12/12/25 Weekly Bible Lesson: Safe and Secure

Luke 15:3-7; Romans 5:6-10 

Background of Text — As we read today’s lesson passages, we can gain assurance in the fact that, spiritually speaking, the Provider and Protector of our souls desires for us to be safe and secure in the lives we are trying to live for Him.  

How do we address the passages of Luke 15 and Romans 5 so that they complement each other?

Let’s begin by pointing out that the entire chapter of Luke 15 is just one parable. I believe we cut the totality of the message short by dicing the text up into three separate parables. However, for the sake of this lesson, we will portion out only the first “Lost is Found” to be discussed. 

The shepherd and the Savior are both about salvaging the lost.

The first thing we need to understand about this parable is that Jesus is talking to the Pharisees of Israel, and they are represented by the shepherds. Jesus, as He tells this parable, wants the shepherds to realize that one hundred is a large number. With the flock only being ninety-nine in number, it is incomplete. Maybe this is in reference to the Gentiles that will become a part of the church later, or just simply that some of the sheep of Israel have become scattered. Either way, the simple fact is that the Lord is patiently waiting for all to come to repentance and be gathered once again. 

The second thing is, in the Roman text, the Savior is Christ. The concept of bringing the lost back into a state of safety should be the goal. The shepherd left the ninety-nine in the safety and security of each other to find the one that he had lost. The shepherd left the faithful together. He went after the one who was lost. This indicates to us that every soul matters. Keep the saved, saved. Go out and bring back the lost when necessary. 

The lost do not even realize the state they are in.

Often, those who are in trouble or in harm’s way do not immediately realize the dire situation they are in. The response of care and concern of the shepherd benefits the sheep that had been lost. The one lost sheep was separated from the rest of the flock. The text reads that the shepherd had lost it. I have heard many say the sheep left and wandered away. The text does not say that. 

At times, sheep become lost or separated because they fail to move with the rest of the flock. Some Christians are this way; they may become lost, left behind, or even separated from the group because they do not follow when the Shepherd (Jesus) or the shepherds (elders) lead. The sheep, lost in the wilderness of life, might be seeking a way home, but it has no idea which way to go. The wickedness of the world many times blinds or misleads us, and we remain lost until we are sought out by a shepherd. The church elders have a responsibility to seek out lost sheep. They ought to look for and bring back the lost ones of the flock. In the parable, the shepherd literally picks up the lost one and carries it home. Even though the elder might want to do this at times, it is not recommended. However, the thought is implied. 

In the same way, we have the love of the Savior that benefits us, even before we realize our need. The Savior left the glory and splendor of heaven to die for the ungodly. The shepherd searched until he found. Christ died so that we might live, and He lives, so that we might never die. We should be very grateful that our need was thought about and dealt with even before we came to the realization that we were lost and needed a savior. Our sin, the very sin that placed Christ on the cross, was recognized and dealt with even before we were lost because of sin. Thank God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit for their insight and forethought on how to deal with the sin of mankind, even before the fall took place in the garden. What a blessing it is that our weakness and failure were considered before we even realized our desperate and deadly position! 

Those who have been reconciled are the reason for rejoicing.

The shepherd went out and recovered just one that had been lost. The Savior died for all, but He would have died for just one. The culmination of the lost being found, the separated being saved, or the dead being resurrected are wonderful reasons for excitement and rejoicing. A great celebration should be expected and is needed when the lost are returned, or when the dead live again. 

There is much rejoicing when the lost sheep is returned. There is much rejoicing when a sinner is reunited with their Savior. Celebration is often something that eludes the church today. The church ought to be the most excited group of individuals in the world today, since we are permitted to share with the angels and with the Godhead in heaven whenever a lost soul has been saved. As Christians, we then must live a faithful life for the pleasure of our God, so one day we will settle into our home in glory and finally be safe and secure.