LOOK AND LIVE - FOREVER
by Ed Stevens
Serpents and their poisonous bites are symbolic of sin and death. In Moses' day, the people of Israel were bitten by many poisonous serpents coming upon them. They asked God through Moses that He would "take away" the serpents. He did better. He not only took them away but also had Moses hang on a pole a serpent made of brass and said, "It shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live." And so it was "that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent he lived." (Numbers 21:7-9)
According to God's Word the whole Adamic race is in a dying condition because of the poisonous bite of sin. Besides personal sin there is the inherited virus of Adam's original sin (see Romans 5:14-21). "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Rom. 3:23). In infinite mercy God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this world to "take away" sin and to save sinners. John, His forerunner cried, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world", (John 1:29) The Lord Jesus Himself said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life". He also said, "If ye believe not that I am He ye shall die in your sins". (John 13:14,15; 8:24)
Praise God, it is just a look and not a life of behavior that saves a soul! Just as in Moses's day, by God's mercy and grace, one had but to look at the brazen serpent (a former type of Christ being judged on the cross for our sins and in our place) to be healed and to live physically, so now if we will but hear and look with an eye of faith on the crucified, risen and ascended Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall have instantly everlasting life. Hear it from God's own Word:—
"The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. 6:23) It can be yours right now, reader—everlasting salvation in eternal life! What a joy and comfort!
"God hath made Him (His Son) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." (II Cor. 5:21)
Jesus Christ "His own self bare our sins in His own body on the cross that we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed." (I Peter 2:24)
Physical healing, complete and permanent, is coming for all believers only at their resurrection or rapture when Christ returns. (Eph. 1:13, 14; Phil. 3:20, 21; I John 3:2; I Cor. 15:51-53)
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel . . . wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved . . . For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures; and that He was seen (of witnesses) . . . " (I Cor. 15:1-6)
"Verily, verily, [truly, truly] I say unto you, he that heareth my Word and believeth Him that sent me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but is passed [immediately] out of death into life." (John 5:24, R.V.)
`For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians, 2:8-10) Please notice, good works do not produce everlasting life but flow from such life in the power of the indwelling Christ.
Have you, dear reader, taken God at His Word and believed on Jesus Christ as your personal Savior by that look of faith in Him? There is no need to wait; there is nothing to do in works such as joining "a church of your choice", get baptized, etc., to be saved. Salvation is instantaneous, in which moment the Lord adds the newly saved to His one Church composed of every believer on earth. (Acts 2:47; 5:14; I Cor. 6:17; 12:13; Eph. 4:4)
Remember, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him." (John 3:36) "We pray you in Christ's stead," look to Jesus Christ now and live, yes, forever.
There will be no second chance after death!
"When a wicked man dieth his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth." "He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy."
"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (Prov. 11:7; 29:1; II Cor. 6:2)