When Jesus asks a question, a lot of thoughtfulness should go into the answer.  Well, He asked two great questions in Matthew 16.

Matthew 16:26 (ESV)
²⁶  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

These are not great questions because they are deeply profound, but because they have eternal ramifications to them.  We should all think carefully about our answers.

Would you forfeit your soul for the things of this world?  Many people would.  How do I know?  I know because many people have and continue to do so.  They do so because they ignore two important truths.  First, the things of this world are temporary.

1 John 2:17 (ESV)
¹⁷  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Every material thing in this world is temporal.  They can be lost by being destroyed or stolen (Matthew 6:19-20), or they can be left behind when we die (1 Timothy 6:7).  The point is, we can only possess them for a little while.  Why sacrifice so much for something so short-lived?

The second thing that is ignored by those who forfeit their souls is what is involved in doing so.  Forfeiting the soul does not mean to cease to exist; it means you will be cast into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).  When you think about it, it is not worth, not only some of the things of this world, but the whole world itself.

What about the second question Jesus asked?  “Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”  This is a great question, not because we do not know the answer, but because of the weight of it.  The answer is nothing!  Once you lose your soul, no price can get it back for you. It is lost forever.  The Psalmist put it like this:

Psalm 49:7-8 (ESV)
⁷  Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, ⁸  for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice,

If this is true with physical life, how much more so is it with the soul?  Yes, if you gain the whole world, you might enjoy this life for a while with the material things that you have accumulated, or even with the clout and prestige that goes along with it, but, at the point of death, which is the time that your soul is actually forfeited, your soul can never be redeemed.  Who wins and loses in that exchange?

Let us do ourselves a favor and prioritize the salvation of our souls over the things of this world.  If we gain the whole world and lose our souls, we have lost everything.  If we secure the salvation of our souls, by obeying the gospel and living faithfully, we have gained the most important prize of all. I hope and pray that we will all make the right decision.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.