“And He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what could a person give in exchange for his soul?”- Mark 8:34-37 NASB
Did you know this world was not your home? If you are a child of God it isn’t, that is. Those who turn their back on Christ and his offer of forgiveness will end up regretting their decision forever in hell. Once the final trump sounds and time as we know it is no more, the fate of all creation shall be sealed.
Man seeks pleasure as a means of counteracting the drudgery of work, which unfortunately, lasts most of our lives. Those who like what they do for a living would no doubt rather be doing something else. Even those who are flushed with money at one point, or another find their lives to be hollow and empty. There are those who actually do carve out a pleasurable existence, but when they are alone with their own thoughts the emptiness calls out to them. There’s a place within us that only God can fill and until he is allowed to enter in the emptiness will only be compounded over time.
To answer Jesus’ question in verse 37, there is NOTHING that man can give in exchange for his soul. We are made up of body, soul, and spirit. When God breathes life into your body you then become a living, breathing soul. Your soul is what gives you your life-force. It has nothing to do with the spirit or whether you are a Christian or not, but it has everything to do with heaven and hell. Your soul is what goes to either place once your life-force passes on. You cannot give away your soul without losing your life. Why would anyone willfully and purposefully forfeit their own life? We don’t need to because Christ forfeited his life in our place. That sacrifice is tantamount to forgiveness for all our sins. A payment will come due on the final day. To be saved is like having a “get out of jail free” card in a game of Monopoly, only the stakes are much higher. Dedicate your life to God now if you haven’t already. If you are already redeemed and walking with the Lord daily, assess your walk to see if you are lacking in any way. Seeking pleasure to the exclusion of all else is not worth spending eternity separated from God forever with no hope of reprieve. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
RL Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
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