I was shown that Sabbathkeeping Adventists
should not engage in life insurance. This is a commerce with
the world which God does not approve. Those who engage in this
enterprise are uniting with the world, while God calls His people
to come out from among them and to be separate. Said the angel:
"Christ has purchased you by the sacrifice of His life.
'What? know ye not that your body is the temple
of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore
glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.'
'For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is your life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear
with Him in glory.'" Here is the only life insurance which
heaven sanctions.
Life insurance is a worldly policy which
leads our brethren who engage in it to depart from the simplicity
and purity of the gospel. Every such departure weakens our faith
and lessens our spirituality. Said the angel: "But ye are
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath
called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." As
a people we are in a special sense the Lord's. Christ has bought
us. Angels that excel in strength surround us. Not a sparrow
falls to the ground without the notice of our heavenly Father.
Even the hairs of our head are numbered. God has made provision
for His people. He has a special care for them, and they should
not distrust His providence by engaging in a policy with the
world.
God designs that we should preserve in
simplicity and holiness our peculiarity as a people. Those who
engage in this worldly policy invest means which belong to God,
which He has entrusted to them to use in His cause, to advance
His work. But few will realize any returns from life insurance,
and without God's blessing even these will prove an injury instead
of a benefit. Those whom God has made His stewards have no right
to place in the enemy's ranks the means which He has entrusted
to them to use in His cause.
Satan is constantly presenting inducements
to God's chosen people to attract their minds from the solemn
work of preparation for the scenes just in the future. He is
in every sense of the word a deceiver,
a skillful charmer. He clothes his plans and snares with coverings
of light borrowed from heaven. He tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden
fruit by making her believe that she would be greatly advantaged
thereby. Satan leads his agents to introduce various inventions
and patent rights and other enterprises, that Sabbathkeeping
Adventists who are in haste to be rich may fall into temptation,
become ensnared, and pierce themselves through with many sorrows.
He is wide awake, busily engaged in leading the world captive,
and through the agency of worldlings he keeps up a continual
pleasing excitement to draw the unwary who profess to believe
the truth to unite with worldlings. The lust of the eye, the
desire for excitement and pleasing entertainment, is a temptation
and snare to God's people. Satan has many finely woven, dangerous
nets which are made to appear innocent, but with which he is
skillfully preparing to infatuate God's people. There are pleasing
shows, entertainments, phrenological lectures, and an endless
variety of enterprises constantly arising calculated to lead
the people of God to love the world and the things that are in
the world. Through this union with the world, faith becomes weakened,
and means which should be invested in the cause of present truth
are transferred to the enemy's ranks. Through these different
channels Satan is skillfully draining the purses of God's people,
and for it the displeasure of the Lord is upon them.