Selling Your Soul?

Ezekiel 18:4

The idea of selling your soul to the Devil is a common theme. We see this idea in cartoons, movies, video games, and comic books. There are those who believer that many celebrities, super rich, and athletes have done this to achieve their success. However, this is contrary to what God's word says. To be able to sell our souls, that would be that we have ownership of our souls. As we will see in today's text, God says otherwise.

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Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Ezekiel 18:4

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God says that "all souls" are His. As his possession, this means that He has complete authority over them. So, when it comes to judgment, He is justified in condemning some to Hell and rewarding some to Heaven. This process is not random or based on favoritism. God calls all men to salvation (John 12:32) but not everyone heeds that call (John 3:18, 19). Think about that for just a moment, the souls that are in Hell are God's. At no point does he relinquish ownership of souls.

Cartoons and false doctrine have done much to misrepresent this truth. We often picture Hell as being a place where Satan torments people. That simply is not so. Satan torments people here on Earth, but he will be tormented in judgment. He is not the captor, he is the captive. He is not the tormentor, he is tormented. He is not the judge, he is judged. Why? Because God owns him too. God did not make him to be evil, he chose that of his own freewill when he rebelled against God, as recorded in Isaiah 14:12-15.

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How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13  For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

Isaiah 14:12-15

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So, the problem of condemnation does not rest in who owns our soul, but rather in who we chose to serve. If we serve sin, then we are condemned. As the verse says, "the soul that sinneth, it shall die". However, the soul that has been washed in the blood of the lamb is clean (Revelation 1:5; 7:14). Yes, they have technically sinned, but their sins have been pardoned. As Jeremiah recorded, "And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me" (Jeremiah 33:8).

That is something to get excited about! We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are under the condemnation of death (Romans 6:23). However, if we call upon the name of the Lord, we shall be saved (Romans 10:13). I pray that all who read this have already called upon the name of the Lord. If you have not, today is the day of Salvation (II Corinthians 6:22).

Father, thank you for never relinquishing control of your creation. Even when you leave us to face the consequences of our own choices, you are still in control. Thank you for the peace that brings to those of us who are called by your name. Give us boldness to share this with others.