Sermon Snippet – How Much Do We Really Care about Others? Part II
INTRODUCTION – Last week, we considered this subject and found that Scripture teaches that our care for others must serve their spiritual needs, must serve as God does, and must serve as God kindly commands. One distinguished Biblical scholar stated, “Biblical service is far more concerned about taking care of souls than about taking care of business.” Let us study a bit of what God’s Word says about the soul (what the New Testament sometimes calls “the inward man” or “the inner man”) so that we can better care for it.
1. THE HUMAN SOUL IS DISTINCTIVE
Genesis 2:7 records, “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.” In newer translations, “soul” is accurately translated “being” (the Hebrew word is used of animals in Genesis 1:30 and of God in Isaiah 42:1) and speaks of the totality of being. Two key points, though, distinguish us from animals and invest the word “soul” with fuller meaning. First, Genesis 1:27 is emphatic that only humans are created in God’s image: we are thus spiritual beings. Second, “the breath of life” is directly given from God to man as the animating force of existence. The same Hebrew word for “breath” is employed of God’s gift of spiritual understanding (Job 32:8 – “spirit”) and of a sensitive conscience (Proverbs 20:27 – also “spirit”). The conclusion is clear: the human soul is distinctive. Furthermore…
2. THE HUMAN SOUL IS GOD’S HANDIWORK
In Genesis 2:7, “formed” is a rich word, designating an act of creativity, of artistry. This usage indicates design and intent (see Genesis 6:5 for a negative use of this word). The parable in Jeremiah 18:1-4 employs a noun form to describe God as a “potter.” God was not puttering around when He created the human soul: He was pottering! The teaching is plain: the human soul is God’s handiwork. Thus…
3. THE HUMAN SOUL IS OF INESTIMABLE VALUE
The use of “LORD” (YAHWEH) in Genesis 2:7 is the first usage of this name of God in the Bible. This designation means “I AM THAT I AM” (see Exodus 3:14) and indicates that God is entirely self-existent. He does not need anything and did not need to create mankind. The fact that He did create us (in His image!) confirms the value of the human soul and also clarifies that we cannot exist independently of God’s will (see Matthew 10:28 and 11:28-30). In fact, it is only through an eternal relationship with God the Son, the Savior, Jesus Christ, that the image of God is renewed in us; only then do we begin to comprehend the inestimable value of the human soul (Ephesians 3:16). Part of “the riches of His glory” is that God Himself, God the Holy “Spirit,” chooses to reside “in the inner man” of each Christian.
CONCLUSION – Matthew 16:26 is direct: “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 whole world” will pass away (I John 2:17), but the “soul” is eternal (Matthew 25:46 – the same Greek word is here translated “everlasting” and “eternal”). Three closing applications are crucial. First, we need the “exchange” that Jesus has made for us on the Cross so that we can be sure of “life eternal” with Him in heaven. Each one of us needs this salvation that Jesus freely offers: please trust in Him right now. Second, when we are interacting with another person, we must remember the value – the extraordinary value – of that human soul, of that image-bearer of God. Third, when evaluating our own lives, we need to prioritize “the inner man.” Let us always remember that our lives and the lives of others are more important than the things that surround us and will strangle us spiritually if our priorities are misplaced. Lord, help us to think spiritually.