When studied in their contexts, these passages will change your life forever! Are you ready for God to work mightily in your life? First, pause and pray for an open heart and for God’s word to do great things.
1. Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
This verse constantly shows up on lists of the most popular Bible verses—and for good reason. It is extremely comforting. Notice, however, that I quoted only a single verse. If you have the habit of reading only one verse at a time, I recommend you break that habit right now. Don’t read just verses, but also read entire chapters and books. Know what was written before and after any particular verse. In this chapter of Romans, Paul challenges the Christians to continue living in the Spirit and not allow their old fleshly ways to come back and dominate them.
This verse is comforting, yes. It reminds us of God’s power to use all things for good. How it will change your life today is in remembering three points:
- Remember that this verse applies to those who are the called. In other words, it applies to the disciples of Jesus. So don’t try to ride this verse as a wave into health and prosperity while ignoring Jesus’ demand that you deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him.
- Remember that the “all things” mentioned in this verse includes the absolutely terrible things too. Most of us can look back at the heartbreaking and painful times in our past and see how God used them for His glory and an ultimately good outcome. If you’re going through something dreadful now, trust in Him, and watch how God uses it for good.
- Remember that God’s definition of good is sometimes (most times?) different from ours. If you think that job, relationship, or acceptance letter is good, pray for it and leave it to God to do mighty things (or as my grandmother was fond of saying, “Leave it in God’s lap.”). Also be willing to learn that God’s good may take you in a totally different—and perhaps more difficult—direction than you imagined. It is all about His glory. That is the good we’re looking for.
2. James 2:18–24
But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
It is normal and biblical for congregations of God’s people to have recognized leaders, such as elders, deacons, and evangelists. If we are not careful, however, we may start to rely on those folks to carry all the load. Scores of times, the Bible refers to Jesus’ church as a body. In 1 Corinthians 12, as well as Romans 12, the apostle Paul reminds you and me that each Christian is a member of that body. What would happen if, either suddenly or gradually, your arm stopped working? Would you ignore that? Certainly not!
Let this passage change your life today while you ask, “What role do I play in the body of Christ?” God has placed you in His body as He sees fit, and if you’re not actually a working body part, it doesn’t matter how much faith you have, for “faith without works is dead.”
3. Matthew 7:21–23
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
I have often called this one of the scariest passages in all the Bible. Notice these facts with me.
- This passage is speaking of a specific day. Jesus, therefore, is giving us an image of the judgment day.
- Yes, there are plenty of passages that help us understand that those who reject God and live heinously toward their neighbors will be condemned. The people Jesus is speaking of in this passage, however, are what most people would consider good and religious. And they are many.
- They will expect to receive a blessing from Jesus on that day for two reasons:
- They call Jesus “Lord.”
- They supposedly will have done good, religious works in Jesus’ name.
- But what will Jesus hold against them?
- They did not do the will of the Father.
- They did not know Jesus. Sure, they will know enough about Him, but they will not know Him.
- They will have been practicing lawlessness, which is called sin in 1 John 3:4–5. In other words, they will have claimed Jesus as their Lord, all while serving their own desires as their true master.
This passage will change your life if you let it. How? Ask yourself honestly:
- Am I truly doing the will of God?
- Do I know the Scriptures well enough to know what God’s will is?
- Do I know Jesus? You can’t know Him without knowing about Him. Yes, study your Bible as much as possible! But do you also know Him?
- Have I forsaken my sin and desires to live for Him?
- Am I prepared for that day?
4. 1 John 1:6–9
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Here’s another passage that reminds us that Christianity is not about only what you believe in your mind or feel in your heart. You must be walking. Are you walking in the light? If you are, here’s what will also be true about you (if such is not the case, this should show you how this passage can change your life today):
- If you are walking in the light, fellowship with both God and the church will be important to you. John wrote as if the threat of losing those connections would be good motivation for Christians to continue walking in the light. Is that true about you? Does the thought of losing connection with Jesus and His church motivate you to walk in the light?
- If you are walking in the light, you know the goodness of God and readily admit your failings. Christians have been made holy in the name of Jesus by the Spirit of God, but they should not be deceived into thinking that they cannot fall prey to Satan again. As all the apostles and prophets of the New Testament warn, keep on your guard. At the same time, know that God is rich in grace, mercy, and lovingkindness. He is always willing to forgive.
- If you are walking in the light, you trust in God’s faithfulness and justice. Now, to someone who is not in Christ, this justice includes condemnation. To a Christian who confesses his or her faults and trusts in Jesus, however, God’s faithfulness and justice include forgiveness. Many Christians act as if it is presumptuous to assume God will forgive them. But the Bible says it is actually part of God’s justice. It is the right thing for Him to do to forgive you!
There you have it. Four passages that will change your life today. If you’re ready to dive deeper into your Bible, check out one of the other articles on our site.