“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? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 8:36-38 KJV
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
The word exchange is a commercial word that refers to the price of sale for an item of merchandise.Again, the answer is obvious.
There is no price high enough to motivate any man to sell his soul, to sell his life. No matter what anyone offers to you, recognizing that you could not transfer that benefit to anyone else, you would never take it in exchange for your life.
The point here is that, once you have forfeited eternal life you have nothing with which you can get it back.
Therefore, to seek worldly possessions and power at the expense of a place in heaven is an unconscionable blunder.
The only explanation for it is sin. such a decision would show a person to be a fool without peer.
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.”
Mark 8:34-35 KJV
The picture of discipleship, to deny self, take up your cross daily, and follow Him, the principle and prediction about discipleship, to lose your life that you might gain it for the gospels sake, and the profit of discipleship, benefit beyond anything this world could ever hope to offer.
My friends, this world thinks the committed Christian is strange, bizarre, and weird.
However, who is illogical and foolish to cast away an eternity with Jesus for the temporary enjoyment of material things and pleasure?
What Peter and the others needed to be reminded is this: If you are a disciple, then your commitment is to follow the Master wherever He leads. Wherever He leads.
Because you trust Him, right?
What about you, my friend, who are not a Christian?
Look to Mark 8.36: For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Will you consider this before we dismiss for the morning?
CONSIDER A MANS PROFIT
Our great mistake as a sinner, whose perception of reality is warped and twisted, is to think that only you have your best interests in mind, and God only has your worst interests in mind.
However, may I remind you that you are terribly mistaken? Sin has so distorted your perception of reality that you are very much like a wolf caught in a trap in the north woods.
Unable to free yourself, you look upon the man who approaches as your enemy, when what he really wants to do is set you free.
Therefore, you resist and snarl at every attempt made to loosen sins grip on your soul. Understand, however, that the Lord Jesus Christ has no ill will toward you. He left heavens glory to save you, not to condemn you.
He suffered, and bled, and died for your benefit, that you might profit, that you might derive benefit, that you might end up better off in eternity.
