Gold Chunk verses

David Letterman, an American entertainment showmaster, is known for his top ten lists. I am often asked about my ten favorite films, books, songs, foods and beers. You probably also have favorite lists. In recent years, some of my articles have been based on my ten favorite verses from the Bible. Here are six of them:

  • "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."1. John 4,8)
  • “Christ set us free to be free! So stand firm and do not let the yoke of bondage be laid upon you again! ”(Galatians 5,1)
  • "For God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:17) "
  • But God shows his love for us in the fact that Christ died for us when we were still sinners ”(Rom 5,8) "
  • So now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus ”(Rom 8,1) "
  • For the love of Christ urges us, especially since we are convinced that if 'one' has died for all, then they 'all' have died. And that is why he died for all, so that those who live there will no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose for them. "(2. Corinthians 5,14-15)

Reading these verses gives me strength and I always call them my gold lump verses. Over the last few years, as I've learned more and more of God's wonderful, endless love, this list has been constantly changing. Searching for these wisdoms was like looking for treasure after gold - this wonderful matter that can be found in nature in many sizes and shapes, from microscopic to huge. Just as gold is in all its unexpected appearance, so can God's unalterable love that envelops us appear in unexpected forms and in unexpected places. The theologian TF Torrance describes this love as follows:

“God loves you so much that he gave himself in JesusChrist, his beloved Son. He gave his whole being as God for your salvation. In Jesus, God realized his infinite love for you in your human nature in such a final way that he could no longer undo it without denying the incarnation and the cross and thus himself. Jesus Christ died especially for you because you are sinful and unworthy of Him. He has already made you his own, regardless of whether you believe in him or not. He has bonded you to himself in such a deep way through his love that he will never let go of you. Even if you reject him and wish you went to hell, his love will not leave you. Therefore, repent and believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior ”(The Mediation of Christ, p. 94)

Our appreciation for God's love increases when we read the Bible because Jesus, the love of God, is its anchor point. So it makes me sad when the latest polls show that many Christians spend little time “in the Word of God”. The irony, however, is that in a Bill Hybel spiritual growth survey, 87% of respondents ticked that “church help in understanding the Bible deeply” was their primary spiritual need. It is also ironic that the respondents cited the main weakness of their parishes as their failure to explain the Bible in an understandable way. The only way to find the gold nuggets of the Bible is to dig through them with repeated and thoughtful Bible study. I was recently reading the book Micah (one of the minor prophets) when I came across this treasure trove: "

Where is such a God as you who forgives sin and remits the debt of those who are left of his inheritance; who does not cling to his anger forever, for he is merciful! ”(Micah 7,18)

Micha proclaimed this truth about God when Isaiah announced the time of exile. It was a time of disaster reports. Nevertheless, Micha was hopeful because he knew that God is merciful. The Hebrew word for mercy has its origin in the language used for contracts between people.

Such contracts contain promises of faithful loyalty that are binding and at the same time freely given. This is also how God's grace is to be understood. Micah mentions that God's grace was promised to the forefathers of Israel, even if they were not worthy of it. It is encouraging and motivating to understand that God in His mercy has the same in store for us. The Hebrew word for mercy used in Micah can be translated as free and faithful love or unshakable love. We can be sure that God's mercy will never be denied us because it is in his nature to be faithful, as he has promised us to be. God's love is steadfast and he will always be gracious to us. That is why we can call out to him: "God, be merciful to me sinner!"8,13). What a gold lump verse.

by Joseph Tkach


pdfGold Chunk verses