The Scariest Verse In The Bible

What’s the scariest verse in the Bible?

Mt. 7:21-23 is a great candidate. 2 Thess. 1:7-9 really shows the wrath of God. 2 Kings 21:12-13 makes my hair stand on end every time I read it. For me, the scariest verse in the Bible isn’t about the wrath of God. I believe that I’m saved and that I’m faithful to God - I’m on the winning side - so God’s wrath is scary, but I don’t expect it to be directed at me. Christ bore that burden so I wouldn’t have to (Is. 53:4-5). The scariest verse to me is the one that keeps me awake at night - the one that might cause God’s wrath to be directed at me someday.

“For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Mt. 7:2)

Christ talks a lot about judging in Matthew 7, including judging properly (Mt. 7:15-20) and avoiding hypocrisy (Mt. 7:1-5), but verse 2 in particular just gets to me. That verse lets me know that I’m going to be judged the same way that I judge others. If I’m nitpicky on matters of opinion or try to force the “safe side” on others as though my convictions are salvation issues, God will remember that in judgment. He’ll be nitpicky with me and show me the areas where I didn’t quite follow the “safe side” as evidence against me. Just look at how little slack he cut the Pharisees in Mt. 23:13-36 in comparison with how he gently (but firmly) reprimanded the sinful woman in John 8:1-11.

If I judge people with unevenly weighted scales, he’ll judge me the same way.  

1 Cor. 4:5 says that when the Lord comes, he’ll expose what I hide and examine the motives of my heart. He’s going to carefully peer behind my eyes to see every thought and emotion I’ve ever had. He’s going to bring up secrets that nobody else knows. He’s going to consider my religious “insecurities” - the issues I’m not quite as certain on as I wish I were - and see how I treated people on both sides of those issues, and then he’ll judge me the same way I judged them. That’s absolutely terrifying.

What does that mean for us? In my opinion, it means that we should be firm in what we know the Bible teaches and very considerate on matters of personal disagreement. This sentiment, which characterized the Campbell-Stone Restoration, rings truer today than ever:

“In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, (opinions,) liberty; in all things, charity.” - C.L. Loos

In the field of software-engineering, to start a project, the developers need requirements - they want to know what the project should look like when it’s done. They talk about known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns. Known knowns are the requirements that are clear, direct, and self-evident. Known unknowns are the requirements that aren’t so clear and require quite a bit of guesswork. Unknown unknowns are requirements for which they just don’t have any information; they have to just use their best judgment or ask for more details. I’m sure you see where this is going.

Here’s what the Scriptures have to say about:

• Known knowns: “Keep my commandments.” (John 14:15; 1 John 2:3; 1 Cor. 8; etc.)
• Known unknowns: “One person [does something unspecified], while another [does the opposite]. Each should be fully convinced in his own mind.” Romans 14
• Unknown unknowns: “The word that I have spoken [and what the apostles taught, is all truth, and will] judge him on the last day.” John 12:48; John 16:13

The most important takeaways for me come from Matthew 7 and Romans 14. It’s easy enough for me to see what to do with known knowns and unknown unknowns, but it’s hard for me to be honest about known unknowns sometimes. Often, I’ll feel very confident about my position on an issue that isn’t quite clear, and I’ll want to make sure everybody else agrees with me. I can’t let that desire encourage me to force my opinions on other people. I think we can look in Matthew 7 and Romans 14 and get a picture that looks something like this: “When it comes to personal convictions, God expects me to be honest about what is and isn’t specified. He also expects me to know exactly why I believe what I believe and hold myself to that standard very strictly, but not to enforce it on others unless it’s a known known. I should always bend over backwards to prevent sincere Christians from falling away because of something I do/don’t do.”

In other words, be very certain of what you believe and practice but be very cautious when placing judgment on someone else for the way they believe and practice because you will be judged the same way that you judge.

If I’m being honest, I’m a pretty harsh & judgmental person in my heart sometimes. I hope and pray that I continue to grow in patience and mercy, because if God judges me the way I judge others sometimes, I’m going to be in a tight spot on the day of judgment.

What a scary verse.