Dear friends,
“For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10
I would venture to say that most of you who receive this email would not put yourself in the category of being lost? But don’t be so sure! What do you think about when you think about the word, lost? You might think of losing something that you once had or something that you thought you knew where it was at some point? Webster’s dictionary gives us several possibilities in terms of definition:
- Unable to find the way
- No longer visible
- Lacking assurance or self-confidence
- Ruined or destroyed
- No longer possessed or known
Our Evangelical tradition tells us that people who do not have eternal life are called lost. Yet, does that match up with the OT or the NT uses of the word lost? The word “lost” occurs 41 times in our English Bibles. Most of the references refer to people or things which need to be found. It is used either literally or figuratively! When used of people in a figurative sense, it refers primarily to people who have strayed away from the Lord – like in Ps 119:176, “I have gone astray like a lost sheep.”
So, are you, your children or your grandchildren lost? Is Glen lost? If I have strayed, if I am unable to find my way, if I no longer manifest the fruit of the Spirit, if I am not hungering for righteousness then according to the Bible I am lost!
The Bible clearly states that “Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost.” If you and I aren’t in fellowship with the Savior then Jesus is looking for us! If we know family or friends who have lost their way, then we should be searching, seeking and helping them find their way back to Him.
The The practical benefit of this change would be that we understand the Bible better and we come to realize that any time we are out of fellowship with God, we are lost people. Our concern should be that we not become lost.
The word lost, when used of people in a figurative sense, refers primarily to believers who have strayed away from the Lord. This is a relatively rare usage of apollumi. Most of the time it simply refers to people or animals or things which are literally lost.
What do you think about when you think about the word, Lost? Maybe you think of being lost yourself. Have you ever been lost?
The Bible represents the lost as dead ones.
“During my lifetime, I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realized. But, My Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.” Nelson Mandela 20 April 1964
Please take the time to read Luke 19:1-10 before Sunday and as you meditate on it remember our new series – “Loving Like Jesus Loved.”
Because of the Savior,
Glen
P.S. Long time Valley member, Goldie Williams, passed away on January 10. Her graveside was yesterday. George Manoukian’s memorial service will be Saturday January 27th at 1:00 pm. Please remember Esther and family.