Warren Wiersbe had a gift for presenting profound truths in a simple way. His “Basics of Life” summary is a treasure.

3 min read

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

1 Corinthians 3:11-13

Warren Wiersbe was a gifted pastor, writer, and Bible teacher. For decades, he blessed Christians around the world with his easy-to-understand approach to the Bible, having the rare combination of both simplicity and substance. He was ushered into the Lord’s presence at the age of 89 back in 2019, just two weeks shy of his 90th birthday.

Over his lifetime, Wiersbe wrote some 150 books and preached hundreds of sermons. One of his many delightful contributions was a study Bible that he edited, called the Transformation Study Bible. This wonderful resource has comments and explanatory notes at the bottom of each page, as well as various articles scattered throughout, all written by the revered Wiersbe.

Read through the first pages of Genesis in this study Bible and you will notice a little insert shaded in grey called “The Basics of Life.” Based on Genesis 1-11, Wiersbe wrote this short list to summarize some of the main ideas. There he explains that these initial chapters are the “key” to unlocking “the rest of Scripture and to live to the glory of God.” They serve, Wiersbe says, as the foundation upon which the rest of Scripture rests.

I found this summary list so helpful, I wanted to share it. So here it is, Warren Wiersbe’s summary of Genesis 1-11, called the Basics of Life:

1. God is real and we can trust Him.
2. We live in God’s creation.
3. We are made in the image of God.
4. Obedience is the key to usefulness, joy, and blessing.
5. Satan is real, but he is a defeated enemy.
6. There is such a thing as sin.
7. Sex is God’s idea and he knows best how it should be used.
8. All humans are made of one blood.
9. Israel is God’s chosen people.
10. God doesn’t change and is always in control.
11. Our relationship to God is based on faith.
12. Living for God is the most rewarding life possible.

These 12 statements sum it up quite well, wouldn’t you say? Each sentence is brief, to the point, and anchored in Scripture.

In this shifty world, it is helpful to have regular contact with unchanging, foundational truths like these. They help us to stay grounded. And the more grounded we are, the better opportunity we will have to build lives that are meaningful and eternally rewarding.

Thank God for humble servants like Warren Wiersbe. To those who have the gift of taking the profound truths of the Bible and presenting them to the rest of us in a way that engages our minds and touches our hearts, we are indebted to you.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.