Forfeit your soul? - Share insights if you would like

[MatthewG]

The soul is the (heart,mind,will,emotion) that resides with-in our body as we live in it. The living soul is what makes you who you are.


Jesus asked His disciples while among a crowd of people in Czaer Philippi, saying “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul? For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”


Trying to understand this saying is difficult; however I believe Jesus was expressing the concern for a persons soul, and suggesting that if you give your mind, will, emotion, heart to the world itself you will forfeiting your soul (heart/mind/will/emotion) over to something that does not truly give back. The world itself is only the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and pride of life.


However in the previous verses he states that “Whoever so shall come to save his life for Jesus sake and the gospels, shall save it.”


I believe this is an example of a person individually taking up their own cross and following Jesus, and denying themselves and letting God work in the mind/soul/heart/ emotion of the person who is seeking after him.


The cross itself is capitol punishment however Jesus served that sentence, and has risen again from the dead.


The cross is also a figurative term for self-denial, to follow after Jesus who is the one who allows us to have new life, in our soul.
That new life is the spiritual life; which we believe on the Son of God and we love God and love others. (Scriptures quoted Mark 8:36-37)

 

[marks]

"To him who has, more will be given. To him who has not, even what he has will be taken."

Much love!

 

[MatthewG]

Those are some interesting sayings there you included said by Jesus, thank you for sharing them Marks.

 

[Davy]

I have to refer to what Lord Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 about the 'soul', that to not fear those who can kill our flesh body, but not our soul. Our soul is not a fleshy material thing. It is our person, and it is attached to our spirit that is in our flesh linked by the "silver cord" of Ecclesiastes 12. When our flesh dies, our soul with spirit is loosed, goes back to God.

So our Lord Jesus' idea of gaining the world, but losing your soul, is about loosing one's Salvation through Him, with the soul-spirit perishing in the future "lake of fire". Paul was covering the same idea essentially here in Romans...

Rom 8:5-10
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
KJV

 

[MatthewG]

That is right Davy, our soul is the mind/will/emotion/heart.