My name is John Irvine and I was born in Toxteth in 1925 but was evacuated to Tarleton
2 days before war broke out. I came back home when I was 14 and worked as a telegram
messenger. I went through the blitz seeing the awful destruction in the city centre
and large loss of life.
I served an apprenticeship as an electrician, which was interrupted when I was called
up aged 19. I served in the Royal Marines in Hong Kong until I was demobed to finish
my time as an electrician.
I had, all my life, attended church and Sunday School, and even kept that up in the
services. I knew all about what the bible said about God, the He was Holy, All-Knowing,
Righteous and judgement would be coming to ALL men. I did know that as God He could
not lie, all His words were true and I was therefore very worried. How could I stand
on the Judgement Day, which must come, because God is holy and righteous in all His
ways.
I asked myself if I had kept all God’s holy laws. I knew that I had not. The more
I listened to what God had declared in the Bible, I knew I had failed miserably to
keep His holy standard. In short, I would be bound for Hell. I was fearful, then
I remembered many bible stories and began to listen in church more carefully than
I had done before. I heard again the Gospel which helped me to understand that there
was a way, that I could find acceptance with God. Not by trying to improve or doing
good works. I had sinned against a Holy, Almighty God.
The answer was found in every part of the Bible. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, had come
to this earth in the likeness of sinful man, yet without sin of His own. He came
as a substitute for me and all who will trust in Him. He took my sin on the cross,
died in my place, paying the debt for me, cancelling all of my sin. The perfect life
that He lived was made over to my account and that is the Good News that has kept
me all these years.
Thankfully, praising God and actually being able to talk with Him, reading His Word
in the Bible; knowing that He cares for me enough to come and be crucified on a cruel
cross, that I can live eternally, escaping the righteous, judgement of God. My answer
and yours is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
