God's Insurance Policy

Television commercials often say much about our society and about our mentality as a people. The advertisers study our every move and thought so know how to trigger our lusts for things, for feelings, for emotions, and for dreams. They know how to motivate us.

In a series of recent commercials, insurance companies have been trying to build their businesses by giving discounts or kickbacks to safe drivers. Nationwide is currently running a set of commercials stating they will knock a $100 off of the deductible for a year of save driving. Allstate commercials show someone getting a check for a year without incident. Other insurance agencies have similar programs. The idea behind each program is that if you behave well and don’t get into any trouble while driving during the year then you will be rewarded for it. The biggest benefit is to the company who saves thousands by not having to pay for automotive repair or damages from an accident to property or persons. The reward is the one who is “good.” This only makes sense to our minds.

However, God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8,9). In His love and mercy for man, His “reward” system isn’t about us being perfect or not making mistakes. Instead, His system is built on His grace. Oh, we must change our lives when we obey the gospel and strive to grow into spiritual maturity, but we aren’t going to be perfect. We will stumble from time to time and when we do, when we repent of that sin, God forgives us (1 John 1:5-9).

Before we obeyed the gospel, we were dead in trespasses and sins, we once walked after the sinful ways of the world in disobedience, and we conducted ourselves after the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and the mind, putting us in a lost condition with God (Ephesians 2:1-3). But there is good news, and has nothing to do with what I save on my car insurance.

I need to get into a covenant relationship with God, or if you will allow the analogy, I need to become a policy holder of God’s plan. I must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, repent of sin, confess Him as Lord and Master of my life, and be baptized into Christ for the remission of sins. Once in this relationship, I have the blessing of being forgiven, even when I stumble from time to time.

“God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (By grave you have been saved)… For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:4,5,8).

Did you notice the difference? God doesn’t forgive us our debt when we are perfect in our record for a year. He forgives us even when we are not perfect. We could not be “good enough” to be saved based on merit. We can never be incident free long enough to get debt forgiveness. We need the grace of God (unmerited favor) to save us from our sins. But when we repent of that sin, God is faithful and just and will forgive us of that sin (1 John 1:7-9).

Unlike the insurance company that keeps a record of our past mistakes and makes adjustments to our premiums, God forgets our past mistakes. Hebrews 8:12 tells us that in His mercy, God forgives our unrighteousness, sins and lawless deed and remembers them no more. He blots out our sins and remembers them no more (Isaiah 43:25).

Even if our spiritual “cars” (lives) have been wrecked and damaged and torn, God can restore us to a new, clean, show room fresh condition. Step one, get a policy: obey the gospel of Christ (Acts 22:16). Step two, as you live the Christian life, and are dinged up (though you strive for a great life in Christ), it isn’t the end of the world. Pray to God and ask for forgiveness and God will restore your soul.