God spoke everything into being, except man and woman. Instead, he formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils. He then formed woman from the man. Every human being has one soul that will spend eternity either with God (in heaven) or in eternal separation from God (hell).
26 Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it Genesis 1: (NASB).
So, what made man different from all the other creatures? He was made in the image of God as a triune being of body, soul, and spirit. As such, he had consciousness, complex emotional and thought processes. Furthermore, he was given the choice to obey His Glorious Creator as an act of worship and gratitude for all he was given or to disobey, seeking his own glory. We know what happened, He chose to disobey and thrust all humanity into a broken world. The spirit of humans which connected them to God died. Therefore, without a new birth of the spirit from God to man; there was no hope of salvation. The soul would remain in a continuous dying state; unless God provided a means of salvation by grace while still holding tight to His own Word, His Justice, and His Righteousness. He cannot be untrue to Himself.
How Much Does God Consider the Worth of One Soul
1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near Jesus to listen to Him. 2 And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to complain, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
3 And so He told them this parable, saying, 4 “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the other ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ 7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. Luke 15 (NASB)
Jesus Also Said
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every person according to his deeds. Matthew 16 (NASB)
So, what is the Value of One Soul?
Jesus Christ was willing to take upon Himself the full wrath of God the Father, the Spirit and even Himself against sin. Sin is an absolute abhorrent to God. Why? It is sin that destroys all that is good, right, and beautiful. Sin is that which separates us from God because we choose separation from Him, believing that we the creature know better what we need than He who created us. Currently there is some common grace covering our world just enough that we might see the difference from evil to good and desire good which can only be truly found in God. He is the only true source of hope and joy for us.
While here on earth, Jesus went into areas where no one else wanted to go in search of sinners. He reached out to the Samaritan woman at the well in a time when no respectable Jew would be found in Samaria. His ministry reached out to the tax collectors, prostitutes, outcasts, undesirables, unclean, the lame, the sick, and the blind. One could say, He reached out to the deplorables of this world. His was a mission of love, compassion, and gentleness as no one had ever seen before. At the same time, He never compromised on the truth of God. He told each one to “Go and Sin No More”
Today I want to highlight one such case. Jesus had just finished teaching the crowds and the disciples. It was now time to show them the power of who He was, so they might understand. The mission they were being called to would have hardships, storms, and impossible challenges. Therefore, they needed to lean hard into His power. But before they could do that, they needed to understand His power.
Understanding the Power and Compassion Needed to Reach One Soul
Jesus had healed the sick, feed the hungry crowds, and done many miracles before the disciples. That had not fully prepared them for what was about to happen. Jesus had been teaching the crowds at the seashore all day in parables. Meanwhile the crowd pressed forward, and He stood in the boat while teaching. Then evening came.
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side of the sea. Matthew 8 (NASB)
Therefore, the apostles must have thought Jesus is tired and needs some rest. As was He custom, He just needed some time alone and then to explain the parable to them They did exactly as they were told. Little did they realize there was another purpose in all of this.
Facing A Storm to Save One Soul
a fierce gale of wind *developed, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling with water. 38 And yet Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who, then, is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Mark 4 (NASB)
He has the power to stop the storm. He did so with a simple command, “Hush, be still.” Jonathan Pokluda, a pastor in Waco pointed out something else crucial here. This was not an ordinary storm. We realize that when Jesus reaches His mission on the other side. This was a demonic storm that desired to destroy Jesus and His apostles before Jesus could fulfill His mission on the other side and later at Calvary.
One Soul in Desperate Need
They came to the other side of the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him. 3 He lived among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces; and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains and cutting himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him. Mark 5 (NASB).
Now, imagine this scene.
This nude (as we are told in Luke) demon possessed monstrous man, so strong that no chain could hold him came running toward Jesus. Sometimes the sin in our own life grows until it is enormously in control of all we do or say. Our addictions, angers, or desires cannot be chained as well. But back to the story. Remember they had crossed the sea and landed at a Gentile port. Hence the pig farmers.
But the man did not harm Jesus, instead, he bowed at His feet. What? The Pharisees criticized Him. His disciples feared Him at times and were awed by Him. Sometimes they understood Him and at other times not. The apostles believed He was the Messiah and would usher in His Kingdom. The crowds wanted miracles from Him. Yet, this man filled with demons bowed before Him. The demons within him knew who Jesus was and why He came.
Bowing before Him, they cried out, saying, “What business do You have with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” Matthew 8:29 NASB.
MARK 5 NASB
6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “What business do You have with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had already been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged Him earnestly not to send them out of the region. 11 Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding nearby on the mountain. 12 And the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us into the pigs so that we may enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the pigs; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.
Notice that Matthew’s account included “before the time.” They know their time is coming; but hope they can still thwart God’s plan. Or bring as many with them into the abyss as they can. Misery does love company.
But Some Cared More About Profit than One Soul
4 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the countryside. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And then they *came to Jesus and *saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had previously had the “legion”; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Him to leave their region. Mark 5 NASB
The town was more worried about the money just lost than the one soul that was saved. Furthermore, they wanted nothing to do with Jesus. What else might He ask them to sacrifice to follow Him.
One Soul Saved Becomes the First Gentile Missionary
Jesus had crossed the sea, faced the storm to save one soul. Then he got in His boat to sail back across the sea. Mission accomplished. Did the apostles realize that? Do we realize the storms and hardships we must face for the salvation of one soul? I understand it some because of my life with Pete and all that God allowed for the salvation of one soul. If I had known, maybe I would have traveled that road with less grumbling, less sorrow, and fewer tears. But God knew exactly how to unfold the story of my life so my heart would learn of His Magnificent Grace in all of it.
18 And as He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was begging Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He *said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. Mark 5 (NASB)
I wonder if even the apostles understood what had just happened. Jesus had launched His ministry to the Gentiles. It would be years later when Paul would be called to be the Missionary to the Gentiles. But this demon possessed man, tormented for years before being saved led the way and paved the path for the missionaries to come.
So, my final question. What are you willing to face or endure for the salvation of one soul?
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
For Prayer or Comments
If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here
Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here
PREVIOUS
DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.CreditsNew King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
PICTURE Licensed from Goodsalt.com