THE SOUL IS PRICELESS
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Creation
a) The Bible speaks of a new creation, a new birth, or a resurrection. What happens to our souls at conversion is certainly marvelous. It is a free gift from God — a gift from "the surpassing riches of his grace" (Ephesians 2:7) far beyond any price we could possibly pay.
Ephesians 2:10
“We are God’s workmanship created in Christ.”
b) When Paul says that we have been "created in Christ" he is thinking about us being "born again" as Jesus expressed it when he was talking to Nicodemus (John 3:3-5). Paul also speaks of it figuratively, as a resurrection and ascension (Ephesians 2:6).
c) To appreciate the the new creation in Christ, we need to first go back and look briefly at the story of the human soul from the beginning.
2. The Soul Is Priceless
a) Our souls are so precious that we cannot give anything in exchange for them. Though you owned the whole world it would be nothing compared to the value of your soul. "What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? And what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).
b) On three occasions in Ephesians Paul uses the word exceeding.
"...the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints... the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe" (Ephesians 1:18-19).
"...the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7).
"...the love of Christ exceeding knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God... exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us" (Ephesians 3:19-20).
c) When we consider, as best we can, the exceeding riches and power of Christ, and realize that from this, and through this, our souls derive their value, then we must acknowledge that the soul has “hyper-value”. It is indeed a priceless creation.
The End ...
1. Creation a) The Bible speaks of a new creation, a new birth, or a resurrection. What happens to our souls at conversion is certainly marvelous. It is a free gift from God — a gift from "the surpassing riches of his grace" (Ephesians 2:7) far beyond any price we could possibly pay.
Ephesians 2:10
“We are God’s workmanship created in Christ.”
b) When Paul says that we have been "created in Christ" he is thinking about us being "born again" as Jesus expressed it when he was talking to Nicodemus (John 3:3-5). Paul also speaks of it figuratively, as a resurrection and ascension (Ephesians 2:6).
c) To appreciate the the new creation in Christ, we need to first go back and look briefly at the story of the human soul from the beginning.
2. The Soul Is Priceless
a) Our souls are so precious that we cannot give anything in exchange for them. Though you owned the whole world it would be nothing compared to the value of your soul. "What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? And what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).
b) On three occasions in Ephesians Paul uses the word exceeding.
"...the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints... the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe" (Ephesians 1:18-19).
"...the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7).
"...the love of Christ exceeding knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God... exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us" (Ephesians 3:19-20).
c) When we consider, as best we can, the exceeding riches and power of Christ, and realize that from this, and through this, our souls derive their value, then we must acknowledge that the soul has “hyper-value”. It is indeed a priceless creation.
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