Is It Possible To Sell Your Soul?
Many years ago, I had this terrible fear of selling my soul which manifest itself into a strange farrago of thoughts. Upon thinking about it, I would realize its danger and immediately begin to conjure proclamations in my mind, speaking as if I was offering to sell my soul for something. And once I got into that mindset it was very difficult to stop. Evermore, I was afraid that somewhere along the line I had successfully sold my soul and was bound for Hell. In case you’re unfamiliar with this topic, the saying goes that a person can sell their own soul to claim just about anything he or she would like. And, as part of the process of doing so, that person must have to make a pact with the Devil detailing what he or she wants in exchange for their soul. These things are usually: wealth, skill, fame, sexual partners, and intellect — while demands may be more diverse they would usually fall under these categories. The only downside to all of this is that if one does sell their soul there’s absolutely no turning back given there’s no hope for salvation thereafter!
This is what terrified me — thinking that if I sold my soul I would be destined for Hell, even if I did repent. I thought to myself: How could such a thing be possible? How could God not forgive someone who did that or not be able to get their soul back?
I’ve heard quite a few stories of people out there who’ve supposedly “sold their soul” to the Devil to become famous, and their evident success only furthered my belief that it was possible. Whether those stories are true or not, I’m sure those celebrities have asked the same questions, and whether you (reader) have sold your soul or not I’m sure you still have questions concerning it too.
My uncanny fear is what largely led me to question this belief, which was also coupled with the fact that it was being passed off as a Christian doctrine. The latter made me skeptical, so I went on a research adventure. After an adequate study — and in relief — I’ve come to find out that the Bible never actually says anything about the literal ability to sell one’s soul to the Devil as it’s commonly thought of today. There are only two passages in the Bible that come relatively close in giving that impression — yet they never denote it. These passages are: Mark 8:36 and 37, and Matthew 16:26. Both of them imply the same thing. They read:
Mark 8:36, 37
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
Matthew 16:26
“What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
While these passages may suggest the possibility of being able to sell one’s soul, that’s not what’s being implied. Looking at the text: In the first sentence Jesus simply asks a rhetorical question concerning the outcome of one who decides to “forfeit their soul”. The second sentence, also being a rhetorical question, essentially expresses why, and that, such an action will come to no good by indirectly stating that there is no offer of exchange that can be made to equate, or surpass the value (referring to its importance) of a soul. So than, what does it mean to “forfeit” one’s soul?
Well, to forfeit your soul simply has to do with how you live your life; it has nothing to do with entering into a verbal contract to offer the exchange of your soul for whatever you desire. To forfeit your soul is to give up your salvation and give in to the temporary desires of this world; it doesn’t require you to proclaim the dominion of your soul over to a demon. Rather the heart of the matter would be the chasing after of one’s own ambitions while neglecting the saving matter of following Christ. We know this is true simply by looking at the meaning of the word “forfeit”
Forfeit: to lose or surrender something as a penalty for wrongdoing or neglect.
So does that mean people can’t sell their soul? Well not really. That ultimately comes down to how the term “sell” is being perceived/used. For example, it could rightfully be said that someone has sold their soul in the sense that the person has given into their sinful nature and neglected following Christ. In such a case the word “sell” would be used figuratively rather than literally. Its usage would be similar to how the term “sell-out” uses the same word.
Sell-out: (of a person) to betray a cause this believed to be good and give into an alternative which is ill-favored by the accuser.
That particular usage would fall in line well with what Jesus meant when using the word “forfeit”.
So as for where this belief originally came from, no one seems to know. But the oldest story of someone “selling their soul” to the Devil, that comes relatively close to today’s understanding of what it means to sell your soul, roughly dates back to some time in between early 400AD to early 500AD, and it involved a man named Theophilus who was from Adana, Turkey. In it Theophilus seeks Satan for his help, but to acquire his aid Satan demands that Theophilus must seal the deal by signing a contract, with his own blood, that states he renounces Jesus and the Virgin Mary — he complied, and the Devil gave him what he wanted.
Just for clarity, this story isn’t Biblically true, and we can understand this by certain details that were mentioned. For example, in the story the Devil needs Theophilus to sign a contract to make things official. Given that God can understand the hearts of his creation, a contract isn’t needed for God to understand that the seller is being serious. Upon understanding this it wouldn’t make any sense for the Devil to need a contract to be signed — in blood — to show to The Judge on judgement day that someone officially sold their soul to him (as that seems to be the line of reasoning behind the need for the contract).
At this point in the article there should be no doubt that this belief of selling one’s soul to gain whatever they want doesn’t come from the Bible, but some might still be in question on the validity of the whether one can pass possession of their soul over to The Devil. After all, this is essentially why people who feel they have “sold” their soul believe they can no longer get it back and are bound to Hell unless The Devil were to give it back. And let’s be honest, who is The Devil to give back something of such importance — it’s his life to keep people from being with God. But, in an effort to digress and to answer this daunting question, the answer is as follows. You can verbally pass possession of your soul over to Satan. Yes. But this shouldn’t suggest that he is then the owner of your soul or that he has full rights to it, even if you made it clear that those were the exact things that you were offering him in your exchange. Your soul is you and you are your soul, and this will always be. It will never be his, nor can you give him it! The only way your soul can be his is (figuratively speaking) if you continually devote your life to him, other than that it can never literally be his. As for whether the proclamation is damning or not and whether the simplicity of verbally passing possession of your soul to someone else is a valid way in doing so, the answer to both is no.
What is damning is the condition of the heart in choosing not to follow Christ but to rather chase after one’s own desires, and that condition can only last as long as one wants it. If your life looks like it matches that description, know that it’s not too late to turn back to Christ and receive mercy!
(This article isn’t to suggest that The Devil can’t give, or help others acquire status, or possessions, but rather it’s to tackle the common belief that people have behind the selling of one’s soul and see whether that view is Biblical or not. Also, this article was written to explain what it means for someone to forfeit their soul and whether doing so will make them bound to Hell or not.)
