Question:
Can a person be so dark and evil that they have no soul?
Answer:
Biblically speaking, people have a soul as long as they are alive upon earth. Genesis 2:7 says, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL.” I Kings 17:21,22 says, “And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, LET THIS CHILD’S SOUL COME INTO HIM AGAIN. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and THE SOUL OF THE CHILD CAME INTO HIM AGAIN, and he revived.” The Bible also talks about a lost person’s soul being cast into hell. Proverbs 23:13,14 says, “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt DELIVER his SOUL from HELL.” The Bible also refers to the saving of the soul in Hebrews 10:39, “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the SAVING OF THE SOUL.”
The phrase “someone so evil that he cannot have a soul” is really describing a person with a “seared conscience” and a “reprobate mind.” It is not that the person no longer has a soul, but that the person does such evil because he no longer has a Biblically working conscience. It is the God-given conscience that either “accuses” or “excuses” a person’s deeds. Romans 2:14,15 says, “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, THEIR CONSCIENCE ALSO BEARING WITNESS, and their thoughts the mean while ACCUSING or else EXCUSING one another;)”
But when a person rejects the knowledge of God, things change. Rom. 1:20-31 says, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And EVEN AS THEY DID NOT LIKE TO RETAIN GOD IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE, GOD GAVE THEM OVER TO A REPROBATE MIND, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
We are told that this will happen more in the last days. I Timothy 4:1,2 says, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; HAVING THEIR CONSCIENCE SEARED with a hot iron.” Titus 1:15,16 says, “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but EVEN THEIR MIND AND CONSCIENCE IS DEFILED. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”
So it is not that these people do not have a “soul,” but that they no longer have a Biblically-working “conscience.”