Pastor’s Thoughts – 09-28-2025

If I had to name one passage of Scripture that has had a greater impact on me than any other, it would be Matthew 16:26, “For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul?” These are the very words of Jesus Christ. The context is full of meaning, for Peter has just confessed that Jesus is, “The Christ the Son of the Living God” (Matt. 16:16). This is also where our Lord says, “I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). And also in this passage where our Lord told His disciples He would be killed, and Peter foolishly rebuked Him saying, “God forbid it Lord, this shall never happen to You” (Matt. 16:22). The Lord Jesus responded powerfully, “Get behind Me Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s” (Matt. 16:23). That phrase sums up the contrast among people. There are those who set their minds on man’s interest, and those who instead set their minds in wisdom on the Lord’s interest. Then the Lord Jesus made this statement, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 16:24-25).

There are many people today who identify themselves with Jesus Christ calling themselves Christians and yet have their life moving according to man’s interest. They are concerned for what Christianity can do for them in the immediate. Ironically, this was the wayward perspective of the disciples in our text. They were following Christ expecting our Lord to bring in His promised kingdom. They did not understand their own sinful condition and the necessity of the cross. Today, this same thinking fits with ideas like, “Don’t you want to be happy? Wouldn’t you like to have an abundant life? Wouldn’t you like all your problems solved?” This was the wrong understanding in the context of Matthew 16, and it is a wrong understanding today. This is where Matthew 16:26 confronted the disciples and confronts us today as well. “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and looses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” They were fixed on man’s interest rather than the Lord who was about to sacrifice Himself on their behalf. They expected the Messiah to overthrow the Roman yoke, dethrone Herod, establish an immediate earthly Kingdom, and make their immediate fallen world a better place.

But thankfully our Lord Jesus unfolds a different plan. Before there can be any winning, there must be losing. He has already spoken to them about the sacrifice of discipleship and its cost. He has addressed the difficulty of suffering hostility, severed relationships, rejection, and persecution that often accompanies being His disciple. He is saying if you want to truly follow Me, you must come on My terms, and what are those terms? In the immediate, you must be willing to take on a different attitude of self-denial, cross-bearing, and obedience to the Lord above all else. The word, “deny” in verse 24, means to disown. The person must be willing to disown himself. It is a transaction by faith to place self-last in order for Christ to have first place in everything. This includes, “taking up our cross,” which is a willingness to face rejection, reproach, suffering, and even persecution for Christ’s sake. This theme is consistent; “I am crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20). This is a saving attitude of following Him by, “Presenting our body a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1).

Our Lord was saying that whoever is only focused on this immediate life, living foremost to preserve his well-being here, is in danger of losing his eternal soul. But whoever is by faith willing to deny himself, grant Christ His place as Master, and follow Him in obedience will save his eternal soul. True saving faith provides a willingness to make a choice for what God has promised instead of living for the immediate, as most people do. Verse 26 is a hyperbole. It is not possible for one man to gain the whole of the world, but if it were possible, it is unquestionably true that by comparison to his eternal soul, even if he somehow owned the whole world, he has nothing!  Christ graciously reasons with us, that by living for this world apart from Him we will be eternally bankrupt having lost our soul. It is as though Jesus is saying, “You better deny yourself and live for Me because the day of accounting is coming.” The person who ignores Jesus Christ and gives his soul to this world is the greatest of fools. Today is the day of salvation. The call is to see the truth, repent, believe, and follow Him. If we abandon our self-will for His will, trusting Him and living for Him, we will by grace have everything! This is our Lord’s glorious promise. It is only in Christ that the life we now live can have any real value. True infinite life is knowing Him by faith and waiting upon His promises while we prayerfully seek His will and worship Him with our lives. Father, thank You for all the ways you have warned us, and directed us to Your Son, our only Savior!