Within the multitude of churches in America, there are a myriad of beliefs concerning gaining entrance into Heaven after physical death – or individual Salvation from personal sin. Of these beliefs, most are rooted in one belief – that the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, the shedding of His precious, sinless blood and death, was not enough to save the individual from their sin. They believe that the individual must do something; some form of work for their salvation. Many add some type of religious work: keeping the sacraments, baptism, church membership, etc.
However, is that what the Bible, and thereby God, teaches?
While there are many Bible verses that refute these false gospels …
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
I Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”
For the purpose of this post, we will examine what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3.
Nicodemus has come to Jesus in the night to inquire, “Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.” (vs 2)
Nicodemus recognized that the man Jesus must be a “teacher come from God”, because only one sent from God could have performed the miracles Jesus had been doing.
Jesus responds with this statement, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (vs. 3)
Nicodemus misunderstands Jesus, believing that He is only speaking of physical birth, and asks, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (vs. 4)
Jesus clarifies, stating, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh (physical birth); and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (Spiritual birth).” (vss. 5-6)
Then Jesus states, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (vs. 7)
Jesus therefore, declares that in order to gain entrance into Heaven, you and I “must be born again”! It is eternally important that we understand what being “born again”, or to be born Spiritually means.
In verses 14-15, Jesus explains, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man (Jesus) be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Jesus was referencing the account in Numbers 21, where the Israelites spoke against God, and against Moses, so God brought fiery serpents as a punishment for their sin.
Numbers 21:5-9 “And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.
And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.”
There are three things that Jesus teaches by using this account as His illustration.
Mankind sins and there is consequence for sin.
The Israelites, “spake against God”, because they did not trust God to take care of them, and they were not satisfied with the “manna” God had supplied for them. This is sin.
Because of their sin, God judges them and sends fiery serpents to bite them, causing death, as a consequence of their sin – “and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.”
The Bible describes sin as the transgression of God’s law.
I John 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
Sins are “works of the flesh”, such as … “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.” (Galatians 5:19-21)
The Israelites had sinned in that they spake against God – they blasphemed!
WE ARE ALL SINNERS!
Romans 3:10-12 “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
God will hold us accountable for our sin, just as He did with the Israelites.
Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
Romans 6:23a “For the wages of sin is death;”
Revelation 21:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
God’s Love provides salvation.
Once the people recognized and took responsibility for their personal sin, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD”, God graciously provided deliverance, or salvation, from the death caused by the bite of the serpents, “And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.”
God’s salvation is perfectly pictured in the fiery brass serpent Moses was to make and place on a pole.
The Brass symbolized God’s judgment for man’s sin. All men will face the righteous, just judgment of God for their person sin.
The Serpent symbolized man’s sin. Its bite caused death. Sin cause death … “Romans 6:23a “For the wages of sin is death …”
The Pole (Moses staff) symbolized the cross of Jesus Christ.
The message of Jesus is this … Every person sins. The penalty for sin is death spiritual death. God loves every person and provided salvation, deliverance, from the penalty of sin, through the sacrifice of His precious Son, Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary – according to the scriptures.
We MUST Repent and Believe.
God’s requirement for the Israelites was simple, “and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it (the brass serpent on the pole), shall live.”
It would take great faith to turn from looking at the serpents, trying to avoid their bite, to look to the fiery brass serpent on the pole for salvation.
It would take absolute, complete reliance upon God’s promise, according to His word, to trust that by looking to the brass serpent on the pole, salvation would be provided.
It would take complete confidence in the God of that promise – that He is able and willing to save.
Many are trusting in their own religious works to save them. You can do nothing to save yourself!
Titus 3:5-7 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
God Requires That Every Individual Repents
I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
II Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Luke 13:3 “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Acts 17:30 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”
And, God requires every individual to believe in (to look to) His Son, Jesus Christ.
John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Jesus teaches Nicodemus, as well as all of us, that salvation from sin is only found in Jesus Christ Himself.
Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
So what Must You Do to Be Saved?
Romans 10:8-10 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Will you humble yourself and pray, asking God to forgive you of your personal sin? Praying in faith that Jesus Christ is God, and what He did on the cross: the shedding of His precious blood and death, paid the penalty of your personal sin? That by rising from the dead, by His own power, Jesus conquered death for you, giving you eternal life? Thanking Him for His gift of eternal life by His grace and mercy?
We are excited to hear what you have decided. Please reach out to us at 806.372.4125, and/or visit us this Sunday!
We look forward to hearing from you.