What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? <Mt 16:26>
1. 3 propositions arise:
1) Every human being has a soul.
– Unique and essential part of men – to fellowship with God.
2) The human soul may or may not be lost.
– A lost soul is unaware and lost in his relationship with God.
3) We will be judged finally in terms of the condition of this soul.
– For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. <Mt 16:27>
2. How to know the condition of our soul?
1) Our thinking (i.e. thought life).
– Is our thinking natural or spiritual?
– Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” <Mt 16:23>.
– … flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. <1 Cor 15:50>
2) The content of our thinking.
– One that is governed by own self and the world
– Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it”. <Mt 16:24-25>
– What good will it be for a man to gain the whole world, yet lose their soul?” <Mt 16:26>
3) Fully concerned of the opinion of others
– … my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
– When Jesus was on the Cross, he was scorned and mocked by men.
– Jesus said: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” <Mt 10:32>
3. Consider carefully:
1) The worth of your own soul.
* Jesus said: Follow Me!
* The soul which is lost needs to return to its Creator and Shepherd.
* For “you were like sheep going astray,”but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. <1 Peter 2:25>
2) There is no greater loss than the loss of the soul.
* “What good is it for a man if he gains the whole world and lose his own soul?” <Mt 16:26>.
* Example of health.
* Example of reputation.
* “God, you have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” – Confessions by St Augustine.
* Everything we’ve gain in this world ENDS with this life.
* Yet, if our soul is saved, there is nothing to lose in this world.
* Jesus said: A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. <Jn 16:2>
* For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. <Php 1:21>
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? <Mt 16:26>
