In his sermon 'The Remedy For Sin', Floyd Koenig explores the concept of salvation through the biblical account of the Israelites' journey in Numbers 21. He describes how the Israelites, having been redeemed from Egyptian bondage, faced challenges and discouragement due to their disobedience and lack of faith. They complained against God and Moses, resulting in God sending fiery serpents among them. The remedy for their affliction was to look upon a bronze serpent on a pole, symbolizing faith in God's provision. Koenig draws parallels between this event and the salvation offered through Jesus Christ, the ultimate remedy for sin. He emphasizes the need for believers to keep their eyes on Christ, repent of their sins, and maintain faith in His redemptive work. The sermon underscores the importance of recognizing one's sin, confessing it, and looking to Christ for salvation.

So I'm going to look forward to when we go get to heaven. Amen? Amen. What a great day. It's as sure to happen as if it's already happened.

Amen. Good to be in the Lord. Would you look with me this morning in Numbers 21. Numbers 21. Appreciate this opportunity.

Numbers 21, we'll begin in verse 4. Numbers 21 verse 4. And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to compass the land of Edom. And the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. After the Red Sea experience, of course, the children of Israel got all excited about that.

But it wasn't long after that they began to complain. And as you read to the book of Numbers you'll find they complained a lot against God and against God's man. And here they were almost in sight of the Holy Land of Canaan. And they were weary because 40 years had passed. And they wanted to get into the promised land.

But there was a problem. Edom lay in the way, and they were forbidden to cross over Edom, which was a shortcut to the promised land. So instead of crossing over in just a short time, they had to go around, which took a long time. So the people were discouraged. I mean after all they've been through a lot.

I believe that when God redeemed his people from Egyptian bondage, I believe that's a picture of salvation. A lot of people think when they're saved they're ready to walk right on into heaven. But the truth of the matter is when we're saved there's a lot to endure as we walk toward the final destination. And we see that here with the children of Israel. They had to endure much as they were traveling to the land.

Now the big problem was they had disobeyed God and so they had to stay in the land 40 years instead of just a short while. But anyway, verse 5, and the people spake against God and against Moses, were for, have he brought us up out of Egypt, notice, to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread." Now what they fail to consider was if the Lord hadn't given them that light bread, that manna, they would have died. Right. And we're like that a lot, aren't we?

We fail to appreciate what the Lord's done for us. We have a little trial and first thing you know, we're complaining when we ought to be thankful for the very fact the Lord saved us from our sin and from hell. Verse 6, 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 may take away the serpents from us.

And Moses prayed for the people. Now that took some grace, didn't it? They had been bad-mouthed Moses. Yet when they cried out and said, we've sinned, they admitted their sin, and they asked Moses to pray for them. Moses graciously prayed for them.

And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live." And of course that serpent on the pole is the type of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Amen. Verse nine, 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." And so this morning I want to share with you a message entitled, The Remedy for Sin. The Remedy for sin. Now we see in verse four, the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.

If you don't keep your eyes on the Master, you will go weary along the way. The only way to keep going is to keep your eyes on the master. Those who seek to follow the Lord but do not love him soon fall by the wayside. Remember a family used to be in our church. Young mother and father had three children, supposedly got saved and walked with the Lord for a while and pretty soon become disgruntled.

It was a sad sight. The whole family fell out of church eventually. But that's what happens, you know, keep your eyes on the Lord. It is difficult to follow the Lord with a rebellious heart. If you do not find satisfaction in the Lord, you will soon wander elsewhere.

I've seen that happen a lot. We see in our text three primary things in this portion of scripture. Notice first this morning we see the people sin. The people sin. There was sin against God Himself.

Notice verse five, and the people spake against God. Now that's a dangerous thing, but we tend to do it, don't we? We tend to forget all the goodness the Lord has bestowed upon us. But they spake against God. Now all sin is against God.

We sin against God when we grumble about His providence and when we refuse to submit willingly to His will for our lives. We sin against God when we lust after the things of the world and fail to praise the Lord for what He has done for us. Look with me if you will in 1 John, epistle of 1 John, and notice if you will, 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2, Notice beginning of verse 15. Here's a command for the child of God.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." Notice we're not the lust after the world because this old world is passing away.

The only place of safety, only place of blessings is to keep our eyes on the Lord and to serve Him. Now in reality Israel sinned against our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He was the angel of God that led them through the wilderness. Look at me in Exodus, the book of Exodus, chapter 23. Again we have the count of the wilderness wanderings, but notice here Exodus chapter 23, again in verse 20, Exodus 23 and verse 20.

It says, Behold I send an angel before thee to keep thee in the way, to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him and obey his voice. Provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him." And so here the angel of God led them through the wilderness. Now the Apostle Paul warns us not to tempt Christ as Israel did in the wilderness. Christ had supplied them with water from the rock and bread from heaven, yet in their unbelief they murmured against him." Look in 1st Corinthians, it's amazing he takes scripture with scripture, helps the Interpret Scripture.

The 1 Corinthians chapter 10, notice if you will, 1 Corinthians 10, Let's go back to verse 1. First Corinthians 10.1, More brethren I would not, that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat. Now notice verse four. And did all drink of the same spiritual drink for they drink of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ." Now look down at verse 9 if you will. Now, let us tempt, let us, excuse me, verse 9, neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of the serpents." So here we're warned that they actually were tempting the Lord who was actually leading them through the wilderness pre-incarnate Christ And so we see the people sin their sin was against God himself But notice secondly under this heading the people sin was against the servant of God.

Against the servant of God. Look again verse 5, Numbers chapter 21, And the people spake against God and against Moses. Against Moses. To speak against God's man is to speak against God. Those who hate Christ will badmouth his servants.

I've seen that a lot as a pastor. People fall out of fellowship with the Lord. They don't mind badmouthing the pastor and certainly they will do it. Our Lord said, if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. John 15, 20.

The Lord will deal very severely with those who speak against his servant. That's a warning that we need to heed. And then notice thirdly under this heading, the people sin was against the provision of God. We see again in verse 5, For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loveth or hateth this light bread. They hated that which God had provided.

We need to be careful of that. These ungrateful people would not admit that they had been miraculously supplied with both bread and water. They would not admit that God had supplied their every need because their way was displeasing to them. God had supplied them water from the rock And manna from heaven. Manna is a picture of Christ and His word.

Look with me if you will in the Gospel of John chapter 6. John 6. It's a glorious truth here in John 6. We could spend a lot of time here, but I want you to look with me, if you will. Let's go back to verse 35, John 6.35.

And Jesus said unto them, that is the Jews, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst now You believe this is true You remember who said It was none other than the Lord. Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you that ye also have seen me and believe not.

These Jews saw the Lord, saw his miracles, heard his preaching, but they would believe not. They believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me. How many believe that? You know, there are some that think, well, if a guy chooses, he'll come.

If he doesn't, he won't. But the truth of the matter is the Lord has chosen people that He's chosen before the foundation of the world. And those He has chosen will come. That's what the Lord says right here in verse 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

I'll tell you when the Lord calls that sinner to himself, that's a place of security. Once that sinner's in Christ, he's there forever. In fact, it was determined that he would be in Christ forever before the world was ever created. Verse 38, for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day." Man, that's eternal security right there.

And this is the will of Him that sent me. Notice again that everyone which seeeth the Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day. So everyone which seeeth the Son, now you can't see the Son unless he gives you spiritual sight. And it's through the preaching of the Word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit that the Lord calls that sinner out of his sin and quickens him to new life in Christ, all of a sudden he sees spiritual truth that he could not see before. He hears spiritual things that he could not hear before.

Then notice verse 41. Here's the reaction of the religious person to Christ. The Jews then murmured at him because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. Now look at their sarcasm, verse 42. And they said, is not this Jesus the son of Joseph?

Well, this is that carpenter's son. Why, he's even an illegitimate Son. And they said, Is not this Jesus, Son of Joseph, whose Father and Mother we know? How is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? So they're looking at all this from the physical standpoint when the Lord is speaking of a spiritual truth.

Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Merman not among yourselves. Now look at verse 44, No man can come to me. Now you'd think those Armenians would read that and believe it, but they don't. No man in himself can come to me. Why?

Because he's depraved. He loves sin and hates God until the Lord quickens his heart, calls him out of his sin. No man can come to me except the Father which has sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets and they shall be all taught of God." Now you're not going to be taught of God until you're born again, until the Lord calls you out of your sin. Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh to me." You can't hear and you can't learn until the Father calls you out of your sin through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of the Gospel.

Verse 47, Verse 47, fairly, verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life. Isn't that a glorious truth? Then verse 48, I am the bread of life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat man in the wilderness and are dead.

This is the bread which came which cameth down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread verse 51 which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Now how do we eat this bread? The Lord is here speaking and He's talking about eating this bread.

So he's not talking about eating him. Now the Catholics, of course they have their heresy of transubstantiation and they teach that in the Lord's Supper this bread actually becomes the body of Christ as it's handed by the priest to the recipient and the blood, the wine actually becomes the blood of Christ. That's what the Catholics believe and they believe when you eat this bread and drink this cup, you're receiving eternal life, which is a bunch of foolishness. See, that's the physical when the Lord is speaking of spiritual truth. So how do we eat this bread?

We receive Jesus by faith. Now look at verse 52. Jesus, the Jews therefore strove among themselves saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat? See, they're thinking physical. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except you eat this flesh, except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

So how do we eat this flesh and drink this blood? By faith. By faith. He's talking about receiving Christ as our Lord and Savior. Believing on Him.

Verse 54, whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. So when we receive Christ by faith, we're eating of his flesh, drinking of his blood, and we receive eternal life. We're secure in the Lord. For my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed. He that heatheth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him.

And the living Father has sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live. This is the bread which came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead, he that eateth of this bread, again believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, shall live forever. These things said he in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. Now some despise Christ.

Look with me if you will in book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 10, Hebrews 10 and notice if you will verse 28. Hebrews 10 verse 28. Of how much sore punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who had trodden underfoot the Son of God, and had counted the blood of the covenant, were with he was sanctified an unholy thing, and had done despite unto the Spirit of grace." There were Jews that had heard the gospel and they had actually rejected this message. And the Lord warns through His word that those who reject Christ committed a Great sin. So some despised Christ, some rejected Christ.

Look with me in Matthew 27. Matthew chapter 27. Notice if you will, begin at verse 22. Matthew 27, verse 22. Paul said unto them, that is the Jews, What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ?

And they said unto him, let him be crucified. And the governor said, why what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more saying, let him be crucified. Now when Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing but that rather a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just man, see ye to it." Notice verse 25. Then answered all the people and said, His blood be upon us and upon our children.

And they didn't realize what they were saying. Because even today they're suffering as a result of that decision. Then notice I'm neglect Christ. Look with me if you will in the book of Acts. Acts chapter 24 Here we have the account of Felix, Acts 24, beginning of verse 24.

And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, so Paul simply preached the gospel to him, Felix trembled and answered, go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient season, I will call upon Thee. And I might add this morning, there's never a convenient season to trust Christ. Never.

It's going to take some effort. It's going to take faith in the Lord Jesus. It's going to take determination. And so it's a fatal mistake to reject Christ. However, to those who receive him, he will give them power to become the sons of God." Look in John's Gospel chapter 1.

Great truth here, John 1. Notice beginning in verse 12. John 1 12 says, but as many as received him, speaking of Christ, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Now look at verse 13, which were born, not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. Anybody's ever gonna be saved, he must be born again of the Spirit of God.

Then notice secondly this morning, we see first, we see the people sin. Secondly, we see the people sorrow. The people sorrow. Now you know and I know that when we insist on sinning against God, the results will be sorrow. We think we can always get by with it, but the Lord knows all, He sees all.

And so notice if you will Numbers chapter 21 verse 6, And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and much people of Israel died. Here we see God's judgment on their rebellion, God's judgment on their sin. And we can remind ourselves this morning that if we insist on living in sin, sinning against the Lord, we can be sure God's judgment will follow. Will follow. And so the Lord afflicted them.

It was only after the Lord had sent fiery serpents upon them that they came to the place of repentance. Sometimes the Lord has to put the hurt on us in order for us to come to realize that we've sinned and admit our sin against God. Because we're a proud people. We can see everybody else's sin before we can see our own. The serpents bit the people and many died.

Many died. Now those who did not appreciate God's mercies were made to feel His judgments. And that's true today. Man's heart has been poisoned by sin. We see in Romans 3 23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

That includes everyone. Then we see in Romans 6 23 for the wages of sin is dead. Did you know someone must die for your sin? Either you're gonna die in your sin, spend eternity in hell, or Christ will have died in your place if you repent of your sin and believe on Him. But somebody must die for your sin.

Right. Then notice the people were brought to repentance. They came to Moses confessing, We have sinned. Look at verse 7. Therefore the people came to Moses and said, We have sinned.

We have sinned. They named their sin. Again verse 7. They said, we have spoken against the Lord and against thee. And so here they're admitting, confessing their sin.

And by the way, the only way we're going to have our sin forgiven is to confess it before God. Be honest in confessing our sin. Now the people asked Moses to pray to the Lord that he would take away the serpents from them. Look at verse 7 again. 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 what happened? Moses prayed. Moses prayed. Pray into the Lord that he take away the serpents from us.

Now sometimes the Lord has to afflict sinners before they will repent. I pray for people that are in sin that the Lord will make them miserable, that they can't stand themselves and that they would come to see their need of a savior. True sorrow will lead to true repentance. True repentance. When people come to realize that their sin has brought God's judgment upon themselves and they're miserable because of it, and they honestly repent of that sin, the Lord will take it away and He'll give them forgiveness.

He that covereth his sin shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Proverbs 28, 13. Notice again Moses intercedes for the people. Again verse 7, the people came to Moses and Moses prayed for the people. Here Moses is the type of Christ who intercedes for those who once were his enemies. The portion of scripture that I love, of course it's all good, but if you look at me in Romans chapter 5, I can certainly relate with this portion of Scripture.

Romans chapter 5, notice beginning in verse 6. Romans 5 verse 6, for when we were yet without strength that's talking about when we were yet unsaved in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Isn't it good to know Christ died for us in order to provide a way of salvation while we were yet sinners. While I was yet a foul mouth sinner, the Lord died for me, provided a way of salvation, and then by His mercy and grace in His time, calling me out of my sin, quicken my soul, all that in his time and through the preaching of the gospel. Verse 7, for scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet per adventure for a good man some would even dare to die, but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Glorious truth Now look at verse 9 Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Much more. I like that much more. You see folks, we're more secure in Christ than we could ever be outside of Christ. Much more. Verse 10, for if When we were enemies, and that's when we came to God because of His calling us out of our sin, quickening us through the preaching of the Gospel.

For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. Notice how secure we are in Christ. Much more. We're more secure than anything this world could offer. Anything we could offer.

We're much more secure in Christ because of His shed blood and because of His mercy and grace on our behalf. Now the despised servant now becomes the intercessor, the intercessor. You see, there was a time when we had no love for God, but when he called us out of our sin, all of a sudden, we see him now as our Messiah, as our Savior, as the sovereign of the universe, who is in perfect control. The way of access to the father is through him who is our leader and commander. John 14 verse 6 Jesus said I am the truth I am the truth I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me he's the only way to God and and and he's the only truth You can't know truth apart from Christ.

And certainly you can't have life without Christ becoming your Savior and Lord. Now when we get a right view of our sin, then we will see our need for a mediator. Second, 1 Timothy chapter two, verses five and six, tells us there's one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself for our sin. 1 Timothy 2 verses 5 and 6. And so we've considered first this morning the people sinned.

They murmured against God. And the people, we say secondly the people sorrow and they're murmuring against God. Rebellion against God's man and God's provision brought God's judgment. So they were sorrowing. But thirdly we notice the people's salvation.

The people's salvation. Of course we find salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. So notice the remedy was appointed by God. God had appointed the remedy. Now back in Numbers chapter 21 Numbers 21 I want you to notice verse 8.

And the Lord said unto Moses, make thee a fiery serpent. Now this was to be formed out of brass, put on a pole where everyone could see it in the camp. Make the fiery serpent and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live." Now that's going to take some faith. Here's a person who's been bitten by the serpent. He has a choice.

He can either look in faith or he can say what goods are going to do to look at that pole with that brazen serpent on it. But see folks, in order for those people to be healed of the bite of this fiery serpent, they had to look by faith to that serpent on the pole. Now the serpent had no healing power. They had to exercise faith. And that serpent was a type of Christ.

And in order for sinners to be saved today, they have to look by faith to the Christ who hung on the cross, died in their place for their sin. If they don't believe that, they can't be saved. And so faith, coming by hearing, hearing by the Word of God. We believe the Word of God, we exercise that faith that we've received by receiving the Word of God. We look to Christ in faith, takes our sin away.

Gives us perfect righteousness. What a truth that is. This provision, like the incarnation and death of Christ was of God alone. God alone. There's no other way they could be saved except looking at that brazen serpent and they had to look at it, look to it by faith, by faith.

Those who have been bitten by the serpent must be healed by looking to the one in the form of a serpent. Though man, through man, that is Adam, came death. By man, that is Christ, came the justification of life. Look with me, if you will, in 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 and notice if you will beginning in verse 20 first Corinthians 15 verse 20 of course you know this is a resurrection chapter but notice here if you will verse 20 first Corinthians 15, but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept.

For since by man came death, that's Adam, by man came also the resurrection of the dead, that's Christ. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ at his coming." So we died in the first Adam, we're made alive in the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. We all died in Adam. Romans chapter 5, you will look there, Romans 5.

Here's a key verse. Romans 5 and notice if you will, verse 12. Romans chapter 5. See folks, this is a problem with the world. Why is there so much wickedness and misery in the world?

It seems to be getting worse all the time and I believe it will the further people get away from the Lord. But notice here Romans 5 verse 12, wherefore as by one man, that's Adam, sin entered into the world. We all became we all became depraved in Adam. You see when Adam disobeyed God and ate of that forbidden fruit, he plunged the whole world into sin and all of his descendants would be sinners and that's true. And so we're all sinners, we were all born into this world sinners because of Adam's sin.

Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin. Not only were we condemned, not only did we become sinners, but we were born spiritually dead spiritually dead were forced by one man sin entered to the world death and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all that sin see the truth? We all became sinners in Adam. We all died in Adam. Therefore, we must be born again.

Now we are justified by Christ not only from the guilt of Adam's sin, but also from our own many transgressions. See, we were born sinners, condemned, but not only that, we've sinned after we were born, amen? And so the Lord came to take all that away. Look in Romans if you will, chapter 5 again, Romans 5, look at verse 15, Romans 5 and verse 15. Just a glorious truth.

Romans 5, 15. But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one, many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sin, so is the gift. For the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification.

For if by one man's offense, death reigns, that's Adam, by one man's, excuse me, by one much more. They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ." Look at verse 18. Therefore, as by the offense of one, that's Adam, judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Even so, by the righteousness of one, that's the Lord Jesus, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, So by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." And so what happened to us in Adam, we all became sinners in Adam, Christ came and gave us eternal life as we trusted in him, which is much more valuable, much more precious than anything we had outside of Christ.

And so we are secure in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now Christ the perfect Son of God was made under or subject to the law that he might redeem us from the law. So Christ came was condemned for us. He literally became a curse in our place. He took our sin upon Himself, became a curse for us, died as a curse of death on the cross, gave to us perfect righteousness.

So he took our sin on himself, paid in full the price of that sin, and has given to us perfect righteousness. Now I tell these people believe you can lose your salvation. What's going to cause you to lose your salvation if you're made perfect in Christ? You see, if you're a child of God this morning, you stand perfect before the Lord. You say, well, what if I sin again?

That's going to Complicate your fellowship with the Lord. It's not going to cause you to lose your salvation. That's what happened to David when he committed adultery. He lost the joy of his salvation, but he didn't lose his salvation. And he didn't get his heart right until he confessed that sin.

The Lord took it away. Look in Galatians, if you will, chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3. Book of Galatians, notice chapter 3 in verse 13. Galatians 3, 13.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree." So Christ came, suffered, and died in our place. He actually became a curse for us, took our sin upon himself in order that he might give to us perfect righteousness. Look again with me in Galatians chapter 4. Galatians 4, notice beginning in verse 4, Galatians 4 verse 4, says, But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under, a subject to the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that were condemned by the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." See folks, we've not only been born again into God's kingdom, but we've been adopted into God's family.

And now He is our Father, our Heavenly Father. Now the remedy was suitable for the need, we see again back in Numbers chapter 21 verse 8. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make the ephire a serpent, set it up on a pole, and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live." Shall live. So the remedy was suitable for the need. The serpent was to be lifted up for everyone who had been bitten to look upon.

So what they have to do to be to be healed of the bite and the poison of this fiery serpent? They simply had to look by faith to that brazen Sherpa Which is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ and so sinners when they see themselves as the sinners they are condemned in their sin hopelessly lost when they look to the Lord by faith they're immediately cleansed of their sin. Christ had been lifted up as a friend and Savior of sinners. He says to every sinner look unto me and be ye saved. Isaiah chapter 45 verse 22.

Now the apostle Peter speaking to a bunch of Jews declared that Jesus was the only way of salvation. Acts chapter 5, 4, Acts chapter 4, notice this, Peter here preaching to a bunch of Jews, Acts 4, notice if you will verse 12, Acts chapter 4 and verse 12. It says, neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Only one way of salvation and that is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so we see the remedy was affection.

It accomplished what God meant for it to accomplish. It was affectionate. All who looked on the serpent by faith lived. Back in Numbers chapter 21, Notice verse 9. 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.

He lived. So we see the remedy was effectual. No one looked in vain. All who looked in faith were healed. Were healed.

No doubt there were many who would not look and they died and that's true of salvation in Christ. In order for the sinner to be saved he must look to Christ who died on that cross for his sin as his substitute he must look to Christ by faith. The moment he looks, he is healed. He's declared righteous. He's adopted into God's family.

He enters the kingdom of God. Those who fail to look will go to hell. Go to hell. Now all who look to Christ in faith, all who look to Christ in faith will be saved. Look with me if you will in John's Gospel.

This is a glorious truth. A lot of people read right over this. John chapter 3 and I want you to notice verses 14 and 15. John 3, and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up and as Moses lifted up the serpent of wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life.

So salvation is to look to the Lord in faith. Only way of salvation. We must look to Christ in faith. Now Christ was lifted up on the cross to save sinners. Another reference on what you look at in 1 Peter chapter 3.

Just a glorious truth. Let's go back to verse 2, verse 24. 1 Peter 2, 24. Speaking of Christ, who His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree. I tell folks he bore our sins, he didn't have any.

He was the perfect son of God. But as he hung on the cross, he bore our sins. Who his own self, our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, notice, by whose stripes ye were healed." So it's what our Lord suffered on the cross in our stead that He took our sin away. Look over in chapter 3 now, 1st Peter 3, 18. For Christ also at once suffered for sins, The just, that's the perfect Son of God, for the unjust, the condemned sinner, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but He's not dead, but quickened by the Spirit.

He died, was buried for our sin, but he came forth from the grave victor over sin, over death, over hell, over the grave itself. And so we are secure in the Lord Jesus Christ. You must look to Him in faith or die in your sin. Well I conclude, all those who refuse to look up to the brazen serpent die. So will the sinner perish who fails to look to Christ as his only Lord and Savior.

The sinner's only hope is to look to Christ, in fact. It's his only hope. Now a lot of people want to try to get there their own way, but they're going to die and go to hell. It's not through religion, not through baptism, not through good works, not through church membership, only one way to have it, and that is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now if you haven't already, You need to look and live.

Look and live. There is a remedy for sin. And that is Jesus Christ. One last reference. Second Corinthians 5.

Second Corinthians 5. And these people believe they can lose their salvation. I share this verse with them. A lot of them don't understand what it means, but maybe the Lord will give them sight one day. Amen?

2 Corinthians 5 verse 21, for he that is Christ hath made our God the Father I'm sorry for he God the Father hath made him Christ to be sin for us amen who knew no sin he's a perfect son of God yet our sin was put on Christ. He became sin for us. Now notice that we who are condemned sinners might be made. Made what? Made what?

The righteousness of God in him. You know what it means to be made the righteousness of God? It means to be made as righteous as God. In other words, Christ died on the cross to take our sin away and that he did and he has given to those of us who have repented of our sin and believed on Christ he has given to us perfect righteousness. Now folks that's our standing in Christ today.

Well let's stand. Lord we thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you for providing a way for us to be able to