To Buy the Soul

Or what can you give in Exchange for your soul?  Mark 8:37 (TNIV)

Did we create ourselves?  Were we the ones who planned our existence?  Did we fabricate our physical make up?  Did we engineer everything, thinking of all the details?  Did we control the variables?  Did we pull all the millions of pieces together so that our working bodies would come to life and function as they do?  Do we control all the unseen bacteria and threatening circumstances that would put our lives in danger?  Are we god?

Some resist the temptation to think this highly of themselves.  They would admit that their existence, body and life are marvelous works of care and design.  They choose to give credit to a Higher Intelligence.  They bow to God the Creator.  These souls do not need to know how they were fabricated to pay tribute to the One who was clever enough and powerful enough to accomplish this miracle we call life.

It is here where our text may take us.  The one who would like to think that chaos and non-existence created life, cannot take the credit for their life even if they wanted to.  They would have to give that credit to those cells and creatures before them which were lucky enough or smart enough to survive all that threatened them as they mutated themselves into life.    Likewise the people who bow to God as their inventor and sustainer will give Him the credit for the wonderful creation we are.

Marvelous indeed are these bodies that we have been furnished with.  More marvelous still is the wonder of life that fills them and turns them into intelligent characters.  We are capable of amazing mental, emotional and physical expressions.  Much praise and thanks are worthy for the One who designed, cared for and sustains even the smallest creature or object within our wonderful universe.

The Christian says that God is the One to whom credit is due.  We stand out on our hope and faith that what He has communicated to us is true.  We bow before Him.  We pay Him tribute.  What Jesus asks us in Mark 8:34-38 is to step out on our belief in God.  We should pay Him the honor of the highest place in our heart and our soul.  We should not hold it as a fine ideal, but actually seek to effectuate it in our lives.  We owe Him everything!  It follows that we make Him our everything.  We should put Him before our own thoughts, comforts and desires.  Our hearts need to love Him far before any pleasure or treasure of our own.

God is the rightful owner of our entire creation.  He personally created you and me.  We are fine parts to a wonderful plan of His.  He has purpose for us.  It is our duty and our call to become active and working parts of that wonderful creation.  Or we could withhold our tribute.  We could say that we do not form part of His plan.  We could say that we will not pay Him respect or honor Him with our lives.  But what can we give God to pay for our right to say it?  Is there a monetary price that would please the Creator?  Is there something we could trade the One who made us for the right to bow to ourselves?  How are we going to buy the right to govern over our own life?  What will we give to assure that things will go well for us when we turn our back on God?

Dear Jesus, we have come to You, the very Son of God.  We believe that our existence was not one by chance.  We love the thought that Someone cared for us.  We love to think that the Father, the Creator would have us in intimate relationship.  We realize that there is much we owe.  We were designed, created, instructed and saved.  So dearly you loved us that the Father sent and the Son came.  You died for us!  We love You.  We owe You every last honor and tribute that is ours to give.  Let us honor You with our very lives.

Amen