The Value of a Soul
INTRODUCTION
1. After telling His
disciples and others nearby the cost of being His
disciple, Jesus asked...
“36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the
whole world, and lose his own soul? 37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
2. In these words of
Jesus we are reminded of the value of the soul...
a. It is the most valuable
possession one has
b. All the wealth and
power one might gain is not worth the price of
one's soul!
3. It is a lesson we do
well to remember, and so in this study we shall
examine three
questions...
a. Does the Bible teach that man has a soul?
b. Why is one's soul so valuable?
c. What will one give in exchange for his or her
soul?
I. DOES MAN HAVE A
SOUL?
THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT MAN EXISTS AFTER
DEATH...
1. In the teaching of
Jesus
a. Man is both body and
soul, and the soul can survive murder
by a fellow man
“And fear not them which kill the body, but
are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell.”
b. His promise to the
thief on the cross
“And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me
when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To
day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
2. In the teaching of
Paul
a. There is "the
inner man" that can renewed, even while "the
outer man" decays
“For which cause we faint not; but though
our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory; 18While we look not at the things which are seen, but
at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are
temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
b. One can be with the
Lord, while absent from the body
“Therefore we are always confident,
knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7(For we walk by faith, not
by sight:) 8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to
be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
3. The teaching of Peter
a. He wrote of those who
are "dead, but live in the spirit"
“For for this cause was the gospel preached
also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the
flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.”
[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...]
II. WHY IS THE SOUL
OF MAN SO VALUABLE?
A. IT IS MADE IN GOD'S
IMAGE...
1. Man was created in
the image of God
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
a. Therefore it must be our
soul, or spirit, that is in God's
image
2. This is what enable
us to comprehend abstract concepts as:
a. Life, death, eternity
b. Things of beauty
B. IT IS THAT PART OVER
WHICH WE HAVE MUCH CONTROL...
1. The body is mostly
the result of genetics
a. We might be able to
change a little through exercise,
plastic surgery, etc.
b. But we cannot stop
the eventual aging and dying process
2. The soul, however, is
different...
a. Despite one's genetics,
there is much that can be changed
b. By cooperating with
God, we can change attitudes,
dispositions, character
“1I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. 2And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
“12Put on
therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if
any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do
ye. 14And above all these
things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15And let the peace of God
rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye
thankful.”
C. IT DOES NOT CEASE TO
EXIST AT DEATH...
1. The body dies, and
soon returns back to the dust
a. The soul, or spirit,
returns back to God
“Then shall the dust return to the earth as
it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
2. After which comes the
Judgment
“And as it is appointed unto men once to
die, but after this the judgment:”
a. The soul, in its
resurrected body, will bear the brunt of
that Judgment
b. Either eternal life, honor, glory, and immortality
“To them who by patient continuance in well
doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:”
c. Or indignation, wrath, tribulation, and anguish
“But unto them that are contentious, and do
not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9Tribulation and anguish,
upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the
Gentile;”
D. THE COST REQUIRED TO
REDEEM IT...
1. What price was
required to redeem our souls from the wrath of
God's judgment?
2. Nothing less than the
blood of the Son of God!
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
III. WHAT WILL ONE
GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SOUL?
THINGS FOR WHICH PEOPLE TRADE THEIR SOULS...
1. For some people, it
is earthly riches and fame
a. In their quest for
riches, they neglect their service to
God
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
b. Yet they have traded
their souls for that which is
corruptible and can be
stolen
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon
earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and
steal: 20But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal: 21For where your treasure is, there will your heart be
also.”
2. Then others allow
their souls to be sold for some convenient
false doctrine
a. Of which we need to beware
“Beware lest any man spoil you through
philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of
the world, and not after Christ.”
“18Let no man
beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels,
intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his
fleshly mind,”
“13For such are
false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of
Christ. 14And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into
an angel of light. 15Therefore it is no great thing if his
ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end
shall be according to their works.”
c. Through our own lack
of Bible study, we can lose the most
valuable thing we have!
“My people are destroyed for lack of
knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that
thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I
will also forget thy children.”
b. They fail to apply
the diligence necessary to grow
spiritually
“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and
to virtue knowledge; 6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance
patience; and to patience godliness; 7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly
kindness charity. 8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you
that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of
our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot
see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10Wherefore the rather,
brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do
these things, ye shall never fall: 11For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
