What Do You Mean, "I'm Lost?"

Luke 19:9, 10

Theme:  man is lost because human history, our own conscious, the absence of real satisfaction, the Cross of Christ, and the Bible all consistently declare this message in concert.

Relevance: much of the world has erroneously concluded that, mankind is not lost and therefore has no need of salvation.  The following information will help us understand how God views humanity and what arguments we can use to convince people or help them realize their woefully lost condition.

And Jesus said unto him [Zacchaeus], This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.10, For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:9–10, KJV)

Introduction:

Undeniably, Zacchaeus has been converted to faith in Christ and this passage records this glorious development! In fact “salvation” came for him that very day even though he was a Jewish tax collector. Furthermore his conversion underscores the reason—the primary mission—Jesus Christ entered this earthly existence. Our Lord came to seek and to save the lost! Zacchaeus was lost, but Jesus saved him. Ring the bells and celebrate because all of heaven rejoices at the salvation of the lost.

I think it is important to begin with asking the question, what do the terms “lost” and “save” actually mean? There may even be some who would resent such a classification or characterization. Defining these terms will not only establish concrete communication throughout this article, but it will also help us grasp God’s intentional statement when He employs the terms. I think it is important to recognize the terms came from God.

Now then, the word “lost” literally means to destroy; to destroy utterly; cause to perish eternally; deprived of eternal life; to lose a possession.  When applied to salvation, “lost” means our relationship with God is broken by our sin, and when we die, we will go to hell—eternal destruction. Lost denote the fact that we do not possess a relationship with God that is redemptive in nature, and as a result we will perish forever.

Well that characterization does not sound too good at all. Thankfully there is a wonderful alternative available to each of us through faith in Jesus Christ and His work at Calvary. That alternative is conveyed in the words “save” and “salvation” Jesus uses in Luke 19:10, 11. By “saved,” Jesus means to cause someone to experience divine salvation; God delivers those who decide to believe on Jesus. Those who are fit for utter destruction and perishing forever are here rescued from that future. The term presents the idea that our relationship with God has been restored through faith in Jesus Christ and we will go to heaven instead of hell. Many passages use these terms and the ‘lost sheep’ analogy to describe sinners doomed to perish unless they are rescued by the God of all grace (Matt 10:6; 15:24; 18:11; Luke 15:4, 6, 9, 24; 19:10). Beloved, Jesus did this for Zacchaeus and he came to do the same for us when we trust him with our sin problem.

Of course, all of this assumes that there is a God. If there is not a God, then we cannot be lost and we cannot be saved. We just live and die, and then we cease to exist. But if there is a God, then mankind is lost and needs to be saved. For the last two thousand years, one of the foundation stones of the Christian faith is that there is a God, humanity is lost, and everyone needs to be saved. Jesus revealed all of these principle realities and theological concepts when he made the statement,

And Jesus said unto him [Zacchaeus], This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.10, For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:9–10, KJV)

This brings us to the heart of the problem. This is precisely why some are deeply offended when we use the term lost to describe them. “What do you mean I am lost?!” Thy might protect. You see, the problem with humanity is most people do not believe that they will die and go to hell. They think that something will save them. They think that either there is no hell, or there is no God, or that a loving God would not send them to hell, or that their good works will outweigh their bad. But these are all lies, deceptions of the devil. And in reality, we are doomed the moment we believe the lie.  

But since most people believe the lie that they are not in danger of going to hell, we have to start by asking the question, “Are we truly lost and don’t know it?” The majority of people do not believe they are. But what we believe means absolutely nothing unless God believes the same thing. So, to try to gain God’s perspective on the issue, we will ask several questions to see if the answers will give us insight on whether or not we are really lost and in need of “salvation.” Did Jesus actually come to seek and to save me because I am lost? 

Lesson:

What Does the Bible Say about Humanity’s Lost Condition?

The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that the wages of that sin is eternal separation from God in Hell.

Having looked at the words of the Lord Jesus suggesting humanity’s lost condition, we now turn to other statements of Scripture. If we take the Bible at face value, we simply cannot avoid the fact that humanity is lost and in need of personal salvation. In Romans, two verses combine with particular force: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

But the Bible by no means stops there:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. ¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16–18)

The words of the Lord Jesus clearly portray humanity as unbelieving, perishing, and condemned. He is careful to state with unmistakable clarity that all humanity is hopelessly lost without His direct intervention. The Lord Jesus insists that people are "condemned already because" they have not placed their faith in Him, the absolutely unique Son of God. In light of humanities woeful predicament God sent His Son, Jesus, to be our Savior. Still each individual must recognize they are lost and believe on Jesus Christ to be saved.

As Jesus was contrasting the actions of the redeemed with the unredeemed in Matthew 25:41, He was unambiguous in His description of the fate of those who reject Him: “Then shall He say unto them on His left hand, ‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.’”

Jesus saw "everlasting fire" in the future of those who were not saved God's way. Many may claim to know the Lord as Savior, but in reality they never actually trusted Him for the forgiveness of sins and salvation. They were never delivered by God though they were religious, church goers, were baptized, and observed certain Bible requirements tenaciously. They were depending on their performance, obedience, adherence, and commitment to save them instead of the grace of God expressed in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. This method can only end in eternal destruction in "everlasting fire."

In Acts 4:12 we read, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the absolute and ONLY WAY to be saved. Religion of any kind is utterly incapable of providing any form of salvation. Deliverance from our lost condition and eternal perishing is exclusively through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of all who will repent believing the Gospel.

In Romans 5:8–10, we read: 

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. ¹⁰ For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

We sinners can be reconciled to God through the death of Jesus Christ, we are also justified before God through Christ’s cross, and we are delivered from wrath through him. Jesus alone is THE Savior; He is the ONLY Rescuer! 

Then in Romans 10:9-13, we are told “what we are to believe” in order to be saved by God:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10, For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11, For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.12, For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom 10:9-13, KJV)

The Apostle Paul details the need to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord God, the supreme authority sent by God the Father to provide the solution for humanity's sin problem. By believing that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again as the all sufficient payment for our sins, we are saved. God begins for the first time ever to view us as righteous when we believe on Christ with all our heart and we naturally now confess Him as the Lord and savior of our lives. Furthermore, we are assured of a growing confidence that such an outright confession of faith in the Lord Jesus will not in any way fall short of God's saving grace, be disappointed, proved foolish, or become the source of shame. Paul further guarantees that anyone, whether Jewish or non-Jewish, who calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ will be indeed rescued from eternal perishing and the ultimate consequences of our sins. We must call upon the Lord for mercy today and the Lord is generous to save anyone and everyone who truly calls upon Him for deliverance from the ultimate condemnation of sin.

And finally, we read in Ephesians 2:1–10: 

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³ Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ⁷ That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Beloved, salvation is by God showing undeserved favor on repentant sinners who place their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.  When we examine our past, we can only discover that we do not measure up to God's or our own expectations. We are guilty of significant and small failures before a perfect and holy God. When Christians look at our present situation, we understand that it is because of God's saving grace and redemptive work on our behalf. When we consider our future, it can only be summed up as the outcomes and provisions of Almighty God dealing with us most graciously. He has an incredible plan for our present and our future. We deserve hell for our failures, idolatry, and sin, but because of Jesus Christ we will enjoy forever with God. What God has done for us He is willing to do for all who will repent believing the gospel of grace.

Beloved, salvation cannot be earned, deserved, merited, bought, worked up, or worked for. It is not for sale; it is already paid for and based on the work of Jesus Christ alone. Like myself, you must come to God acknowledging your sinfulness, confessing Jesus Christ, the Son of God as Lord and Savior, and believing the Gospel—Christ died, was buried, and arose again the third day as the Scriptures said He would. This Jesus died to pay the price for my and your sins. When we trust Him, He will forgive, cleanse, and reconcile us to God forever. Beloved, today is your day to come to Jesus Christ.

Conclusion:

Romans 5:10 says, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” From this we learn that to be lost is to be in a state un-reconciled to God, and to be saved means to be reconciled to God by believing in Jesus and receiving the forgiveness of our sins which He offers us by grace through faith.

We see, then, lessons from history and the testimony of our own conscience show that humanity is un-reconciled to God. We are not sinners because we sin. Rather, we sin because we are sinners. David said in Psalm 51:5, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceived me.” This does not mean that his mother committed sin in the act of conceiving David. Rather, it means that from the moment of conception, the flaw, the corruption of sin was in him. We are all born with it. And if we die with it, we are eternally lost. But if we repent and believe on Christ from the heart, our sins are forgiven and we are saved—we live with God and His children in peace, love, and joy in heaven forever.

We are truly lost. Jesus and the Bible clearly says so! It cannot be denied without overlooking incredible and substantial Bible evidence. The good news is; however, we really can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ and the gospel.

What if we still reject this idea or Bible teachings? If we ignore the clear statements of the Lord Jesus and the testimony of Scripture we are giving abundant evidence of still being lost. Actually the warnings of the Bible, the testimony of history, and the conclusion of our own consciences agree with what has been presented here. Humanity is lost without faith in Jesus Christ. We are going through life without ever receiving Jesus as our personal Savior.

Beloved, if we believe the lies of the devil and step out into eternity unsaved, we will be eternally lost perishing ceaselessly. The truth is it is not too late for you if you are concerned about this matter. If we believe God and trust Him, He will save us as He promised. I also hasten to warn you, God’s Spirit will not always strive with mankind. He is dealing with us most graciously and patiently; do not reject His generous offer of salvation. But if we don’t trust Him, we are indeed in the wrong, and we will have lost everything.