Imagine a world where money didn’t exist. The U.S. Dollar was never invented. There is no such thing as a coin, a Yuan, a Rupee, a dirham, Pound Sterling. No peso to spend in Mexico. There was no such thing as even Bitcoin – how would we determine the value for something?
If a farmer works out in the field for months planting a crop of carrots, once he harvests those carrots he has to figure out a value for them so that he can get other things he needs. Without a rate of exchange the product he holds has some value. It provides much need calories and flavor and nutrition to support life.
A tool smith who focusses much of his time on building a better rake has little time to mess with growing carrots so he happily agrees to exchange his time working to build a tool for someone who has spent his life growing food. So the value of an item should take into account the time and life that it takes to produce the item and how important it is to sustain life.
If a person was literally dying of thirst and could not get water, the value of water would be great. One could charge any fee he wished provided he had the only water around. The same with food to a hungry soul. The reason the value of the food and water goes up is not merely because it is scares. It is valuable because it sustains life.
Christ talks about the value of the soul in Mark 8:
34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Life is valuable. But spiritual life is even more valuable. What will a man give in exchange for his life? I have known cancer patients who are willing to do almost anything to extend their lives a few years. The rich give up their fortunes to hang onto the lives that they know. This is not isolated to just the lost man who does not know God, but many Christians will try to cling onto their lives with all the resources they have.
Unfortunately, many people have slipped into eternity trading their earthy life for vanity. The man who never received Christ faces an eternity of hell, while the saved man suffers loss of all his reward; yet is saved “as by fire” 1 Corinthians 3:5.
It has been said: “Only one life, it will soon pass, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Why do we stand by consumed with the things of this world when there are so many people who do not know God? Why do we strive every day to make our physical lives more comfortable when many know not the gospel?
How many of us shall be ashamed at his coming? Can we say as Paul, I have fought a good fight… I have run the course. Too many Christians have their mind on the meaningless things of this world rather than the eternal things of God.
In a moment of time the Dollar that so many work and give up their life for can be devalued to be worth penny’s! The souls of man will only ever become more precious. They will increase in value.
What happens when the house is finally paid for; the car is no longer the bank’s; the 401k is paying for your life of ease? What does it profit you if your wife has left you for another man, your children have been given over to the sins of this world and your life is a constant reminder of the choices you made?
I charge you, lost soul, turn to Jesus! he alone can save. I urge you, Christian – live for Christ and die to self. Have you not been baptized into the body of Christ’s death? Then die to self and raise in likeness of HIS life. Life for God, by the strength and power of God.
Romans 6-8
S.T.
I Thessalonians 5:24
"Faithful is he..."
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