Loving the Lost

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 1 Corinthians 9:22

Who are the lost? In our culture, we think of the lost as those who are in need of something physical or emotional. Those who are going through something that causes great pain. We look at those who are suffering, or those who are causing suffer, but what about those who seem to have their life together, the person who is financially, mentally, and emotionally fit? Are those people anymore lost than the homeless person, or the person going through an emotional ordeal? We tend to look at the outside to see a person spiritual condition, but anyone who has not accepted Christ as Lord and Savior is lost. Even if they have a wonderful life here on earth, or just because they go to church every week doesn’t make them saved either. It comes down to one question, “do we have a love for the lost?” Do we have enough love for them to share what Christ has done for them.  

Penn Jillette, said this about those who don’t evangelize, “How much do you have to hate someone to really believe that they are in eternal danger and just keep your mouth shut for the sake of social convenience.” Penn is an atheist, and he said this after a sincere Christian gave him a bible after one of his shows. I wonder how many people are atheists, not because they don’t believe in God, but by how they have been treated by Christians in the past. I think about the places I have worked at in the past. The Christians spend their time together, looking down on the non-Christians, judging them, instead of reaching out to them. It’s sad that an atheist convicts us to evangelize, and move past our social convenient life.

What would happen if we had a passion for the lost as Paul had in Romans 9:1-4a? “I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit--I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.” How would our desire to reach out to those who don’t know Christ change? We look at our churches and say how they are growing, buy Barna reports that three-fourths of church growth is membership transfers. That means three-fourths of church growth is Christians moving from one church to another. It also means that only one-fourth are new Christians. Do we really consider what will happen to our family members, neighbors, friends, co-workers who don’t know Christ? We live in a nation that focuses more on material possessions, than spiritual possessions. Read the section of Scripture below to help better understand what will happen to those who are separated from God.

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" Luke 16:19-31

What is the responsibility of the Christian? What have we been commanded to do with our lives? The answer is in Matthew 28:19-20. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Paul, in Acts 26:18 was given this charge to him by Christ, “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'” Are we any different than Paul, have we not been given the great commission to preach the gospel to all?

But we must always keep in mind that our eyes need to be focused on Christ to live out this command. If we try it on our own, we will fail, if we try it by the plan of man, we will fail. We can only accomplish this by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must rely on Him, we must look to Him, and we must go to God in prayer to show us how to live it out. Loving those near us can be easy at times, but loving the lost can be hard. They don’t live like us, and so we shy away from them at times. We need to live like Paul, who loved those who were cut off, who didn’t have a Savior and Lord. And so we must cultivate a love for those in our lives who don’t know the Gospel. To remember what is in their future if they don’t accept Christ. “What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it. Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.” 1 Corinthians 9:18-21