What is the Value of a Human Life

Introduction: It was about three months ago that I meet a new brother in Christ at our church, which is called East-view Baptist Church. His name is Red Butler and his wife is Jewel Butler. Now both of them jointed our little church and they are faithful and our Sunday School Class just loves them both dearly and they take a big part in our class too. After a few months had gone by, the pastor had to go out of town and he ask Brother Red to preach a sermon while he was gone. Well Brother Red had been a pastor for many years before and he stepped up to God’s call and I believe that everyone liked his style of preaching and so did I. After the worship service I ask Brother Red if he had any old sermons that I could post on my web-site for the world to see and read and maybe someone might be under conviction and they might get saved by hearing the word of God. Below is one of his first sermons and I pray that there will be many more to come. P.S. Please be much in prayer for Brother Red and his wife Jewel for the are up in years now and his wife Jewel is very sick.

What is the Value of a Human Life

Written by, Red Butler

Read Text:  (Matthew 16:26);  for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.

I would like for you to think with me for a little while about, what is a soul worth. I have heard men say that he is not worth a penny. He is not worth the power to blow his brains out. Also I would not give a plug nickel for his life. He is not worth living. Today man doesn’t place any value on a human life. Now if you don’t believe me, just listen to the news, people are killing each other for no reason at all.

What value did our Lord Jesus place on a human life? Listen to the value that Jesus said he is worth. Think about all of these things that God has made for us in the beginning. First God created the Heaven and the earth. God made all the stares, the solar system, the plants, and all the worlds, and the entire world system. Jesus said that he is worth more than all of these put-together, Jesus put it like this.

Jesus said in (Matthew 16:26) for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.  Why did Jesus put such a value upon a human life? There are some outstanding reasons, and we need to consider them prayerfully.

A Soul is so valuable because of what Man is and because of God’s Purpose for Man.

When God had prepared this earth with all of its living creatures and with all of its swimming life in the seas, and the birds that fly in the air and animals and creeping things that lives upon the earth. God looked upon it and said “it is very good”. But God was not satisfied. Remember God is love, and love an object like unto itself, upon which it can bestow its affection. God was hungering for a family of children. So God said “let us make man in our image and in our likeness”, and so the Scripture says, “In the image of God created he him, male and female”. God said, let us make man in our image and in our likeness; and let them have dominion authority or control over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air. And over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all creeping things that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them”. (Genesis 1:26-27)

Now the crowning work of God creation is a being from His own hands into whom, God has breathed the breath of His own life into Adam, and he became a living soul. Below are 8 sayings of love that God ask man to do.

  • He wanted man to have a capacity to love like God.
  • He wanted man to return the love of God.
  • He wanted man to respond to and receive that matchless love of God.
  • He wanted man to have the capacity to think the thought of God.
  • He wanted man to live the life of God.
  • He wanted man to hold fellowship with God.
  • He wanted man to walk in communion with God.
  • He wanted man to live with God.

We see God coming down in the cool of the day to have fellowship with Adam. Here we see a wonderful fellowship between the two. Now would you like to know what was said between the two of them, as they fellowshipped together? Here God’s purpose was that this man should be the lord of creation, and he should reign with Him and share His glory throughout eternity.

And then the unthinkable happen:

Here the Devil stepped in and upset the apple cart, he rob God and cause Adam to turn his back on his loving God. This is why Jesus said, “What does a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Here Adam forfeits the opportunity to share with God, His glory through eternity. Now in a state of Holiness = perfect. He then forfeit his love that he had with God.

Again the reason Jesus placed that value upon a soul was because that soul is to live forever.

It is because of the fact of eternity and the immortality of the soul. The question ask here is, have you ever tried to grasp the thought of eternity and just what eternity means to you? Remember these words that may have been spoken to you or maybe someone in your family in the next paragraph.

Oh, the thought that I shall live somewhere forever and forever and forever. Someone, has said that if a tiny sparrow were to take in its beak a grain of sand from this planet to the moon, and came back to this earth, and it took him one thousand years for a round trip, and he did this until all of the earth was removed. It would just be one day in eternity. Now when we think of a lost soul, it would be lost forever.

Now listen to the cry from Hell. “ And he cried and said Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). For two thousand years this man has been pleading for just a drop of water, not a glass full. Now what does it mean? He received no mercy. That is just the beginning, the terrible torture and the awfulness of the fact of Hell. But when you add eternity to the doom of the soul. Then you can understand when Jesus said, “What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul.

If you would get a concept of what it means to be lost, the awfulness of Hell, you must look to Calvary. There is no other place in eternity where you can get a proper conception of what it means for a soul to be lost. For the Son of God to be willing to die in order that you and I can have eternal life. What a terrible price to pay. Yes the Son of God was willing to let His life be an offering for sin.

Now we can see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. In His agony of soul His sweat as great drops of blood. Hear Him say “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.” For three hours the Son of God prayed that one prayer. He isn’t shrinking from the Cross. His soul is being made an offering for our sins. He is saying, “If there is any other way, Father, if there is any other way, to save a soul let me take that way, but there was no other way. Jesus looked into the face of the Father, and said not my will but thane will be done”. Oh the price God paid to redeem you and me. To keep us from going to Hell.

What would the rich man give to have the chance to kneel one more time, to make it right with God, do you believe that he would do it? Yes, a thousand times yes. Now what would he give to hear these sweet words below?

  • Just to hear one more song of grace.
  • Just to say one more prayer in his behalf.
  • Just to hear one more message, from God’s wonderful book.
  • Just to hear one more invitation.
  • Just to hear one more time to make it right with God.

When you miss that last call from God and you have harden your heart to His Word, then you have made your stand with the Devil and his angels, you are on your way to a place called Hell.

Now we as believers in Jesus Christ, should never forget that Jesus paid the price by shedding His precious blood and that He died willing so that mankind could go free.

Remember, all you have to do is just sincerely pray a simple prayer like this one here. Our Heavenly Father, I know that I am a sinner. Now I believe that Jesus died for me because of my sins. Jesus I’m sorry for all the wrongs that I have done. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins. I accept your gift of eternal life. Thank you Father for my new life. Now from this day forward I choose to follow you. In Jesus name, Amen.

Note: Now this concludes this bible study in (Matthew 16:26); of the scriptures. Remember everything on this web-site is free. Please pass them on to other people if they have heaped you.