What does the Bible say about being lost?

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

• Psalms 91:11

  For he will give his angels charge over you, To guard you in all your ways.

• 1 Peter 5:8

  Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

• Hebrews 11:6

  Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.

• Isaiah 41:10

  Don't you be afraid, for I am with you; don't be dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

• Luke 15:1-32

  [1] Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear him. [2] The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them." [3] He told them this parable. [4] "Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn't leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? [5] When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing. [6] 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 even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance. [8] Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn't light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it? [9] When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost.' [10] Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting." [11] He said, "A certain man had two sons. [12] The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of your property.' He divided his livelihood between them. [13] Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. [14] When he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need. [15] He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. [16] He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. [17] But when he came to himself he said, 'How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I'm dying with hunger! [18] I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. [19] I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants."' [20] "He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. [21] The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' [22] "But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. [23] Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate; [24] for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.' They began to celebrate. [25] "Now his elder son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing. [26] He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on. [27] He said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.' [28] But he was angry, and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him. [29] But he answered his father, 'Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. [30] But when this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.' [31] "He said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. [32] But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.'"

• Ephesians 2:8-9

  [8] for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, [9] not of works, that no one would boast.

• 2 Timothy 4:17

  But the Lord stood by me, and strengthened me, that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

• Luke 19:10

  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost."

• Psalms 28:6

  Blessed be Yahweh, Because he has heard the voice of my petitions.

• Romans 6:1-23

  [1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? [2] May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? [3] Or don't you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? [4] We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; [6] knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. [7] For he who has died has been freed from sin. [8] But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him; [9] knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him! [10] For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. [11] Thus also consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. [12] Therefore don't let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. [13] Neither present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. [14] For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace. [15] What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be! [16] Don't you know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? [17] But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto you were delivered. [18] Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness. [19] I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification. [20] For when you were servants of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. [21] What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. [22] But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life. [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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