The Value of Our Soul

The Value of Our Soul

Mark 8:31-38

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." 34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

When we stand before the throne of God • Lord, I took good care of my body, I exercised and used vitamin pills. • I was never overweight. I was always in good condition. Lord, here is my dust. • Only our soul will return to the Father and has eternity in hell or in heaven. • There are people today who reject Christ and have sold their soul.

The Value of Our Soul

Luke 12:16-21

16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops? 18 So he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided? 21 So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

When Rockefeller died, people asked the family: "How much did he leave behind?" The answer was: "He left everything behind."

There is a highway to hell and a difficult road to heaven.

Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul?

Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

The human soul is an inestimable treasure; it is who you really are. The Bible even teaches that your soul is worth more than the whole world! And yet many people sell their soul for what ultimately is only a pitiful exchange.

Look at our Lord Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. In His agony of soul, His sweat was like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. His whole body, every pore opened, was drenched with the blood of His heart. Hear Him say: "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me." For three hours, in that terrible night in Gethsemane, the Son of God prays that one prayer. He does not shrink back from the cross. His soul is made an offering for our sin. He says: "If there is another way, Father; if there is another way; if there is another way to save a soul, O Father, then let Me take that way!"

God took the hardest way that could be taken. That means not only that a terrible hell awaits the soul without God and that the judgment upon a sinner is unspeakably dreadful, but it also means that there was absolutely no other way it could happen. If there had been another way, God would have answered that prayer in the garden that night. But Jesus, as He looked the Father in the face, said: "Not My will, but Your will be done."

What a price He paid for one soul!

Nowadays there are websites where you can sign up to sell your soul to the devil.

The Bible teaches that we are body, soul, and spirit. We also see that a great price has been paid for the soul, but not in an earthly sense.

1 Peter 1:18-19 says: "You were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

The eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, allowed Himself to be killed on a cross nearly 2000 years ago for the sake of your soul.

His death paid the penalty for the sins of those who believe in Him through faith.

But He did not remain dead—on the third day He came to life again and now sits at the right hand of God, waiting for you to call upon Him for forgiveness.

Do not neglect your most precious possession—your soul—by refusing to believe the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just as the man in this parable neglected his soul and lost it, so it is possible that you too may lose your soul forever.

Three reasons why many people will lose their soul…

I. WRONG AMBITIONS (Luke 12:16-18) – The rich man

a. This man’s life was focused on pursuing the comfort of this life and not on seeking God.

i. You can lose your soul in the pursuit of wealth

ii. You can lose your soul in the pursuit of the passing pleasures of sin

b. You were created to pursue a relationship with God.

Wealth or sin can never satisfy your soul. (Matt. 6:33) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

c. In the parable God called this man a fool.

1. One soul is worth more than the whole world (Matthew 16:25-27).

25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?"

2. When we value our soul, we will take good care of it.

a. Distinguished from the human spirit (Hebrews 4:12).

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

b. The immaterial, invisible part (Matthew 10:28).

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

3. The value of the soul corresponds to the value of life.

4. When we know the value of the soul, it not only affects the way we care for our own soul—it also motivates us to care for the souls of others. Every soul is important

5. Jesus teaches us the value of one soul.

I. JESUS AND HIS COMPASSION FOR SOULS OR FOR ONE SOUL.

A. Jesus came to save the lost, Luke 19:10.

Luke 19:10 (New King James Version, NKJV)

10 "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

1. We often see Jesus teaching the multitudes: The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:1.

1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

• "Blessed are the poor in spirit, • for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. • Blessed are those who mourn, • for they shall be comforted. • Blessed are the meek, • for they shall inherit the earth. • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, • for they shall be filled. • Blessed are the merciful, • for they shall obtain mercy. • Blessed are the pure in heart, • for they shall see God. • Blessed are the peacemakers, • for they shall be called sons of God. • Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, • for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. • "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. • Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Continually throughout His life

Matthew 14:13-14

The Five Thousand Are Fed

13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

2. We stand amazed at His wisdom, power, and compassion as He taught the lost and healed the sick.

B. Think of Jesus’ encounters with just "one soul":

John 4:6-26

6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." 8 (For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give Me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." 11 The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" 13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." 15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." 16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." 17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, I have no husband, 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." 19 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." 21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." 25 The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." 26 Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

He taught the Samaritan woman that acceptable worship is not based on race, gender, or the place where you live—but on "spirit and truth"—and that she had to return to moral purity and believe in Christ!

2. Matthew 15:21-28: God’s mercy extends to all who have faith.

3. Luke 7:36-50: Lessons on divine repentance and forgiveness, self-righteousness, and saving faith.

4. John 8:2-11: He did not reject her as worthless; He taught her: "Go and sin no more."

5. John 21:15-17: Jesus knew that this one man (Peter) would influence thousands!

C. Because the Son of God saw the value of one soul, we too must see that value.

1. Do not decide beforehand how someone will respond to the truth.

2. Do not write certain people off as "worthless."

3. Remember never to fail to tell someone the Gospel and to help someone overcome sin (Galatians 6:1-2).

4. Parents: know the importance of one child, Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4.