Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

LOOKING TO A SNAKE?

April 15, 2010

What do you have to do to be saved? That simple question has caused any number of theological wars. "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ," we say. Yeah, of course. But what does that look like?

 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.
---John 3:14,15 NRS

 Belief is a verb, an action more than a feeling or a state of mind. Jesus tells Nicodemus what that verb, action looks like. He says, "Nicodemus, don't you remember when the Israelites whined and griped about God's failure to care for them, and how Moses had led them astray? Yet when they started dying in the wilderness, God instructed Moses to hold up the snake on the stick. And when they did, they were spared death; they were saved. Remember that, Nicodemus?"

Jesus teaches us about what belief looks like, what it looks like to be saved? It's less about proper belief, and doctrine, but it's like looking to a snake. But in this case it's looking to a savior lifted up on a cross. It's keeping our eyes fixed upon Christ...and you will be saved.
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson