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Jesus (and the Lost)

“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

The word ‘lost’ means in the original Greek:
apollumi ^622^, a strengthened form of ollumi, signifies “to destroy utterly”; in middle voice, “to perish.” The idea is not extinction but ruin, loss’¦
(from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Glory Hallelujah, Jesus has come to save the ‘lost’, those whose spiritual life is in ruin and loss of knowing God. Outside of knowing Jesus people are ‘utterly destroyed’ or ‘perishing’. They are separated by sin from God and ‘afar off’ until we come to Jesus who by His life and death on the cross and resurrection and ascension to the Father has torn down the wall between God and us.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off
have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one,
and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
Ephesians 2:13-16

This is the glorious news of the gospel. God loves us; He is not mad at us ‘but’ does require atonement for our sins. God cares and Jesus came to save the lost.

I know these terms are ‘out of date’ in this world of political correctness. However, it is a word that is clear and conveys a soul trembling message. This lost mess will produce eternal separation from God unless Jesus saves us through repentance and faith.

The love of God moves us to be His witness and share Jesus with our friends and family and to the entire world. Whoever one may be they are lost without Christ.

Don’t get angry with me or think this is my idea. It is the message of Jesus and the message of the Bible and the New Testament. Should you have a problem with the fact that people are lost and need Jesus then you have a problem with the Bible and Jesus, not me.

The Greek word above for lost is translated different ways in English. I would like to give some of the references below.

Luke 5:37-38
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined (lost).
“But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

Luke 15:4-7
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? “And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’
“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:22-24
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
‘for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Matthew 10:28
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Luke 13:3
“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

John 3:15-16
“That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Matthew 5:29
“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Matthew 10:6-7
“But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Matthew 10:28
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:39
“He who finds his life will lose it,
and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Matthew 15:24
But He answered and said,
“I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Matthew 16:25
“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

Matthew 18:14
“Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Luke 13:3
“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

John 10:10
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

John 10:28
“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

John 12:25
“He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

John 17:12
“While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition,
that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

John 18:9
That the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke,
“Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”

We have Jesus commanding us to go into all the world to preach the gospel and make disciples teaching them to obey all He has commanded. We are to baptize, teach and help them to become true followers of Jesus. We are to remember Jesus as we celebrate the Communion of Bread and Wine, His Body and Blood.

Pray for the Power of the Holy Spirit in your life to empower you to share Jesus everywhere.

When you share Jesus with the lost you know you are following Him and doing His will.

So go now and share Jesus with someone Today!

Pilgrim followers of Jesus,

Arthur and Denise Blessitt

Luke 18:1