Salvation for the Lost
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which, was lost. — Luke xix: 10.
The incarnation of Christ, his doctrine, miracles, sufferings, death, resurrection, andascensionto heaven, are topics familiar to you all. What astonishing truths’? And yet heard, O with what indifference!
Suppose, my hearers, that you had never heard this until this evening — that you were now assembled for the first time to hear this interesting story that “the son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost;” with what interest would you listen? Here I am reminded of a fact related by one of our early missionaries.
‘’As I sat in my window,” he says, “I saw the heathen assembling from all quarters — each one running with all his might, and taking the shortest course to the place of worship, to hear the wonderful story how that the son of man had come to seek and to save that which was lost. As I entered the place of worship, I found it crowded with the young, who had outstripped the aged and decrepid, that were lingering about the doors and windows. As I commenced reading the trial of our Saviour before the bar of Pilate, every eye was fixed, and every ear intent. As I advanced, the interest increased until I arrived at the passage ‘It is finished, and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.’ At this point, every individual involuntarily dropped upon his knees.”
Or suppose that it was not true that Christ had come, and that you had now assembled for the first time to learn that the whole Christian world had been under a mistake — that he had not come to our world, but had gone to some other world — that the Bible by some means had been dropped into our world — that its contents were true, but not in application to us — that Christ had gone to some other world to seek and to save that was lost. How would you now feel?
Some would doubtless cry out. Who can dwell with devouring fire? Who can dwell with everlasting burnings? It would indeed be solemn, you say; but it is not so. Christ has come to our world, and we may set our hearts at rest. But remember although Christ has come, all out of Christ are lost.
My object will be to show in what sense sinners are lost.
A thing may be lost past recovery; — or it may be lost, and afterwards found.
1. The sinner is condemned by the law. He is under sentence of death — as really so, as the criminal who has heard his sentence from the lips of his judge. “Cursed is every one who continucth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.” Should the sinner die and go to judgment as he now is, he would find himself condemned for every failure of perfect obedience to the divine law. Thus he is lost — or dead in point of law.
2. The sinner needs pardon. This is implied in what has been said under the last head; but I name it distinctly because every sinner who needs pardon, is of course condemned already; and no sinner ever did, or ever will, in earnest plead for pardon, who does not see and feel that he is lost. All those passages in the Bible which show the sinner’s need of pardon, imply that he is lost.
3. The sinner is invited to Christ for life. ‘’I am come,” said Christ, “that they might have life.” He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.” Sinners are invited to Christ that they may receive life. And Christ say, “ye will not come unto me that ye might have life?” Now it ig clear, that none but those who are under sentence of death, and are destitute of spiritual life, are invited to Christ for life. The offer of life, is proof positive that all to whom the offer is made, are lost. The gospel offer, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely,” is made to those, and those only who are spiritually dead.
4. That the sinner is lost, is evident from the inquiry, ‘’ What must I do to be saved?” Every sinner who makes this inquiry sincerely, feels that he is lost. And when the sinner comes to Christ, from that very moment he is saved. When the prodigal returned, his father said, ‘^ This my son was dead, and is alive again; — was lost, and is found.”
The occasion on which our Saviour uttered the text, reveals the same truth. He entered and passed through Jericho. AndZaccheus soughttoseehim, and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him. When Jesus came to the place, he said to him, ‘’ make haste, and come down, for to day I must abide at thy house. And he made haste and came down and received him joyfully.”
Others seeing what had taken place, murmured. But Zaccheus gave evidence of supreme attachment to Christ. He received the Saviour joyfulh’, and made ample restitution to all whom he defrauded. ‘’ And Jesus said unto him, this day is salvation come to this house, for as much as he also is a son of Abraham.” Then follow the words of the text. “For the son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost.” We here learn what our Saviour means by this declaration. He sought and found Zaccheus. And whenever a sinner comes to Christ, with equal propriety it may be said, “This day is salvation come to this house.” “For the son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Every time a sinner comes down and receives the Saviour joyfully the text is fulfilled.
But there are some who have never felt that they were lost. And what does this prove? ‘^ If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.” Their case is truly deplorable. They are lost and know it not.
Rejlections. 1. We see why it is, that sinners say so little about the Saviour. They do not feel that they are lost. ‘’ They that arc whole, need not a physician, but they thataresick. And Christcame not tocallthe righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
2. We learn from this subject why ministers preach the gospel. Although Christ has come and laid down his life for sinners, they all with one consent, refuse to come to him for pardon and eternal life. The business of ministers is to show them their lost condition, and to urge them to come to Christ for life. This is the reason why Paul, and the other apostles preached the gospel to sinners; — and this is the reason why missionaries are sent into all parts of the world to proclaim the gospel.
3. We learn what is the genuine effect of a preached gospel. Sinners begin to feel that they are lost, and to enquire what they must do to be saved. Until this is the case, no sinner will come to Christ. So it was under the preaching of Peter. His hearers were first pricked in the heart, and then like Zaccheus, they received the word gladly. And thus it is now wherever the gospel is preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.
4. Were sinners in this house to realize their true condition they would immediately begin to inquire what they must do to be saved.
There is one other sense in which the sinner is lost. He is wandering farther and farther from God. Were you lost in a natural sense, would you not cry for help? I will here mention a fact related by Burder.
“It was in the dead of a cold winter’s night, when the snow fell thick and heavy, that a gentleman was awaked by the sound of a human voice. He arose and lifted the window, and heard distinctly uttered, in a piteous tone, these words, lost, lost, lost. It was a child who had been sent on an errand and lost his way. He discovered his danger, and cried for help, and happy for him, he was found.” But (his is nothing in comparison with the state of the sinner. He is lost in a sense infinitely more solemn; and God has sent his messengers to call “turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die.”
Let it ring in your ears when you go from this place, and through the silent watches of the night, when you awake in the morning, and through the day at every turn, LOST — LOST — LOST — until you come to Christ.
But should you not wake to see the light of the morning, where are you? You will then feel what was intimated at the commencement of this discourse. You will wake up, in that world where Christ never died for sinners, in awful despair. Alas! you will say, this is the world of despair, where the gospel was never proclaimed. Christ never came to this world to seek and to save that which was lost; hut to yonder world whence I came. You may feel all this before to-morrow’s light shall dawn. 0 how solemn.
•’ In vain for mercy now they cry,
In lakes of liquid fire they lie;
There on the flaming billows tost»
Forever, 0 forever lost.”