has been doing this ever since man fell into sin. Something precious had been lost, and our loving God cannot rest until it is found. Christianity has always appealed to the despised, beaten, lonely, downtrodden, poor and unlearned, offering them hope in every desperate condition. When all others fail and comforters flee, the Seeker comes to save the lost. One of the chief charges ever held against Christ by his enemies was, “This man receiveth sinners and eat- eth with them.” Christ again stat ed, “I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.” The ex pression the lost, found in Luke 19: 10, is a plaintive, piteous word. In how many churches do we hear the minister proclaim, “Unless you know Jesus Christ, you’re s p i r i t u a l l y lost” ? Lost is not used religiously much anymore. This is a tragedy of our day. To be lost means that you’ve never accepted Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour. You were born a son of Adam who fell into sin. With him the whole human race was catapulted into sin. Every hu man being who has ever been born into the world since that day has taken upon himself the nature of sin ful, fallen Adam. Jesus Christ came into the world to deliver us from the ravages and the lostness of our con dition. It’s to be doubted that there has ever been more lostness in the world than there is in this very hour. Men are lost whenever they are not in right relationship with God. Many people are away from God intellectually. Many are estranged morally because there are things in their lives which dishonor God and they won’t get rid of them. Many are estranged spiritually because they refuse to yield themselves com pletely to Jesus Christ. Many are estranged because of a heart that is indifferent towards God. Many, by pride, prejudice and selfishness have gone on in their own ways. Christ is seeking men today just
man.” The fact of the matter is that all history is incomprehensible with out Him. A French skeptic has written of Christ, “Whatever may be the sur prises of the future, Jesus will never be surpassed. His worship will grow young without ceasing; His legion will call forth tears without end; His sufferings will melt the noblest heart; and all ages will proclaim that among the sons of men there is none greater than Jesus.” The Saviour came on a unique mission to do the will of Him who sent Him to seek and to save the lost. He came not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many. He al ways went about doing good, heal ing the sick and feeding the hungry. He urged men and women to sin no more and forgave them. He said to the paralytic in the context of this verse, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. . . . Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.” The cross, however, is the greatest single fascinating th i n g about the most marvelous and won derful personality who ever lived. He died for you and for me. The cross stands at the center of our Christian faith. It’s the dominating theme of art and architecture. It is the place where the Lord Jesus Christ gave His life that you and I might have eternal life, and that we might have it more abundantly. C hapter T wo I n the G ospel of Luke 19:10, we have some interesting words of testimony from the lips of our Sav iour, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” This is Christ’s own conception of His mission in coming into the world. We’re concerned with this, the greatest of God’s accomplish ments. Christ in the Scripture is said to be “seeking after men.” God 14
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