Loser

“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?” – (Mt.16:26).

This verse shows the value of your soul. One’s soul is worth more than gaining the whole world. What a pitiful loss if one gains fame, wealth, power, etc. and yet his soul must spend eternity in the torment of hell. If you’re not saved by God’s grace and the blood of Christ, you’re a loser. If you win everything in this world and die lost and unsaved, you’re a loser.

Frank Sinatra recently died. He reportedly left an estate valued at 150 million. He’s a world-wide celebrity, singer and movie star – he gained a lot of this world, but he died unsaved – he died a loser. He went his own way instead of God’s way. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death” – (Prov.14:12). O, the worth of the soul and the worthlessness of the world.

“For what is a man profited.” The definition of profit is – (A valuable return – gain). What if he profits and gains the whole world and becomes the richest man in the world like Bill Gates. His body will die and his soul will continually die the second death in the lake of fire. “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, this is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” – (Rev.20:14,15).

When Jesus saves our soul, one day he will give us a new incorruptible body that will live forever. Your soul will either live forever in heaven or die in hell forever. The life or death of your soul is the most important thing, not the life or death of your body.

The natural unsaved man spends a great deal of thought and money and time and energy in the process of saving his life. He wants to live as long as he possibly can. He wants to eat, drink and be merry and to have as much comfort and pleasure in life as he can possibly have. He believes not in an everlasting soul – so he rejects the saving gospel and grace in Jesus Christ. And he dies a loser. He loses eternal life and loses his soul in the second death. The winner in life is the born again, saved person who has conquered death and hell and the grave and has washed his sins in the blood of Christ.

In (Luke 12:15-21) Jesus preaches a parable of the foolish covetous, rich man who cared only about his body and not his soul. He was insatiable and wanted more and more and gave no thought of death and his eternal soul. Jesus said – “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee” – (vs.20). He dies a loser and a fool like Frank Sinatra, going his own way and not the way of God in Christ. This night your soul may be required of you and where will your soul go? Be saved by Christ. Don’t die a loser – the body without the soul is death. It is written of Rachel – “And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died)... (Gen.35:18). Her dearly, departed soul left her body. (Ezk.18:4) says – “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” God owns every soul and has power over every soul and not just the first death of the body but the second death as well. What a loser who dies without being saved by Christ.

“Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul” – (vs.26). I think of the stock exchange that so many people chase after to become rich. But they die lost and exchanged riches for their soul. You need to change your mind and exchange it for your soul. Salvation requires a change of mind and then God changes us into a new creature. We “set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth” – (Col.3:2). We’re born again and change from an ungodly person to a Godly one. Our behavior is changed – do you see the exchange? The saved person is changed from living a selfish life for ourselves to living a life for Christ and following Him and in so doing, exchanges eternal death for eternal life. And one day the Lord Jesus will change this vile body into a new one – “Who shall change our vile body, that it many be fashioned like unto his glorious body” – (Philip.2:21). And again – “The dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” – (I Cor.15:52). What an exchange – from a loser to a winner through Christ. There is victory in Jesus Christ – victory over the grave and death and hell.

You’ve probably heard the song and the statement – “Born loser.” Well everyone that is born into this world is a born loser. They’re born a sinner and they go on sinning after they’re born and if they don’t get saved, they will die a loser. Jesus said – “Ye must be born again” – of the Spirit” – (Jn.3:5-8). When you’re born again in Christ, you’re born a winner. He that loses his soul, though he gain the whole world, makes a bad bargain for himself. One day, in hell, he’ll know he’s a loser. He sold his soul for a mess of pottage.

(Heb.10:39) says – “But of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Saving a soul from death is what the gospel is all about – saved from the second death. Be a soul winner so that the born losers can become born again winners through Christ. “He that winneth souls is wise” – (Prov.11:30).

In (Mt.16:25) the Lord Jesus switches from bodily life to spiritual life. Whosoever cares only about his temporal physical life shall lose his spiritual eternal life. “The carnal mind is enmity against God.” And he follows the desires and inclinations of the flesh. So, if a man gains the world with all its treasures but doesn’t save his soul, when the man dies, he must pay the price for serving the world and ignoring Christ. The price is the damning of his soul.

Lose the world – Gain your soul

Gain the world – Lose your soul

It is written in (Philip.3:7) “But what things were gain to me, those is counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” To win Christ is the only winner in this world of death. Remember, we’re born losers, we’ve already lost. Jesus is come to save the lost. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost” – (2 Cor.4:3). The most important thing you can ever lose is your soul. Better to lose a billion dollars – better to lose a hundred billion dollars – than to lose your soul.

“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?” There is no true profit in all the profits of this world. When you die unsaved and without Christ, they will be found to be false profits. Turn away from the profits of this world and turn to the prophets of the bible. “Riches profit not in the day of wrath” – (Prov.11:4). The U.S. has become like covetous Israel of old – “My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit” – (Jer.2:11). The true and everlasting profit lies in Jesus Christ and getting saved by Him. “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” – (Heb.4:2).

What do you consider your profits? Have you been born again in Christ with your soul saved from sin and hell – or will you die like a fool and go to hell and lose your soul. Receive the love and grace of God in His beloved Son – “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” – (Eph.2:4-9).

Repent of your sins and believe on Christ in your heart by faith and you will be saved and find remission of sins. Don’t be a loser – be saved and be a winner through Christ.