What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

This is a very thought provoking question. Not many people will have ever contemplated this matter. Sometimes you will hear it said of a person that,"They have sold their soul to the Devil".

What do we understand from this remark? Usually we would see that person as having chosen a path in life that is completely self-centred and will not let anything or anyone stand in the way of their gaining their desired objectives. Often that pathway will run contrary to the normal rules and laws of society. Woe betide anyone who stands in their way!

Let's have a look at the verse in the Holy Scriptures where the main question is asked.

Matthew 16:26:
"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?"

Profit and loss, this is what every business man or woman thinks of daily. It's not much use being in business if you fail to make a profit from your time, energy and money. Many a business person has spent sleepless nights trying to work out how to keep their business in a profitable financial situation. It is fine when things are going along smoothly. However when difficult times come (and they do) it often becomes a juggling act to stay solvent.

Think back to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008. What a crippling effect it had on the global economy. It is now 2018 and some business sectors have still not fully recovered from the financial wipe out of that time. There was an immediate effect on tourism related businesses; airlines in particular were very heavily hit.

Now let's have a closer look at Matthew 16:26. So what profit does a man make in real terms if he is very successful in material possessions yet when he dies he loses it all? What comfort will those possessions be to him when he is dead and buried? The Egyptian Pharaohs had all sorts of things buried with them in their tombs. They were supposed to be of use in the afterlife. However when the tombs were opened up everything was still intact!

John D. Rockefeller was the world's richest man when he died. The newspapers in New York rushed out special editions. One young newspaper boy was asked by a customer, "How much did he leave behind?" The newspaper boy simply said, "Everything?"

The last Shah of Persia was one of the world's richest men. Just before he died he said, "All I can take to the grave with me is history!"

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" To put it simply, when we were born we came into the world with nothing and when we die we go out of the world with nothing. However, the choices we make while we are on planet Earth can and do have eternal consequences.

Let's have a look at the preceding verses to verse 26.

Matthew 16:24-25:
"(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."

What is Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God telling you and me? In verse 24 He is saying that if we want to follow Him we need to give up our ungodly, sinful life in order to follow Him. If you were carrying a cross that meant you were going to die. The old sinful life has to be put to death.

Romans 6:23 tells us,
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." When we look at verse 25 above we see a definite contrast. If you desire to save your life by your own efforts - you will lose it. If your old sinful life is gone (lost) for His sake, then you will gain eternal life with Him.

How is this transition possible? It is only possible because Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God has paid the price of your sins on a Roman cross at Calvary, just outside Jerusalem. The sacrifice He made there on our behalf is more than sufficient to clear our debt of sin. Therefore, our ungodly, sinful life is gone and we have gained eternal life. God makes the transition when we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. He has already done the work on our behalf at Calvary. All we need to do is receive the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You don't earn a gift. You don't pay for a gift. If you do it becomes a reward not a gift. If someone gives me a gift all I have to do is take it and it is mine!

So what will you give in exchange for your soul? Heaven or Hell is the outcome.

When you die your body remains here on planet Earth; however your soul and spirit go back to God who gave it. If you die in your sins - you have consigned yourself to Hell and the Lake of Fire forever. If Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God has cleared the debt of your sins - you will go to Heaven to be with him forever.

The choice is yours! Your eternal destiny depends on your choice!

Jon Peasey

Biblical Perspectives blog www.jon-peasey.blogspot.com
Words of Life blog www.jrpeasey.blogspot.com
Ebooks author page https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JRPeasey

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted. Words enclosed in [ ] are inserted for clarity. Words in bold type emphasise a point. You may notice some verses are quoted with ... at the beginning, ending or elsewhere in a verse. Only the relevant part or parts of the verse, that relate directly to the current subject matter is quoted.]

[If you have any questions or comments you are invited to contact me via the comments section below.]