THE ANCHOR

The Gospel, Day by Day

Every Ship Day Is Different

Some days, only a few crew members may have an opportunity to sit down and hear a clear explanation of the gospel. On other days, the opportunities seem to come one after another.

That does not happen every day, and numbers are never the measure of spiritual success. But it gives a glimpse of the remarkable opportunity God has placed at our doorstep. Behind every number is a person, a conversation, and an opportunity to clearly explain what Jesus Christ accomplished for them.

Rest Given

Joel: The Burden Behind the Smile

Cassandra helped with a group outing for cruise-ship crew members. Among them was a crew member we will call Joel.

He appeared cheerful and enjoyed the day.

But afterward, he asked whether someone could give him spiritual counsel.

In a quiet room at the Mission, Joel began describing sin, regret, temptation, and guilt. He believed he needed to confess every wrong, apologize to every person he had hurt, and make enough amends before he could know that God accepted him.

His uncertainty was not abstract.

Cassandra asked whether that guilt caused him to doubt whether he would go to heaven.

It did.

Cassandra shared the gospel with him, explaining that eternal life was not waiting at the end of sufficient penance or enough repaired mistakes. Jesus Christ had paid the penalty for sin in full.

As Joel understood that Christ had paid his debt in full, he trusted Christ and became certain that he had eternal life. Cassandra remembers tears of relief as the burden he had been carrying visibly lifted.

Over the next couple of days, he returned to the Mission, spent time with volunteers, prepared food, and shared some music as a thank-you.

A man burdened by guilt heard the promise of Christ and found his assurance in what Christ had done instead of what he still needed to do.

That is rest given.

An Opportunity Almost Missed

Marco: He Almost Left

Sometimes we recognize the significance of a ministry opportunity only afterward.

Volunteer Dave Knutsen told me about a Filipino seafarer we will call Marco. Marco came to the Mission one day, but the building was crowded. With so many people around, there was no real opportunity for someone to sit down and talk with him, so he started back toward his ship.

Then Marco came back.

Dave noticed that he seemed spiritually interested and asked whether he wanted to know how he could go to heaven for sure. What followed was more than an hour of conversation as Dave shared the gospel with Marco, then talked with him about assurance and some basic truths of the Christian life.

The timing makes the story especially meaningful. Marco was leaving for home the next day. Dave later told him, “If I never see you again, I will see you in heaven.”

A crowded Mission had almost meant a missed conversation. Instead, Marco walked back through the door.

Gangway Takeaway: We cannot manufacture gospel opportunities, and we cannot always recognize them when they first appear. Our responsibility is to remain available, share Christ clearly when the door opens, and trust God with the results.

Clarification Matters

Michael: Don’t Stop at the First Answer

When volunteer Rick Schwengler asked the seafarer we will call Michael how certain he was that he would go to heaven, Michael answered: 100 percent.

That could have ended the conversation.

But Rick asked another question.

Could he ever lose eternal life?

Michael was less certain. What if a Christian continued to sin?

Rick began talking with him about the distinction between family and fellowship. A disobedient child is still a member of the family. His disobedience can affect fellowship within that family, but it does not change whose child he is.

Later, Jean Schwengler began talking with Michael. His concern about continuing in sin surfaced again, and he wondered whether there was a Bible verse that addressed it.

Jean retrieved her Bible and began working with him through Romans 6:1: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”

As they talked, Jean realized that although Romans 6 addressed the subject of continuing in sin, it was not quite the passage or answer Michael was looking for.

Then she saw me walk into the kitchen. She came over and asked whether I was available to join them.

I was.

We all stood together while Michael explained his question. As I began answering, Jean stepped away and Michael and I continued.

Rather than simply telling Michael that eternal life cannot be lost, I wanted him to see the answer from Scripture.

I asked, “Where is the first example in the Bible of God’s provision for sin? I’ll give you a hint. It involved a couple.”

“Adam and Eve?” Exactly.

We started in Genesis 3 and began tracing God’s provision for sin through Scripture.

I asked Michael to keep three questions in mind as we looked at each verse and passage:

As we worked through the passages, Michael began to see the pattern.

Finally I asked, “What is the basis of forgiveness? Is it asking for it? Promising? Sincerity? Sinning less?”

Michael answered, “No. The sacrifice.”

“And how do we receive it?”

“By faith.”

Michael finally understood.

Then I asked whether we could go through John 3:16 together.

I pulled up the narrated John 3:16 Gospel Diagram Trainer, but instead of drawing the diagram for Michael, Michael drew it himself.

We paused along the way to interact with the verse and explore the questions it raised.

At one point that led us to another question: Why did God give the Ten Commandments?

That allowed us to distinguish what the Law can reveal from what it cannot provide. God’s Law exposes sin and our need. It cannot give us eternal life.

Then we returned to the promise of John 3:16.

The point was not for Michael to walk away saying, “Poochie told me this.” I wanted him to see it in the text.

That is why clarification matters. A person can use familiar Christian words and still carry significant uncertainty underneath them.

Sometimes one additional question is what opens the Bible.