Sabbath: How to be Saved
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 5:27-32; Luke 13:1-5; Matt. 22:2-14; Zech. 3:1-5; John 8:30-31; Luke 14:25-27.
Memory Text: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:14-15, NKJV).
As the Israelites were being bitten by snakes in the desert, God instructed Moses to make a bronze one and place it on a pole so that whoever was bitten could look at it and be saved.
What healing properties can a bronze snake have? None. Healing came only from God. By looking at the bronze statue, however, the Israelites demonstrated their faith in God as their only hope of life and salvation.
The Lord wanted to teach them a spiritual lesson. He transformed a symbol of death into a symbol of life. That bronze serpent was a symbol of Christ, who became the Bearer of our sins in order to save us. By faith, we can all look to Christ lifted up on the cross and find a cure from the deadly sting of the old serpent, Satan. Otherwise, we are fated to die in our sins. The Word of God expresses what should be painfully obvious: as human beings, we are sinners in need of grace. That grace has been offered to us in Christ Jesus.
This week we will look at Jesus’ teachings regarding the simple practical steps needed for salvation.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 2.
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Hi Clayton We cannot understand a verse of scriptures isolated from it’s context , you should read john 14;1-10 for the subject matter. Joh 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Rom_6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Stephen Yes salvation is always here and now , and so Adam and the righteous see had to kill a lamb, Cain brought the fruit of the ground and did not get salvation. Any one that had gone into the ark with Noah would have received salvation through faith in his message, and so was Abraham , and all the righteous up to Christ and the apostles after which the truth and and the sanctuary was trodden under foot by the little horn for 1260 years
But thank god for the reformers , from Wycliffe the morning star of the reformation and Luther to EGW who brought salvation through there message to the people. today our salvation is in the doctrine the truth and sanctuary and complying with all the requirements , The same SHALL be saved. Mat_10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Tyler 1Jn_3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. The Jews commission Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy, John said sin not, we must overcome the law of the flesh
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Not one of us can be save if we abide in the above . we must give it up . we must give up sin in all its forms
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ Lord , Our defects of character must here be repented of, and through the grace of Christ we must overcome them while probation shall last. This is the place for fitting up for the family above, A.H chapter 54.
Jn_3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
The reformers did not bring salvation. God used them to reveal present truth in each of their generations. Salvation has always been by grace though faith.
I think that salvation is in our hearts brought by the Holy Spirit. If we respond to the Holy Spirit we have the faith of Jesus that saves us--even if we do not know anything about Jesus from the Bible. He draws us from within.
This is easy to understand what the serpent represent we need to look up on the cross this is after we has believed in Christ then we will be saved.
What has intrigued me through the years is why God had Moses put a bronze serpent on the pole, why not a dove or a lamb or some other sacrificial animal that represented Christ in the sanctuary? The closest that I seem come is what Paul said in the New Testament, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21 NKJV). It also seems to reflect back on the Garden of Eden and what the serpent did there.
There also appears to be other things involved in that period of history that might have made the thing useful in the plan of redemption. When one realizes that early in the Old Testament Satan, as an antagonistic entity in the universe, was not generally conceived of at least he wasn’t in the cannon of scripture of that era. What they did know for sure is that the serpent in the garden tricked Eve into sin. Whether they really understood that it was only a front for Satan is a question.
What complicates things further is the book of Job which is perhaps the oldest literature in the Bible and probably was a story told from generation to generation. Exactly how the children of Israel related to it seems to be unknown. All we know is that it was canonized late in Old Testament history which seems to imply that they didn’t really accept it as inspired literature during the years before the Babylonian captivity. That could also explain texts such as, “I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things” (Isa 45:5-7 NKJV) that was written before the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Texts such as this present God as the only power in the universe but later on it became evident that there was another force on the side of evil that was involved in the affairs of man.
So I have asked myself if the bronze serpent was time related in its meaning. Was it something the Israelites could relate to perhaps better than we can who are oriented to the Lamb of God? If that same situation of the snakes would happen to the church today would God use a serpent or would He use something else to get the message across that He wanted His people to understand?
In the SDA Bible Commentary Vol. 1 Chapter 21, it reads,
"To punish them for their ingratitude, and complaining against God, the Lord permitted fiery serpents to bite them. they were called fiery, because their bite produced painful inflammation, and speedy death. The Israelites, up to this time, had been preserved from these serpents in the wilderness, by a continual miracle; for the wilderness through which they traveled was infested with poisonous serpents(Spiritual Gifts4a:41).
There were those who stopped to reason regarding the foolishness of looking for relief to this means. That they should be healed by looking at a piece of brass was absurd to their minds, and they said "We will not look." This decision was fatal, and all who would not accept the provision made perished.
The brazen serpent was uplifted in the wilderness that those who looked in faith might be made whole. In like manner God sends a restoring, healing message to men, calling upon them to look away from man and earthly things, and place their trust in God. He has given His people the truth with power through the Holy Spirit. He opened His Word to those who were searching and praying for truth. But when these messengers gave the truth they had received to the people, they were as unbelieving as the Israelites. Many are caviling over the truth brought to them by humble messengers(MS75,1899).
How can I be saved? An excellent question! A lot better question then, what must I do to be saved? Although a valid question too.
This week we will find some answers. Let me answer with a little different aproach , as a prelude.
1. Desire the truth, have a need for Christ.
2. Give of yourselves to Christ without reserve.
3. Seek salvation with all mind, body, and soul.
4. Surrender your bad habits to Christ.
5. See Jesus, 'visualize Christ', 'they saw Jesus'
6. Seek the power of the Holy Spirit.
7. Tell the world what Christ has done for you.
Remember that when you seek salvation, it is synonyms with seeking Christ. " Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12.
John, without Jesus we can do absolutely nothing (Jn 15:5). We are the lost coin that doesn’t even know that it is lost. We are the Laodicean church that, “do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev 3:17 NKJV). We have no desire for anything more that what we are and when God appears we run from Him. That is the condition of fallen man and until Christ enters the picture we will remain as we are.
That is why God is reconciling us to Himself through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We are the ones that need to move but we are unable to which is the reason why everything including repentance is a gift (Acts 5:31). The only thing we can do is to make a decision; anything more is glorifying man rather than God. We cannot be saved by what we do in any way, our salvation is a matter of faith in God’s ability and willingness to do for us what we can’t, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Eph 2:8-9 NKJV).
If by the list you mean what decisions should I make in response to the Holy Spirit then I can fully agree. If we make a firm decision to go in the direction of the leading of the Holy Spirit then God will do in us what He did in Jesus, “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works” (Jn 14:10 NKJV).
On Sabbath afternoon we read in this week lesson that "As the Israelites were being bitten by snakes in the desert, God instructed Moses to make a bronze one and place it on a pole so that whoever was bitten could look at it and be saved". My question is, how will you help a Catholic Member to understand this, compared to what they are practicing in their churches with 'sort of' idles representing or teaching something, according to them. To let them understand that, this bronze which was made by Moses is difference with those placed in their churches. Please let someone led by the Holy Spirit, help to elaborate this.
Sister Dinah, we will tell our Roman Catholic friends, that the command by God was to "look" at the bronze serpent, not "pray to it" or "worship it" in order to be saved. God was demonstrating that just as the serpent was lifted up to save the sinners of Israel, even so Jesus would be lifted up on the Cross to save the sinners of the world. There is no record of an ongoing practise relating to the "bronze serpent" unlike the ongoing worship of idols and icons that our RC friends have been taught as part of their worship structure. More information at: http://www.whiteestate.org/message/christ_our_righteousness.asp
I pray this has been of some help. God bless......Harold bro
How did the Israelites get healed when they were beaten by the snake. Is it enough just to look at the bronze serpent or they have faith in Jesus who will heal them or may be they knew this is just a symbol of Christ who gave them the healing. In parallel to this, how do you think if some one is holding a cross (like a Catholic) and praying to God. Can we judge them and saying they are worshipping idol? I am worry if we are SDA is very judgemental to see like this. Many Catholic understood they are praying to Jesus directly while holding the cross in their hands. The cross is the only symbol of Christ's death on the cross same with the Israelites had the bronze serpent.
Willy, Jesus said, I am the way the Truth and the Life. There is no one else in between us and the Father in heaven, but Jesus. For anyone to hold an image of the cross or a picture or statue of Jesus in hand while praying to God is a violation of this command. This is also why confession made to a priest for forgiveness of sin is blasphemous. Satan has always trying to occupy the position of Jesus Christ as our ONLY Redeemer and Interceder to the Father. Any act, customs, traditions etc. that will assist or help the already completed work of Christ plan of salvation is blasphemous and is a direct worship of Satan in the name of God.
Thank-you Tyler, I agree. We believe in Jesus and we have eternal life. John 3:36. We believe in Christ, we pass the judgement into eternal life. John 5:24. If that is not enough, we go through The Door, we have eternal life now. John 10:9,10. If we slip back through the door out into sin, The Door is still open if we confess our sins. 1John 1: 9. Christ does not want us to sin, but if we do, He is our advocate, intercessor if you will. 1John 2:1, Romans 4:24.
If I were to rely on myself , I would not be able to Totally Rely On God. TROG. I do believe that Christ gives us the power to Forever Rely on God, if we hold on to His to the hem of His garment. Zechariah 8:23. Let's pray that we will chose to let Him give us the strength to to hold on.
To Romans 4: 24 we nust also add verse 25.
What I found here is that no matter what the devel put/do to our life's we must look unto Christ the only hope we have,the one who strengthen us. We should never give up no matter what. Stay blessed fellows 1Thessalonians 5:17 n