If you are receiving this for the second time, apologies. This is the corrected copy. You are a believer. Therefore, you assume that the kindest verse in the bible is John 3:16. It is the first verse you memorized. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son ….” Allow me to say that you are wrong. The kindest verse in the bible is not about salvation, great though that is. It is about faith.
The Nature Of God Shows In The Kindest Verse In The Bible
If you are a typical believer, you are growing in your faith. You look back on your Christian journey and you marvel at how far you have come. Some of the stuff you believed in the past now seems like total madness. And yet, all the while, God responded to you. He walked with you every step of the way.
You wonder how He could have responded to your belief in the power of anointing oil, for example. You used to swear by oil until you discovered the superior power in the blood of Jesus. Now, God is still walking with you. Does He not care about the days of ignorance? He does, totally. However, He is a kind God and it is His kindness that brings us salvation.
The Kindest Verse In The Bible Is All About Faith
God deals with us according to the level of our faith. He never expects us to operate at somebody else’s level of faith. He says, out of the kindness of His heart, “According to your faith let it be to you.” If you believe that drinking holy water, or any water, will heal your abdominal pain, you’ve got it. How cool is that!
The Apostle Paul was echoing God’s mind in his letter to the Romans. He enjoined them to receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. God receives the one who is weak in faith.
In the same way, He receives one who is mighty in faith. This attitude of God effectively precludes arguments. Let it be to me according to my faith is the answer to give to anyone who wants to argue with you. It is the kindest verse in the Bible, by far.
The Kindest Verse In The Bible Lets You Be You
Almighty God, who created heaven and earth, allows me to come to Him just as I am. Which Christian then has the right to try and make me operate according to his own faith? God heals me according to my faith, not the faith of my neighbor or of the Pope. Once we grasp the strength of this kindest verse in the bible, all disputes cease.
Judging from the letter to the Romans, disputes must have reigned supreme. We could not find any stronger evidence than Paul’s to stop all arguments. We reproduce it here, in toto. “For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him.”
Don’t Let Anyone Judge You
Did you catch that? God has received you and me, even with our weak faith. If anyone wants to drag you into a level of faith for which you feel you are not ready, you have your response. It came straight from the mouth of Jesus.” Let it be to you according to your faith.” It is absolutely the kindest verse in the entire Bible.
Paul continues by asking such self-appointed judges, “who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master, he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.” Trust me, as long as you are operating in faith, God is able to make you stand. And that does not depend on whether your faith is weak or strong. Regardless. Therefore, no more judging or arguments. Leave each to pursue God according to their faith.
The Kindest Verse In the Bible Extends To Special Days
You know that the Jews esteem the Sabbath greater than any other day of the week. Personally, I think every day is special and that was even before I turned 70. Now, each morning is extra special. It is an extra day on which I can show forth the glory of God. However, the kindest verse in the bible essentially says that I cannot judge the Jews.
Similarly, it means that the Jews or the Seventh Day Adventists have no basis for judging me either. Some make certain months special. Some others declare a particular year your year of this and the other. Others simply live one day at a time. God accepts each of us, as long as we are operating in faith. This should free each of us from our neighbors, both at home and in the pews.
The Kindest Verse In The Bible Is Relevant In The Pews
Oh, the pews! We should rather say that it is in the pews that the kindest verse in the bible is especially relevant. The people in your neighborhood do not prevent you from following Jesus as adamantly as your neighbors in the pews. Who but the followers of Jesus attempted to stop blind Bartimaeus from receiving his sight?
The vehemence of the pews against your seeing Jesus clearly is worse if you are a child. Who attempted to prevent the children from seeing Jesus? You guessed it. His disciples. Jesus had to scold His followers before they would let the children come to Him. But they will try to prevent you from closely interacting with Jesus no matter who you are. You simply have to be stout in your faith.
Don’t Be A Spiritual Child Or Your Pew Neighbors Will Derail You.
Read the passage about how the disciples tried to keep Jesus and the children apart. You will start to hate the fact of spiritual childhood. It is worse than physical childhood. Perhaps even worse than emotional childhood. Do you recall the thirty-year-old man whose parents recently had to take to court to eject him from home? The courts agreed with his parents. How awful!
Well, spiritual childhood is worse. I trust you are not a spiritual child, but if you are, you can grow up. Peter tells us how to stop needing diapers as a grown man. He says that we should avidly feed on milk, the milk of the word of God. Start today and you will find that nobody can judge you in your faith. God certainly does not.
Maranatha!
