There are a lot of things in life that we cannot control.  We cannot control what is to come tomorrow, the behavior of other people, or even the simple things of everyday living like traffic, weather, the price of gasoline, etc.  What we can control is what we do with ourselves.  How we behave is one hundred percent up to us.  This week let us think about what we should be doing with ourselves.

Our main priority in life should be the salvation of our souls.

Matthew 16:26 (ESV)
²⁶  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

What the world has to offer has limited value, and whatever it offers is temporal.  The soul is eternal, making it far more valuable than anything in this world.  Still, most people think more about the physical things of life than they do the things that pertain to the soul.  Do not make that mistake.  Make the salvation of your soul the top priority in your life.  Peter emphasized this in his first gospel sermon.

Acts 2:40 (ESV)
⁴⁰  And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

The people asked Peter and the rest of the apostles what they had to do to be saved (Acts 2:37).  Asking this question showed that they believed the message about Jesus and His resurrection.  Peter responded by telling them to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38).  They now had all the information that they needed to save themselves.

I should point out that Peter was approaching this only from the standpoint of man’s responsibility.  Only God can save us by forgiving our sins.  Only the blood of Jesus can wash away our sins (Matthew 26:28).  However, man’s responsibility is to obey God, and in this case, the command is to repent and be baptized.  It is interesting that the words of Jesus and Peter end with the same conclusion.

Matthew 26:28 (ESV)
²⁸  for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 

Acts 2:38 (ESV)
³⁸  And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…”

Repentance and baptism accomplish the purpose for Jesus pouring out His blood for many, that is, the forgiveness of sins.  So, how do we save ourselves according to Peter?  We do so by repenting and being baptized into Christ.  On the day of Pentecost, about three thousand souls met their responsibility and saved themselves by obeying the gospel (Acts 2:41).

Saving ourselves does not end with baptism.  It involves continuing to meet our responsibilities in Christ by being faithful to our Lord (Revelation 2:10).  The rest of this week we will look at some things that we should do with ourselves that can help us reach our goal of heaven.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.