"THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW"
The Value Of A Soul (16:26)
INTRODUCTION
- After telling His disciples and others nearby the cost of being His
disciple, Jesus asked...
"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and
loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his
soul?" - Mk 8:36-37
- In these words of Jesus we are reminded of the value of the soul...
- It is the most valuable possession one has
- All the wealth and power one might gain is not worth the price of
one's soul!
- It is a lesson we do well to remember, and so in this study we shall
examine three questions...
- Does the Bible teach that man has a soul?
- Why is one's soul so valuable?
- What will one give in exchange for his or her soul?
[Because of error taught by some, it is important to provide a Bible
answer to the first question...]
- DOES MAN HAVE A SOUL?
- SOME TEACH OTHERWISE...
- Such as members of the Watchtower Society (i.e., "Jehovah's
Witnesses")
- Who say man "is" a soul, not "has" a soul
- The controversy revolves around the multi-faceted use of the
words for "soul"
- The Hebrew is "nephesh", and at times it may refer to:
- Animal life - Gen 1:20-21 ("living")
- The person - Num 31:19 ("killed any person")
- The body - Num 6:6 ("a dead body")
- Something distinguished from the body - Isa 10:18 ("soul
and body")
- Breath - Job 41:21 (referring to Leviathan)
- The Greek word is "psuche", and at times it may refer to:
- The person - 1Pe 3:20 ("eight souls saved by water")
- Life itself - Jn 13:38 ("lay down your life")
- Something distinguished from the spirit - He 4:12 ("soul
and spirit")
- Something distinguished from the body - 1Th 5:23
("spirit and soul and body")
- That which exists after the body is dissolved - Mt 10:28
("kill the body but not the soul")
-- Those who deny that man "has" a soul fail to consider that
words may have many different meanings and applications
- THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT MAN EXISTS AFTER DEATH...
- In the teaching of Jesus
- Man is both body and soul, and the soul can survive murder
by a fellow man - cf. Mt 10:28
- The story of Lazarus and the rich man - cf. Lk 16:22-23
- Some say this is only a parable
- Even if it is (which is highly unlikely), parables were
"true to life" stories, not fantasy!
- His promise to the thief on the cross - Lk 23:42-43
- In the teaching of Paul
- There is "the inner man" that can renewed, even while "the
outer man" decays - 2Co 4:16-18
- One can be with the Lord, while absent from the body - 2 Co
5:6-8
- There is a part of man that can be "out of the body" - 2 Co
12:3
- One can be dead, yet still be with Christ - Php 1:23
- Reference is made to the "spirits of just men" - He 12:22-23
- The teaching of Peter
- He wrote of those who are "dead, but live in the spirit"
- 1Pe 4:6
- He described the body as a tabernacle to be put off...if
the body is a tabernacle (dwelling place), what dwells in
it? - 2Pe 1:13-14
- The unjust are under punishment, just like some angels
- 2Pe 2:4,9-10
- John, in the Revelation given to him, saw "souls of those
slain", and they were capable of crying out with loud voices,
and being comforted - Re 6:9-11
-- There is also much material in the OT
[So while one may say in the right context that man "is" a soul, we
must also be willing to say that the Bible teaches man "has" a soul.
Now let's consider the next question...]
- WHY IS THE SOUL OF MAN SO VALUABLE?
- IT IS MADE IN GOD'S IMAGE...
- Man was created in the image of God - Gen 1:26-27
- Yet God does not have a physical body like ours - Jn 4:24;
Lk 24:39
- Therefore it must be our soul, or spirit, that is in God's
image
- This is what enable us to comprehend abstract concepts as:
- Life, death, eternity
- Things of beauty
- A moral sense of ought, right and wrong, good and evil
-- Making us more than just animal creatures - cf. Ps 8:3-8
- IT IS THAT PART OVER WHICH WE HAVE MUCH CONTROL...
- The body is mostly the result of genetics
- We might be able to change a little through exercise,
plastic surgery, etc.
- But we cannot stop the eventual aging and dying process
- The soul, however, is different...
- Despite one's genetics, there is much that can be changed
- By cooperating with God, we can change attitudes,
dispositions, character - Ro 12:1-2; Ga 5:21-22; Col 3:12-15
- IT DOES NOT CEASE TO EXIST AT DEATH...
- The body dies, and soon returns back to the dust
- The soul, or spirit, returns back to God - Ec 12:7
- Awaiting the resurrection of the body - cf. 1Co 15:35-58
- After which comes the Judgment - He 9:27; 2Co 5:10
- The soul, in its resurrected body, will bear the brunt of
that Judgment
- Either eternal life, honor, glory, and immortality - Ro 2:7
- Or indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish - Ro 2:8-9
-- Which is why we need to evaluate all things (possessions,
decisions, actions) from an eternal perspective, from the
soul's viewpoint - Mt 10:28; 16:26
- THE COST REQUIRED TO REDEEM IT...
- What price was required to redeem our souls from the wrath of
God's judgment?
- Nothing less than the blood of the Son of God! - 1Pe 1:18-19
-- Even if we cannot fully comprehend why Jesus had to die, we
should able to see that the souls of men must be extremely
valuable if His death was necessary
[So the Bible teaches that the soul is more valuable than the whole
world! And yet, many people "sell their souls" for what surely are
petty bargains...]
- WHAT WILL ONE GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SOUL?
- WHAT IT MEANS TO EXCHANGE SOMETHING FOR YOUR SOUL...
- The word "exchange" pictures a business transaction in which
one is bartering for something else
- "Barter" means "to trade or exchange one commodity for
another"
-- Thus it means to trade your soul for something else
- THINGS FOR WHICH PEOPLE TRADE THEIR SOULS...
- For some people, it is earthly riches and fame
- In their quest for riches, they neglect their service to
God - 1Ti 6:10
- Yet they have traded their souls for that which is
corruptible and can be stolen - Mt 6:19-21
- For others, it is the "passing pleasures of sin"
- Like the young man tempted by the harlot - Pr 5:1-14
- In a moment's passion, lives are destroyed (AIDS,
unwanted pregnancies)
- Marriages and families are ruined
- Young people like Joseph, Moses, and Daniel should inspire
us to make the right choices - cf. Gen 39:7-9; He 11:24-25;
Dan 1:8
- Then others allow their souls to be sold for some convenient
false doctrine
- Of which we need to beware - Col 2:8,18
- For the devil is a master at this - 2Co 11:13-15
- Through our own lack of Bible study, we can lose the most
valuable thing we have! - cf. Hos 4:6
- Finally, many will trade their souls through simple laziness!
- They will not use the opportunities the Lord has given them
- cf. Mt 25:24-30
- They fail to apply the diligence necessary to grow
spiritually - cf. 2Pe 1:5-11
CONCLUSION
- How valuable is your soul...?
- Think of what the rich man in Hades would tell you - cf. Lk 16:22-24
- Think of what the souls of the redeemed would say to you - cf.
Re 7:13-17
- Think of what God has done to save your soul! - Jn 3:16
- It matters not what else you do in this life, if you do not save
your own soul, you have been a complete failure...
- You might gather about you great riches and fame, and leave
thousands of friends to mourn your departing, but if you have not
saved your soul, you have been a miserable failure!
- On the other hand, you may die in a charity home for the poor,
and be buried in a potter's field without a single friend to
mourn, but if you saved your soul, your life was a marvelous
success!
- You can't afford to lose your soul, for if you lose it, you lose
all...
- To the faithful will be given the place of eternal rest
- There will be no pain, sickness, or death there
- It is the inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that
fades not away
- It is that city built by the living God
- On the other hand, there is the place of eternal punishment
- It is where the wicked will be tormented day and night forever
- It is where you will bemoan your great foolishness for having
sold your soul for such petty things!
- Dear friends and brethren, you don't have to lose your soul...
- Humbly submit yourself to the will of God
- Let His Word guide you, and let no man beguile you of your reward
- Overcome temptations, and suffer for His cause with rejoicing
-- If you do these things, you will save your soul, and heaven will
be yours, because God who cannot lie, has promised it!
Note: The main idea and several thoughts from this lesson were taken
from a lesson by David Riggs.