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Let's
consider this great text. Let me state a few self-evident facts.
Luke 19:10
"For
the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
1.
"that which was lost" presupposes an owner.
-
the lost sheep, the lost silver coin, and the lost son, each of them belongs to
an owner.
-
Jesus came to seek and to save that which belongs to Him, the lost are His.
They are His possession.
-
that which was lost consists of all that God had chosen unto eternal salvation.
They are His. He has given them to
Christ to redeem.
-
John 17:10 "And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified
in them."
2.
"that which was lost" became separated from its owner.
-
The lost sheep, the lost silver oin and the lost son have all become
separated from their respective owners.
-
all those whom God had elected and given to Jesus had become separated from God
because of sin.
-
Sin has alienated the elect from God. Christ came to seek and to save them, to
reconcile and restore them to God who had chosen them.
3.
"that which was lost" is completely impotent to deliver themselves
from their lost estate. The Owner must actively seek for them and to save them.
There is no other hope.
-
of the lost, "none seekest after God."
-
the lost is in enmity against the Owner
-
the lost is dead in trespasses and sins
-
the lost is under helpless captivity.
The
lost are as lost as could be. Their only hope lies in the Son of Man coming to
seek for them and to save them.
4.
The Son of Man did seek and did save all that belonged to Him. He declared
triumphantly, "It is finished." The grand mission of seeking and
saving the lost is fully accomplished.
-
He rendered complete and perfect obedience to all the laws of God on behalf of
His own, thus securing the righteousness needed for their acceptance with the
thrice Holy God.
-
He suffered and endured the curse of death when He bore the sins of all His
people; He paid the wages of the sins of His people.
-
He was separated and forsaken by God on their behalf; He secured the full
pardon for all the sins of all His people.
-
He roses triumphantly from the dead, conquering death for His people.
5.
Based solely on His righteousness and blood, God freely justify each elect, the Spirit of God regenerates each
one of Christ's redeemed, the Father adopts each, thus perfectly fitting them for eternal glory.
-
The glorified Son of God ordained the gospel ministry to declare the glorious
news of what God has done in and through Him to save all those whom God the
Father has chosen and given to Him, calling them to believe the truth of their
salvation by the free and sovereign grace of God.
What the Father had purposed, the Son executed
and accomplished; what the Son accomplished, the Spirit of God applies to each
of Christ's redeemed at God's appointed time (i.e. effectually calling each one out of his native state of sin and death to that of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ) turning the lost into the
children of God.
That's
the gospel.
