Devotional: Insurance Commercial: Ephesians 2

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NASB).

I do not pay much attention to insurance commercials. I receive them often in the mail. I do not read them. I put them in the recycle paper container. However, there is one insurance company that advertises on television. They too do not get my attention except for one thing. Liberty Mutual has a catch line for all of its commercials and it is repeated often in any one commercials. It says: “Liberty Mutual to pay for what you need.” So, I watched more closely at these commercials and discovered that the company offers to tailor a policy to meet the needs of the customer. The customer does not need to pay for things that are not needed. You pay only for what you need.

As we are approaching the Easter celebration there are many things included. While these things have their value, it is the job of the church to tailor its celebration to meet the needs of the people. In Ephesians writes to the church because he wants the church to know that there is only one thing needed for one to be saved. No one needs to be concerned about their works in order to be righteous before God. Paul writes that there is no value in works and to spend time, energy, and effort on works is paying for something that is not needed because works have no value in terms of our salvation We do not need to pay a price to be saved because we are saved by grace through faith in the One who has already paid the price (Eph. 2:8, 9). Jesus died on the cross to pay the price that every person could not pay. His blood makes possible reconciliation to God and all those that believe in Jesus possible. It is no longer necessary for us to make feeble attempts to obey the Law for our salvation, because the Law with all of its ordinances and sacrifices were insufficient to pay for our sins (Heb. 10:4). Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world (Jn. 1:29).

Jesus paid the price, not for what we want. He did not shed His blood so that we could enjoy the frills and excitements that are highlighted during the Easter season. No, Jesus came to pay for what we need.

Prayer; Our Father, we are thankful that Jesus paid for what we need in order to have peace with you. Amen.