Can a non-Christian sell his soul?
score:6
To sell something (legally), we have to own it. I believe that we have no ownership over our souls, disregarding of our religion beliefs. I beleave that we, our souls belongs to God, our Creator:
Ezekiel 18:4(NIV):
For everyone belongs to Me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to Me.
This opinion has confirmation in one of known purposes of our creation:
Colossians 1:16(NIV):
For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Also, Jesus Christ saved our souls from upon authority of sin and death:
Romans 6:20-23 (NIV):
20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
As a slaves (or servants) we cannot sell ourselves. While we are belonging to God, we have a choice of the way we want to live our lives, so it is similar to renting. I believe we are renting our soul or, rather, our Lord gave us our souls to rule temporarly, the same way as in parable about talents ( Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)) or parable about mines (Luke 19:12-27 (NIV)), see also wiki article.
While we cannot sell our soul, but we can destroy it by sins and by rejecting God.
Revelation 21:8 (NIV):
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars —they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Also, the other point of view on soul selling is living for the sake of wealth, serving to the Mammon:
Matthew 6:24 (NIV):
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Upvote:0
Answered in reference with deals with the devil
cf. Renewal of Baptismal Promises | Easter of the Resurrection of the LORD | Daily Roman Missal | According to the Roman Missal, Third edition
RENEWAL OF BAPTISMAL PROMISES
Priest: Do you renounce Satan?
All: I do.
Priest: And all his works?
All: I do.
Priest: And all his empty show [promises]?
All: I do.
[...]
cf. also The Fall, and the Temptations of Jesus
It is not far-fetched that one can enter into a quid pro quo dialogue with, not only the devil, but with anyone else willing, as the question shows, and perhaps as we may have observed in the workplace.
Whether there is an actual binding transaction depends on the rightful owners [God first and foremost].
In the case of the devil, one may seem to get ahead for a while but it is a snare and a trap. Just ask the fallen angels and our first parents.
No need to go that far back. See @user14079: the promises of secret societies. There is increasing evidence that that's how some Nations are set up (cf.Ps 2: the collusion between the princes [fallen angels] and rulers).
The devil promises far more than he can deliver [our own experience shows], just as the priest reminds us, his promises are all empty.
Please see also the answer to Can a Person make a Pact with the Devil? by exorcist Fr. Fortea.
This should be chilling:
Pope Leo XIII’s Vision in 1884
Satan said, “I could destroy Your Church if I had the time, and more power over those who give themselves over to my service.” And then Pope Leo heard Christ to answer (sic), “You have the power, you have the time: 100 years.”
Upvote:4
What does it mean to "sell your soul"? It's not like I can hand someone my soul in a box in exchange for $20.
What does it mean to "own your soul"? The soul is generally understood to mean your true self, your mind, your personality. Do you "own your mind"? As opposed to what?
It's like saying that you offer to "sell your country". A traitor could give away valuable military secrets in wartime in exchange for cash. In that sense you could "sell your country".
From a Christian point of view, a Faustian deal to sell your soul to the Devil is possible in the sense that someone could make a deal with the Devil that he will not accept Christ in exchange for money, sex, etc in this life. I don't know if the Devil actually appears to people and literally makes such an offer, but clearly many people make exactly such a "deal" in a non-literal sense. Plenty of people reject Christ because they don't want to give up their sins. They say, "Hey, I like the pleasure I get from promiscous sex and drugs, I enjoy the money that I get from cheating and robbing people, etc. Accepting Christ would mean turning my back on that lifestyle, so no way am I going to accept this Christ stuff."
Upvote:19
I'm going to make an assertion here (and I would be very happy to be shown wrong, in which case I'll readily delete this): there is no Biblical support at all for the concept of soul selling (or indeed of any other kind of explicit pact). The entire notion is a non-scriptural invention, along with such things (now generally denounced) as limbo for non-baptised children.
Without any scriptural support, all that is left is human invention, exaggeration and fancifulness (bites tongue hard to avoid obvious additional comment). In the absence of any scriptural basis to an answer, one would have to assume
there is no basis to believe that anyone can sell their soul, or that any being is interested in purchasing it
(for the Christian meaning of "soul"). Any other answer would be pure speculation, or building upon traditions that are themselves based on pure speculation.
More post
- 📝 Could parts of the bible have been lost over time?
- 📝 Papal resignations and participation in subsequent conclaves
- 📝 Why does Catholic Church (and possibly some other denominations) approve natural family planning and condemn different kinds of contraception?
- 📝 Has there ever been an Eastern Catholic Pope (Post-Schism)?
- 📝 In heaven, will we have desires (Catholic)?
- 📝 Did John Bunyan really dream the Pilgrim's Progress? Had he memorized all the verses?
- 📝 According to evangelicalism, did Jesus' divine nature suffer on the cross?
- 📝 What is the difference between a Christian and a Messianic Jew?
- 📝 Can a Pope elevate a non-heretical yet minority opinion to the level of dogma?
- 📝 What country has the largest Catholic population without a cardinal?
- 📝 How do Christians rebut Matt Dillahunty's objection that the resurrection of Jesus is untestable, unfalsifiable and thus unreasonable to believe?
- 📝 Is God really Merciful according to the Bible?
- 📝 What is the meaning of Holy Spirit in Mark 3:28-29?
- 📝 Is Dr Bass correct in her assessment of current religious conservative desires for Unity?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, if we sin and become repentant will our sins be forgiven too like St. Peter?
- 📝 Was the temple built in 46 years or was it 46 years old during Jesus' time?
- 📝 What is the Lake of Fire?
- 📝 Is there any theological tradition holding that soon after being born, baby Jesus was full of wisdom because this baby is God?
- 📝 Can Only A Priest Give Confession?
- 📝 Does the verse in Song of Solomon 5:16 contain the name of the Islamic prophet Muhammad?
- 📝 What is this Bible with red printing?
- 📝 What is Christian scholars' take on the `chicken-or-egg-first' riddle?
- 📝 How should a Christian object to those who say Paradise may be a little boring?
- 📝 Were Jews in Jesus' day binitarian?
- 📝 Who is the author referred to in the Pope's 4 April 2014 homily?
- 📝 Where do the names of books of Bible come from?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for believing that the Feast Days / Appointed Festivals / Holy Convocations are NOT morally binding for Christians today?
- 📝 What is "sin that leads to death" in 1 John 5:16?
- 📝 Is the Bible God?
- 📝 How do opponents of Penal Substitution explain God's declaration that He "will not leave the guilty unpunished"?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Can a Christian choose to walk away from his or her salvation?
- 📝 Can a non-Christian sell his soul?
- 📝 Can a Christian marry his deceased brother's wife?
- 📝 Do any Christian denominations believe God can annihilate his creation?
- 📝 If the Ten Commandments say “thou shalt not kill” how can a Christian fight in a war?
- 📝 Can you be a Christian and serve in the Military?
- 📝 Do Christian groups which think h*m*sexuality is a sin think you can be a practicing h*m*sexual and also a Christian?
- 📝 How can we be sure our specific Christian confession is true, when every other Christian group claims that it's not?
- 📝 Can a Christian have clinical depression?
- 📝 What is the basis for the belief by some groups that a Christian can live a sinless life?
- 📝 Which non LDS Christian denominations believe in baptism after death?
- 📝 Can God Change his mind?
- 📝 Did it ever happen that a Christian died simply because he had no food at his disposal?
- 📝 Does Jesus's soul exist before his incarnation?
- 📝 Can you be Christian while wishing death upon another?
- 📝 Is the idea that God can erase His memory a common understanding?
- 📝 Can a Catholic priest be tied to a single parish or other physical church his entire life?
- 📝 Can a Christian be a Conservative?
- 📝 How can Jesus be both root and offspring of David if he was only a man and did not pre-exist his incarnation?
- 📝 How can God be Sovereign (in the Reformed sense) if a man can ignore His call to repentance?
- 📝 Do any Christian groups sell all their possessions as it seems the Early Church did?
- 📝 Drawing of a Christian helping his own assailant
- 📝 How can Pharisees turn someone from God if His grace is irresistible?
- 📝 Can a Christian in a state of grace know that they are?
- 📝 Can a pope name his successor?
- 📝 Can Prince Harry marry his fiancée by the Church of England's precepts?
- 📝 According to soul sleep adherents, if unclean spirits can be conscious without bodies, why can't human spirits also be conscious without bodies?
- 📝 Can you be a Christian and not go to church?
- 📝 Can a Christian believe in Oni (Japanese Demons)?
- 📝 Have any Christian thinkers expressed the idea that the Trinity can be proven independently from Scripture?
