Insurance or Assurance?

More and more these days, insurance is a prime topic of discussion.  Medical insurance reform has been a hot topic in the States for years.  Emotions run high as people raise concerns about how reform might work against their personal and family needs.  No one minds "reform" as long it conforms to our benefit.  It struck me today that man can only provide insurance, not assurance.  People are willing to sell you an insurance policy for a premium cost, but that does not change the uncertainty of the future.  A man might have millions in his retirement accounts, but that doesn't mean he will be able to use it!  There is no insurance that can cover a man's soul.  All the insurance in the world cannot assure you of your stake in the future.  In fact, when we purchase insurance we bank on things going wrong!

By this introduction I am not saying that insurance is without value, or that it reveals a lack of faith and inherent weakness.  What I am saying is insurance has no ability to control your future.  It simply gives you help during your uncertain future.  You might be dumped the first time you make a claim on your homeowners insurance, or you might have a rate increase in your car insurance premium if you have an accident.  Medical costs may be denied if your insurer can prove you had a pre-existing condition, or if you do not report an injury according to their policy.  Insurance doesn't stop your water heater from flooding your home, stop car accidents from happening, or keep you from cancer.

One of the aspects I love most about God is that He gives assurance to all who trust in Him:  assurance of love, forgiveness, peace, strength, and provision.  God does not offer insurance, because that is based on merit.  God offers assurance by His grace.  Isaiah 32:17 says, "The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever."  The original Hebrew word for "assurance" in this passage defined in the Bible Knowledge Commentary is "a place of refuge; abstract safety, both the fact (security) and the feeling (trust)."  We receive the righteousness of God through confession of sin, repentance, and through faith in Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit regenerates us to live for the glory and praise of God.  A bi-product of this relationship with God is peace and an eternal refuge in our Savior.  Assurance speaks of unshakable security, an eternally binding covenant signed with the blood of Jesus Christ.

Listen to these quotes of Christ:  in John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  Also in John 5:24:  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."  John 6:47 states, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life."  The assurance of God is better than the insurance of men.  But which do you rely upon more?  Most times man will only receive the assurance of God when he is left without other options.  We are quick to look to our own abilities, and breathe easier when insured.  But insurance is no substitute for assurance from God.  It is God who has granted us breath, and only He has the power to save!

God has not only given assurance to the believer, however.  It is written in Acts 17:30-31:  "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, [31] because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."  The word translated "assurance" from the Greek in this passage means, "persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstract constancy in such profession."  What more does God need to do to persuade men to live for His glory?  Is He not trustworthy?  Should the commands of God be ignored by any, seeing as He has provided credibility of His Word through the resurrection of Christ?

The world may look upon followers of Christ with pity, seeing them as small-minded fools who are not capable of rational thought.  To the contrary:  it is better to trust God than men.  It would be better to be a fool for Christ and go to hell than to reject Christ and live forever on earth, for Christ is true, worthy, and right.  Has He not given assurance according to the power of His resurrection?  Has He not said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt. 28:20)?  Speaking for myself, I would rather be in the presence of God in hell than without God upon the earth.  Psalm 37:16 says, "A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked."  Jesus says that it is the Father's good pleasure to give us (His faithful children) the kingdom (Luke 12:32).

Let us no longer be afraid of the uncertainly of this word, for we have the certain promises of God.  In my devotions this morning I read in 2 Tim. 1:6-7:  "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. [7] For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  May we walk in assurance of all that God has said, our confidence founded in the good Word of God and His exceedingly precious promises.  We know that what He has promised He is able to perform.  Man does not need insurance for life, but God offers assurance for eternal life!  Our future is secure in Christ, and we have ample assurance of that!