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? Matthew 16:26
Have you ever noticed how many of the great Gospel verses of the Bible were not given to the unsaved, but were given to Christians. Take today’s text, for example. This great and powerful Gospel text reminds us of the terrible folly of placing anything of this world before our eternal welfare, and of the terrible loss involved in gaining everything possible in this temporary world but losing an eternal soul. This very important text has been read in many thousands of Gospel meetings, and has been used effectively by the Holy Spirit to bring many to repentance. And yet, the setting in which this text was delivered is a private conversation between the Lord Jesus and His disciples. Did He need to warn them about the dangers of missing out on salvation? Or are there other lessons to be learned here, lessons specifically for Christians?
Our text should remind us of the futility of the efforts of the unsaved, no matter how well-meaning or sincere their pursuits. We see people pouring their lives into making a good living, into careers, education, self-development programs, and financial training. We see people pursuing all sorts of pleasures, entertainment, recreation, and pasttimes that are intended to make their lives more exciting and fulfilling. We see people wrapped up in community work, social improvement, public service, religious activities, and other programs to serve and help those around us. And in all these things, we see those who are seeking to gain the world, and are losing their souls. Like the disciples, we need to have a care for these people, and point them to the only One Who can provide the salvation they really need.
Another lesson our text has for the Christian is to understand that our pursuits should not be for the things of the world but for the things that pertain to our status as children of God. We could plunge ourselves into the world’s pursuits and lose out on the blessings and rewards of pouring out our lives on the altar of service to our Lord. As Christians, we can surely gain much of the world: its money, its popularity, its toys and trinkets, its pleasures, and its pursuits. But what gain is there for us in that? Only by pursuing the will of our Lord can we gain anything that will outlive our little time here and be meaningful for eternity.
Only one life, ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last. We have heard that before. Our text reminds us that we need to think about it again. -Jim MacIntosh