The following was put together in January 2018 by R. Nelson Nash for the 2018 IBC Think Tank Conference. I thought it appropriate to share on the anniversary of Nelson’s passing (27 March, 2019). — David Stearns
A person’s thoughts over a period of time ultimately results in a set of core beliefs—a mindset—some call it a worldview—that controls human action and gives life meaning and purpose.
Here are three articles that I want to share with you that will give you a rather complete picture of who I really am and why I conceived the Infinite Banking Concept over 30 years ago.
In order for you to fully understand the importance of the concept I would like to make a special request of you to ensure that this concept flourishes in years to come. It has already changed the lives of thousands of persons in the world and will continue to do so but it depends on you and your commitment to practice it—communicate it—and coach those who are making this transition.
Perhaps this will become habitual for you and extend indefinitely into the future. You are encouraged to share this message with others within your circle of influence.
This preface serves to introduce the first of three articles.
Nelson’s List Of Undeniable Truths
The Bible is the story of man’s relation to his maker. It is not about science, world history, climatology, plant or animal life. geology, or any other study in which mankind indulges.
“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”” (Genesis 1:26).
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1).
“Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3).
There is no way that “we just happened.” The Bible is the only reasonable explanation of why we are here.
God made us for fellowship with Him. It is impossible to have fellowship with a puppet. Therefore, He had to give mankind” free will”— the ability to reject Him. Our human nature is to do exactly that — it is our sin nature. When we reject Him, we are separated from Him. He did not reject us — we rejected Him.
Mankind has one eternal problem — he wants to be god. To witness the ultimate manifestation of this malady, just watch what he tries to do with government.
Sin is anything that we do that separates you and me from God.
“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).” (Matthew 27:46). At that moment He was separated from The Father (God). He became sin for us.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ( Romans 6:23). Sin killed Jesus Christ — not the beatings and extreme physical abuse that is usually depicted or alluded to before His death.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Sin has a price and it must be paid. Jesus ransomed us as believers.
There is a fundamental element of dependency in the act of worship. Man will worship that on which he is dependent.
You worship that on which you are dependent.
My personal observation of Christians today is that they say that they worship God. But, suggest that we terminate one of their favorite government programs — and they cannot conceive of life without it.
We are here on this earth for such a short period of time. My 86+ years of existence (at this point in time) are just a “blink of the eye” in comparison with eternity.
This earthly experience is nothing more than “a training camp” to fit us for eternal fellowship with our Maker.
Man has glimpses of truth and light from time to time, but he finds it so easy — and attractive — to lapse into the ways of the world.
“He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.” (John 1:10). He “didn’t meet their specifications.” They were measuring Him by their own understandings.
“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24).
Satan is a spirit also — and he is “alive and well” today. And it is my observation that most Christians don’t recognize him. What does he look like? What are his behavior characteristics? Satan is a wily creature.
Answer: He always makes his ideas — and actions — “look attractive” initially. Basically, he is convincing people that “we really don’t need God. Man can do very well without Him. All we have to do is form a coercive organization (government), put the ‘right people’ in charge of it and do what they say.”
That course of action is nothing more than “man trying to play the part of God.” Unfortunately, most folks don’t recognize this truth.
“Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” (Exodus 34:14).
This is why all government programs are destined to fail. God won’t put up with such nonsense — because they are all manifestations of “Mankind attempting to “play god.”
Again, there is a fundamental element of dependency in the act of worship. You will worship that on which you are dependent.
From time to time a person is fortunate to come across a profound message that gives vital insight into what really causes the difficulties in life with which people wrestle daily.
During 2017 I was fortunate to be introduced to this most profound message by Paul Rosenberg. I encourage you to memorize it. It is that important.
The author of this next article has a worldview that is practically identical with my own. He even uses stories and expressions that match mine.
He is a Christian. He is an Austrian Economist. His family business is Life Insurance. We share so very much in common in our thought process.
The following is extracted from an interview with Jesús Huerta de Soto first published in the Austrian Economics Newsletter, Volume 17, Number 2 (Summer 1997).
The Spanish Roots of the Austrian School: An Interview with Jesús Huerta de Soto
So now you know why I came to write BECOMING YOUR OWN BANKER. The truth contained in these three articles led me, during my life insurance sales career, to see that “the world has never been right about anything.”
In one of Shakespeare’s plays are the words “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.”
Taking a hint from him I developed this observation — when we consider this thing, we call life, most people don’t know what “the play” is all about. Worse than that, they get the characters in “the play” mixed up.
What I saw was that money and the concept of banking is a necessary function in our lives. But the banking function is in the hands of the wrong people. Central banking can’t work! Paul Rosenberg’s article proves the point conclusively.
The warehouse of our medium of exchange (money) should be in a contractual relationship with other like-minded people (life insurance). deSoto explains this beautifully in his last paragraph above. The banking function should be totally held at the individual level — a place where it is impossible to inflate the money supply.
I saw that your need for finance during your lifetime greatly exceeds your need for death benefit as it was conventionally understood.
I saw that if one solved for this need for finance by the means of using dividend-paying whole life insurance that one would automatically solve for the need for death benefit to those who survived the insured.
And so, I began teaching this concept over 25 years ago which led me to writing BECOMING YOUR OWN BANKER in 2000 — a book that has changed the lives of thousands of people all over the world. Read the book. Adopt its message in your own life. Teach it to others.
Now you know who R. Nelson Nash really is.