Let us read Matthew 18:21–22.

“Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21–22)

When we are young, we sometimes play mischievous pranks on our friends. For example, someone might pull out the hairs on a sleeping friend’s leg one by one. The first or second time, the friend may take it as a joke. But if it continues, even the closest friend will eventually become angry. Everyone has a limit to his patience.

When someone wrongs us, we may be able to forgive once or twice. But when the same offense is repeated again and again, we become increasingly hurt, and eventually forgiveness becomes very difficult.

Peter asked Jesus:

“Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?” (Matthew 18:21)

We do not know exactly why Peter chose the number seven. Perhaps he thought he was suggesting a number far beyond what people would normally consider reasonable forgiveness. But Jesus answered:

“I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:22)

The point is not simply the number of times we are to forgive. Jesus was teaching that when a brother sins against us, we should be ready to forgive again and again.

This gives us great comfort and hope because we too fail before God countless times. If God forgave us only once or twice when we failed, none of us could stand before Him. But when we turn from our wrong and come to God, He is always ready to forgive us. Human forgiveness has its limits, but God’s mercy and forgiveness are beyond measure.

The Devil Deceives Us Without Our Realizing It

The devil deceives people. Yet those who are deceived by him often do not realize that they are being deceived. This is what makes his deception so dangerous.

If a person knows that he is being deceived, he can turn away from the deception. But the more a person trusts in himself, the more difficult it can be for him to escape the devil’s schemes.

Judas Iscariot is a clear example of this.

Judas betrayed Jesus to the chief priests and elders for thirty pieces of silver. Because he knew that Jesus was innocent, he may have thought that even if Jesus were arrested, He would eventually be released.

But when Judas saw that Jesus had been condemned, he realized that he had done wrong and tried to return the thirty pieces of silver. When the chief priests and elders refused to take the money, he threw the silver into the temple, departed, and took his own life.

The fact that Judas took his own life over his betrayal of Jesus shows how deeply he condemned himself for what he had done. Yet John 13:2 tells us:

“The devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.” (John 13:2)

Judas did not recognize the work of the devil behind the thought of betraying Jesus. Had he recognized the enemy’s deception and turned to Christ rather than surrendering to despair and self-condemnation, his response could have been very different.

The gospel of Jesus Christ has power to deliver even the worst sinner from condemnation and give him life. Judas had been with Jesus and must have heard the words of the gospel many times. Yet those words did not profit him because, deceived by the devil, he ultimately trusted his own judgment rather than the words of Jesus. The path he chose led him to destruction.

Though Our Faith May Waver

The devil who deceived Judas still seeks to deceive us today.

We have the Word of God. We also have many things God has done for us. Yet this does not mean that we always hold firmly to His promises. Depending on our circumstances, our faith in God’s Word may waver.

At such times, the devil directs our attention toward our weakness and whispers:

“You have no faith.”

“You have fallen again.”

“Do you really think God could be pleased with someone like you?”

“God is not going to help you anymore.”

If we accept these lies, we may begin to believe that God will no longer help us. Then we lose hope and become discouraged.

At such times, we must remember Jesus, who taught us to forgive seventy times seven.

God says:

“At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.” (Jeremiah 18:7–8)

God is willing to turn from judgment when those facing destruction turn from their evil. Therefore, when we acknowledge our unbelief before Him and turn our eyes toward Him again, we have every reason to trust that He will help us.

Look at Peter.

During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came walking on the sea. Peter said:

“Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” (Matthew 14:28)

Jesus said, “Come,” and Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the water toward Him.

But when Peter saw the wind, he became afraid and began to sink. Then he cried:

“Lord, save me.” (Matthew 14:30)

Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him.

Jesus did not abandon Peter because his faith was weak and he doubted. Instead, He immediately stretched forth His hand and held him.

When Peter was walking on the water, Jesus was his Lord.

And when Peter doubted and began to sink, Jesus was still his Lord.

The same is true for us. God does not love us only when our faith is strong. Even when our faith wavers, He continues to hold us.

God Is Not Like Us

We often imagine that God is like us.

Sometimes we find it difficult to forgive the failures of others, and at other times we are unable even to be gracious toward ourselves. As a result, we may assume that God will treat us in the same way when we fail.

But Romans 8:1 clearly says:

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

When we look at ourselves after we have failed, we can find countless reasons to condemn ourselves. But in Jesus Christ, there is no condemnation.

Scripture also says:

“Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.” (Romans 14:22)

Through His command to forgive “seventy times seven,” Jesus taught us a forgiveness that is not exhausted by repeated offenses.

Therefore, when we become disappointed and discouraged by what we see in ourselves, we must turn our eyes toward God, who receives us in our weakness and embraces us with mercy.

As we look to Him, God gives us new strength.

He lifts us up again so that we may continue walking the path of faith with our eyes fixed upon Him.

Let us read 1 Corinthians 4:7.

“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7)

I planted a few cucumber seeds in a pot. After some time, they sprouted and leaves began to grow. Before long, cucumbers began to appear.

Then one day, one of the cucumber plants began to wither, and eventually its leaves dried up completely. Wondering what had happened, I looked more closely and discovered that part of the stem had been bent so badly that it was almost broken. Because the stem had been damaged, the water and nutrients coming up from the roots could no longer reach the plant properly.

As I looked at it, I was reminded of what Romans 11 says about the branches and the root:

“Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.” (Romans 11:18)

Can a branch boast simply because it has produced fruit? Of course not. It was able to bear fruit because it received water and nourishment from the root.

In the same way, we cannot boast about the good things we possess, because everything we have has been received from God.

When everything is going well and we are prospering, it is easy to think that we enjoy these things because we are more capable than others. But when we trace everything we enjoy back to its source, we find the grace of God.

Even if we are not wealthy, the fact that we are able to live without lacking the necessities of life is not the result of our own ability alone. It is God who has given us the strength and ability to make a living. Deuteronomy 8:18 says:

“But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth.” (Deuteronomy 8:18)

This is why Paul asks:

“And what hast thou that thou didst not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7)

The Pride of Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, possessed great power and glory. But he came to believe that everything he enjoyed had been accomplished by his own strength.

One day, as he walked through the royal palace and looked upon the glory of Babylon, he said:

“Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30)

Before Nebuchadnezzar had even finished speaking, a voice came from heaven:

“O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.” (Daniel 4:31–32)

Nebuchadnezzar’s words were filled with the thought of “I.”

“I built it by my power. I accomplished it by my strength. I made this kingdom for my own glory.”

But in a moment, God took away everything upon which Nebuchadnezzar had depended.

He was driven away from men and lived among the beasts of the field. He ate grass like an ox. His body was wet with the dew of heaven, his hair grew like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

After seven times had passed, he finally came to understand who he was and who God is. He confessed:

“Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:34–35)

Nebuchadnezzar had thought that he himself had accomplished everything. But God caused him to understand that even the ability and authority he possessed had been given to him by God.

The authority a person possesses is permitted by God. The possessions a person enjoys are given by God. And nothing we accomplish would be possible apart from the ability and grace God gives us.

Therefore Solomon said:

“And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.” (Ecclesiastes 3:13)

There Is No Room for Boasting in Grace

When a hunter shoots a bird, he may think that he brought it down because of his own skill. But Jesus teaches us that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the providence of God:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.” (Matthew 10:29)

Even the falling of a single sparrow is under God’s sovereign care. Therefore, when we accomplish something, we have no reason to exalt ourselves because of it.

Our salvation also did not come because of our own righteousness or ability. It came because God showed us His grace.

God delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13). In Jesus Christ, He has given us redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, and has made known to us the mystery of His will in all wisdom and prudence (Ephesians 1:7–9).

Therefore Scripture clearly says:

“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.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

Even after we have believed in Jesus, our spiritual growth is not accomplished by our own strength. Paul says:

“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:7)

Therefore, a person who understands grace cannot boast in himself.

Grace does not cause us to boast about what we have done for God. Grace causes us to boast about what God has done for us.

The Blessing of Trusting in the Lord

After God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, He did not take them immediately into Canaan. Instead, He led them through the wilderness.

The wilderness was not the road Israel would have chosen. Yet God led them that way to humble them and, in the end, to do them good.

God sometimes leads us along roads we would not choose for ourselves. Through them, He teaches us our weakness and our inability so that we may understand that everything we have has been received from Him.

When we understand this, we no longer boast in ourselves. Instead, we boast in God alone and depend upon Him.

Just as a branch cannot bear fruit apart from the root, neither can we accomplish anything apart from God. Therefore, we must humble our hearts and trust in Him.

Scripture describes the blessing of the person who trusts in the Lord:

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7–8)

Let us read Luke 15:25–32.

“Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15:25–32)

The value of an object is often determined by its price. There are many reasons why people consider gold more precious than an ordinary stone, but one obvious reason is that gold is far more valuable. If gold were as common and inexpensive as stones, we would probably treat it as we do ordinary stones. The greater the value of something, the more precious we consider it to be.

Then how much are we worth?

It would be a great mistake to think of our value merely in terms of the price once paid for a slave. A person’s life is his entire being, and God purchased us with the life of Jesus Christ. Therefore, the price paid for us was the life of Christ Himself. How amazing it is that God considers us so precious that He gave His own Son for us. Romans 8:32 says:

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

Jesus is Lord of all things. Therefore, because we belong to Christ and share in His inheritance, we are able to enjoy all things in Him. This is why the apostle Paul said:

“Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours.” (1 Corinthians 3:21)

Discontent Comes from Not Knowing What Is Ours

The younger son took his father’s property, went into a far country, wasted everything in reckless living, and finally returned home. Yet his father prepared a feast for him.

When the elder son saw what had happened, he became angry. He said to his father:

“Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.” (Luke 15:29–30)

He spoke this way because he did not understand that everything belonging to his father was already his. Therefore, his father told him:

“Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.” (Luke 15:31)

If he had truly understood this, he would not have drawn such a sharp distinction between what belonged to his father and what belonged to him.

Likewise, if we do not understand that all things are ours in Christ, we may complain against God when we see others possessing more than we do. And the more a person believes that he has lived more faithfully for God than others, the greater that dissatisfaction may become.

Yet Scripture describes us as:

“As having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (2 Corinthians 6:10)

God Is Our Father, and We Are His Children

Jesus said:

“At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.” (John 14:20)

Jesus is in the Father, and the Father is in Jesus. Likewise, Jesus is in us, and we are in Him. Therefore, it is not strange that we should share in what belongs to Christ. God deals with us in this way because He is our Father and we are His children.

Parents rejoice when things go well with their children. They do not begrudge giving what they have to their children. Scripture says:

“Love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:10)

Because parents love their children, they do not envy or resent their children’s success. Rather, they desire to see them prosper.

Ye Are Our Rejoicing

The apostle Paul said:

“Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours.” (1 Corinthians 3:22)

If we truly believe this, we will not envy or become jealous of someone who seems to be farther ahead of us spiritually. Instead, knowing that his blessing is also a cause for our joy in Christ, we can rejoice with him and pray for him.

This is why the apostle Paul said:

“Ye are our rejoicing, even as ye also are ours.” (2 Corinthians 1:14)

The elder son did not understand that everything his father had was his, nor did he understand that his brother’s restoration was also a reason for him to rejoice. Had he understood this, he would have joined his father in celebrating the return of his brother who had been lost and was now alive again.

We too sometimes lose the joy that should be ours because of ignorance and mistaken thinking, wasting our time in jealousy, comparison, and conflict. The devil takes advantage of our ignorance to deceive us.

We must never forget that God is our Father.

And our Father delights to give good things to His children.

Let us read Luke 8:49–56.

“While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole. And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.” (Luke 8:49–56)

There was once an experiment designed to see how much a patient trusted his doctor. Without telling the patient about the experiment, the doctor instructed him to do things that had nothing to do with his illness. He told him repeatedly to sit down and stand up, and even had him stand with his hands raised.

Surprisingly, the patient did everything the doctor told him to do. After the experiment, he was asked, “Didn’t you think those instructions were strange? Why did you do everything the doctor told you?”

The patient gave a very simple answer: “Because he is a doctor.”

People readily accept the words of someone they trust. On the other hand, when they do not trust someone, they find it difficult to accept that person’s words, even when those words are true.

Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, had an only daughter who was dying. He fell down at Jesus’ feet and pleaded with Him to come to his house. Jesus went with Jairus toward his home.

But while they were on their way, someone came from Jairus’ house and said, “Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.”

When Jairus heard those words, everything must have seemed to be over. Until that moment, he still had hope that if Jesus came, his daughter might live. But the moment he heard that she had died, there seemed to be no reason left to hold on to that hope.

It was precisely then that Jesus said:

“Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.” (Luke 8:50)

When Jesus arrived at Jairus’ house, the people were already weeping and mourning for the dead child. Jesus said:

“Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.” (Luke 8:52)

Then the people laughed Him to scorn because they knew that the child was dead.

In fact, their laughter was a natural reaction. If the girl had merely been sleeping, the people would not have been weeping and mourning as they were. No one there was unable to distinguish between sleep and death. If someone insisted that something black was actually white, people would probably question either his eyesight or his sanity. To those people, the words of Jesus must have sounded just as unreasonable.

But Jairus was different.

Jairus also knew that his daughter was dead. Yet he did not leave Jesus. He did not give up in despair and turn back. He continued walking with Jesus toward his house.

The Difference Was Trust

What separated Jairus from the others?

It was the difference in whom they trusted.

The people trusted more in the reality they could see and knew to be true. Therefore, they could not accept Jesus’ words, “She is not dead, but sleepeth.”

Jairus, however, trusted Jesus more than the reality he could see and understand. So when Jesus said, “Fear not: believe only,” Jairus held on to His words and continued walking with Him.

If we were to tell people, “Because Jesus has washed away all my sins, I am holy before God,” some might think we were out of our minds. Those who know us especially well might say, “I know you. You call yourself holy? Even a child would laugh at that.”

Then what is the difference between those who laugh at us and us?

Again, it is a difference of trust.

We trust God, who declares that the blood of Jesus has cleansed us from all our sins. They trust what they see and what they know about us.

Trusting God Is the Essence of Faith

Abraham is one of the clearest examples in Scripture of this principle of faith. Romans 4:19–21 describes his faith this way:

“And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:19–21)

Consider Abraham’s circumstances. He was about a hundred years old, and his body was as good as dead. Sarah’s womb was also beyond the natural ability to bear a child.

In essence, this was the same kind of reality Jairus faced. Just as Jairus faced the undeniable fact of his daughter’s death, Abraham faced the undeniable fact that he and Sarah were naturally unable to have a child.

Yet Scripture tells us that Abraham did not become weak in faith.

It was not because Abraham was unaware of his physical condition. He knew it very well. But he trusted God more than the circumstances before his eyes. God had said:

“Lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:10)

Sarah herself had initially laughed within herself when she heard that she would have a son. Yet she too eventually trusted the faithfulness of the One who had made the promise. As a result, countless descendants came from them. Hebrews says:

“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.” (Hebrews 11:11–12)

Here we see that Sarah did not merely believe a promise. She trusted the faithfulness of the God who had made the promise.

This is the essence of faith.

A person who trusts God holds on to His Word.

Following the Example of Those Who Lived by Faith

Scripture records many people who trusted God, and their stories were written not only for them but also for us. Romans 4 says:

“Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4:23–25)

Abraham and Sarah knew the reality of their own bodies, yet they laid aside their dependence upon what they could see and trusted God.

In the same way, rather than making what we know about ourselves the final standard, we must trust God, who justifies us through Jesus Christ.

Jesus was truly delivered for our offences, and He was raised again for our justification.

Therefore, just as Jesus said to Jairus, He calls us to trust Him:

“Fear not: believe only.” (Luke 8:50)

Let us read Galatians 1:6–8.

“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6–8)

There are many gospels in the world that differ from the gospel of Jesus Christ revealed in Scripture. It is practically impossible to identify and refute every false gospel one by one. However, it is not so difficult to discern whether the gospel someone preaches is the true gospel or another gospel. We simply need to know accurately the true gospel taught in Scripture.

I once heard a story about a young man who began working at an antique shop. From his very first day, however, the owner gave him no other work to do. Instead, he handed him an antique and told him to clean it carefully. One day passed, then two, then three, yet every day the young man continued polishing the same antique.

Then one day, the owner asked him to assist a customer. At first, the young man was bewildered because he did not think he had enough knowledge to determine whether an antique was genuine or counterfeit.

To his surprise, however, he was able to recognize quite easily whether the object brought in by the customer was genuine or fake. The antique he had been polishing every day was authentic. By handling and examining the genuine article day after day, he had unknowingly become familiar with its characteristics. Therefore, whenever an object differed even slightly from the genuine antique he knew so well, he could quickly recognize it as a counterfeit.

I do not know whether this story actually happened, but the principle makes sense. Doctors can recognize abnormalities in an X-ray because they know what normal anatomy should look like. When something differs from what is normal, they recognize that something is wrong.

The same principle applies to the gospel. Rather than searching out every false gospel and studying why each one is wrong, it is far more important to know accurately the true gospel revealed in Scripture.

Another Gospel Entered the Galatian Churches

What was the “other gospel” against which Paul warned in Galatians?

The false teaching that entered the Galatian churches taught that faith in Jesus Christ alone was not enough, but that works of the law must also be added in order for a person to be justified. In other words, human works were being added to the merit of Christ.

Suppose a student asks his Bible teacher, “Teacher, can I go to heaven simply by believing in Jesus?”

The teacher replies, “Wouldn’t believing in Jesus alone be insufficient? Shouldn’t we also live a good life?”

At first, the teacher’s answer may sound reasonable, but it is actually another gospel.

Of course, many passages of Scripture teach that believers should live according to the will of God and become His people who are zealous for good works. But if good works are taught as a condition for salvation, the gospel has been corrupted.

Good works are the fruit produced in the lives of those who have been saved, and they are evidence that they are children of God. But good works cannot become the condition of salvation.

If a person could be justified by his own works, there would have been no reason for Jesus to die on the cross. The cross of Christ would have been unnecessary. This is why the apostle Paul said:

“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Galatians 2:21)

By Faith Alone

In the early church, there was controversy over circumcision, but religious works such as circumcision could never become the basis of salvation. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, the apostle Paul clearly said:

“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.” (Galatians 5:6)

This is why many people regard John 3:16 as one of the central verses of the Bible:

“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.” (John 3:16)

This verse clearly shows that the basis upon which a person receives eternal life is not human works. God gave His only begotten Son, and whoever believes in Him receives everlasting life.

Jesus also connected the lifting up of the brass serpent by Moses in the wilderness with His own death on the cross:

“And 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.” (John 3:14–15)

When the Israelites were bitten by the fiery serpents, God caused everyone who looked upon the brass serpent to live. They did not survive because they treated their own wounds, nor did they survive because they proved their own righteousness. They lived because, according to the Word of God, they looked upon the brass serpent lifted up on the pole.

In the same way, we are not saved because of our works. We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, who died in our place and made us righteous.

This is the gospel.

What Must Not Be Mixed with the Gospel

If human works are added as a condition of salvation, the gospel is no longer the gospel taught in Scripture. The moment something is added to the merit of Christ, the gospel is corrupted and becomes another gospel.

Leviticus 19:19 says:

“Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.” (Leviticus 19:19)

This command contains a spiritual lesson that reminds us not to mix our own works with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must not add human merit to the merit of Christ, nor human righteousness to the grace of God.

God allowed the Israelites who had been bitten by the fiery serpents to live simply by looking at the brass serpent. In the same way, God saves us, though we are sinners, when we believe in Jesus Christ. Both reveal the grace God has given us because He loves us.

Therefore, Paul gives this solemn warning:

“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)