Topical Bible: The Love of Christ: Manifested in His: Coming to Seek the Lost

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The love of Christ is a central theme in Christian theology, profoundly demonstrated through His mission to seek and save the lost. This divine love is not merely an abstract concept but is vividly illustrated through Christ's incarnation, ministry, and sacrificial death. The Berean Standard Bible provides several passages that highlight this aspect of Christ's love.

Incarnation and Mission

The incarnation of Christ is the ultimate expression of divine love, as God took on human form to dwell among His creation. In Luke 19:10 , Jesus declares, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." This statement encapsulates His mission and underscores the purpose of His coming. The love of Christ is proactive, reaching out to those who are spiritually lost and in need of salvation.

Parables of the Lost

Jesus often used parables to illustrate His mission to seek the lost. In the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7), He describes a shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to find the one that is lost. This parable reflects the personal and sacrificial nature of Christ's love, emphasizing that every individual is precious in His sight. Similarly, the Parable of the Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10) and the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) further illustrate the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, highlighting the relentless pursuit of Christ's love.

Engagement with Sinners

Christ's love is also evident in His interactions with those marginalized by society. He often associated with tax collectors, sinners, and outcasts, demonstrating that His love transcends social and cultural barriers. In Mark 2:17 , Jesus states, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." This declaration reveals His commitment to reaching those who are spiritually needy, offering them hope and redemption.

Sacrificial Love

The ultimate manifestation of Christ's love is found in His sacrificial death on the cross. In John 15:13 , Jesus says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." His willingness to suffer and die for humanity's sins is the pinnacle of His love, providing a way for the lost to be reconciled with God. This sacrificial act is the foundation of Christian faith, demonstrating that Christ's love is both redemptive and transformative.

Conclusion

The love of Christ, as manifested in His coming to seek the lost, is a profound testament to His divine nature and mission. Through His incarnation, teachings, interactions, and ultimate sacrifice, Christ exemplifies a love that is both personal and universal, offering salvation to all who believe.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 19:10
For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Lord's Prayer.
... Christ's glory here upon the earth is manifested by his ... may "keep them through his
name," or power and love. ... ambitions, but in order to do Christ's work they ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the lords prayer.htm

The End of Christ's Coming
... is only in and by the Son of his love that he ... 2. How the Son of God was manifested
to our ... of Dr. Watts concerning "the glorious humanity of Christ," which he ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 62 the end of.htm

The Foreshadowing of the Cross
... The self-sacrifice, the sympathy, the love, manifested in the life of Christ are
to reappear in the life ... "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 45 the foreshadowing of.htm

Christ and his Captors
... beginning as the necessary end, made necessary by His love. ... He was manifested as
the Lord of death, having its ... question, if it be true that Christ died because ...
/.../christ and his captors.htm

Barriers Broken Down
... They manifested unbelief and bitterness, and refused the salvation ... led her to doubt,
she trusted the Saviour's love. ... a partaker of the promise in Christ by the ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 43 barriers broken down.htm

Sermon.
... the constraining power and efficacy of the love of Christ ... For this end Christ came
into the world, "for this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that he ...
/.../penn/a sermon preached at the quakers meeting house/sermon.htm

The Last Journey from Galilee
... For every favor manifested toward Him, He requited a more precious grace. ... down to
the deepest motives of conduct as a sense of the pardoning love of Christ. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 53 the last journey.htm

The Lost Sheep.
... When I habitually realize not only that Christ will keep ... his happiness and its cause;
he manifested his joy in ... a sinner by the power of his love, and brought ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/xxii the lost sheep.htm

John the Beloved
... to become like Jesus, and under the transforming influence of the love of Christ
he did ... He says, "The life was manifested, and we have seen it." "And of His ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 53 john the beloved.htm

Love
... will love God, until first of all God has manifested his love towards him. ... known
many Christians who have forgotten much of their love to Christ when they ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/love.htm