"Losing his own soul": Was it really worth it?

In 44 BC, Julius Ceasar, the first citizen of the Roman State, was assassinated. In his will, he stated that a young man by the name of Octavian was to be his heir. At that time, Octavian was little more than a "skinny, 19-year-old college kid" (Frances Titchener, A History of Ancient Rome).

Octavian, went on to form an alliance with the veteran general Marc Anthony. To raise funds, the pair began executing supposed "enemies of the state," permitted them to effectively steal private estates from citizens to fund their armies.

Soon after, Octavian was proclaimed to be "Ceasar Augustus" over the Entire Roman Empire, thus gaining authority over most of the known world. His reign of over 40 years was remarkably peaceful.

But Soloman's proverb that "The spoil of the wicked catcheth them" (Prov. 21:7 YLT) proved remarkably true in Augustus' case. He died in AD 15, possibly poisoned by the hand of his own wife Livia.

For Octavian, the pleasure resulting from sin was real but temporary. God's judgement will be eternal.

Jesus asked: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36). The logic is compelling. But do we really believe this today?