Lesson 17 Looking to Christ
Questions 5, 6 and 7
And so, now we see the message clearly for ourselves: we have all been bitten by the serpent of sin, the venom is running throughout our system, and untreated, we will one day die from it! This sin stirring poison encourages us to overeat, be lazy, and put fat on our bodies!
But God has provided the treatment! Two thousand years ago, He put His Son on a cross and lifted Him up to die in your place. The way you are healed from sin is to turn and look at the cross and believe in what Jesus did there! The Israelites "turning and looking" at the uplifted pole for healing and life corresponds to the truth that "everyone who believes may have eternal life."
Notice how different God's Solution is from man's methods. With man, it is all about examining the wound, reliving the past, exploring emotions, and rationalizing thoughts. Man's solutions turn us inward, but in focusing on the problem rather than the solution, we become "nearsighted and blind," and our Christian life and growth come to a halt, as we saw in 2 Peter 1:5-9 NIV.
God’s solution is to get our eyes up, out and away from ourselves and our problems, and to focus squarely on the solution - Christ crucified.
Notice what we are told to focus on:
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)
Question 5. In Hebrews 12:2 NIV, on what are we told to focus?
Question 7. According to Hebrews 12:3 NIV, what will the effect be of looking to and considering Jesus and His cross?
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