Fire Insurance - Matthew 6:19-21

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

LANGUAGE

Vs 19 Treasure - a deposit, wealth
Vs 20 Lay up - amass, store
Vs 21 Heart - thoughts and feelings

COMMENT

Faith is not merely intellectual assent. I do not buy into the idea that believing in God is "fire insurance" to get me to heaven. Even though this passage seems to refer to the idea of wealth or possessions, I think it can be extended to the idea of our souls as well. The first idea is obvious to me, that if we cling to money or possessions, that is where our loyalty will lie. The second takes a bit more thought. That if I try to "buy" my way into heaven with a head that says I believe but that does not affect my heart, I am only fooling myself, a certainly not God. If my treasure is the salvation of my soul without a love for the Savior of my soul, I am missing the point. If my treasure is my preservation, then my actions will follow suit. This is probably a big reason the Prosperity Gospel has so many followers, you get both! You get riches now, or at least the promise that God wants you to be rich, and you get the salvation of your eternal soul. I don't think it works that way, and I think many in the Bible would agree: John the Baptist, Moses, Peter and the rest of the disciples, Stephen, Samson, the Prophets (for some reason Amos especially comes to mind).

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 12:35
The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

Matthew 13:44
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

Mark 10:21
And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

Luke 12:33 
Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.