The World or Jesus?

"You have sold yourselves for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money." Isaiah 52:3

From a sermon by, T. DeWitt Talmage:

When a man gives himself over to the world he expects to get some adequate compensation. He has heard the great things the world does for a man and he believes it. He wants a lot of money. Money that will give him houses and horses and a summer resort and jolly companionship.

To get it he parts with his physical health by overwork. He parts with his conscience. He parts with much domestic enjoyment (being home with the family). He parts with opportunities for literary culture. He parts with his soul. And so he gives over his entire nature to the world.

He does it in four installments. He pays down the first installment and one fourth of his nature is gone. He pays down the second installment and half his nature is gone. He pays down the third installment and three quarters of his nature are gone. And after many years have gone by he pays down the fourth installment and lo! his entire nature is gone.

He then comes up to the world and says, "Good morning, I have delivered you the goods; I have given you my body, mind and soul and I have come now to collect my fortune. The world says, "What do you mean?" He says, "Well, I have come to collect the money you owe me, and I expect you to now fulfill your part of the contract. "But," says the world, "I have failed. I am bankrupt. I can not possibly pay that debt."

"Well," you say, "give me back the goods." The world replies, "Oh no, they are all gone. I can not give them back to you. And there you stand on the confines of eternity, your spiritual character gone, staggering under the consideration that, "You have sold yourself for nothing."

I tell you the world is a liar; it does not keep its promises. It is a cheat and it fleeces everything it can put its hands on. It is a bogus world. It is a swindler. Many a man has woken up in such a time to find that he has sold out for eternity and has nothing to show for it.

I went to see a worldly person die. (His house was decorated beautifully with art of every kind) The man had given 40 years to the world - his wit, his time, his genius, his talent, his soul. Did the world come in to stand by his death-bed or give any compensation? Oh, no! The world does not like sick and dying people; it leaves them in the lurch. It ruined this man and then left him. He had a magnificent funeral.

I want to persuade my audience that the world is a poor investment; that it does not pay 90% of satisfaction nor 80% nor 2% nor 1%. It gives no solace when a dead child lies on your lap; it gives no peace when conscience rings its alarm; it gives no explanation in the day of dire trouble.

To you who have tried this world, is it a satisfactory portion? Would you advise your friends to make the investment? No. You have sold yourself for nothing.Your conscience went. Your hope went. Your Bible went. Your heaven went. Your God went.

Did you think your soul was a mere trinket which for a few dollars you could buy in a toy shop? Did you think your soul was short-lived and that it would soon lie down for extinction? Or had you no idea what your soul was worth? Did you not know if you die knowing Jesus, after your soul leaves your body you reach to the stars and the next step to the farthest reaches of God's universe? Oh my brother, what possessed you that you should part with your soul so cheap?

There is an alternative to this, "He that believes on the Son shall have everlasting life; and he that believes not on the Son shall not see life."

T. DeWitt Talmage

This sermon reminded me of this verse: "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?"  Mark 8:36