Reproduced from Primitive Baptist Faith and Practice by Elder W.S. Craig.

"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. "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."

"The people spake against God and against Moses" (Num. xxi. 5) and by the way of punishment "the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died." "The sting of death is sin" (1 Cor. xv. 56), and to my mind the deadly bites gave all those bitten a very painful knowledge of the awful consequences of their sin against God. The bitten Israelites typify sinners made painfully conscious of their sinful and lost condition. The "serpent of brass" typifies Jesus Christ. Moses (the law) lifted up this serpent on a pole. Its brightness made it easily seen by the remotest in the camps of Israel, and all those bitten, looking thereon lived. Their natural life was saved to them. This cure was effectual and certain in every case. While they may have suffered pain after they looked, they certainly did not die, though bitten with death. To my mind not one Israelite died from the sting of those serpents after the brazen serpent was raised up, for it was the gracious Lord's express purpose to save the lives of those bitten by such means. And so I fall to see where there is any real ground to conclude that any of those bitten sulked in their tents and refused to look and died through such refusal. The souls that are really pained with a stinging sense of guilt against God are always willing to look, though sometimes their faith may be weak and much clouded with darkness and errors.

The brass serpent possessed all its virtue to cure and preserve life through God's appointment. And for a like reason Jesus Christ, the great Physician, possesses such wonderful sin-healing and life power. In this present life the believer retains a feeling sense of sin, but he shall live eternally and not die, for the everlasting faithfulness of Almighty God to His purpose in Christ makes this certain. "Even so must the Son of man be lifted up." That the Scriptures be fulfilled there was a positive needs be that the Son of man be lifted up, and I believe that just as certain as He was so raised, just that certain also will all His people be raised up from their awful condition in sin and spiritual death to that blest state of salvation and eternal life.

Unbitten Israelites may have very stoutly ridiculed the idea that looking unto a brass serpent, bearing the image of the hated serpents, would positively and effectively save the lives of those bitten by such deadly serpents; but those actually bitten no doubt gladly embraced the opportunity to live by looking, for they were given faith to look to the remedy that God had in His rich mercy for them provided. To all such it meant life; but as it was not raised up for the unbitten, it meant nothing to them.

Moses made the brass serpent (quite harmless in itself) in the form and appearance of those fiery serpents. So Jesus Christ (who was so holy and harmless in Himself) was made in the likeness and to bear the hateful image of sinful flesh, for He was made to be sin and a curse, and all that look to Him by faith will certainly be saved; for the believer in Him is most graciously promised eternal life, and our merciful God will surely make this promise good. "This is the promise that He hath promised us, even eternal life"-l John ii. 25, and remember it was made by Him "that cannot lie." (Tit. i. 2.) The believing world shall not perish but have eternal life through such gracious provisions.

And simply looking to that brazen serpent, or the natural eyes of the bitten Israelites, did not give it that efficacy to preserve life; for God had already provided it with that power on purpose to save their lives. So likewise looking to Jesus Christ does not give Him power to save, for nothing that any man can do can possibly add to His saving and life-giving power. But the blessed subjects of His redeeming love are given faith to believe that which in His amazing mercy for them is already provided. So it is not the act of believing (which so often seems to be erroneously considered as some great effort of the mind) but the thing believed. It is not faith itself at all, but the great and glorious object which faith embraces, and this is Jesus Christ, whose blood alone possesses the power to cleanse from all sin, and save from eternal death, the penalty of sin.

"For God so loved the world," etc. Our minds can only faintly conceive of the wonderful strength of this love, for it "passeth knowledge."-Eph. iii. 19. And surely it is not faith in such redeeming love that supposes that any included in this blessed number will or may be lost. True faith in God believes that His purpose in sending Christ (who was "delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God") into this world cannot in the least degree be thwarted; for "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." -1 Cor. xv. 3. This redeeming love is the moving cause of His wonderful salvation. And this believing world, which Jesus Christ is here speaking of, embraces a large multitude, and they, every one, will be given eternal life, for His words are so positive to that end. I believe that Jesus has reference to the same world as John when he said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."-John i. 29, And it should be noticed that this sin is absolutely taken away. So a full salvation must be the certain result. To the same effect is Christ declared to be the "Savior of the world."-John iv. 42. Also, I John ii. 2 and iv. 14. What right and how dare any one declare that any part of that blest world will be lost? It is but little short of blasphemy to so contradict the positive words of our blest Redeemer.

While Universalism has a very pleasing appearance, it is deceptive in that it cannot be true, because the Bible declares some are lost. Believers should rest perfectly assured that the blessed Bible does not contain any contradictory statements, but is always harmonious when correctly interpreted. And it should be noted that it speaks of two different worlds and this fact should be kept in mind.

It is God's sovereign, redeeming love which spreads out the bounds and limits of His salvation. But does this love embrace the whole race of Adam? Surely not if there be any lost. The Bible plainly declares that some are lost, and as not one drop of the precious blood of Jesus Christ was shed in vain, we can only consistently conclude that none of it was shed for those not benefited thereby.

The word "many" is often used in connection with the work of our blessed Redeemer, (Is. liii. 11, 12; Matt. xxvi. 28; Mark x. 45; Heb. ii. 10; ix. 28,) and from this word it is only reasonable to conclude that His work has some limitations. It should be carefully noted that universal terms are not to be stretched beyond that with reference to which they are used.

Also universal terms are used with reference to those who are not the subjects of God's mercy: John viii. 23; xiv. 17; xv. 19; xvii. 9,16; 1 John iii. 1; iv. 5; v. 19; Rev. vi. 15-17; xvi. 14, etc.