The “Good” in Good Friday!

What makes Good Friday “good”? With His death, Jesus made new life in Him available to each one of us. Good Friday is the day that our Savior gave everything for us because of His unconditional love and grace (1 John 4:9-10). God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us to reconcile us to the Father and to provide salvation, including forgiveness of sins, healing, deliverance, provision, and protection.

“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.” (John 3:16)

“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:13 )

Everything Jesus suffered on the cross represents something He took for us. Jesus’s blood flowed freely from His body for our deliverance from every disease, as well as physical, mental, and emotional affliction.

We were never meant to figure out our purpose and life on our own, because He has already paid the highest price and finished it (John 19:30). Jesus is the answer and provides the solution for everything we need in our lives.

As we pause and reflect on the cross and the sacrifice Jesus made for us, we can receive all He is and came to give us. Perhaps you need to get to know Him, seek His healing touch or provision, to be set free from repeated failures or debt, or to find His peace, wisdom, or joy. Whatever you need, He has made way for you to experience all He is and has for you.

When you receive Jesus into your heart as your Savior, He will change you. Forgiveness is available to all at the cross; come as you are! It is the starting place to receive all He is and wants to give you: eternal life and abundant life now!

If you haven’t received salvation, you can enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God loves us and wants us to live in peace with Him, receive eternal life, and have abundant life now (Romans 5:1; John 3:16)!

First, we must recognize that we have sinned against God by following our way and that the punishment for sin is death and eternal separation from God (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

Our sin separates us from God. Jesus Christ is the only answer to this separation problem, as He was sinless, thus fulfilling God’s righteous requirement on the cross. He did not sin but became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus took our place and paid the penalty for our sins (Romans 5:8).

God’s justice was satisfied because Jesus took all the righteous vengeance of God’s wrath, the punishment for our sin and lawlessness, upon Himself at the cross (Acts 10:43). He died on the cross. He shed His blood for us to give us right standing with God, for without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). Then, God raised Him on the third day (Acts 10:40).

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.(Romans 10:9–10)

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

God provided a way to bridge the gap between Him and us through Jesus Christ, His death, and resurrection! But we must choose to put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation (1 John 5:12-13).

Salvation is a gift to receive, and we can’t earn it! It is all about God’s grace and His love through Jesus Christ that He freely gives without demanding anything from us (Ephesians 2:4-5; Titus 3:5). All we need to do is receive it by grace through faith.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.(Ephesians 2:8‒9)

When you believe in Jesus and receive Him as your Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit resides inside you, and you become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)! He changes you from the inside out. You don’t have to clean yourself up first. We don’t have the power in ourselves to stop sinning. But we need to have a repentant heart concerning our sins and to understand that they separate us from God.

Repentance in the New Testament is the Greek word metanoia, which means “to change one’s mind about God and one’s sin, and to experience sincere regret or remorse.” You must desire to turn from your sin and turn to God (Matthew 3:2; 4:17). Godly sorrow leads to repentance when you realize that you have sinned against God, who is holy and good, and that you need a Savior because you cannot save yourself (2 Corinthians 7:10). It is the goodness of God that leads men to repentance (Romans 2:4).

We all can receive the gift of salvation through Jesus and what He did on the cross. We are then transformed and made new. We become new creations, the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21). We are delivered out of the power of darkness and translated into the kingdom of the Son of God’s love (Colossians 1:13). The Holy Spirit continues to transform us as we behold and look at Jesus, and He bears witness with our spirits that we are children of God (2 Corinthians 3:17–18; Romans 8:16).

Prayer for Salvation (To be prayed out loud)

Heavenly Father,

Your Word says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. I ask You to forgive me for my sins. I repent and turn away from them, turning to You. I am calling on You and asking Jesus to come into my heart and be Lord over my life. I believe Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for me. I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead, and He is alive today. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me the Holy Spirit to live inside me. I now belong to You. Help me live for You and obey You all the days of my life.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Steps to Grow in Christ

If you prayed the prayer for salvation in faith, you are now a child of God and are in His family (John 1:12). Here are some steps to help you continue to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ:

Start reading the Bible every day. You are now a child of God, and all His blessings in the Bible belong to you.

Fellowship with God through prayer, praise, and worship:

Prayer is just talking and listening to God at any time. Praise and worship of God bring you into His presence. It can be through words or songs.

Fellowship with God’s people – God’s family:

Finding a good Bible-believing church where you can continue growing and learning about God and worship and praise God together is vital. They must teach the principles found in the Word of God. The Word of God and fellowshipping with other believers will help protect you from the deceptions of Satan. A loving church demonstrates the fruit of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; Galatians 5:22‒23).

Confess Jesus Christ as your Savior: Tell a friend or family member. Share your experience with someone else today. Burn any bridges that link you with sinful conduct.

Experience Water Baptism: A local church of believers can allow you to be baptized in water, as Jesus said (Matthew 28:19‒20).

Remember, Jesus came to give you abundant and eternal life (John 10:10; 1 John 5:12‒13).

Please visit the following website to explore the books I have written, where you can learn more about living the abundant life Jesus came to give us and discover what the Bible says about healing and how to receive it from Jesus, the Healer. https://amazon.com/author/alexiscarucci/

Have a Blessed Good Friday!

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