What Shall It Profit?

All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are from the King James Version of the Holy Bible. The Hebrew and Greek meaning of the words mentioned are from Strong's Hebrew-Greek Dictionary.
Those words are a quote from the Lord Jesus where He said, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" The rest of that quotation is found in Mark 8:34-38,  "And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Of course He was speaking to people of His own nation and not to the gentiles, right!

Some people must think that suddenly God is alright with sin and unrighteousness, Not so! There is a scripture in the Old Testament that says, "Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression." This was the prayer of king David found in Psalm 19:13. One might say that was Old Testament, not New! Somehow I don't think that God has changed His mind about sin. It is true that in the Lord Jesus, even the Gentiles have been granted repentance. (See Acts 11:18) In the  Strong's Greek-Hebrew dictionary the word here for repentance is, "G3341 μετάνοια metanoia (pronounced) met-an'-oy-ah From G3340; (subjectively) compunction (for guilt, including reformation); by implication reversal (of [another’s] decision): - repentance." To me the implication is to not do those things again for which I have been forgiven. When I repented of my sins I determined, with the help of the Lord Jesus, not to do them again. 

You might say that I am being holier than you! Not at all! You and I are in the same boat. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..." In Ephesians 2:3 the Bible says, "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." That was our evil nature! We were all the children of the wrath of God until Jesus came. That is why I don't want to go back to the old life that I was delivered from. It was presumption that Ananias and Sapphira were guilty of! They presumed that God would not see or know of their complicity. The apostle went on in Ephesians 5:6-7 warning us,  "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them." 

Does this mean that there is no forgiveness of sin? No, no, a thousand times no! In Jesus Christ you will find forgiveness of your most despicable sins. You and I are just like the woman in the Bible, taken in adultery. Those accusers caught her in the very act! (I have always wondered where the man was.) The Lord at the end of that situation said in essence, I don't condemn you, go and don't do it again! (See John 8:3-11) God wants you and I to sincerely repent of our sin and never go back to them! The word for repent is the root word for repentance mentioned earlier. According to Dr. Strong it is, "G3340 μετανοέω metanoeō (pronounced) met-an-o-eh'-o From G3326 and G3539; to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction): - repent."  

Repent of your sin today. Do it now! Repentance is so much more than merely being sorry, but as is expressed in the Greek word "μετανοέω metanoeō," is "...to think differently...", etc. Don't be presumptuous about sin. Find someone to baptize you in Jesus name in order to have your sins forgiven. Then let God fill you with His Holy Spirit and start life anew. I promise you that you will never be sorry.