Infants are innocent, of course, because they have no cognitive understanding of anything, yet. Therefore, when they cry or scream to demand immediate attention because they are hungry or need to be changed, we attend to their every little whim. Regrettably, some parents never wean their children away from that infantile self-centeredness.  Pampered children often learn quickly how to be manipulators.

In stark contrast to that, some children are blessed to be taught, from an early age, the meaning of the word "no," the reality that they are not the center of the universe, that it is not "all about me," that they should not expect to always have their own way, the importance of sharing and giving, the crucial lessons of proper behavior, common courtesy, and good manners, and the value of money and being responsible, law-abiding citizens.

  The Most Essential Truth

All of the words and messages presented in the Bible are of great importance and great value, and no part of the Bible should be omitted, ignored, or disregarded. However, all of the words and messages in the Bible are not equal in importance.

Some words and messages, such as the Ten Commandments, establish never-to-be-changed laws as benchmarks of bedrock importance. Other portions include historical narratives, eye-witness accounts of supernatural events, genealogical records, biographical data, personal testimonies, prophetic allegories, and various other types and categories of content.

Interspersed among the 790,391 words in 31,089 verses in the 66 books in the Bible, there are certain key verses -- universal truths and declarative instructions -- that God communicates to mankind. Sometimes He speaks with His own voice, sometimes through the mouths of prophets, and in certain places, God specifically speaks as "the Word of God."

The first words in the Book of John identify and introduce the Word of God in this way: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (and then in verse 14) "... and the Word became flesh and lived+ among us."

Only one person in all of recorded history has ever qualified for that name and title. The words that He spoke out of His own mouth are far more significant and more important than any other words ever spoken or written.

The Most Essential Truth in the Bible (ISBN 978-0-935597-02-7) features 249 passages in which the Word of God proclaims the most essential of all universal truths and declarative instructions. In the following, you can quickly read 98 of these key passages. While it takes more than 66 hours to read the entire Bible, you can read these key passages in as little as 15 minutes. You can also enjoy refreshing inspiration and encouragement every day by frequently re-reading and meditating on these key passages from the incomparable wisdom of the Word of God.