51 times the Bible uses the phrase “but not.” It seems like an insignificant phrase, but it is significant when differentiating between a person of God and one who is not:
Exod 9:6And the next day the Lord did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died.
Exod 11:7But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’
Num 24:17I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.
Deut 25:3Forty stripes may be given him, but not more, lest, if one should go on to beat him with more stripes than these, your brother be degraded in your sight.
1 Kings 11:39And I will afflict the offspring of David because of this, but not forever.’ ”
2 Chron 21:20He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. And he departed with no one’s regret. They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
Job 30:28I go about darkened, but not by the sun; I stand up in the assembly and cry for help.
Isa 29:9Astonish yourselves and be astonished; blind yourselves and be blind! Be drunk, but not with wine; stagger, but not with strong drink!
Isa 30:1“Ah, stubborn children,” declares the Lord, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin;
Isa 48:1Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the Lord and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right.
Isa 48:10Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
Isa 51:21Therefore hear this, you who are afflicted, who are drunk, but not with wine:
Jer 17:11Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch, so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool.
Ezek 16:61Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed when you take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and I give them to you as daughters, but not on account of the covenant with you.
Ezek 24:17Sigh, but not aloud; make no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban, and put your shoes on your feet; do not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.”
Dan 8:22As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.
Dan 8:24His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints.
Dan 11:4And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.
Hos 2:7She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.’
Hos 4:10They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the Lord to cherish
Hos 7:16They return, but not upward; they are like a treacherous bow; their princes shall fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
Hos 8:4They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not. With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction.
Micah 6:14You shall eat, but not be satisfied, and there shall be hunger within you; you shall put away, but not preserve, and what you preserve I will give to the sword.
Micah 6:15You shall sow, but not reap; you shall tread olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil; you shall tread grapes, but not drink wine.
Matt 23:3so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
Mark 4:12so that “ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ”
Mark 10:27Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
Luke 21:18But not a hair of your head will perish.
Luke 22:26But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves.
John 13:10Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”
Acts 5:26Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
Rom 4:2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
Rom 7:18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
Rom 10:2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
Rom 14:1As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.
I think the best use of the phrase is in Corinthians:
1 Cor 6:12“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
1 Cor 10:23“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.
2 Cor 4:8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
2 Cor 4:9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
Rev 9:5They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone.
We live in a downcast world, and people are feeling crushed, but not those of us who find comfort in the Lord.