The Worth of a Soul*

The world today does not value, or even consider the value of the human soul, or the human being created in the image of God. The world also doesn't value the redemption of the soul, accomplished by Christ, in those who have believed and received Him. When the religious experts tempted and challenged Jesus to show them a sign from heaven, He told them that they were unable to discern the most obvious spiritual signs. He said, "O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?...A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas (Jonah)." (Mt. 16:1-4). By referring to the sign of Jonas, Jesus was referring to His resurrection, in the same manner that Jonah was delivered from the bonds of death in the belly of the great fish. Not only is the resurrection of Christ a miraculous deliverance that rescues all who believe in Him from death, but it is a sign pointing man to the worth of a human soul to God. The Shroud of Turin, evidence of the resurrection, is an enduring statement to man of what it cost Jesus to redeem the soul of each one of us. However, as Isaiah asked, "Who will believe our report...?", the Shroud is often viewed with skepticism and rejection. Jesus asked His disciples, "Whom do men say that I am?". Men could not discern Him, and believed that Jesus was a prophet, and even John the Baptist returned to life (v. 13-14). Then He asked His disciples whom they say that He is. Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (v. 15-16). Jesus told Peter that this is a revelation that he did not receive from men, but from the Father in heaven. This is how Jesus is discerned, and this revelation is the rock that forms the foundation of the Christian faith, and upon which the church is built. Built in this revelation, not even the devil and all hell can prevail against the church (v. 17-18). Not only does this revelation from the Father build the church of believers, but to these believers, Jesus gives the authority of the keys of the kingdom of heaven. He told His disciples to tell no one what He had told them, because these things are revealed by the Father. Later, as Jesus revealed that He would suffer and die in Jerusalem, Peter tried to rebuke Him for saying such a thing. Jesus told Peter that he was not treasuring the revelation of heaven that Jesus was speaking, but rather the understanding of men. This Jesus found to be offensive, and He identified it as the work and spirit of Satan (v. 21-23). Man cannot discern the worth of his own soul by his understanding. It is received by revelation. Jesus said that it is more important to lose one's self and life and gain one's soul by taking each taking up our cross, and following after Him: "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (v. 24-26). The soul is infinitely valuable - more than attaining the whole world, though men throughout history have spent their lives trying to attain the things of the world. When the Son of Man returns, He will reward those who walked, and whose lives were led, in this revelation (v. 27). An additional thought from Jesus is recorded in the Gospel of Mark regarding this: "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." (Mk. 8:36-38). Can our present generation be described as anything other than adulterous and sinful? Has the Church, instead of being the rock of revelation truth, been ashamed of the Words of Jesus? The Church has compromised and taught that sin is acceptable and tolerable, therefore not teaching the worth of a soul. The Lord said that the lawless and those who do iniquity would be gathered by the angels, and thrown into the fire, and have great suffering. Those who were righteous, however, would shine in the kingdom of the Father. He concluded by saying, "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Mt. 13:41-43). Not all have ears to hear, as we will see. In parables, Jesus compared the kingdom of God as something so valuable and worthy to attain that a man would sell everything he has in order to acquire it. Have we sold out all to attain the most worthy and precious thing in the world - the kingdom of God? Earlier, Jesus was asked by His disciples why He spoke in parables. He told them that it fulfilled what Isaiah wrote (see Isa. 6). It was for His disciples only to "know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (other hearers) it is not given...Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand...For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." (Mt. 13:9-15). "All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables...That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." (Mt. 13:34-35). The mystery from before the foundation of the world is the Lamb slain (see Rev. 13:8). It is the mystery hidden in the Hebrew language used in Gen. 1:1: "In the beginning, God...". The expression "In the beginning" is bareshiet in Hebrew. The individual pictographic Hebrew letters in this word also form a meaning: "The Son of God crushed, His hand on the cross". This is an indictment of their time, and our time: people do not want to hear, and the foolish crowd does not understand the worth of a soul, their soul, to God. Many in Church do not want to hear of miracles, but the redemption of a human soul from death and hell is the greatest miracle of all. Jesus said that He spoke in parables as Isaiah prophesied (Isa. 6:8-10). Isaiah asked the LORD, "How long?" would this continue? The LORD answered, "Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate...and there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return...". (v. 11-13). Israel had been left desolate, and had ceased to be a nation, but in our time, the nation and the languge was restored, and the people began to return. God's people were instructed, "Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the word of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us." (Ps. 78:1-3). God commands His people to hear His words. Paul, in the Book of Romans, says of Jesus: "...declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead..." (Rom. 1:1-4). Paul continued to write that this is the Gospel that he came to Rome to preach, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith..." (v. 15-17). For those who will understand the worth of a soul, we preach the Gospel without compromise, and without shame or partiality. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who restrain the truth in unrighteousness (v. 18). It is not a matter of ignorance, but deliberate choice made by men to restrain the truth of God regarding the worth and provision that He has made for the human soul. God, although He is invisible, has made Himself evident, and can be seen, in the visible things that He has made. There is no excuse for those who know of God because of this, but do not glorify or thank Him. Their hearts have become darkened as a result (Rom. 1:18-21). We see this darkening of hearts in the world today. While many in and out of the Church suffer divisions and debates over doctrines, accepting false doctrines to please their own flesh, and to deceive others, it is the obedience of the hearts of those who keep the truth concerning the worth of a soul that causes the God of peace to bruise Satan under our feet (Rom. 16:17-20). Do you know the worth of a soul? *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 2/20/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, and endtimeschool.com.