What Will It Profit?

Joe Slater

“Whoever desires to follow Me, let hin deny himnself, and take up his cros, andfollow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose i, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will itprofit a man ifhe gains the whole world and loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 8:34-37.

We usually look at profit in terms of money or other material wealth. Jesus indicates that we need to look far beyond that! Everything material, including our fleshly body, is temporary. You can accumulate vast earthly wealth, but you cant keep it. Don’t believe me? Stick around a hundred years and see! Of infinitely surpassing importance and value is that spiritual part of you called your soul. Jesus teaches three things relative to it:

First, each and every person has a soul. Sometimes “soul” refers to the entire person, body and spirit. But Jesus uses the term specifically of the inner spiritual person. “Fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell” (Matthew 10:28).

Second, that soul can become lost. Jesus parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son illustrate this sad fact.

Finally, even if you amass every bit of the world’s wealth, but you exchange it for your soul, you have made a horrible, disastrous bargain. Surely the account of the rich man and Lazarus highlights this. (Luke 16)

Business people like to make a profit. Christians should too! “Godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

Via Bulletin Gold