The Value Of The Soul.
“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?” Mat. 16:26. Here the “soul,” the “inner man,” is considered of greater worth than this world. He who secures the eternal safety of his soul has accomplished more than he who should gain this whole world.
The Soul Does Not Lose Consciousness When The Body Dies.
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.” Phil. 1:21-24.
If there is no conscious existence after death until the final resurrection from the grave, how could it be “far better” for Paul to depart? For him to depart this life is to be with Christ. “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Cor. 5:8. How can language be plainer than this? To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
The Place Of The Soul While The Body Lies In The Grave.
The Son of God in his beautiful narrative of the rich man and Lazarus certainly teaches a conscious existence of the departed souls of both the wicked and the righteous. The soul of the rich man was in torment in the flames of hell. The angels carried the poor beggar to rest and bliss in Abraham's bosom.
“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 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 tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you can not; neither can they pass to us, that would come [pg 185] from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:19-31.
Soul-Rest.
The immortal soul of man is a conscious entity, whether in sin or in righteousness. If in righteousness, there is a blessed consciousness of peace, rest, and contentment. This internal sense of happiness man enjoyed in his primeval state. By disobedience an awful change came over him, by which the peaceful rest and full satisfaction of the soul was destroyed, and the terrible miseries of sin were experienced. In sin the soul still retains its consciousness. There is in fallen man an internal knowledge of incompleteness. There is a missing link, an awful vacancy, and a kind of intuitive knowledge that he must give answer for certain moral responsibilities unto a great Creator. There are deep longings, restless fears, dark uncertainties, and desperate strugglings for a satisfactory hope.