Who Owns Your Soul?

"Who owns your soul?" Mark 8:27-38 + bonus commentary

Mark 8:27-38- Who owns your soul?

27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?"

28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets."

29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Peter answered, "You are the Christ."

30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels."

The great confession of Peter- he gets it soooooo right that Jesus is the Christ- and then Jesus explaining how he will suffer and be rejected is then confronted by Peter- and Peter gets it sooooo wrong.

Peter reminds Jesus of Satan- Satan had tempted Jesus by offering him dominion of the whole world without suffering, offering him bread- instead of fasting,- Evil avoids self-suffering that brings good.

Peter got the Christ-Title right- but he got the Christ-Mission wrong.

Sometimes we may have good titles or labels on us- “Christian” “Mother” “Father” “Citizen” “Boss” “Friend” “Pastor”- But getting the title right- means very little if we don’t have the substance of it

That is just what the world life here in this scripture means- the word in Greek is psyche- it can also be translated as “soul”- it is the essence or substance of our life.

What good is it for a person to live a “Christian” always going to church and whatnot, but failing to ever live the way of Christ- of self-sacrificing love. The name won’t save you- a life lived in title only- is a life lost. If you are a Christian in name only- beware

What does it mean to have your life “saved”?

It means you are buying in to God’s plan for life- completely. You are being saved from a life of self, into a with God life. The word means being made whole- being healed. You are becoming what God has intended for you- your are being healed of your misdirections, misdeeds and broken relationships- you are gaining a new life in place of the old one. Gaining new purpose, and direction.

What is your soul worth? If your soul was fading out right now- and you found out about it- what would you and could you do to remedy it?

Application: What do you need to “lose” in your life?

5 things- that I see a lot of Christians struggling to die to

Stuff people hold on to- that makes their own soul sick

1. A lack of mission-What is “your cross”- your personal mission of following Jesus?

My Mission is to be a loving and forgiving husband and father who is devoted to following Jesus Christ and serving others that they may also follow Christ.

Just because all of our daily survival needs are taken care of- doesn’t give us permission to go willy-nilly bouncing through life- never giving time to the question “What does God want for me?” or “Who does God say that I am?”

2. People Pleasing- People Hating

You cannot please everyone- if you are leaving this way- please die to it right now. Aim to love people- not please them- means doing the right and good thing, not always the nicest thing. We can’t live this life ashamed of the way of God- just to please the people of our age.

Some Christians need to die to the idea of hating people. Our faith- Our Lord has not called us to hate others. What is it to hate? To live denying the value of another’s life- wanting harm for them and not good. If there are people in your life in that state- you need to pick up the cross.