Christ
Jesus came to save the lost;
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TO SAVE the lost, and nothing less,
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to save THE LOST, and nothing more.
So, who are THE LOST?
The
word lost implies ownership, the "lost" has an owner. That which does
not have an owner can not be said to be lost, to be separated from the owner.
Only that which is separated from its owner can be said to be lost.
Christ
came to save that which belongs to Him, i.e., His own, those chosen and given
to Christ by God the Father, those that belong to Him. They are His but are
separated from Him because of sins, that is, lost. Christ came to save HIS
people, every one of them among every tribe, nation, and tongue.
"And
she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall
save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21.
He
SAVED HIS PEOPLE from their sins. What did Jesus do to save His people? He
lived the life they cannot live, and died the death they deserved. He lived the
life of perfect obedience to all the laws of God in the stead of His people,
thus securing the righteousness necessary for their justification before God;
He bore all the sins of all His people and died the cursed death they deserved,
took the full penalty of theirs sins snd suffered the hell of being forsaken by
God His Father. He paid the wages of their sins and suffered the full wrath. He
conquered death in His resurrection from the dead. He gives eternal life to as
many as were given to Him to redeem. He shall return to glorify each one of them.
He
SAVED and saved His people to the uttermost. That's the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
"As
thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as
many as thou hast given him." John 17:2.
"As
many as" means the exact number; not one more, and not one less! To each
one of them - all in their native state of sin and death - Christ freely gives
them eternal life, at God' 's own appointed time.
The
possession of this eternal life enables them to perform spiritual duties
required of them.
