God did not stop making man both body and soul with Adam and Eve. You are body and soul. Being body and soul has consequences.
Q: Have you a soul as well as a body?
A: Yes. I have a soul that can never die.
(Matthew 10:28; Mark 8:34–38; 12:30)
In Mark 12:30 we Jesus affirming that the men of his day, and by extension all of us, are still soulish. The fall distorted the image of God in man, but it did not destroy it. We are to love God with our souls as part of loving him completely. Loving God is physical; attending worship, obeying his commands not to kill your neighbor, and the like. But loving God is not merely physical. To obey the command of God to love him completely means more than outward acts, it also involves inward devotion to him with our souls.
In Matthew 10:28, Jesus uses the immortality of the soul as the basis for overcoming the fear of man. Men can kill your flesh, but not your soul. God can do both. Given the option between displeasing men, even men who can kill you, or displeasing God, displeasing men is always the safer option. If we do not believe that we have souls that will never die, the consequences that we incur in this life are all that matter. If that were the case then sometimes it would make sense to rape, murder, and steal. It would just be a matter of getting away with it, or enjoying it more than the pain the consequences would bring. But because you have a soul that will never die, rebelling against God, even if it is to please others, has consequences that far outweigh any perceived benefit. The momentary pleasure of pleasing man will fall short of satisfying when eternally in hell.
Jesus expands this beyond simply pleasing man to all of life in Mark 8:34-38. No matter what you think you will gain, failing to follow Christ faithfully is not worth it. As Jesus said, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” Is there anything at all worth trading for eternity? Don’t be too quick to say yes. No matter what you think is worth it, eternity is a long time.
Friend, never forget that God gave you a soul as well as a body. What you do in the body has consequences for your soul as well. Love God with your soul by trusting in Christ through the gospel. Overcome fear by letting your fear be driven out by a greater fear, the fear of God who owns you, body and soul. Take up your cross, deny yourself, (even doing things you are afraid of) and entrust yourself body & soul to God.
Christian, never forget that the people that you come in contact with, either on a day to day basis, or only once a year, all have souls that will never die. The question is not whether their souls will live forever, but where. Can you, in patience and longsuffering, point them to the grace of God in Christ, even at great personal cost to yourself? Will you “speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way”? If not, remember, “his blood I [God] will require at your hand.” (Ezekiel 3:18).
One other implication I would like to point out to you today has special significance for parents. Remember, your children too have souls that will never die. When you are tempted toward impatience, remember, your actions today may have eternal consequences. When you decide how your family will spend time each evening, remember they have souls that will never die. Are you preparing them for eternity?
Yours in Christ,