An old preacher of the gospel used to tell of when he was riding on a train, at a small town a gentleman got on and came to sit next to him. Presently the man turned to the preacher and said, 'That's a poor town as far as my business is concerned. I didn't do much of anything there. I am an insurance salesman, and for some reason that place is one of the worst I have struck for a long time." The preacher said he felt sorry for him. Then, after a short pause. the salesman said, "What business are you engaged in?" "Believe it or not," said the Christian, "but I am in the insurance business myself." "Is that so? What company do you work for?" "Oh," replied the preacher, "I work fr the biggest insurance company in existence." "The Metropolitan? That's the concern I work for too." "Oh, no, the company I work for is bigger than the Metropolitan. " "That can't be," argued the salesman, "the Metropolitan is the largest concern in the world in our line." "Nevertheless," maintained the servant of Christ, "the company I work for is far bigger. And it is a very peculiar company too. It is the only company where all the premiums are paid in already. Its resources are unlimited. The insured comes in for all the benefits, and it does not cost one cent to be insured for any amount. The company has never defaulted on its obligations, and pays out promptly and to the full amount. You take out life insurance with my company, and it throws in all other varieties Of insurance for the same Price -NOTHING." "Say," said the salesman, "I'd like to take out a policy in your company." "You may." was the reply. "All you need to do is to enter a claim proving you are a poor hell-deserving sinner, and my company will insure you fully, for nothing, and insure you not only for time but for all eternity. I am working for the most gigantic Insurance Company. Its three partners are the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." Are you fully covered by insurance? You are not, if you only have taken out insurance for this life. What men call life insurance does not even insure them that they shall not lose their lives. It might better be called death insurance than life insurance. Theft insurance does not prevent theft; nor does accident insurance prevent accidents; nor fire insurance, fire. All insurance down here does is furnish some money to repair or ease the suffering caused by death, accident, fire. etc. Such insurance only insures, in its little measure, for this life. But this life is not all: it is but a mere fraction of man's eternal existence. If you have no insurance for eternity, then you are not fully covered. Here is true life insurance, for it guarantees eternal life to its possessor: God gives to the believing soul eternal life, never to be forfeited (John 10:28). And with that eternal life is thrown in every blessing, every insurance. You get property insurance, for there is laid up for the Christian "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away" (I Peter 1:4). You get theft insurance, for if your treasure is in heaven, no moth or rust can corrupt it, nor thieves break in and steal (Matthew 6:20). You get fire insurance, for the soul that believes in Jesus shall never know the horror of the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). You get accident insurance, for "all things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28). And every other insurance is yours when as a sinner you come to Christ. God really Insures you, for His insurance keeps the believer out of death, out of judgment, and brings him forever into the joy and glory of life everlasting. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for. That word substance is translated assurance or insurance elsewhere. It is not anything he does, or brings, or pays, but simply his resting on what Jesus has done, that fully insures the soul. August Van Ryn |