Found by Him a sinner (Mat 13:44).
Found in Him a saint (Phl 3:9).
Found of Him a servant (2Pe 3:14).
1. Found by Him a sinner. This reminds us what we were, and what we are in ourselves. When He found us we were guilty (Lev 6:5, margin) because we had sinned; He found us as the woman did the piece of silver, dead and helpless (Luk 15:9); He found us as the shepherd did the sheep, far away from God, and unable to get back (Luk 15:4-6); He found us in a desert place, that is, in the world (Deu 32:10); He found us asleep, unconscious of the danger we were in (Mat 26:43); He found us like the fig tree, when He looked for fruit, nothing but leaves (Mat 21:19). But blessed be His name, He found us and brought us to Himself, and we are precious to Him, as the treasure was to the man who found it in the field.
2. Found in Him a saint. This reminds us of what we are, that is being in Christ, we are sanctified, accepted, and complete in Him; but it also reminds us that being in Him, as a stone in the building, as a member of His body, as a branch in the vine, the outward fact of this will be seen by the very life of Christ being manifested in our life.
3. Found of Him a servant. This reminds us of Him as the coming Lord (see Luk 19:13) when He returns to reward His servants for work done for Him. How careful we should be as to the material we are building upon the foundation, and see to it that we are not building the wood of man's intellect, the hay of that which is pleasing to the imagination of the fleshly man, or the stubble of nothingness, giving no food to those to whom we go; but be careful that we are building on the foundation, the gold of divine righteousness, the silver of the atonement, and the precious stones of the glory, for our work will be tried as to its quality, not its quantity. If not successful, may we be faithful servants—faithful in walk and work—then we shall receive the Master's "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."