06-29-2025 What it Means to be Lost

Text: Luke 19:10, Ephesians 2:12; John 3:16

                   “Lost” is a lost word in many churches today.  Too many pastors preach and teach on other subjects because they’re more pleasant and popular among their congregations.  But by not teaching about what it is to be lost, the risk is that people will remain that way.  The first of our three texts this morning is found in Luke 19:10 where Jesus said:  “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  Jesus came to save all those who are lost, regardless of background or previous way of life.  Through faith, the lost can be forgiven and made new.  So, what does it mean to be lost?

                   Our second text is found in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 2:12 and gives us that explanation.  Paul wrote:  “That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the Covenants of Promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”  At this point in time Jews considered themselves pure and clean before God because they, unlike Gentiles were circumcised and under Jewish laws that favored the Jews and excluded the Gentles.  But Paul is pointing out that both Jews and Gentiles are unclean before God and need to be cleansed by Jesus Christ.  Unless we have been cleansed of our sins through acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are lost and have no hope.  Hope is the assurance of salvation through Jesus Christ.  Paul said in Colossians 1:5 that hope is laid up for us in heaven.  Then in Colossians 1:27 He says that Christ in us is the hope of glory.  And Hebrews 6:19 assures us that our hope is steadfast and sure. 

                   Lost people have no possibility of Heaven.  When loved ones die they might borrow Christian hope as they talk of seeing loved ones again, but they aren’t truly certain of that possibility.  Ephesians 2:12 also reminds us that to be lost is to be without God in the world and in our lives.  Before we come to accept Jesus and learn more about Him, we have no hope because there is no God in our lives.  Without God we have nothing to get us through times of deep emotional distress, when we’re threatened with financial ruin, when we’re facing serious surgery or other illnesses, or when family problems bring us nothing but heartache and despair.  But as Christians we can run to our Lord in times like these. 

                   In John 6:68 we see that after many of Jesus’ followers had deserted them He asked His 12 disciples if they were also going to leave Him.  But Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”  Peter is speaking the truth, and his words give every Christian comfort and assurance in times of trouble in this life as well as the confidence of eternal life with Jesus.  John wrote in I John 5:12 that those who have the Son have life and those who do not have the Son of God have no life.  Whoever believes in God’s Son has eternal life.  In Him we don’t need to wait for eternal life because it begins the moment we believe and accept Him as Savior.  We don’t need to worry about it because God Himself has given it to us and has guaranteed it.

                   In John 5:24 Jesus also tells us “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He who hears My word and believes on Him Who sent Me, has everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.”  Life on earth is short even at its longest.  We will live on average 70-80 years.  Medical science can’t extend life for very long.  But none of us can actually fathom eternity.  John Newton wrote in our hymn Amazing Grace that when we are in Heaven 10,000 years we will have no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.  As I said earlier, eternal life -- living forever with God -- begins the moment Christians accept Christ into our hearts and lives.  The rest of our lives on earth will be easier, even though we will face many hardships and sorrows, because we’re living in fellowship with the Almighty Creator, who loves us.  And though we will face physical death one day, we will be resurrected to live forever in the earthly kingdom of Jesus Christ.

                   Our final text this morning is John 3:16 where Jesus said,  “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  The entire gospel comes into focus in this one verse.  God’s love isn’t static or self-centered; it reaches out and draws us in and sets the pattern of true love.  His love is the basis for all love relationships:  when we love someone dearly, we’re willing to give of ourselves to them freely, to the point of self-sacrifice.  God paid dearly with the life of His Son, the highest price He could pay.  Jesus accepted our punishment, paid the price for our sins, and offers us the new life that He bought for us.  When we share the Gospel with others, our love must be like that of Jesus where we are willing to give up our own comfort and security so that others might join us in receiving God’s love.

                   A lot of people aren’t interested in the idea of eternal life because their lives are miserable, and they don’t want the misery to go on forever.  But eternal life through Jesus isn’t an extension of a person’s mortal life.  In eternal life with God, there is no death, sickness, enemies, evil, or sin.  When we don’t know Jesus, we make choices as though this life is all there is, and we can’t imagine the bad being eliminated or redeemed for something good and wonderful.  Eternal life with God will be entirely different from the life we are living now.  But we will need to ask Jesus for the new life He is offering and follow Him to receive it.  Only then are we able to evaluate all that happens to us from an eternal perspective.  No longer are we among those who are lost because we begin to evaluate everything that happens from an eternal perspective, and we truly look forward to eternity.

                   To believe is more than giving intellectual agreement that Jesus is God.  It means to put our trust and confidence in Him knowing He alone can save us.  It’s putting Jesus in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny.  Believing is both trusting His words as reliable and relying on Him for the power to change our lives.  If you have never trusted Jesus with your whole life, make the decision now to let this promise of everlasting life be yours.  Allow yourself to be separated from those who will be lost for all eternity by trusting and believing in Jesus Christ.

                   Romans 6:23 tells us that we are all sinners.  This means we are already on the path to being lost forever.  But because Jesus died for sinners, when we choose to trust and believe in Him we are separated from those who are lost and have the assurance of salvation, the ability to have fellowship with God our Father, and the promise of eternal life.  If you haven’t made that decision, don’t wait any longer. 

                   Until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.