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Estimating The Value Of The Soul
- INTRODUCTION:
- WE LIVE IN A COMMERCIAL AGE IN WHICH VALUES ARE FREELY
DISCUSSED EVERY DAY.
- ESTIMATIONS ARE CONSTANTLY BEING GIVEN AND SOUGHT
ON A WIDE VARIETY OF THINGS.
- YET HAVE YOU EVERY SOUGHT A PROPER EVALUATION FOR
THE SOUL OF
MAN, OR MORE POINTEDLY YOUR SOUL?
- LOOK WITH ME AT SOME THINGS THAT WILL HELP YOU MAKE
A SOUND ESTIMATION FOR YOUR SOUL.
- DISCUSSION:
- THE SOUL IS MORE VALUABLE THAN THE WORLD.
Mark
8:36-37 = "For what shall it profit
a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and
lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange
for his soul?"
John
6:27 = "Labour not for the meat which
perisheth, but for that meat which
endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man
shall give unto you: for him
hath God the Father sealed."
Matthew
10:28 = "And fear not them which
kill the body, but are not able to kill the
soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell."
- READING OF THE BABE JESUS BORN IN BETHLEHEM IS A GOOD
STARTING
POINT IN JUDGING THE VALUE OF THE SOUL.
- Look at the price in death and suffering at His
birth.
Matthew
2:1-16 = "Now when Jesus was
born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days
of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from
the east to Jerusalem,
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?
for we have seen his star in
the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod
the king had heard these
things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all the chief priests
and scribes of the people together, he demanded of
them where Christ should be born. And they said
unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it
is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in
the land of Juda, art not the least among the
princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that
shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had
privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently
what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem,
and said, Go and search diligently for the young child;
and when ye have found him, bring me word again,
that I may come and worship him also. When
they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the
star, which they saw in the east, went before
them, till it came and stood over where the young
child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced
with exceeding great joy. And when they were
come into the house, they saw the young child with
Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped
him: and when they had opened their treasures, they
presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense,
and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream
that they should not return to Herod, they departed into
their own country another way. And when they were
departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth
to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take he young
child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be
thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod
will seek the young child to destroy him. When he
arose, he
took the young child and his mother by night, and
departed into Egypt: And wasthere until the death
of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have
I called my son. Then Herod, when he saw that
he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth,
and sent forth, and slew all the children that were
in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof,
from two years old and under, according to the time
which he had diligently inquired of the wise
men."
COMMENT: The birth
not only brought forth a savior for the soul of man
but cost of the lives of all the children in Bethlehem
under the age of two years.
- Christ came from heaven to save the soul of man.
Matthew
1:21 = "And she shall bring forth
a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall
save his people from their sins."
Luke
19:10 = "For the Son of man is come
to seek and to save that which was lost."
John
3:17 = "For God sent not his Son
into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved."
- READING THE STORY OF THE LOST SHEEP:
Luke
15:3-7 = "And he spake this parable
unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred
sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety
and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which
is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he
layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh
home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours,
saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found
my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise
joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth,
more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need
no repentance."
Comment: The value of seeking
one soul is pointed out in this parable. Along with
the joy in
heaven over one sinner that repents.
- READING THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON SHOWS THE
VALUE PLACED
UPON A LOST SOUL BY THE FATHER.
Luke
15:20-24 = "And he arose, and came
to his father. But when he was yet a great way off,
his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and
fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said
unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and
in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy
son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth
the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on
his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the
fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he
was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry."
- READING THE PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS TEACHES
THE
ETERNAL VALUE OF THE SOUL.
Luke
16:19-31 = "There was a certain rich
man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen,
and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain
beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full
of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell
from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and
licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the
beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's
bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and
seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And
he cried and said, Father
Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he
may dip the tip of his finger in
water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this
flame. But Abraham said, Son,
remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good
things, and likewise Lazarus evil
things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
And beside all this, between us
and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which
would pass from hence to you
cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come
from thence. Then he said, I pray
thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him
to my father's house: For I have five
brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also
come into this place of torment.
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets;
let them hear them. And
he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them
from the dead, they will
repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses
and the prophets, neither will
they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."
- READING THE ACCOUNT OF MATTHEW AS CHRIST PRAYED IN
THE GARDEN
OF GETHSEMANE YOU UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THE SOUL OF
MAN.
Matthew
26:36-56 = "Then cometh Jesus with
them unto a place called Gethsemane, and
saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and
pray yonder. And he took with him
Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful
and very heavy. Then
saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful,
even unto death: tarry ye here,
and watch with me. And he went a little further, and
fell on his face, and prayed,
saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this
cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I
will, but as thou wilt. And he cometh unto the disciples,
and findeth them asleep, and
saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one
hour? Watch and pray, that ye
enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing,
but the flesh is weak. He went
away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O
my Father, if this cup may not pass
away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.
And he came and found them asleep
again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them,
and went away again, and prayed
the third time, saying the same words. Then cometh
he to his disciples, and saith unto
them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the
hour is at hand, and the Son of
man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let
us be going: behold, he is at hand
that doth betray me. And while he yet spake, lo,
Judas, one of the twelve, came, and
with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from
the chief priests and elders
of the people. Now he that betrayed him gave them a
sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall
kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. And forthwith
he came to Jesus, and said, Hail,
master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend,
wherefore art thou come?
Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
And, behold, one of them
which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew
his sword, and struck a servant
of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said
Jesus unto him, Put up again thy
sword into his place: for all they that take the sword
shall perish with the sword.
Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and
he shall presently give me
more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall
the scriptures be fulfilled,
that thus it must be? In that same hour said Jesus
to the multitudes, Are ye come out
as against a thief with swords and staves for to take
me? I sat daily with you teaching
in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this
was done, that the scriptures of
the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples
forsook him, and fled."
- READING THE CRUCIFIXION YOU VIEW A SCENE WHICH PICTURES
THE VALUE
OF THE SOUL.
Matthew
27:26-54 = "Then released he Barabbas
unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered
him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor
took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him
the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him,
and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they
had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his
head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the
knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King
of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed,
and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked
him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own
raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon
by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. And when
they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is
to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to
drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof,
he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted
his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments
among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
And sitting down they watched him there; And set up
over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS
THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then were there two thieves crucified
with him, one on the right hand, and another on the
left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their
heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple,
and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou
be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise
also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes
and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot
save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come
down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted
in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him:
for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also,
which were crucified with him, cast the same in his
teeth. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over
all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth
hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli,
lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? Some of them that stood there,
when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge,
and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and
gave him to drink. The rest said, Let be, let us see
whether Elias will come to save him. Jesus, when
he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the
ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent
in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did
quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened;
and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And
came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went
into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when
the centurion, and they that were with him, watching
Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were
done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the
Son of God."
Romans
5:9 = "Much more then, being now
justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through him."
1
Corinthians 15:2 = "By which also
ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto
you, unless ye have believed in vain."
H. READING OF CHRISTS ASCENSION
INTO HEAVEN YOU HAVE THE PROOF OF THE GREAT VALUE OF
THE SOUL.
Acts
1:9-11 = "And when he had spoken
these things, while they beheld, was taken up; and
a cloud received him out of their sight. And while
they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went
up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye
gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is
taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in
like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
John
14:1-6 = "Let not your heart
be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in
me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it
were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare
a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas
saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest;
and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me."
- READING OF THE JUDGMENT WE ARE IMPRESSED WITH THE IMPORTANCE
OF
THE SOUL:
Matt
25:31-34 = "When the Son of man shall
come in his , and all the holy angels with him,
then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before
him shall be gathered all nations:
and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the
goats on the left. Then shall the King say
unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world:"
Matthew
25:41 = "Then shall he say also unto
them on
the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels:" Matthew
25:46 = "And these shall go away into
everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal."
Revelation
20:12-15 = "And I saw the dead, small
and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was opened, which is the
book of life: and the dead were
judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works. And the
sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were
in them: and they were judged every man according to their
works. And death and hell were
cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in
the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
III. CONCLUSION:
- THE MORE ONE READS FROM THE SCRIPTURES ABOUT THE POSSIBLE
VALUE
OF THE SOUL IT IS IN REALITY BEYOND ANY POSSIBLE ESTIMATION
BY MAN.
- NEITHER POSSIBLE FOR ONE TO ESTIMATE THE VALUE OF
HEAVEN AND/OR
THE VALUE TO BE PLACE UPON ONE ESCAPING THE ETERNITY
OF HELL.
- DEATH REMINDS US OF THE ETERNAL VALUE OF THE SOUL.
Hebrews9:27
= "And as it is appointed unto men once to
die, but after this the judgment:"
Ecclesiastes
12:5-7 = "Also when they shall be
afraid of that which is high, and fears
shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish,
and the grasshopper shall be
a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to
his long home, and the mourners
go about the streets: Or ever the silver cord be loosed,
or the golden bowl be broken, or
the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel
broken at the cistern. Then shall the
dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall
return unto God who gave it."
- THE QUESTION FOR EACH OF US TO ANSWER IS: WHAT
VALUE DO I PLACE
ON MY SOUL TO HAVE IT SPEND ETERNITY WITH GOD IN HEAVEN?
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