Loving the lost
Do we love like Jesus does, without compromising Truth?
My truthful answer, "we could do better."
If you love the Lord and if you love others, as the greatest commandment of all tells us to do (Luke 10:27), you will also love the lost. It will be a natural by-product, produced only because of the Holy Spirit.
On 'loving the lost,' I have been focusing on Luke's gospel, chapter 16, verses 19-31 - specifically verse 28, in my recent studies. The tragic story of this rich man who lifted up his eyes in hell. There is a 'cry' within this chapter, that I believe more than just this rich man cried from hell.
We need to be reading God's Word, meditating on it, praying about it, else you will not hear this cry. If you're not opening yourself up to the means of hearing it, but apart from that, ultimately this hearing of the cry from hell is regulated and is equal, to your love as a Christian. It will be regulated by your love for the Lord. The more you love the Lord the more you will love the lost.
19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."
I think about the word 'send', the rich man in hell said to Abraham: 'Abraham, send Lazarus, send, send him to my brothers'. In verse 28 the second word that I notice is the word 'lest'. The first word 'send' someone to my brothers, the second word 'lest' they come to this place of torment.
One thing I pray, is that the Holy Spirit would burn on my heart and your heart today those two words; for those two words, I believe, are the cry from hell from every unsaved person, who has ever ended up there, due to their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ and their sins against a Holy God.
How do we love the lost like Jesus, without compromising Truth?
Matthew 5:46" For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?"
It takes the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer, to be able to love those who hate you and would spit upon your face. And the simple fact is the world is going to hate you for speaking the Truth; if not, I would question if you are doing something wrong. Now do not get me wrong, we should not go out of our way, to intentionally offend, but the Truth will offend. Everywhere the apostle Paul went, there was either a revival or the people wanted to kill him. It takes the Holy Spirit, to be able to "love your neighbor as yourself" and honor God, with your thoughts and actions towards unbelievers. To love the lost, you need to love them with Christ's heart. Do we have any compassion? That compassion will outflow itself in what used to be called - 'travail' for souls, or 'agony'. An 'anguish' for souls.
Do judge with righteous judgment (John 7:24) all while "speaking the truth in love." (Ephesians 4:15). People are already condemned to Hell, and while I cannot know the heart of people, we can examine their "fruits," and present the Law, to show them their need of the Savior Jesus (Galations 3:24).
Do not be hypocritical in your speech. Speak one way, and act another way.
Matthew 7:4-5/ "Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
1 Peter 2:1-3/ "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."
Any form of name-calling is forbidden by God's Word. "Speak evil of no one" (Titus 3:2).
If we follow the pattern, after God's Word in just the few verses I have posted, we will Love the lost properly; not perfectly, but Christ will transform us to Love like HE does. To Love even those who hate us and hate the Truth.
"..it hated Me before it hated you."
John 15:18-21 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me."
Luke 18:10-14/ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
I have heard it said, "If we truly have the Cross of Christ, engraved upon our heart, we will not be able to boast in how "wonderful" we are; only in Christ." All other boasting is evil (James 4:16-17). Our heart should reflect that of Christ Jesus, such as in the example of tax collector and the sinner in Luke chapter 18. Who does God have mercy on? The one who humbles himself before God.
I have been recently grieved that we are not showing forth the heart of Christ to the lost. I know there are no perfect churches, there will never be a perfect Church.
"If you ever find a perfect church, don’t let me join it, because it won’t be perfect anymore!" -unknown
"We don't believe in a feelings-based Christianity, may God deliver us from a feeling-less faith. Love is an action verb. Do we love the lost like Jesus?" -unknown
The battle today, for the Christian is the battle for the heart. Do you hear that cry from Hell? Is so, what are you going to do about it? Learn how to present the Gospel Biblically, with Love and Mercy, 'The Way of the Master'.
James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
But gives grace to the humble.”
"Grace unmeasured, vast and free
That knew me from eternity
That called me out before my birth
To bring You glory on this earth
Grace amazing, pure and deep
That saw me in my misery
That took my curse and owned my blame
So I could bear Your righteous name
Grace paid for my sins
And brought me to life
Grace clothes me with power
To do what is right
Grace will lead me to heaven
Where I'll see Your face
And never cease
To thank You for Your grace
Grace abounding, strong and true
That makes me long to be like You
That turns me from my selfish pride
To love the cross on which You died
Grace unending all my days
You'll give me strength to run this race
And when my years on earth are through
The praise will all belong to You"
That knew me from eternity
That called me out before my birth
To bring You glory on this earth
Grace amazing, pure and deep
That saw me in my misery
That took my curse and owned my blame
So I could bear Your righteous name
Grace paid for my sins
And brought me to life
Grace clothes me with power
To do what is right
Grace will lead me to heaven
Where I'll see Your face
And never cease
To thank You for Your grace
Grace abounding, strong and true
That makes me long to be like You
That turns me from my selfish pride
To love the cross on which You died
Grace unending all my days
You'll give me strength to run this race
And when my years on earth are through
The praise will all belong to You"
1 Timothy 1:15 ~ This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
I'm just a Sinner Saved By Grace. I'm no better than the "worst" person, on this planet. We're all under the same judgment, apart from Christ Jesus. Christians need to realize without God's Grace we aren't any "good." As Scripture proclaims, "there is none good, no not one." (Ro.3:10) We are just as filthy as everybody else. I'm not better then anybody else, but I'm infinitely better off. I am no longer under God's wrath, I am a child of God and nothing can separate me from the Love of the Father.
We should be as these two verses so wisely proclaims. James 1:26-27/" If anyone among you[ thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."
When Christians say they are "righteous" and "holy," it is true (2 Cor.5:21) they often forget to mention, it is only because of what Jesus did on the Cross and His blood. If it were not for Christ and His resurrection, we wouldn't be pure and good. I deserve hell, without Jesus' Blood covering my sins; the only thing that makes me "good" and "right," is HIS blood, not of what I do, lest I boast in myself (Eph.2:8-9). All glory belongs to Jesus Christ alone.
That God would desire a relationship with us sinners, is mind-boggling.
I'm just a Sinner Saved By Grace. I'm no better than the "worst" person, on this planet. We're all under the same judgment, apart from Christ Jesus. Christians need to realize without God's Grace we aren't any "good." As Scripture proclaims, "there is none good, no not one." (Ro.3:10) We are just as filthy as everybody else. I'm not better then anybody else, but I'm infinitely better off. I am no longer under God's wrath, I am a child of God and nothing can separate me from the Love of the Father.
We should be as these two verses so wisely proclaims. James 1:26-27/" If anyone among you[ thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."
When Christians say they are "righteous" and "holy," it is true (2 Cor.5:21) they often forget to mention, it is only because of what Jesus did on the Cross and His blood. If it were not for Christ and His resurrection, we wouldn't be pure and good. I deserve hell, without Jesus' Blood covering my sins; the only thing that makes me "good" and "right," is HIS blood, not of what I do, lest I boast in myself (Eph.2:8-9). All glory belongs to Jesus Christ alone.
That God would desire a relationship with us sinners, is mind-boggling.
photo credit: www.truthforlife.org
Grace Is The Unearned, Undeserved Love
And Favor Of God
And Favor Of God
Christian, we should present this to a lost and dying world,
only possible through the Lord Jesus Christ.
May we long to imitate Christ,
and in doing so, we will "Love the
lost" as HE does.
May we long to imitate Christ,
and in doing so, we will "Love the
lost" as HE does.
Please check out: "You are Loved!" from a friend and
fellow blogger.
Want to find out How to be saved?
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”
― Charles H. Spurgeon
― Charles H. Spurgeon
Proverbs 11:30 "...he who wins souls is wise."
Can you hear that 'cry' from Hell?
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