The Top 5 Scariest Verses In The Bible

There are some verses in the Bible that have really put fear in me. And maybe the reason these verses are scary is because I believe they are real and truthful, and can still apply to us today.

Now I know we should not be motivated by fear, but by God's love and grace. And I could certainly list my top 5 most wonderful verses. And no doubt, there are volumes of scriptures that are inspirational, and full of the good news of God's blessings and promises for us.  However, that doesn't mean we should disregard that God is also a God of justice. And just as there are blessings and rewards for our obedience, there are punishments and consequences for our disobedience. The 5 verses below can help each one of us to be on guard, and can help us to get real about our faith.

The Top 5 Scariest Verses In The Bible

1. "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8) 

How can you not be scared by this verse? It makes me realize that Satan is real, that he is my enemy, and that he is looking for someone to devour - hopefully not me! And I don't like how he prowls around. Good thing God is more powerful than he is, and that he can't overtake us unless we let him.  "So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)

2. "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."  (Hebrews 10:31)

I don't know about you, but I don't want to fall under God's wrath. To be punished by God'a own hands is the last thing I want. In this verse, God is called the "living God". That means God is alive and He is active and He is aware of what I think and do. And since God is alive, He can withhold blessings and even deliver punishment if that's what I deserve.  And that certainly would be a "dreadful" thing. The New Living Translation calls it a "terrible thing". The New American Standard calls it a "terrifying" thing. Hebrews 10:31 is definitely a scary verse.  

3. "Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins."  (Hebrews 10:26)

This verse is aimed at Christians who know and have accepted the gospel message of Christ, but afterward still keep sinning anyway. None of us are perfect, and none of us will go on living a sinless life. We will occasionally stumble and do something or say something that is sinful. But this verse is not talking about a stumble. This verse is talking about willfully sinning, and doing it with no intention of repentance - either planning to sin, or knowing you are sinning and continuing to sin instead of stopping,  Sinning on purpose after being forgiven through the blood of Jesus is basically a rejection of His sacrifice for sin. In that case,  "There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies." (Hebrews 10:27) Yikes!

4. "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12)

There is a spiritual reality that is all around us! And it's a good thing we can't see it - we probably couldn't handle it. There is always a battle going on for our souls. And we have everything to do with the outcome. We need to reject Satan's temptations. We can do it - by putting on the armor of God. The very next verse says, "Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm." (Ephesians 6:13). We shouldn't be terrified or feel defeated. On the contrary, "...the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world." (1 John 4:4b)

5. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."  (Matthew 7:21)

Why is this scary? It's because so many people fall into this category - people who just talk the talk and do not walk the walk. This verse tells us to take belief to another level - action. These are the words of Jesus, and what He is saying is that He can see through any shallow talk. You can say you know Jesus, but do you have a relationship with Him? Do you really know Him, and does He know you?

If your just pretending to be a Christian and just going through the motions, look out! Jesus addressed these types of people when He said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." (Matthew 15:8)  The Lord can tell the difference between those who are just pretending to honor Him and those who actually are - those who put on an outward facade of worship but with hollow hearts. Let's make sure we never are in the position to hear Jesus say, "Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" (Matthew 7:23)

To me, these are the 5 scariest verses in the Bible. I, for one, am thankful for such verses. May we all take heed. "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." (2 Timothy 3:16)