'Snake Salvation' Preacher BIT! -- But Jesus Saved Him ... Says Wife

"Snake Salvation" pastor Cody Coots suffered a gnarly snakebite -- just like his preacher father who died from a rattler's bite -- but Coots' wife tells TMZ her husband survived by the grace of God.

The venomous canebrake rattler sank its fangs into Coots' finger on Monday as he was taking the snake out of a cage in his Middlesboro, KY church.

Cody's wife Brittany tells us ... her husband's hand swelled up pretty badly, but he refused to get medical treatment. She says the pain went away by Tuesday, and he seems to be fine now.

When Coots' father Jamie was bitten while preaching back in February he also refused treatment ... and died.

Brittany calls Cody's incident a miracle, telling us ... "Jesus saved Cody. The Lord spared his life."