While our bodies are very precious gifts from God, our souls are yet more valuable; they are of infinite value.

What is a person's "soul" (or "heart" or "spirit")? One's soul is his inner being, will, core, and internal personhood. It is, in the deepest sense, who he is. It is the essence of his being from which his deepest motives, desires, affections, and thoughts arise. One's soul reasons, feels, and wills.

A person's soul is the most important element of his existence for the following three reasons:

1. One's soul is the deepest element of hjs personhood. It is who he really is - his deepest will, feelings, and thoughts. God perfectly knows and judges a person's heart.

2. A person's spirit is the faculty through which he can worship and commune with God who is a Spirit. Animals are not created with souls; therefore, they cannot spiritually worship and commune with God. Man is created with a soul for communing with and worshipping his Creator.

3. One's soul is immortal. When physical death takes place, a person's body dies and returns to the earth, but his soul returns to God and is sent to continue its life in heaven or hell, without its body, until the Resurrection Day.

Because one's soul is the most valuable aspect of his being, he must care for it above all else. While one's body and physical health are valuable and important gifts from God and must be carefully treasured and cared for, his soul is yet more important and valuable. Therefore you must urgently seek your soul's welfare; you must be most concerned about your spiritual state; you must place heart matters first in your life.

To illustrate this truth, the Lord Jesus told the story found on the following page:

For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

- I Samuel 16:7b

God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

- John 4:24

And Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.

- Luke 23:43

For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

- Matthew 16:26a

But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

- Matthew 6:33