How Do You Know If You Are Lost?

"Joey, Joey, has anyone seen my son?" This was the cry of a frantic mom looking for her lost son. I know from personal experience the panic and fear that can overtake you when you lose sight of your little one. Unfortunately, grown-ups can also become lost.

How We Can Get Lost

We must all know Satan's playground is the world until Jesus returns. However, he is not all-powerful, so he uses our flesh desires to entice us into sin and keep us blind to Christ's truth. 

The God of this world (Satan) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 

– 2 Cor. 4:4, NASB95

If we do not grow up learning God's truth from the Bible, we are unaware of the devil's tactics and unprepared to recognize lies or triumph over temptation. If we have not repented of our sins, accepted salvation, been baptized, and learned to work and walk with Jesus daily, we have no power over sin.

The world's ways tell us to be self-focused and to give in to every thought, word, or desire that we think would make us feel good, regardless of the cost to others. However, trying to fill our hearts and souls with sinful fleshly desires only leaves us empty of true love, joy, peace, purpose, belonging, and value. Why are there so many addicted people, murder, rape, abuse, human trafficking, bullying, and suicide if imperfect people could fulfill all these needs on their own? 

Hundreds of the world's most successful or famous people have been found alone and dead because of an overdose or suicide. These people were lost even though they seemed to have everything. The question is, did they know they were lost, or did they choose to remain lost? Let's look at these two categories of being lost.

Lost Because We Are Unaware of God's Truth and Christ's Salvation

The earth is under the influence of the devil's schemes and plans. He knows there are only two eternal endings for every person, heaven or hell. Satan's goal is to get as many people away from seeking, believing, or following God. He doesn't care about people's eternal souls; he just wants to get them away from God.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 

– John 10:10, NASB95

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 

– 1 Peter 5:8, NASB95

When you don't know God's truth and Christ's salvation, you are bombarded with temptations to indulge in sinful flesh desires of every kind. Just like a lost child found in the middle of a toy aisle overwhelmed, we can find ourselves lost and overwhelmed in a candy store of sin. Sin may seem like a great idea, experience, or reward at first, but we all know the guilt, shame, destruction, loss, imprisonment, and emptiness we feel. The endless abyss of sin can never be quenched. However, sin will erode and devour our minds, hearts, and souls. Unless we are found in Christ, our soul will remain lost for all eternity in hell.

Even if you are an unbeliever, most people know when they do something immoral. God knit our awareness into our DNA, but we must learn and obey his truth. Once we find Jesus and walk with him daily, he never leaves us. However, we can choose to get lost again, but we are no longer unaware.

Lost Because We Believe We Are Beyond Saving

Many people follow the world's advice to strive and become whatever they want to be. They have embarked on careers or adventures only to find themselves imprisoned to addictions, porn, sex trafficked, prostitution, or other devastating lifestyles. Now that they are living in the darkness of these sins or circumstances, many people do not believe they are worthy of being saved, or if it is even possible. However, Jesus tells us.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor: He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed.

– Luke 4:18, NASB95

Lost Because We Choose Sin Instead of God

Some people choose to stay lost in their sin because they believe the lies of Satan. They believe all they have is today, so they deserve to live however they choose, no matter the cost to themselves or others. Scripture says.

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. 

– 2 Tim. 3:2-5, NASB95 

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

– Gal. 5:19-21, NASB95

Their life focuses on themselves or proving they are good to the world. However, neither of these paths will save their soul for eternity. People choosing to live in sin or without following God ignore their eternal reality and the consequences of an eternity in heaven or hell.

The Realities of Being Lost and Separated from God

For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. 

– Matt. 7:14, NASB95

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.' 

– Matt. 7:21-23, NASB

Strong's Bible Concordance adheres to the real meaning of the word, lawlessness, as "everyone that doeth sin (a practice, not the committal of an act) doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness." This definition of sin sets forth its essential character as the rejection of the law, or will, of God and the substitution of the will of self. Only we can choose to seek Jesus and accept his salvation. Jesus gives us a picture of his longing to find his sheep. 

So He told them this parable, saying, 4 "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' 7 I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 

– Luke 15:3-7, NASB 

Jesus is waiting for you to call on him. He knows where you are, and he loves you just as you are. Let him find you and lead you into his loving arms now and for all eternity!