Appealing to the Spiritual Interest of Man

According to Matthew 10:28 we can read where man consists of a soul and a body. We can learn from this reading that the soul is more valuable than the body. Jesus said “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The soul is more valuable because the soul is eternal and body is mortal. The soul of man is that part which was made in the image of God, while the body was made from the dust of the earth.

In the first book of the Bible we read: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). The Word of God, or the gospel, is that which appeals to the soul, and as the soul is more important than the body, we must present to everyone the gospel, which is God’s power to save the soul from eternal condemnation. The inspired apostle Paul wrote: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (Romans 1:16). What is it that has the power to save souls? It is the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Therefore, we must learn and understand that it is our soul that is to be cherished. Jesus again tried to make this very clear when Matthew wrote His Words in Matthew 16:26. Jesus said, “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?” Have you really thought about this question that Jesus asked? Could it be that you have exchanged your soul for the material wants and desires of this world?

While the Christian is taught to care for their body, the thrust of the gospel of Christ is directed toward the saving of the soul. Too many churches today overemphasize the material, the social, and even the political. But that is not the mission of the church that Jesus built, and was bought and paid for by His blood (Matthew 16:18). Jesus said that He came to “...seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The church which belongs to Christ is to do the very same thing today; to seek, teach, and save lost souls. May God richly bless you as you nourish your soul daily with the precious words of Jesus.