When we
look
into the
mirror,
we see a
reflection
of our
physical
body
which
shows us
our
physical
identity.
Do you
know
that
when God
looks at
us, he
sees us
on the
inside?
He sees
us as
the
essence
of who
we are.
What is
physically
seen on
the
outside,
Paul in
2
Corinthians
5:1
calls it
our earthly
house
and
verse 6
of 2
Corinthians
5 points
out that
while we
are
alive in
our
bodies
we are
absent
from the
Lord.
The
essence
of who
we
really
are is
denied
the
glory
with the
Lord
while we
are
housed
in our
natural
bodies.
The
essence
of who
we are
transcends
physicality.
Our
physicality
has
attributes
for our
existence
in
relation
to this
earthly
world.
We have
hands,
feet and
mouth
for the
purpose
of
holding,
moving
and
eating/speaking
etc.,
respectively,
for
living
on the
earth.
Those
physical
attributes
aid and
facilitate
us to
live on
the face
of the
earth.
The
earthly
attributes
are not
the
essence
of who
man is.
Man was
created
in the
image
and
likeness
of God.
Genesis
1:26
expresses,
And
God
said,
Let
us
make
man
in
our
image,
after
our
likeness
God has
no
physical
attributes
for God
is
Spirit
according
to
John
4:24
Jesus
himself
said, God
is a
Spirit:
and they
that
worship
him must
worship
him in
spirit
and in
truth.
Genesis
2:7
says
with
specificity
how God
formed
man and
what man
became:
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
soul.
So we
are
formed
in our
physicality
from the
dust of
the
ground.
Our
physical
attributes
were
made of
the
ground
but when
God
breathed
the
breath
of life
into our
nostrils
we
became
the
expression
of that
image
and
likeness
of God.
Within
the
confines
of our
culture
we
relate
image to
physicality.
But if
God has
no
physicality
then his
image
and
likeness
have to
transcend
physicality
to
express
the
image
and
likeness
of
himself.
All of
the
attributes
of God
are
eternal
and not
temporal,
so what
we
became
would be
an
expression
of those
eternal
qualities.
The text
clearly
says man
became a
living
soul.
So that
image
and
likeness
is our
soul.
The
eternality
of what
we
became
predisposes
us to
live
forever.
There is
therefore
a
distinction
between
our
souls
and
earthly
body.
The
earthly
body
will
physically
die.
Psalm
90:10
tells
us, The
days of
our
years
are
threescore
years
and ten;
and if
by
reason
of
strength
they be
fourscore
years...
Death is
the
ultimate
end of
this
body but
eternity
is
assured
for our
souls
under
two
pre-conditions:
Firstly:
Revelation
21:4
says:
And God
shall
wipe
away all
tears
from
their
eyes;
and
there
shall be
no
more
death,
neither
sorrow,
nor
crying,
neither
shall
there be
any
more
pain:
for the
former
things
are
passed
away.
Revelation
chapter
22
gives a
thorough
detail
concerning
the
eternal
life
with God
in
heaven.
Secondly:
For
those
who are
not of
Christ,
their
eternal
destination
is sited
as in
the
spoken
to
his
disciples
words of
Jesus in
Mark
9:44Where
the
worm
dieth
not,
and the
fire
is
not
quenched.
Revelation
21:8
informs
us: But
the
fearful,
and
unbelieving,
and the
abominable,
and
murderers,
and
whoremongers,
and
sorcerers,
and
idolaters,
and all
liars,
shall
have
their
part in
the lake
which
burneth
with
fire
and
brimstone
which is
the
second
death.
Hebrews
9:27
assures
us that
it is
appointed
unto men
once to
die, but
after
this the
judgment:
What of
us
stands
before
the
judgment
of God?
Certainly
not our
bodies;
but our
souls.
So Jesus
proposed
the
question
in
Matthew
16:26
to spur
us to
evaluate
our
choice:
For
what is
a man
profited,
if he
shall
gain the
whole
world,
and lose
his own
soul? or
what
shall a
man give
in
exchange
for his
soul?
Our soul
is our
most
valued
possession.
The
question
prompts
preparedness
for that
judgment
before
the
Righteous,
Holy
Sovereign
God.
God has
provided
a way of
assurance
to
preserve
our
soul
for
eternity
with
him. He
sent His
only
begotten
son that
whosoever
believes
on Jesus
will not
perish
but have
everlasting
life
according
to
John
3:16.
The
actual
Greek
word for
perish
is
ἀπόλλυμι
(apollymi)
pronounced
as
ap-ol'-loo-mee
and that
has a
metaphorical
interpretation
to
devote
or give
over to
eternal
misery
in hell.
So by
reason
of
clarification,
the text
is
really
saying:
For God
so loved
the
world
that he
gave his
only
begotten
son that
whosoever
do
not
believe
in him
shall
perish
and
not have
everlasting
life.
Your
soul is
Gods
sacred
possession
and it
must be
kept in
righteousness.
Jesus
said as
he
delivered
the
sermon
on the
Mound in
Matthew
5:48Be
ye
therefore
perfect,
even as
your
Father
which is
in
heaven
is
perfect.
We are
to
strive
for
perfection
and
righteousness.
The
Prophet
Ezekiel
in
Ezekiel
18:4
speaking
on
behalf
of God
said, Behold,
all
souls
are
mine; as
the soul
of the
father,
so also
the soul
of the
son is
mine:
the soul
that
sinneth,
it shall
die.
This is
an
explicit
text of
who owns
your
soul. Die
in this
Hebrew
text is
מות
pronounced
mooth
and it
means to
suffer
everlasting
painful
misery
in hell.
Paul
tells us
in
1
Corinthians
6:3Know
ye not
that we
shall
judge
angels?
Angels
are
spirit
beings
and do
not
possess
souls.
They
were not
made in
the
image
and
likeness
of God
as we
are.
They
were
made to
be
ministering
spirits
for God.
Hebrews
1:14
Are
they not
all
ministering
spirits,
sent
forth to
minister
for them
who
shall be
heirs of
salvation?
We are
intended
to be
the
heirs of
salvation
(us) not
angels.
Angels
are not
redeemable
because
they do
not have
souls.
We do
have
souls.
That is
why we
can be
salvaged/redeemed
and be
reconciled
to God.
Fallen
angels
became
demons
to this
day with
no
chance
of
repentance
or
redemption.
Christ
did not
come to
save our
spirits.
Christ
came to
save
souls.
James
1:21
instructs
us: Wherefore
lay
apart
all
filthiness
and
superfluity
of
naughtiness,
and
receive
with
meekness
the
engrafted
word,
which is
able to
save
your
souls.
Jesus
came to
save our
souls.
The
question
is
asked:
from
what?
The
answer
is, from
the
wrath of
God.
Romans
1:18
tells us
For
the
wrath
of
God
is
revealed
from
heaven
against
all
ungodliness
and
unrighteousness
of men,
who hold
the
truth in
unrighteousness.
Conclusion
In
conclusion,
I will
bring to
your
minds
the
question
asked
personally
by Jesus
inMatthew
16:26;
For
what is
a man
profited,
if he
shall
gain the
whole
world,
and lose
his own
soul? or
what
shall a
man give
in
exchange
for his
soul?
The
answer
is:
nothing
else is
worth
losing
your
soul
for.
Your
soul is
the
essence
of who
you are.
We have
all
sinned
and come
short of
the
glory of
God.
That is
why
Jesus
came to
save us
from the
consequences
of our
sins
according
to John
3:16.
You are
redeemable.
Jesus
said in
John
6:37:
37All
that the
Father
give me
shall
come to
me; and
him that
comes to
me I
will in
no wise
cast out.
The
choice
is
yours.
