Losing Your Self!

Losing Your Self!

“For what advantage is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” Luke 9:25. In a parallel passage in Matthew 16:26 it says, “And loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Losing your soul and losing your self is one and the same thing. The senses are in the soul, and they develop according to our field of interest. We develop a personality in that field.

The first Adam became a living soul; he was made of dust, he was earthly. 1 Cor. 15:45-47. Therefore it is natural for him to develop in an earthly area. However, all earthly things are perishable, and no one can take anything with him into eternity. Regardless of how great a person we are in an earthly field of endeavor, it is of no avail when it comes to heavenly things. When such a person has to leave his earthly possessions, he also loses his “self.” Jesus says, what does it profit a man if he loses his “self”? When a person strives for visible things—the world—he loses his “self.”

Jesus was also born into mankind and had a soul; consequently, Satan could tempt Him with the kingdoms of the world and their glory, but Jesus poured out His soul unto death. Isa. 53:12. He became a life-giving spirit from heaven.

“As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also shall be the heavenly ones.” 1 Cor. 15:48.

Our calling is to be heavenly. Heb. 3:1. Subsequently, we must follow Jesus on the way of pouring out our soul unto death. However, no one can be Jesus’ disciple without forsaking everything and also hating his own life. People whose interests are in earthly things can never become spiritual. They can believe in Jesus who died for their sins, but their interest in earthly things causes their senses to develop in that direction. Such people cannot become heavenly unless they get converted and forsake everything. Then Jesus, as the life-giving spirit will also make their spirit alive to that which is invisible and eternal. Our senses are exercised by using them to discern between good and evil. Heb. 5:14.

Jesus says, “He who has an ear, let him hear . . . .” We will get an ear that is attuned to God’s voice, and we will also be able to taste that God is good. 1 Pet. 2:3. We will get a sense and a vision for what belongs to God’s kingdom. We will become personalities in God’s kingdom and will sit on the throne together with Jesus. Rev. 3:21. Through the leading of the Spirit we will become personalities in Christ. Then we will not have lost our soul or lost our “self.” We will have become what God intended us to be. Only then do we have a future and a hope.