Gains and Losses
ICS Daily Devotions
Matthew 16:24-26 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 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?
Jesus has warned us that no one can serve two masters at the same time, for we will either love one and hate the other. We should regard the things of the world as temporary while cherishing the eternal things. We must also consciously choose to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and minds. This is the greatest commandment in the New Testament, for without this love, we would not honour God and His call to preach the gospel to the lost.
God made us new creations when we were born again. Jesus came to die for the ungodly, so all sinners have the right to be saved if they call upon the name of Jesus. We were accounted as righteous when we believed in Jesus’ work of redemption. We are saved by God’s grace because of His unconditional love. He has purchased us with the blood of Jesus Christ.
Nonetheless, the soul is the part of us that needs daily work. The soul comprises our emotions, mind, volitions, will, and personality. Because the soul remains self-centred even after we are saved, we need to live as living sacrifices, offering ourselves to God and living for Him.
Without a renewed mind and a surrendered life, a born-again Christian will still pursue the world. Life has no meaning when we chase fame, social position, and material things, because they do not fulfil us and we risk losing our soul in their pursuit. We will pierce ourselves with many sorrows.
“Whoever desires to save his life will lose it” is the great paradox of the Kingdom of God. If our primary goal in life is self-preservation—playing it safe, avoiding risk, gathering wealth, and protecting our reputation—we will ultimately find that we have wasted our life. We will “lose” our true selves. In contrast, if we “lose” our life—by spending it in service to Jesus and others, taking risks for the gospel, and letting go of selfish ambitions—we will discover our true, eternal identity and purpose.
When Jesus said, “gains the whole world, and loses his own soul”, He was pointing out the ultimate bad trade deal, where we could achieve every earthly goal: become a billionaire, gain worldwide fame, and have perfect health. But if we achieve all that by compromising our integrity, ignoring God, and neglecting our eternal spirit, we have traded something infinite (our soul) for something temporary (the world).
Reflection: Have you considered what pursuing the things of this world has cost you? How is the Holy Spirit leading you to repent and to do differently?
Sermon Series: Pick up the cross to follow Jesus
