How Important Is A Soul
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Is one soul valuable? Certain God thinks a soul is valuable. I certainly think that Luke 15 and the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, lost son says that God finds value in a single soul. Phil. 2:6-8 “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Why did he do that because there is value in a soul. What about the ungodly, sinners, enemies, & even the helpless? Well Romans 5 tells us he died for them too. that's how important their soul is to God. I think Paul thought souls were important. Phil. 1:23-24 “But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.” He had determined that he would stay in the flesh, Why, because souls are important to Paul. Paul was willing to endure great hardships like, beatings, imprisonments, beaten, 39 lashes, stoned… Why? Because Souls are important to Paul. So much so that he would say in Rom. 1:14 “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.” You want to know how much souls mean to Paul turn with me to 1 Cor. 9:19-
Why did Paul make himself a slave to all? v. 19
Why did Paul become like a Jew, as one under the law? v. 20
Why did Paul become like one without the law? v. 21
Why did he become like the weak? v. 22
Why did he become all things to all men? v.22
5x’s he says it win more souls for Christ and he finishes up
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
somehow if Paul doesn’t win others and save others he feels as if is not a fellow partaker of the gospel. v. 23
Paul wants to save them from what? Rom. 5:9 “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”
Do we really believe the wrath of God is coming? For many today the good news of Jesus Christ is conceived almost entirely as another strategy to handle psychological needs—depression, grief, abandonment, loneliness, anger, low self-esteem, fear, etc. And the gospel does have an impact on all those things.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
only two possible verdict guilty or not guilty; eternal life or eternal wrath. You want to know why Paul gave up his freedoms, endured all those hardships and was willing to stay in the flesh for the sake of others? He knew what was at stake. And he wanted others to experience the Rom. 6:23 “... free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Paul gave up his freedom to win souls!
Paul became a slave to win souls!
Paul gave up his preferences to win souls!
The million dollar question for us this morning is how important are souls to us? Should we have the same attitude as Paul? Should we give up our freedoms, become slaves, and give up our preferences to win souls? Should we imitate Paul’s strategy?
look at 10:31ff The answer is yes we should imitate Paul! This strategy of winning souls is not just for Paul but for us as well for he says in 1 Cor. 11:1 “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
Where did Paul get this strategy? From Christ! How important are souls to you this morning? Are you willing to become all things to all men to save some? Are you willing to to give up your preferences, freedoms, rights, time, money, whatever it is for the sake of winning souls? If not then why not? Are you uncertain of the wrath to come, to you not want to follow in the footsteps of jesus? Are you too attached to the world? Do you not feel as people really will be lost without Jesus?