The Incomparable Assurance

I wakened up this morning to another letter from an insurance company offering me 'peace of mind' , and if I accept their policy within a certain time; I would receive a free gift. Many, if not most, of us will be familiar with the subject of insurance. Ranging from house insurance, house contents, car, holiday travel and not least life insurance.

I have been reading other letters this morning, not delivered by post, which are in the Bible and these letters tell me of a greater policy called assurance. The hymn-writer calls it 'Blessed Assurance'. I learn from these letters that Jesus paid a high premium for this assurance, through his death.

His death and resurrection have made this assurance fully comprehensive. So that, neither death, nor the grave, nor even the gates of hell shall prevail against it. This assurance enabled the apostle to write a letter: 'O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?' For he knew that Jesus has emptied death of its sting, the grave of its victory, the sepulchre of its claim. Opportunities to believe don't come clearer than this.

We must grasp the opportunity of a lifetime, in the lifetime of opportunity. It can be observed that this assurance creates 'pillars' in our churches and communities. This is not an experiment. This is experience. Are we 'pillars' or 'caterpillars'?

Severed heads and limbs in a dissecting room do not constitute a man. Scattered bricks and mortar do not constitute a house. But assurance is bridged by massive posts called faith, belief and sincerity, an eternal triangle, and the application of these three elements constitute assurance.

Of these three, faith, belief and sincerity, probably the word most abused is sincerity. Sincerity bereft of faith and belief produces form bereft of force, like an empty egg shell - it has the form void of force .We can be sincere, but sincerely wrong. Are we plugged in but not switched on?

Supposing I write a cheque for cash and take it to my nearest bank. The teller asks me : 'Do you have an account at this bank?' I reply: 'No, not at this bank or any other bank.' He then asks: 'On what do you expect cash for this cheque?' I reply: 'Sincerity'. Faith is not the spare wheel of the car it is the driving wheel. Belief and faith cannot be divorced, both are closely related and both arrive at a point where the distinction between them disappears.

The chief distinction between insurance and biblical assurance is crystal clear. The former is temporal and only for a season. The latter is celestial and for eternity. There is no denying both insurance and biblical assurance require reason. But faith is a means, a cause for the suspension of reason.

Our understanding can be measured against a dwarf, and our belief measured against a giant. Clearly, the dwarf sees furthest when mounted on the giant's shoulders.

Anselm of Canterbury's famous maxim: 'I do not understand so that I may believe, but I believe so that I may understand. For I believe also that unless I believe, I shall not understand.'

In summary: don't analyse! Don't argue! Don't doubt! Just believe! Don't be semi-detached; be a wall to wall believer. For - a believer has an endless hope. A non-believer has a hopeless end. A straw on its own is fragile, but when straws are bound together like a rope, they can hold an elephant back. Faith, belief and sincerity bridged together convey assurance.

Doubts and fears kept at length,

Eternal Life in Jesus, my strength,

Salvation and peace abound,

Triumphant is the gospel sound.

In his word I am assured

None other can satisfy my quest -

Yes in him, my destiny, my rest.