What is so Good about Good Friday?

 

Yesterday, "Good Friday", the day that Jesus Christ was crucified on the Cross and paid an atoning death so that those who repented of their many sins and accept God's Son as Savior & Lord can be forgiven and redeemed from Hell and given new life. It is so sad that most people reject God's free gift of salvation for death in sin and choose to go to Hell instead, just so they can continue to lie, cheat, steal, hate, and defy the God that created them. The Apostle Paul (who was converted, called and empowered by Jesus Christ in person) explained this in Romans 1:16-32, which says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the [h]men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

 

The word "Gospel" translates as "good news", but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is only "Good News" because the Fall of Mankind because of Sin is bad news of eternal damnation in Hell. The Apostle John explains in John 3 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

 

Unfortunately, most people are deceived by the devil and are blind to the truth. The Apostle Paul explains in Galatians 5:16-25, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication (sex outside the context of marriage), uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery (drug abuse), hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." All of mankind is destined for Hell due their multiple sins against God, creation and their fellow humans created by God. God has already condemned all of mankind and there is nothing anyone can do to save themselves from eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire in Hell on their own, but God provided a Way (only one Way) by sending Jesus the Christ, God incarnate (which means "in the flesh") from Heaven to live a perfect sinless live and die an atoning sacrificial death in your and my place for our sins, but only if we repent of sin, ask for forgiveness, believe that Jesus' is the blessed Redeemer sent from God as a free gift to pay the price of death for our sin. As Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” But, we have to receive Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord, then with the regenerated spirit within us, the new heart and indwelling Holy Spirit turn from sin and our wicked ways to follow Jesus and the Word of God as our life guide.

 

That is what is so good about "Good Friday"!

In Christ, Brian