^“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?” Mark 8:35-37

I am saddened by the utter disregard of the condition of one’s eternal soul by many professing Christians.  Daily I see, as I’m sure all of you see as well, unbelievers and their children attempting in vain to save their own lives. The devil whispers his lies in their ears daily and they believe him.

We as Believers  must understand that the lost are not lost because they reject Jesus but they reject Jesus because they are lost.  Spiritually they are dead and not alive unto Jesus.  The lost is not able to partake in God’s Divine Nature (2 Peter 1:4).  They have not escaped the corruption of this world because they have not yet decided to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Unbelievers have not come to the understanding that they are in fact a sinner in need of a Savior and that the atoning work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross is the ONLY way in which they can truly be Saved.

How we react to these lost souls, trying in vain to save their own lives, could determine  how they will one day respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  “We” are what they view/perceive as Christians…which of course we are.  Does our action harden their heart or soften?  Are we prideful or are we meek? Are we long-suffering or impatient?  The lost are watching us as we respond to others.  Are we a respecter of persons?  Religion will have us toiling in the world vainly trying to save the world ourselves.  The Church is commissioned to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified which will change the hearts of the lost and they themselves will then understand that whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for Christ’s sake, shall save it.   They too will be buried with Christ Jesus and resurrected into newness of life.

^“3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His Death?

⁴ Therefore we are buried with Him by Baptism into Death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4

It matters not their lot in this life.  Jesus Christ came to save whosoever will believe.  If we are not moved to compassion for the condition of their eternal soul and would condemn them to hell ourselves if given the opportunity, our hearts are defiled with bitterness, anger and hate and we need to get on our face ourselves before the Lord.

Quite simply, the lost cannot overcome the powers of darkness that has encased them until they turn to the Cross of Christ for their Salvation and Sanctification.  If they could defeat these principalities and powers on their own, the Cross of Christ was in vain. God forbid no!  Encouraging them with a little humanistic psychology, draped in Scripture with a pat on the back and a bottle of water will not break the power of sin’s dominion which has them bound because they are under the law of sin and death.

 ^“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death.” Romans 8:2

The only law greater than the Law of Sin and Death is the Law of the Spirit of Life IN Christ Jesus.  The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to superintend the work of God in the Believer’s life when our faith is placed vain philosophies and sincere intentions.  The lost cannot overcome this law by means of their intellect, abilities or self efforts…and neither can the Believer by the way.  Many professing Christians believe in the Cross of Christ for Salvation but follow the same methods as the lost for their Sanctification.  The only difference is now these methods are draped in Scripture to deceive the very elect.

Consider your witness before the lost.  When the gates of hell close on one’s eternal soul, there are no second chances.  Sorry my Catholic friends.  Will they wonder why…why you didn’t tell them of this blessed hope we have in our Lord Jesus Christ?  Will they spend eternity wondering why you didn’t tell them it would profit them nothing to gain the whole world and still lose their eternal soul to a devil’s hell? Go tell.  Tell them Jesus loves them.

If you want to see a move of God, go and tell the people the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Contend for the faith.

“Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things you have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the Gospel is preached.” Luke 7:22

-Donna Clark Warren