Monday 22 February 2016

Do you have insurance?

Service by Prof David T Williams on Sunday 21nd February

Do you have insurance? It is an agreement, a covenant, a contract. It gives a shield, a reward (Gen 15:1)

Without this covenant, the journey through life is dangerous, stupid! - even to God's chosen! For the chosen people of God, it was the Amorites (Gen 15:16). But with the covenant - Fear not! Insurance does not stop accidents, but provides what is needed.

Insurance is offered, not from our action, and the covenant happens only by God's initiative. What we need is reliability and faithfulness - that is God, and ability to pay - God is able - look at the stars (Ps 19)

But insurance needs acceptance. If there is no contract, there is no payout. Our acceptance is faith. A great truth is that we are saved by grace through faith (Gen 15:6) - quoted FOUR times in Romans 4

We need to know we have a contract. We trust a document, a record of act, this is given by the insurer. We have the Bible, given by God. Jesus, the WORD, is our surety (Heb 7:22)

There is an act of covenant, in Abram's case by fire, in our's through Christ and the fire of the Spirit.

What was Abram promised?
  • Descendants. He could have a family related by one Father. We are spiritual descendants of God and have our own spiritual descendants, as Paul had Timothy. Our descendants are blessed by OUR covenant (cf Gen 12:3).
  • Land, so an inheritance now (Gen 15:18). We know God's PRESENT provision. God provides NOW
  • Salvation (Gen 15:15). Accidents may or may not happen, but death is a fact. We cannot just ignore it - we need insurance! Abraham went to his fathers in peace. No peace without God! We benefit from this life insurance, not just our relatives!