“Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” – Luke 15:7
It’s incredibly easy to underestimate the joy and priority God places on the salvation of the lost! In Christian life, we often get focused on our own needs, our growth, and the affairs of our particular church or ministry. These are good and important things, but they can easily crowd out the spread of the Gospel – by us personally and by our churches. And yet, that’s our most fundamental task!
In our pursuit of good and important things for those who are already saved, we must never forget, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus Himself left behind crowds with legitimate needs to prioritize His saving message of repentance. The sharing of the good news of Jesus Christ, the work of planting gospel seeds, watering them over time, and serving in the harvest fields must take priority in our lives and churches.
We get excited when someone we know and care about puts his or her trust in Christ. We get excited when someone we don’t know puts his or her trust in Christ. However, our delight and celebration is nothing compared to God’s! God knows each person perfectly and cares profoundly for all. His love and desire is for each person carefully crafted in His image to repent and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. God’s joy and celebration when one who was lost turns to Him and is reconciled through Christ’s work on the cross is unimaginably wonderful. As His people, let us always remember God’s joy and prioritize the important task and privilege Christ has given us to bear witness to Him!