The Best Bible Verse

A couple weeks ago Paul Whiting presented a post under the title Power of Scripture meme The idea of a meme is taking something you see one place and replicating it elsewhere. His post begins:

Jason at P. T. Forsyth Files has asked me to "post [on] that verse or story of scripture which is important to you, which you find yourself re-visiting time after time."

Since I did not want to simply post my favorite verse I am taking the opportunity to add my favorite verse to the following story taken from a post on Christian forums.

I have recently been reading a book by Jim Hohnberger. His perspective is so refreshing and his words seem to emanate with what we need to hear today in our world... Here is a quote with a question to us all. (It's about People, pg 32,33) He relates a story he had at a speaking engagement at Camp. A older gentlement walked up to him and challenged him with this...

"I've got five questions to ask you." Well, I said setting my suitcase down, on the pathway, "go ahead". "Number one, what is the one text from the entire bible that is the foundation of our faith?"

I looked at Tom who said, "I can do all things through Christ."

"No" he snapped, as though irritated because Tom quoted this vibrantly confident pronouncement of faith. He then fixed his gaze upon me and commanded, "You tell me, Jim Hohnberger."

"Acts 17:28: 'For in Him we live and move and have our being.'"

"your'e wrong" he barked and then proceeded to quote a proof text for a denominational doctrine.

"Whats your second question?" I asked

"Did Christ take upon Him the fallen or unfallen nature?"

"Whats your third question?"

"Was the atonement completed at the cross?"

"And your fourth?"

"Are babies born sinners?"

"what is your fifth?"

"will we continue sinning until Christ comes?"

I had been praying through this entire encounter for that God would give me His grace and His wisdom because I don't have all the answers. Now I turned to him. "I have just one question for you before I answer your other questions. Brother, do you believe I can be a conservative christian, active in outreach and witnessing activities, take the gospel to the whole world, answer all five questions correctly, and still have not living experience with Jesus Christ, not be changed into His likeness, and not go to heaven?"

My favorite verse which I have found to work, so far for any occasion, would have been my answer to the above admittedly difficult question.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:2-3 NIV)