Guest Post
by Dave Griffiths
I have been living in a retirement village now for 13 years, and have had the opportunity to speak to many elderly, wise, and experienced residents. They come from various backgrounds and have a host of experience.
One lady told me of her time at a nazi concentration camp in Poland during world war 2. No warm clothes and very little food to eat. One man told me of his underground work in the mining industry and the difficulties of maintaining equipment to ensure continuous production.
Every time I have an opportunity, I bring in the importance of assurance, of salvation and certainty of life after physical death here on earth. After all, we are old and death is certain. One man I spoke to had no idea of John 3:16. What’s that he asked? I told him it’s the Gospel message in the Bible. He has never had a Bible! (80 years of age)
This brings me to essential knowledge that I thought all have known for about 2000 years. This knowledge has been basically consistent on all the major biblical issues. A brief summary will suffice.
1) The bible is the authoritative Word of God, containing every spiritual truth essential to God’s glory, our salvation, faith, and eternal life.
2) Scripture tells us that all humanity fell in Adam, and our sin is a perfect bondage from which we cannot extricate ourselves.
3) Jesus is God incarnate, having taken on human flesh to pay the price of sin and redeem believing men and women from sin’s bondage.
4) Salvation is by Grace through Faith, and is not a result of any works we do.
5) Christ is the only Saviour for the whole world, and apart from faith in Him, there is no hope of redemption for any sinner.
True Christians have always been in full agreement on all these vital points of biblical knowledge. Jesus made this sufficiently clear in John 10:27-28, when He said,
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”
Dr. Derek Morphew (Vineyard Bible Institute) tells us clearly, “Jesus Christ is the focus of all Scripture Old and New Testament, from Genesis to Revelation.”
May we put our complete faith and trust in Him.
Dave