What is Your Soul Worth?

1 Peter 2:11-12 “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”

I was listening to a CD today that touched home with what the lead Singer of the Christian band “Mercy Me” said this last Sunday evening at the Harvest Crusade in Anaheim. “This is not really our home”, meaning that we are Ambassadors (representing our King), Pilgrims (just passing through), & Sojourners (staying for a little while) here, from the Kingdom of God. And with that citizenship in Heaven need to abide by the standards and statutes of the Lord of our home country when this world’s ways contradict, defy, attack, redefine and twist the Word, Will or Way of God. Sproul explains that ethics has to do with the imperative. It is the science of what people ought to do. The science of ‘Morality’ is the study of what people actually do. The standard that society chooses to live by determines moral definition, but not ethics. That which may be considered moral by a culture can still be wrong behavior ethically. The question is “who is your God?” Look at the issues of today, and think about the root cause of division. Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

The behavior of the “Fallen” world should never become the Standard or the Norm that judges what is “Right”. Righteousness is defined as “a right standing before God; ruled by what is right in the eyes of God”. One of the biggest problems today are Christians that take their “marching orders” from what is acceptable and expected in this blind culture, instead of remembering that we do not belong to the culture, but holy and sanctified. We are Pilgrims, Sojourners and Children of Light here. Ephesians 5:7-10 “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.”

If anyone else is thinking it and approving it, but Jesus is not approving it, then we, the Child of God, can not approve it. We need to remember who we are. We are citizens of Heaven and our lives are supposed to demonstrate that as we take our cue and orders, not from this secular world, but from Heaven itself. In the opening verse of this blog, the Apostle Peter exhorts us to:”abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul”. Fleshly lusts meaning all desires, passions, and ambitions of our “fallen” nature, and things of this carnal world placed above obedience to the Lord. Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

How much value do we put on our soul? What is the price tag that we put on our integrity? If we lose every material thing in our life, we still have our integrity. What is it worth? That is the question that we have to deal with in the conflicts with this lost & dying world every day. Integrity is priceless, because it is the value of your soul. Brothers & sisters in Christ, it does not matter how “they” behave; it matters how we behave. Matthew 16:26 asks us, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Having your conduct honorable among the unbelievers in this world, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” Glory be to God and our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

In Christ, Brian