“…No Other God Can Save This Way!”

“…No Other God Can Save In This Way!”(Dan.3:13-30).
“…’Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?’
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’..
Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.’ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.”
There is a double understanding of Nebuchadnezzar’s words that “no other god can save this way.” Firstly, the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only time in human history and in the history of religion where Deity reconciles fallen humanity to himself through the death and resurrection of his own beloved Son. The second understanding is demonstrable salvation as in the sense of physical worldly uplifting. This second sense is what Nebuchadnezzar had in mind when he said prophetically that “no other god can save this way. He demonstrated this when he remonstrated his people on pain of death to anyone who spoke badly about the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He also appointed them to high offices.
Dear friend, in the same way that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego passed through the fire and came out unsinged, so too, through the death of Jesus we have died to sin and by his resurrection we have been raised to become new creations in the same way he died as Jesus and rose as the Christ.
To this end Paul advises: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” This means putting to death whatever earthly passions, pleasures and entanglements that have made us captives to sin(Col.3:1-11).
More than this, we should submit ourselves completely to God in Christ in the same way that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did. They boldly told the king: ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.’
Trust the saving power of God through the resurrection of Christ.
Have a blessed Easter Sunday! Peace be with you!
“The Lord is risen…!
Rev Babila Fochang.
20/04/2025.