Only Two Categories

The Lord has only two categories, those who are lost and those who are saved.

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).

These two categories are those who are perishing and those who have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).

That is, it! There are no other categories.

We like to organize our world by using categories and sometimes include subcategories. This is very useful in many ways. I organize files on my computers by putting them in folders (categories). Then I often create folders to hold more folders. This is all very helpful. Stores organize their products in categories and this is very helpful for shoppers. So, categories are not the problem.

However, trying to create new or additional categories when there are no other categories is a problem.

The category of those who are saved and have eternal life is identified in several ways in the New Testament.

Those who are saved and have eternal life category are identified as citizens of the Kingdom of God.

encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory (1 Thessalonians 2:12).

Those who are in the saved and have eternal life category are identified as the children of God.

 So, in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith (Galatians 3:26).

Those who are in the saved and have eternal life category are identified as the Lord’s sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep (John 10:14-15).

Those who are in the saved and have eternal life category are identified as part of the body of Christ.

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others (Romans 12:4-5).

Those who are in the saved and have eternal life category are identified as joint heirs with Christ.

 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory (Romans 8:17).

Those who are in the saved and have eternal life category in the time of the writing of the New Testament wanted to divide the category but this is not the way it was supposed to be. This is a problem. There was a tendency to divide up into subcategories with some members of these subcategories having more value than others.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).

If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? (James 2:3-5).

I want to make two points.

First point: The Lord is not a respecter of persons. Jesus does not have favorites. The Lord deals with people as individuals. He sees each one individually. This is very personal. Among those who are in the saved and have eternal life category, each one is important and each one is treated like all the others.

No special treatment in the Lord’s evaluation and judgment.

And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So, you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents (1 Peter 1:17 NLT).

Peter realized that the gospel was not for the Jews only but also the Gentiles.

Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right (Acts 10:34-35).

While Jesus was here on earth the Jewish community and religious leaders actively divided the people into categories. There were those who were “in” and those who were “out”. There were those who were considered “righteous” and those who were considered “sinners”. The Jewish religious crowd considered themselves as the “righteous” ones and were very critical of Jesus because He associated with “sinners”.  

This example comes from the time Jesus was having dinner with Levi who was the disciple, Matthew, and who was author of the Gospel of Matthew.

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mark 2:15-16).

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17).

This example comes from the time Jesus was having dinner with Zacchaeus. Here is the story.

When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So, he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now, I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:5-10).

In an attempt to trap Jesus, the religious leaders acknowledge that Jesus was not a respecter of persons and did not have favorites.

They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? (Mark 12:14).

My conclusion is that despite the tendency of people, to want to make subcategories God does not. The Lord has only two categories, those who are lost and those who are saved. These two categories are those who are perishing and those who have eternal life.

Paul summed the way of the Lord up this way.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you.  Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NLT).

Second point: Every person started their life in the category of those who are lost and who are perishing. God is holy and sinless. Therefore, to be His, the problem of sin had to be addressed.

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned (Romans 5:12 NLT).

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10).

Therefore, the obvious and pertinent question is how does a person move from those who are in the lost and who are perishing category to those who are in the saved and who have eternal life category?

Enter the good news of the Gospel. Jesus died for those who are in the lost and who are perishing category. This is repeatedly declared in the New Testament.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6).

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18 NLT).

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also, Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him (Hebrews 9:27-28 NLT).

That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant (Hebrews 9:15).

How does the transaction of moving from the category of those who are in the lost and who are perishing to the category of those who are in the saved and who have eternal life?

This is what Jesus told Nicodemus. 

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3).

Jesus explained.

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8).

Further explanation:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son (John 3:17-18).

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them (John 3:36).

What does the personal transaction of moving from the category of those who are in the lost and who are perishing to the category of those who are in the saved and who have eternal life look like?

The Apostle Paul states the transaction very clearly.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).

The transaction of moving from the category of those who are in the lost and who are perishing to the category of those who are in the saved and who have eternal life results in a new creation.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT).

…May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins (Colossians 1:12-14 NLT).

What do those who are in the saved and who have eternal life category do while still here on earth? These verses provide a partial list.

If you love me, obey my commandments (John 14:15 NLT).

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9).

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2 NLT).

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us (1 Peter 2:12).

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us (1 John 4:7-12).

We love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19).

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome (1 Corinthians 5:3).

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).

Jesus gave this warning and encouragement.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33).

Jesus gave this assignment to those who are in the saved and who have eternal life category.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”(Matthew 28:19-20).

Notice Jesus encourages with the words: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me and surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

What is Jesus doing in the meantime?

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am (John 14:1-3).

Conclusion: The Lord has only two categories of people. Which category are you in?

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