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The Value of a Soul

Jesus asked one of the most penetrating questions ever posed: “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?” (Matt. 16:26). The implied answer is that nothing is more valuable than the soul. A man could acquire all the wealth, power, and pleasure this world has to offer, but if he loses his soul, he has lost everything.

Consider how people spend their lives. Many devote themselves entirely to gaining material possessions. They work long hours, sacrifice their families, and neglect their spiritual responsibilities—all for things that will perish. Jesus told a parable about such a man, a rich fool who built bigger barns to store his goods, only to die that very night (Luke 12:16-21). “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).

The soul is valuable because it is eternal. The body will return to the dust from which it came, but the soul lives on. “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Eccl. 12:7). Every person will spend eternity somewhere—either in the presence of God or separated from Him.

The soul is valuable because of the price paid to redeem it. Peter wrote that we 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” (1 Peter 1:18-19). If we want to know the value of a soul, we need only look at the cross. God gave His only Son so that souls might be saved.

If our souls are so valuable, then we ought to give attention to their care. We feed our bodies daily, but how often do we feed our souls? We exercise to keep our bodies healthy, but do we exercise ourselves toward godliness (1 Tim. 4:7-8)? The neglect of the soul is the greatest tragedy of human existence.

May we never be guilty of valuing the temporary above the eternal. Let us seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33), knowing that the soul is worth more than all the world.

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Christian Rock Music: The New Trojan Horse

Review of Spong's a New Christianity for a New World (8)

Review of Spong's a New Christianity for a New World (7)

"Correcting Scripture or Correcting Us?"