GAINING THE WORLD AND LOSING THE SOUL

Mark 8:35-37; Matthew 16:24-26; 1John 2:15-17

This is the worst kind of business transaction – a transaction in which a man loses his own self, in which a woman loses her own soul! Two issues are important here – the world and the soul. If you gain one you might lose the other. If you gain the world you might lose your soul. If you lose the world you might gain your soul. It does not follow that everyone who loses the world would gain the soul! Neither does it mean that everyone who gains the world would lose their soul.

 

The World That Is Gained and The Soul That Is Lost.

 

A.  The World (Mark 8:35-37; John 2:15-17)

The World here means the habitable earth. It is not our resting place. This world lies in wickedness. It is full of wickedness, lusts or pleasure, pride. Lust of the flesh includes wrong desires. According to Matthew Henry it includes “Appetite of indulging all things that excite and inflame sensual pleasures”. The lust of the eyes – this immediately suggests covetousness, lustful delight in riches and rich possessions. The pride of life a craving for vain glorious life. All these things will quickly fade away. The desire of them will fade away. Nothing of this world will be taken to heaven. So wasting our time loving the world and the things in it could cause the loss of the soul. The love of this world is the trade mark of this present age (2Tim.3:1-4). If you are living in this way, your soul is probably lost already. You will need to run to Jesus and ask Him to save your soul. Demas lost his place in the service of God by loving this present world (2Tim.4:10)

B.  The Soul (Gen.2:7; Mark 8:36; Luke 9:25)

What exactly is the soul? Each person has a soul “Each human soul is individual and immortal, immediately created by God. The soul does not die with the body, from which it is separated by death, and with which it will be reunited in the final resurrection”. (Catholic Church definition). The Bible declares that man is a three part being (1Thes.5:23). Although it is difficult for human beings to tell the difference between soul and spirit, the word of God can divide between soul and spirit (Heb.4:12). The soul is never dying. At death, the spirit and soul only go back to God, who gave them (Eccl.12:7). The soul can be saved or lost.

Man is a three part being. The ‘Body’ touches the Material world through the five senses of ‘Sight,’ ‘Smell,’ ‘Hearing,’ ‘Taste’ and ‘Touch.’ At death the body is detached from the soul and spirit which will go back to God. The body is buried and dissolved into elements!

The Soul deals with Imagination, Conscience, Memory, Reason and the Affections. It is said that the soul is the real person. The faculties of the Spirit are Faith, Hope, Reverence, Prayer and Worship (Gal.5:20). Jesus teaches that man is not only body but has a soul (Mat.10:28).

Every Person Has A Soul Of Infinite Value

(In Gen.2:7), we see the origin of the soul of man. The soul of man was given to him by God. When the breath of God entered into the mould of clay, it became a living being, a human being, a living soul.

Why is the soul of man so valuable? Because of its origin! The soul of man originates from God. Therefore it is costly to lose your soul. Why is the soul so valuable? Because of the price paid for its redemption (Mat.20:28; John 10:11; 3:16; 1Cor 15:1-3; Luke 19:10). Why is the soul so important? Because of the great contention for its possession (Eph.6:12). Why are you tempted to sin? Because someone wants your soul to be lost. Why are you tempted to become lazy and careless as a Christian? Because someone wants your soul to be lost. Why is the soul so valuable? Because of the eternal destiny awaiting the soul! It is either Heaven or hell and there are no second chances in hell (Heb.9:27).

 

There Is A Danger Of Losing The Soul

(Mark 9:36-37; Mat.16:25-26; Luke 16:22-23)

When the rich man in the story of the Rich man and Lazarus died, he was buried, but the next we hear of him, he was in hell lifting up his “eye”, seeing and talking to Abraham. This discredits the false doctrine taught by the Jehovah Witnesses and others that man has no soul.

Jesus tells the parable of another rich man in (Luke 12:16-21). God called this man a fool for seeking only to gain the world but in the process lost his soul. He had obviously never cared about his soul.

There is a final destiny for the soul and it is unwise to spend all your time seeking for the things of this world without regard for the final destination of your soul (Dan.12:2; Rev.20:12-15).

A song writer asked the question, “Where will you spend eternity?

In Heaven or in Hell? Heaven is a beautiful place – shining streets of gold, walls of precious stone, the tree of life, the river of life. God lives there. Jesus Christ lives there. There are mansions there for the saved souls. There you will meet Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, great patriarchs. You will meet Noah the righteous, Enoch the friend of God Isaac and Jacob, the prophets, the Kings, David, Hezekiah. You will meet the apostles of Jesus.

If your soul is not saved when you die, you will head for hell. Hell is a place of eternal torment, eternal regret, eternal loss. All the things you accumulate here cannot be carried with you. It is a place of suffering. You will meet all the terrible demons in hell, all the wicked men and women, all the murderers, all the adulterers and effeminates, all the haters of God. There is no love in hell. It is a place of unsatisfied hunger and thirst, a place of terrible worms that die not, and burning fires that do not quench.

Most people in the world today spend all their life caring for the body, accumulating wealth, enjoying pleasure but do nothing for their soul’s welfare (Mark 8:36-37).

Where will you spend eternity? If your soul should be lost, what a loss that would be!