"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"
There was a popular television game show many years ago called Truth or Consequences. It was a silly program, made to entertain us. A question was posed to the contestants and when they didn't answer it correctly there were consequences. It was all in fun, and there were valuable prizes for winners.
Consequences are a part of life and we face them daily. If I don't eat and properly and exercise regularly I cannot expect to stay healthy. A student who parties more than studies will not get good grades. You get the idea. Jesus is showing us by His Words that all of life is filled with consequences, and not all are bad. The word only means result of. When we perform positively the results are good.
Our behavior, our actions do matter. Jesus came to teach us how to be happy, how to have peace and joy in this world and the next. He did not come to give us instructions on how to live effortlessly. His purpose was not to tell us that everything was going to feel good. No, He came to be an example to us. His life was meant to point us to eternal life, His death was meant to redeem us from this world.
Life will not be easy for a follower of Jesus. Just because we believe does not mean we are saved from trouble or grief or pain. It means these troubles or momentary and the rewards are eternal. If we keep reading and praying and it will all make sense soon.
Read Mark 8:27-9:1
Listen to Mark 8:27-9:1
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