Fire Insurance

Lets suppose that someone are driving/riding down the road in some sort of motorized vehicle.  They are following all the rules, using their signals where necessary, etc.  They even are letting people out when they need it as a sign of generosity.  A tire blows out and they run into a tree.  WHEW, they have insurance to cover it.  It really stinks that they had to go through that but the tire was fairly new and failed.  They're good to go and now that They're ok, they can deal with the rest of their day.  

Now lets suppose that they're texting while driving, eating, writing and fiddling with the radio (all things that you should avoid while driving by the way).  Suddenly they realize that they are in the wrong lane with a semi truck headed straight for them.  Jerking the wheel to correct, they lose control of their car and hit a tree.  

In both instances the drivers survive and live to tell the story.  So which one had a better experience up until the point that the insurance was needed?  

There is no telling how many people got injured or killed as a result of the care less driver.  How many cars veered off the road and hit someone in their front yards or walking down the sidewalk?  

This is a real life analogy of what happens when people get saved and either live their life serving God or keep living a worldly standard.  Obviously the first driver was the person that took their salvation seriously and devoted their life to serving God.  Even helped people find the right path that they should take ("letting them out into traffic").  This is something that I had to learn when i first received my salvation.  I was good to go after the point of death.  I had accepted the price that Jesus paid for my sins and I was going to heaven.  Getting to that point was the problem.  

Paul wrote in Romans 6: "  1What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? ² Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? ³ Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."  

Leave your old ways of acting to take on that life that has been prepared for us and seek the Lord Jesus to guide us down the path of righteousness.  Is it the easier path?  Not always, but it is the right path.  On this path, you will be the driver that does not have to explain to someone's mother why you were an enabler for their child's destructive behaviors instead of trying to lead them away from a bad future (hitting the person walking down the street).  

As Paul put it  in Ephesians 4:22-24 (Amplified Bible), "²² Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; ²³ And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],²⁴ And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness."

Put on that new man and that new way of doing things.  Praying to Jesus and accepting his price that He paid for you will get you into Heaven.  However, please, upon the receipt of salvation, do your best to take as many people as you can with you.  

Grace and Peace of God be with you ALWAYS!