“So He [Jesus] spoke this parable to them, saying:
‘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 15:3-7)
Luke 15:3-7 KJV
And he spake this parable unto them, saying,
v4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
v5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
v6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
v7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which needs no repentance.
One line in the familiar hymn “Amazing Grace” says, “I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.” We may have sung it a thousand times without realizing what lost means. The term lost is used in the Bible and in Christian circles to refer to people who have not yet found eternal life in Christ. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Those who are spiritually lost are separated from God and unable to find their way back to Him.
Jesus told a parable about a lost lamb to explain the Father’s heart for lost people (Luke 15:3–7). The Good Shepherd was willing to leave the ninety-nine sheep in the fold to go in search of the one lost lamb. The lamb would never have found the Shepherd on its own. This parable demonstrates God’s tender concern for every individual. He stops at nothing to find those who need Him and bring them safely into His presence. Just as lost sheep cannot find the Shepherd on their own, lost people cannot find God on their own (Psalm 53:2–3; Romans 3:11).
Religion is man’s attempt to find God on his own. Religion creates a goal, which may be a deity or a higher plane of existence, and then declares certain steps necessary to reach that goal. Because of religion, lost people consider themselves not lost. Imagine a hiker who has lost his way. After hours of fruitless searching for the right path, he decides to set up camp in an unknown forest and declare that he is now home. He will no longer try to be rescued. Although he still does not know where he is, familiarity with his immediate surroundings gives him the illusion of being found.
Christianity does not follow that pattern. Christianity teaches that it is futile for the lost to attempt to find God, and that’s why God sent Jesus to find the lost. God did for us what we could not do for ourselves (Romans 5:8). Even when we do not even realize we are lost, He knows our condition. So the Son of God left heaven to find us and bring us home (Philippians 2:5–8; Matthew 18:11; John 3:16–18).
We are born lost because we have a sin nature inherited from our first parents (Genesis 3) that drives us to rebel against our Shepherd (Romans 3:23). We were created to be at home with Him, walking in harmony and obedience. But because of our sin, we are lost (Isaiah 59:2). The gulf between us and God is impossible for us to bridge, and we cannot find our way back into His presence. Spiritually lost people are bound by their sin and condemned to hell (Luke 12:5; Romans 6:23). But when the lost place their trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, a bridge opens up before them. Because of God’s mercy and love, the lost can come home (1 Peter 2:25).
Every human being is either lost or found. We all belong to one of those two categories. The first step in becoming found is to admit that we are lost. We agree with God that our sin deserves punishment, and we acknowledge that the punishment Jesus suffered was sufficient to pay for it. We humbly receive that gift through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). In a divine exchange, God transfers our sin to the cross and transfers Christ’s righteousness to our account (Colossians 2:14). We then enter into a new relationship with God as His own beloved children. We are no longer lost. We have been found, forgiven, and given a fresh start (2 Corinthians 5:17). That’s why Christians can joyfully sing, “I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.”
Abba Father, thank You that in Christ all things are made new. Thank You that in Christ, old things have passed away, and I have been made a new creation, in HIM. Help me to truly understand that this amazing truth is not only something for the future but something that took place the moment I believed in Christ as Savior. I pray that I may come to a deeper understanding of what it is to be a part of a new, and heavenly creation in Christ, in His name I pray, AMEN… Be blessed everyone.
