What would you give for your soul? How about their soul?

It is very biblical to consider what we would give for our own soul. Jesus makes this point -

Matt 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (NKJV)

Clearly, to believe what the Bible says about eternal life, either our souls and glorified bodies will experience God's presence forever, because we have been reconciled to God in Christ, or by contrast, if not redeemed, we will spend eternity separated from Him, in a permanent state of spiritual death, separated from God and all goodness. To believe this reality makes the value of our own souls infinitely greater than anything we might possible trade for it.

With this understood, I hope we could answer Jesus' question as to what we would give in exchange for our souls, and our eternal relationship with Him, with a confident NOTHING!

So we would give any earthly cost and suffer any earthly loss for the sake of our eternal life with God in Christ! Amen!

As we finish the a study of the book of James this week another question must be considered, what would we give for the soul of another?

James ends his letter with these words:

James 5:19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. (NKJV)

First a theological disclaimer:

Those who are bought by the blood of Christ and born again of the Spirit, as all true believers are, can't be finally lost and separated from God. This is true because it is God's work that saves and secures us for His glory!

Eph. 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (NKJV)

Heb. 12:1  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NKJV)

Phil. 1:3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (NKJV)

So we can confirm that God is the one who saves and He saves forever! I will assume I have no need to proof text the reality that God uses His word and His Holy Spirit to bring about people's salvation. Yet with all this focus on God's power and salvation being meant to bring Him glory, God still uses human means to bring His word to those He saves.

I believe all who will be saved are predetermined to be so from eternity past, yet these plans of God certainly include the choices we make each day, including the choice to help someone see their sin and come to repentance through sharing God's word with them. Jesus told us to -

Matt. 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (NKJV)

Likewise it makes sense -

Rom. 10:14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (NKJV)

These passages are aimed at evangelism in general, while James' exhortation that "he who turn a sinner form the error of his way will save a soul from death", seems primarily addressed to those who have lived as believers and have since begun believing error or have fallen into sin. These may be actual saved persons who should repent when we or others take the time to try to turn them back, or they may be people who hung out with the church, but were never saved, and our calling them back to the truth may turn out to be the time of their conversion and salvation!

So, salvation is of the Lord, but He has made it part of His redemptive plan to use us in the salvation process.

So, with that said, what would we give for their soul? 

Would we -

Potentially lose them as a friend?

Make our coworkers or classmates uncomfortable with us?

Spend our time and money in ways that help validate or spread the gospel?

Be seen as unloving by a culture who thinks the only real sin is calling anything sin?

What did those who died so the gospel/Bible would be hear for us, give so our souls could benefit from the gospel?

What did Jesus give for our souls?

I ask again -

What will we give for their souls?

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved."