by Harry Bethel
Insurance schemes, although not as highly developed as modern systems, existed at least two thousand years before Christ's earthly ministry. Some merchants of ancient Babylon had bottomry contracts with financiers whereby loans did not have to be repaid if shipments were lost at sea. Maritime insurance was also in ancient Greece and other nations engaged in commerce with them.
A System of Protection
If you take an objective look at what insurance really is and how this compares to scriptural truths, then you can better understand how God looks at this issue.
First, it is a system of protection. Satan has systems within his world system to meet the "needs" of worldlings. These are usually implemented in such a way that deceives the unsaved into thinking that they can get along quite well without God.
A Guarantee of Compensation
Second, insurance is a guarantee that the policyholder will be compensated for his loss. From the world's point of view, the best insurance is that which restores a person or business entity as nearly as possible to a pre-loss condition or better, with as little inconvenience as possible.
Buying protection for a guarantee of being compensated for the loss of possessions or loved ones is foreign to the Scriptures. This includes church-sponsored insurance programs, all of which by their very nature, violate scriptural principles. Many Christians buy insurance offered by a so-called "Christian" group that they readily admit is apostate.
We should have the attitude of Job in the Old Testament. After losing his business, his house, and his children the godly saint said, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). Later, Job even lost his health. But his attitude was the same. He said, "Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil [adversity]?" (Job 2:10).
We should be content with necessities.
Many Christians go to great lengths to avert God's working in their life. Like God's children of old, He gives them their request, but sends leanness into their souls (Ps. 106:15). We need to have a healthy detachment from all the temporal things of this world. The apostle Paul said, "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content" (Phil. 4:11).
God is in control of all events in the world from eternity past, to eternity future. He upholds "all things by the word of His power" (Heb. 1:3). "In Him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28). "And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist" (Col. 1:17). "The righteous, and the wise and their works, are in the hand of God" (Ecc. 9:1). The Lord "in whose hand the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind" (Job 12:10) is the Sovereign One who controls the minutest details of our lives. "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps" (Prov. 16:9). "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create calamity: I the Lord do all these things" (Isa. 45:7).
We should not try to avoid poverty in the event of "calamity" created by God---loss of property, or health or law suit. "Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand" (Jer. 18:6). "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rm. 8:28).
The psalmist wrote, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man" (Ps. 118:8). The world system, under God's sovereign hand, is controlled by Satan who has devised many schemes to get man to conform to the ways of the world and to rely on the system rather than God. The Lord told us through the apostle Paul to "be not conformed to this world" (Rm. 12:2). "...God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory" (Phil. 4:19).
Concerning our health, it is not always God's will to heal our infirmities. The apostle Paul apparently had a problem with his eyes because of a demon that was sent to buffet him to keep him from being proud (2 Cor. 12:7). After Jesus refused to heal him Paul said, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. 12:7-9). And Timothy was told by Paul to use a little wine for his stomach and frequent infirmities (1 Tim. 5:23). Another case in which God chose not to heal was that of Trophimus whom Paul left at Miletum (Miletus) sick (2 Tim. 4:20).
Concerning fire insurance required by the lender on a mortgaged house, and collision insurance on a financed car, it is not God's will for you to borrow money to buy a house or anything else. The Scriptures are clear about this but are wrested or ignored by Christians today. "The borrower is a slave to the lender" (Prov. 22:7), and "Owe no man anything, but to love one another" (Rm. 13:8).
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Prov. 3:5-6)
SHOULD CHRISTIANS BUY INSURANCE? NO!
- One definition of insurance is: "A system of protection against loss in which a number of individuals agree to pay certain sums periodically for a guarantee that they will be compensated under stipulated conditions for any specified loss by fire, accident, death, etc." With insurance to compensate us for losses due to death of loved ones, earthquakes, floods, winds, fires, hospitalization, unemployment, law suits, burglary, car wrecks and other calamities---who needs God? Everybody needs God, but no Christian should buy insurance.
Insurance schemes, although not as highly developed as modern systems, existed at least two thousand years before Christ's earthly ministry. Some merchants of ancient Babylon had bottomry contracts with financiers whereby loans did not have to be repaid if shipments were lost at sea. Maritime insurance was also in ancient Greece and other nations engaged in commerce with them.
A System of Protection
If you take an objective look at what insurance really is and how this compares to scriptural truths, then you can better understand how God looks at this issue.
First, it is a system of protection. Satan has systems within his world system to meet the "needs" of worldlings. These are usually implemented in such a way that deceives the unsaved into thinking that they can get along quite well without God.
A Guarantee of Compensation
Second, insurance is a guarantee that the policyholder will be compensated for his loss. From the world's point of view, the best insurance is that which restores a person or business entity as nearly as possible to a pre-loss condition or better, with as little inconvenience as possible.
Buying protection for a guarantee of being compensated for the loss of possessions or loved ones is foreign to the Scriptures. This includes church-sponsored insurance programs, all of which by their very nature, violate scriptural principles. Many Christians buy insurance offered by a so-called "Christian" group that they readily admit is apostate.
We should have the attitude of Job in the Old Testament. After losing his business, his house, and his children the godly saint said, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1:21). Later, Job even lost his health. But his attitude was the same. He said, "Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil [adversity]?" (Job 2:10).
We should be content with necessities.
Many Christians go to great lengths to avert God's working in their life. Like God's children of old, He gives them their request, but sends leanness into their souls (Ps. 106:15). We need to have a healthy detachment from all the temporal things of this world. The apostle Paul said, "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content" (Phil. 4:11).
God is in control of all events in the world from eternity past, to eternity future. He upholds "all things by the word of His power" (Heb. 1:3). "In Him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28). "And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist" (Col. 1:17). "The righteous, and the wise and their works, are in the hand of God" (Ecc. 9:1). The Lord "in whose hand the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind" (Job 12:10) is the Sovereign One who controls the minutest details of our lives. "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps" (Prov. 16:9). "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create calamity: I the Lord do all these things" (Isa. 45:7).
We should not try to avoid poverty in the event of "calamity" created by God---loss of property, or health or law suit. "Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand" (Jer. 18:6). "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose" (Rm. 8:28).
The psalmist wrote, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man" (Ps. 118:8). The world system, under God's sovereign hand, is controlled by Satan who has devised many schemes to get man to conform to the ways of the world and to rely on the system rather than God. The Lord told us through the apostle Paul to "be not conformed to this world" (Rm. 12:2). "...God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory" (Phil. 4:19).
Concerning our health, it is not always God's will to heal our infirmities. The apostle Paul apparently had a problem with his eyes because of a demon that was sent to buffet him to keep him from being proud (2 Cor. 12:7). After Jesus refused to heal him Paul said, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. 12:7-9). And Timothy was told by Paul to use a little wine for his stomach and frequent infirmities (1 Tim. 5:23). Another case in which God chose not to heal was that of Trophimus whom Paul left at Miletum (Miletus) sick (2 Tim. 4:20).
Concerning fire insurance required by the lender on a mortgaged house, and collision insurance on a financed car, it is not God's will for you to borrow money to buy a house or anything else. The Scriptures are clear about this but are wrested or ignored by Christians today. "The borrower is a slave to the lender" (Prov. 22:7), and "Owe no man anything, but to love one another" (Rm. 13:8).
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight" (Prov. 3:5-6)
SHOULD CHRISTIANS BUY INSURANCE? NO!
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