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“The Worst Deal Ever Made – Part 2”
The Worst Deal Ever Made – Part 2
Wade Webster
The worst deal ever made involves the soul. It involves trading the soul for the world. Jesus asked, “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?” (Mt. 16:26). If someone offered you every house, every car, every boat, every plane, every acre, every diamond, every ruby, every sapphire, every pearl, every oil well, every business, and every dollar in the world for your soul, would you take it? If you accepted the offer, you would live to regret it. Your soul is worth more than all those things combined. Yet, as you know, countless people trade their souls for the world every day. In the first installment of this study, we noticed the first of three reasons. Trading your soul for the world is the worst deal ever because the world is passing away. In this installment, we will notice two additional reasons.
The World Cannot Satisfy
Trading your soul for the world is a bad trade because it involves trading your soul for that which cannot satisfy. In the long ago, through the prophet Isaiah, God declared, “Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness” (Isa. 55:2; cf. Lk. 15:11-14). In like manner, Solomon wrote, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity” (Eccl. 5:10). Man’s eyes are never satisfied (Eccl. 4:8) and his appetite is never filled (Eccl. 6:7). He can always see something else that he wants (Prov. 1:8; 27:20; Hab. 2:5-9). The world is like saltwater, it doesn’t quench thirst. It only magnifies it. Only God and His word can really satisfy man’s thirst.
In His discussion with the Samaritan woman, Jesus explained the difference between well water and living water. Well water, even that drawn for Jacob’s well, does not satisfy. A person has to return every day to draw again. However, living water satisfies. Jesus declared, “Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14; cf. Isa. 58:11). Thankfully, the Samaritan woman found this living water. However, others like those of Jeremiah’s day foolishly traded this water for that which could not satisfy. They bought into the devil’s lie and traded their soul for the world. Through Jeremiah, God declared, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13). They traded a fresh, flowing fountain for a broken and empty cistern. How foolish!
The World Cannot Be Taken With You
Trading your soul for the world is a bad trade because what is obtained in this world cannot be taken with you when you leave. Paul declared, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Tim. 6:7). When we die, we are going to leave behind what we have stored up here. Solomon, an extremely rich man, understood this truth. He wisely declared, “As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labor, which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath labored for the wind?” (Eccl. 5:15-16; cf. Psa. 49:17). Solomon knew that what he had accumulated on this earth would be left to the man that came after him (Eccl. 2:18-19). Sadly, others like the rich farmer, missed this truth (Lk. 12:16-20).
Wise is the person that understands that we came into this world with nothing and that we will leave with nothing. As you know, Job clearly understood this. When he lost virtually all his material possessions, he declared, “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). Clearly, Job’s treasure was not laid up on this earth. His treasure and his heart were in heaven (Mt. 6:19-21; Col. 3:1-2).
The devil, the great deceiver, is trying to get us to trade our souls for the world. For sure, he is a smooth salesman. As He did with Jesus, he will show us “all the kingdoms of the world” and “the glory of them” (Mt. 4:8). If we are not careful, we will be taken in by his subtle sale’s pitch. We must not be ignorant of His devices (2 Cor. 2:11). If we will look at things closely, we will see that the deal that Satan is offering is a very bad deal. Why would we trade our souls for that which is passing away, for that which cannot satisfy, and for that which cannot be taken with us?
