| Soul for Sale !
B. Abraham, Orissa
Human’s most precious possession, fire can’t burn it, water cannot moisten it, and the wind can’t dry it, but cannot be sold. Attempt to sell it failed because of delivery problem. No one can sell it? What is it?
A young man in Jiaxing, posted his soul on China’s top online auction site, Taobao, attracting bids from some 58 soul-searching buyers before the posting was taken down last week.
“We realized we had no specific policy on the selling of souls,” said Porter Erisman, spokesman for Taobao’s parent, Yahoo backed Alibaba.com.The site wants more proof that the seller can actually provide the goods. After negotiations, Erisman said, “we decided we will allow the member to sell his soul on Taobao, but only if he can provide written permission from a ‘higher authority.”
Unity and complexity of man:
What is the constitution of man? How many parts are there for man? Man is a two fold being, with a material part, the physical matter, l -mortal body and another inner, immaterial, immortal, invisible and priceless part- immortal soul “the inner man”. The body relates us to the surroundings and the soul/spirit relates us to God. The spirit is that part of man to which God, who Himself is a Spirit, communicates His mind. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mk. 8:37).
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Mat 4:4). This remark is applicable to the means of body (natural life) and of soul (spiritual life) of man. “…. glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (1Co 6:20). We are to “cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit….” (2 Cori.7:1). “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weAk” Mt.26:41.
The body of man:
The narration of creation of man given in the Book of Genesis is the basic for the study of body and soul. Man owes his being to God. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Gen 2:7). The body is the residence of spirit, it is the ‘vessel”, or the “temple.”
The spirit/soul of man:
When God breathed into man, He imparted something of Himself to mankind, a spiritual affinity with Him ‘a soul. The soul and spirit are so interlinked that it is very difficult to separate them and these words are also used interchangeably in the Bible. God created man in His “image and likeness” and it is this that lifts man above all else in God’s creation. “God is Spirit” (Jn. 4:24) ‘the spirit of God testifies with our spirit”. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman “God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” ( Joh 4: 23,24).
Death of man:
Death is due to the escape of soul from the body. We have already seen that the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground (Gen 2:7). Ecc 12:7 said “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was.
Man is a unity of body and soul/spirit, and the spiritual abilities that God has given to us make us different from animals and all other creations. At death the spirit leaves the body, and leaving the earthly tenement behind and the spirit of man go unto the unseen world. The soul of man will continue to live on even after the death of the body. “The spirit shall return unto God who gave it”, is implying its immortality.
Soul to be saved or soul to be lost:
In the Garden of Eden, in his sinless condition, man’s spirit conversed with God and enjoyed communion with the Infinite Spirit. But Adam’s sin brought immediate death to the inner man and alienated him from God.
The story of Lazarus and a rich man told by Jesus declared the immortality of soul, the consciousness of soul after leaving the body and also the conditions of departed souls between death and resurrection. After death, Lazarus rests in Abraham’s Bosom; where as the Rich man in torments.
On the day of resurrection, body and soul will be reunited and all have to stand before the throne of God to give an account for our deeds and action while alive on earth. |
