that they will believe
the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not
believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NIV)
…. Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
2 Corinthians
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the
good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness
but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
2 Timothy 3:2-5 (NIV)
.... while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse,
deceiving and being deceived
2 Timothy
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)
After Jesus said this, he was taken up before their very eyes,
and a cloud hid him from their sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going,
when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives,
a Sabbath day's walk from the city. When they arrived,
they went upstairs to the room where they were staying.
Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot,
and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts 1:9-14 (NIV)
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.
Acts
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and
to the fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Acts
Salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven given to men
by which we must be saved."
Acts
But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves
whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than
God. For we cannot help speaking about what
we have seen and heard."
Acts 4:19-20 (NIV)
Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men!
Acts 5:29 (NIV)
God exalted him to his own right hand as
Prince and Saviour that he might give
repentance and forgiveness of sins to
Acts
So the word of God spread. The number of
disciples in
number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:7 (NIV)
Then Philip began with that very passage of
Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
Acts
The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on
Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus
Saul, for he is praying.
Acts
He then brought them out and asked,
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and
you will be saved - you and your household."
Acts
All the prophets testify about him that
everyone who believes in him
receives forgiveness of sins
Acts 16:30-31
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians,
for they received the message with great eagerness and
examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
Acts 17:11-12 (NIV)
But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I
stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am
saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses
said would happen - that the Christ would suffer and,
as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim
light to his own people and to the Gentiles."
Acts 26:22-23 (NIV)
See to it that no one takes you captive through
hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on
human tradition and the basic principles of this world
rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2:8 (NIV)
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your
hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the
right hand of God. Set your minds on things above,
not on earthly things. For you died, and
your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:1-3 (NIV)
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as
members of one body you were called to peace.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you
teach and admonish one another with all wisdom,
and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Colossians 3:15-16 (NIV)
Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard
the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a
voice. He declared to you his covenant, the
Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to
follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets.
And the LORD directed me at that time to teach you the
decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you
are crossing the
of any kind the day the LORD spoke to you
at Horeb out of the fire.
Therefore watch yourselves very carefully,
so that you do not become corrupt and make for
yourselves an idol, an image of any shape,
whether formed like a man or a woman,
Deuteronomy 4:12-16 (NIV)
There is not a righteous man on earth
who does what is right and never sins.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NIV)
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms
with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3 (NIV)
… he predestined us to be adopted as his sons
through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with his pleasure and will
Ephesians 1:5 (NIV)
In him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of God's grace
Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and
sins, in which you used to live when you
followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the
kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work
in those who are disobedient.
Ephesians 2:1-2 (NIV)
…. built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, with Christ Jesus himself
as the chief cornerstone.
Ephesians
But because of his great love for us, God,
who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ
- even when we were dead in transgressions -
it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith
- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -
not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
"You shall have no other gods before me.
"You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of
anything in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the waters below.
"You shall not bow down to them or worship them;
for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,
punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the
third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but
showing love to a thousand generations of those who
love me and keep my commandments."
Exodus 20:3-6 (NIV)
Instead, speaking the truth in love,
we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:15-16 (NIV)
Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in
accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were
taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off
your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful
desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
and to put on the new self, created to be like God in
true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:21-24 (NIV)
For you were once darkness, but
now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
Ephesians 5:8 (NIV)
Grace
to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ
with an undying love.
Ephesians
For you have heard of
my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely
I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
Galatians
But when God, who set me apart from birth and called
me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me
so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,
I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to
to see those who were apostles before I was,
but I went immediately into Arabia
and later returned to Damascus.
Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get
acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days.
I saw none of the other apostles -
only James, the Lord's brother.
Galatians 1:15-19 (NIV)
I do not set aside the grace of God,
for if righteousness could be gained through the law,
Christ died for nothing!"
Galatians
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they
realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves
together and made coverings for themselves.
Genesis 3:7 (NIV)
The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the
exact representation of his being,
sustaining all things by his powerful word.
After he had provided purification for sins,
he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than
any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing
soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges
the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews
Therefore he is able to save completely those
who come to God through him,
because he always lives to intercede for them.
Hebrews
Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer
sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then
for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins
once for all when he offered himself.
Hebrews
In fact, the law requires that nearly
everything be cleansed with blood, and
without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Hebrews
Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since
the creation of the world. But now he has
appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away
with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is
destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of
many people; and he will appear a second time,
not to bear sin,
but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:26-28 (NIV)
And by that will, we have been made holy through the
sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Day after day every priest stands and performs his
religious duties; again and again he offers the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when
this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins,
he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time
he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool,
because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever
those who are being made holy.
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this.
First he says:
"This is the covenant I will make with them after that
time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds."
Then he adds:
"Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more."
And where these have been forgiven,
there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.
Hebrews 10:10-18 (NIV)
And without faith it is impossible to please God,
because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great
cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that
hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us
run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set
before him endured the cross, scorning its shame,
and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful
men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin,
you have not yet resisted to the point of
shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that
word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
Endure hardship as discipline;
God is treating you as sons.
For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are
not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline),
then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who
disciplined us and we respected them for it.
How much more should we submit
to the Father of our spirits and live!
Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they
thought best; but God disciplines us for our good,
that we may share in his holiness.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces
a harvest of righteousness and peace
for those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:1-11 (NIV)
But you have come to Mount
thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful
assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names
are written in heaven. You have come to God, the
judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made
perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and
to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word
than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:22-24 (NIV)
Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage
bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer
and all the sexually immoral.
Hebrews 13:4 (NIV)
Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually
offer to God a sacrifice of praise -
the fruit of lips that confess his name.
Hebrews
"I, even I, am he who blots out your
transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more.
Isaiah 43:25 (NIV)
The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the
coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it
with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his
strength; he drinks no water and grows faint.
The carpenter measures with a line and makes an
outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and
marks it with compasses. He shapes it in the form of
man, of man in all his glory,
that it may dwell in a shrine.
He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted
a pine, and the rain made it grow. It is man's fuel for
burning; some of it he takes and warms himself,
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes
an idol and bows down to it. Half of the wood he burns
in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his
meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says,
"Ah! I am warm; I see the fire."
From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says, "Save me;you are my god."
They know nothing, they understand nothing;
their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or
understanding to say, "Half of it I used for fuel; I even
baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?"
He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him; he
cannot save himself, or say,
"Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?"
"Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my
servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant;
O Israel, I will not forget you.
I have swept away your offences like a cloud, your sins
like the morning mist.
Return to me, for I have redeemed you."
Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this;
shout aloud, O earth beneath.
Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your
trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
he displays his glory in
"This is what the LORD says --
your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
Isaiah 44:13-24 (NIV)
"Gather together and come;
assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood,
who pray to gods that cannot save.
Declare what is to be, present it--
let them take counsel together.
Who foretold this long ago,
who declared it from the distant past?
Was it not I, the LORD?
And there is no God apart from me,
a righteous God and a Saviour;
there is none but me.
"Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn,
my mouth has uttered in all integrity
a word that will not be revoked:
Before me every knee will bow;
by me every tongue will swear.
They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone
are righteousness and strength.'"
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.
Isaiah 45:20-24 (NIV)
…. provide for those who grieve in
bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendour.
Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)
I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my
God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10 (NIV)
All of us have become like one who is unclean, and
all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
James 1:5-8 (NIV)
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:22-25 (NIV)
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds,
and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good!
Even the demons believe that - and shudder.
You foolish man,
do you want evidence that faith without deeds is
useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham
considered righteous for what he did when he
offered his son Isaac on the altar?
You see that his faith and his actions were working
together, and his faith was made complete by what
he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says,
"Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as
righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
You see that a person is justified by what he does
and not by faith alone.
James 2:18-24 (NIV)
But the LORD is the true God;
he is the living God, the eternal King.
When he is angry, the earth trembles;
the nations cannot endure his wrath.
Jeremiah
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)
He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness
to the light. The true light that gives light to every man
was coming into the world. He was in the world, and
though the world was made through him, the world did
not recognize him. He came to that which was his own,
but his own did not receive him.
Yet to all who received him,
to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God -
children born not of natural descent,
nor of human decision or a husband's will,
but born of God.
John 1:8-13 (NIV)
Jesus' mother said to the servants,
"Do whatever he tells you."
John 2:5 (NIV)
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the
Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who
believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so
loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world, but to save the world through
him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but
whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because he has not believed
in the name of God's one and only Son.
John 3:14-18 (NIV)
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will
be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give
him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will
become in him a spring of water
welling up to eternal life."
John 4:13-14 (NIV)
God is spirit, and his worshipers must
worship in spirit and in truth."
John
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and
believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not
be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John
I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
John
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The
words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
John 6:63 (NIV)
He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one
can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
John 6:65 (NIV)
If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
John 7:17 (NIV)
I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not
believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed
die in your sins."
John
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said,
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my
disciples. Then you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free."
John 8:31-32 (NIV)
So if the Son sets you free,
you will be free indeed.
John
You belong to your father, the devil,
and you want to carry out your father's desire.
He was a murderer from the beginning,
not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.
When he lies, he speaks his native language,
for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John
He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know.
One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"
John
"I am the good shepherd;
I know my sheep and my sheep know me
John
My sheep listen to my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
John
- and the Scripture cannot be broken -
John 10:35b (NIV)
Yet at the same time many even among the
leaders believed in him. But because of the
Pharisees they would not confess their faith
for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;
John
There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does
not accept my words; that very word which I spoke
will condemn him at the last day.
John
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the
life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 (NIV)
You may ask me for anything in my name,
and I will do it.
John
But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in my name, will teach you all things
and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
John
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes,
he will guide you into all truth.
He will not speak on his own;
he will speak only what he hears, and
he will tell you what is yet to come.
John
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
John 17:3 (NIV)
When he had received the drink, Jesus said,
"It is finished."
With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John
But these are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by
believing you may have life in his name.
John
The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do
you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked
him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord,
you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."
John
And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour"
Luke 1:46-47 (NIV)
Blessed are you when men hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy,
because great is your reward in heaven.
For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
Luke 6:22-23 (NIV)
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of
Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his
glory and in the glory of the Father
and of the holy angels.
Luke
"He who listens to you listens to me; he who
rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me
rejects him who sent me."
Luke
As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the
crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you
birth and nursed you." Jesus replied, "Blessed rather
are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
Luke 11:27-28 (NIV)
Jesus said to the Phasisees:
"Woe to you experts in the law,
because you have taken away the key to knowledge.
You yourselves have not entered, and
you have hindered those who were entering."
Luke 11:52 (NIV)
Jesus answered. "No one is good - except God alone.
Luke 18:19 (NIV)
"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.
Luke 19:26 (NIV)
Jesus looked at them and said,
"With man this is impossible, but not with God;
all things are possible with God."
Mark
Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who
has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father
or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel,
who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time,
houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and
children and lands, with persecutions,
and in the age to come eternal life.
Mark 10:29-30 (RSV)
Heaven and earth will pass away,
but my words will never pass away.
Mark
He said to them, "Go into all the world and
preach the good news to all creation.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,
but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Mark 16:15-16 (NIV)
"Why does this fellow talk like that? He's
blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
Mark 2:7 (NIV)
(Jesus continued)
"Isaiah was right when he prophesied about
you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honour
me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.'
You have let go of the commands of God and are
holding on to the traditions of men."
And he said to them: "You have a fine way of
setting aside the commands of God in order to
observe your own traditions!
For Moses said, 'Honour your father and your mother,'
and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother
must be put to death.'
But you say that if a man says to his father or mother:
'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from
me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you
no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.
Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition
that you have handed down.
And you do many things like that."
Mark 7:6-13 (NIV)
"She will give birth to a son, and
you are to give him the name Jesus, because
he will save his people from their sins."
Matthew
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on
bread alone, but on every word that comes
from the mouth of God.'"
Matthew 4:4 (NIV)
Jesus said:
"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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth
disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of
a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law
until everything is accomplished.
Anyone who breaks one of the least of these
commandments and teaches others to do the same will
be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but
whoever practices and teaches these commands
will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I tell you that unless your righteousness
surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the
law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:17-20 (NIV)
[Here, Jesus is telling us that if we want to be saved by
keeping the Law, our righteousness needs to be impossibly outstanding!]
"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good,
your whole body will be full of light.
Matthew
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like
pagans, for they think they will be heard
because of their many words.
Matthew 6:7 (NIV)
So do not worry, saying,
'What shall we eat?' or
'What shall we drink?' or
'What shall we wear?'
For the pagans run after all these things, and
your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV)
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of
my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on
that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your
name, and in your name drive out demons and perform
many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly,
'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)
"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also
acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
Matthew
"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the
earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
Matthew
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me
is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or
daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
Matthew
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother
and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him.
Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are
standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my
brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers.
For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven
is my brother and sister and mother."
Matthew 12:46-50 (NIV)
For where two or three come together in my name,
there am I with them."
Matthew
Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the
Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has
become the capstone; the Lord has done this,
and it is marvellous in our eyes'?
Matthew
"But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only
one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call
anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and
he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,'
for you have one Teacher, the Christ.
Matthew 23:8-10 (NIV)
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 28:19-20 (NIV)
What is more, I consider everything a loss
compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all
things. I consider them rubbish,
that I may gain Christ and be found in him,
not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,
but that which is through faith in Christ -
the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Philippians 3:8-9 (NIV)
I want to know Christ and the power of his
resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his
sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Philippians
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have
already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold
of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Philippians
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my
God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield
and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalms 18:2 (NIV)
In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God
for help. From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
Psalms 18:6 (NIV)
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Psalms 19:9-11 (NIV)
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
Psalms 23 (NKJV)
Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
Psalms 27:10 (NIV)
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and
mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm
place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
Psalms 40:2-3 (NIV)
No man can by any means redeem his brother,
Or give to God a ransom for him--
For the redemption of his soul is costly,
And he should cease trying forever--
That he should live on eternally;That he should not undergo decay.
Psalms 40:2-3 (NAS)
He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is
my fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalms 62:6 (NIV)
Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.
Psalms 69:4 (NIV)
I am a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother's sons;
Psalms 69:8 (NIV)
Those who sit at the gate mock me,
and I am the song of the drunkards.
Psalms 69:12 (NIV)
The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind:
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."
Psalms 110:4 (NIV)
Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.
Psalms 119:164 (NIV)
...the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them --
the LORD, who remains faithful forever.
Psalms 146:6 (NIV)
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write:
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on."
"Yes," says the Spirit,
"they will rest from their labour,
for their deeds will follow them."
Revelation
"Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the ages.
Who will not fear you, O Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed."
Revelation
I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the
saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.
Revelation 17:6 (NIV)
Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
"Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
for her sins are piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
Revelation 18:4-5 (NIV)
I am not ashamed of the gospel,
because it is the power of God for
the salvation of everyone who believes:
first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
For in the gospel
a righteousness from God is revealed,
a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,
just as it is written:
"The righteous will live by faith."
Romans 1:16-17 (NIV)
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
All have turned away, they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good, not even one."
Romans 3:10-12 (NIV)
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has
been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets
testify. This righteousness from God comes through
faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement,
through faith in his blood.
He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his
forbearance he had left the sins committed
beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate
his justice at the present time,
so as to be just and the one who justifies
those who have faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26 (NIV)
What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not
at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and
Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no
one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have
turned away, they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good, not even one."
"Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit."
"The poison of vipers is on their lips."
"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know."
"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Now we know that whatever the law says,
it says to those who are under the law,
so that every mouth may be silenced
and the whole world held accountable to God.
Therefore no one will be declared righteous
in his sight by observing the law;
rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
Romans 3:9-20 (NIV)
Now when a man works, his wages are not
credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.
However, to the man who does not work but trusts God
who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as
righteousness. David says the same thing when he
speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God
credits righteousness apart from works:
"Blessed are they whose transgressions
are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin
the Lord will never count against him."
Romans 4:4-8 (NIV)
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the
righteousness that he had by faith while he was still
uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who
believe but have not been circumcised, in order that
righteousness might be credited to them.
Romans
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have gained access by faith
into this grace in which we now stand.
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)
And hope does not disappoint us,
because God has poured out his love into our hearts
by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Romans 5:5 (NIV)
For we know that since Christ was raised from the
dead, he cannot die again;
death no longer has mastery over him.
Romans 6:9 (NIV)
For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my
sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good,
but I cannot carry it out.
Romans
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus
the law of the Spirit of life
set me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)
Those controlled by the sinful nature
cannot please God.
Romans 8:8 (NIV)
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave
again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.
And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself
testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Romans 8:15-16 (NIV)
…. creation itself will be liberated from its
bondage to decay and brought
into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Romans
And we know that in all things God works for the good
of those who love him, who have been called according
to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son,
that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Romans 8:28-29 (NIV)
Christ Jesus, who died
- more than that, who was raised to life -
is at the right hand of God
and is also interceding for us.
Romans
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the
Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify
about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal
is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know
the righteousness that comes from God
and sought to establish their own,
they did not submit to God's righteousness.
Christ is the end of the law
so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law:
"The man who does these things will live by them."
But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say?
"The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in?
And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
And how can they preach unless they are sent?
As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
But not all the Israelites accepted the good news.
For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,
and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:1-17 (NIV)
And if by grace, then it is no longer by works;
if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
Romans 11:6 (NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers,
in view of God's mercy,
to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God -
this is your spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and
approve what God's will is -
his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
But when the kindness and love of God our
Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of
righteous things we had done, but because of his
mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and
renewal by the Holy Spirit,
Titus 3:4-5 (NIV)