Are You Going to Forfeit Your Soul?

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 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?”
(Matthew 16:25-26)

God made me with a strong desire to live. If I’m sinking under water I will vigorously struggle to get back to the surface, so I can breathe. If I feel I’m in a dangerous situation my senses become heightened to meet whatever comes. It’s not something I have to think about, it’s instinctual. I’m inbred with the desire to save my life but there are places around the world where the confession of Christ brings with it a death sentence.
It’s hard for me, living in the West, to fathom having to forfeit my life just for accepting the gift of salvation. However, that day will eventually come, even to America. Someday, if I’m still alive then, I will be ordered to worship a false god if I want to live. It will be fatal for my soul if I do but fatal for my life if I don’t. It will be very tempting to go along to save my life but if I do, I will be disowning Christ. This world has nothing I want more than eternity in heaven with Jesus.
If I’m forced to choose between saving my life here and my relationship with Jesus, I have only one option. This life is nothing but an instant when compared to eternity. The only way I’ll profit, if I choose wrong, is a few more miserable years here on earth. Jesus willingly gave his life to offer me the chance for an eternity in paradise with him. I’m not going to throw that away just to continue on here for a little while. I know Jesus will give me the strength I need to remain faithful.
However, I’m being asked to make this decision every day, just as you are. The ramifications of making the wrong decision are horrendous and eternal. I could ignore Jesus when he knocks on the door of my heart and seek after riches and material possessions. I might gain every one of my wildest dream but what then? What happens to my soul? I can’t take those possessions with me into eternity. I would rather have less in the way of assets and more in spiritual wealth. Jesus is the only one who offers that kind of wealth.





Lord of all we see and cannot see, you are the only one we will ever praise. We have been given so much from you, it’s hard to count it all up. The foremost being, you raised our dead souls up from the grave. It’s very easy to follow you in a free country like America, but that won’t always be the case. Even here, we will someday be forced to pick between you and the world. Help us to remember life on this world is brief when compared to time without end. A time will come to us, as it has in many parts of the world already, where we’ll be forced to denounce you just to stay alive. What will it gain us to choose to save our lives here for a few more years and lose our souls to the pit of hell forever. Give us peace of mind to face this time if it comes to us. Give us the words to say that will bolster the courage of believers who may not be as strong in the faith as we are. Give us courage to face death with the conviction that our eternity is secure with you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!
Location: Friendship, NY, USA

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