LEARNING DAILY

 

Mark 8:35-36, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”  Jesus

 

There are some important questions to deal with as we walk the narrow way. First, we must get on the narrow way through a narrow gate – answering the question of heaven or not. Then we must decide to get to know the truth found in God’s Word so we do not fall to false teaching and be led astray – apostasy. Today, we deal with dying to self. Let me begin by saying that God gives wealth and stuff to us so we have the ability to help others; there is nothing wrong with wealth. The problem comes when we allow what we have to control the things we do and allow it to cause us to think more highly of ourselves than we should. Taking advantage of the position we have to gather personal gain at the expense of others becomes a problem.

 

What did Jesus mean when He asked the question of a man gaining the “whole world but loses his soul”? Gaining the whole world is to receive all the world offers – fame, money, pleasure, prestige, and so forth. To lose one’s soul is to die without a relationship with Christ and spend eternity without Him. In the last page of the blog, this place was the lake of fire.

 

The verses from Mark are found in Matthew 16. Jesus says this after predicting His death and resurrection. Peter, being Peter, objects to this happening to his Lord and is rebuked by Jesus. Was Peter concerned about his own needs, as some commentaries state? If so, Jesus is telling Peter, and us, that nothing is more important than our soul being with Him in eternity in His kingdom. Placing our emphasis on gaining wealth and stuff, earthly gains, is not worth the eternal price that might be paid.

 

There is nothing wrong with wealth, fame, success and power if all that is God’s will. God blesses us with what He knows we will use for His glory and His honor. He is a loving God and wants to be glorified through Believers. The problem becomes when we place this stuff, temporary stuff, ahead of following Him. Let me say this another way using the Word of God. Deuteronomy 8:18 tells us the source of our wealth, “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.” God gives us the ability to create wealth. To others, He gives the ability to write commentaries and Study Bibles for us to better understand His Word. The point is God gives the ability to gain what He can use. If we have this in our minds, we have the ability to do what is right, to be generous and say no to corruption or cheating in order to gain more wealth for ourselves.

 

When earthly blessings are chased and become the primary motive of our lives, we are not living our life in the will of God and risk the losing our soul. Not my words – they are from God’s Word! When God is our desire and all we want and need, He supplies everything we need. We don’t go hungry; we have all the money we need; we encourage and help others; and we are successful – at least in God’s eyes!

The cost is dying to self, of losing one’s self, to losing one’s life; the result of doing so is to live for Jesus and His gospel. The reward is found in Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man will come in glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.” The reward(s) will be worth any and all cost we have to follow Him! I wonder just how far off this time will be!