The Value of a Human Soul
The Bible teaches that the human soul is extremely valuable for two reasons:
First Reason
Because people were made in God’s image. “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Genesis 1:26). Therefore, the human soul has an inherently sacred value that should be respected at all times. While God gave humanity the authority to kill other forms of life (Genesis 9:3), the killing of human souls is forbidden, with the penalty being death (Genesis 9:6).
Second Reason
Because of the price that was paid to redeem the human soul from eternal death (1 Corinthians 6:20). This price was “the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19). God’s only Son “gave Himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity” (Titus 2:14). The Creator redeemed the souls of men by shedding His own blood. Christ offered a voluntary sacrifice for His fallen creation (John 10:17, 18; Acts 3:15).
In the person of Jesus Christ, God revealed the infinite love of the divine Father. Christ’s sacrifice cancels all doubts regarding the supreme gift of God’s love to human souls. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
The price of redeeming the human soul was infinite and, therefore, the value of the human soul is very high. Through the process of sanctification, God plans is to restore in lost humanity the original image in which they were created. The process of sanctification consists of the grace of God acting upon the fully dedicated will of an individual so that every trace of sin may be completely removed from his/her life. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1 also Romans 3:24; 6:19). God’s power delivers human souls from the power of sin and leads them to goodness.
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
