The Greek word for “life” in this verse is psychē (Strong’s #5590), which also means “soul.” And that is how a number of versions, including the Standard Version, translate it when it appears in the following verse:

“For what shall a man be profited if he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
— Matthew 16:26, SV; cf. NASB95, KJV, NKJV, ESV

So, what does it mean to “lose” or “suffer the loss of” our soul in these verses?

First of all, while we often speak of “the lost” as a reference to those who will suffer eternal damnation, that is clearly not the meaning here. This is because, first of all, the Lord says in verse 25 that, after we lose our soul, we will gain it back again. Secondly, in verse 24, Matthew tells us very specifically that the Lord spoke this word “to His disciples.” So, the loss of the soul in these verses is not a reference to the damnation of the unbelievers, but rather, refers to something that may well happen to the Lord’s own followers.

And the Lord Himself explains His meaning in the following verse:

For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall repay each one according to what he has practiced.
— Matthew 16:27

So, “losing the soul” in these verses relates to the judgment of the believers that will take place at the Lord’s return (2 Cor. 5:10, Rom. 14:10-12).

In brief, if we are willing to give up and sacrifice our life, and the things our soul might enjoy, in this age, for the Lord’s sake, then the Lord will “repay” us with the incomparably greater life and enjoyment of reigning with Him when He returns; that will be in His 1,000 year reign upon the earth after this age ends and before eternity begins (Rev. 20:4-6, 21:1). That is what it means to “gain our soul” when the Lord returns.

But, if today we are unwilling to give up our life and the enjoyment of our soul, and choose instead to enjoy the pleasures of this age rather than follow the Lord, then the Lord will also hold back from us the life and enjoyment of the coming age. That means we will not reign with Him, and in that case, the 1,000 years may be a time of real suffering for us. That will be the fulfillment of the Lord’s warning that we may “lose our soul” when He returns.

However, as the believers in Christ, our eternal destiny is already secure (John 5:24, Rom. 10:13, Eph. 2:8). Thus, after the 1,000 years is over we will be brought back fully into the enjoyment of the Lord for eternity, with all of our fellow believers.

For more on this topic see Watchman Nee’s book, The Salvation of the Soul.”

You can also listen to the current series of The Christian Faith Podcast, “The Judgment Seat of Christ.”

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—  23 August 2025 —