What is GOOD about Good Friday? Our God is GOOD! Mark 10:18 says " No one is GOOD except God." To help us to understand how GOOD God really is, we have to go back to the beginning of time.
The Lamb of God was slain before the foundation of the earth. Jesus was willing to lay down His life to take the consequences of sin that would have brought about the death of mankind. God knew that the heart of Adam and Eve was disobedient. He made provision before the Fall to rescue mankind from the peril of His punishment.
Adam's rebellion and disobedience challenged God's authority. It demanded God's eternal punishment: separation from God. Jesus' obedience to God's authority, cleansed the Heavens of Adam's sin and made a way for you and I to come back to our creator through the precious blood of Jesus. Repentance is a gift from our good God and available to all who will turn and call on the name of the Lord. The Lord will forgive us and we will be born again. IT IS FINISHED...GOD IS GOOD. HIS GOODNESS BRINGS US TO REPENTANCE. Romans 2:4.
Hebrews 12:1:2 says,"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
Jesus not only died for my sin, but He died as if He were me! I died in Him, was buried in Him and was united with Him in His resurrection. "In HIM" IS THE KEY. Now that is good news, Romans 6:3-14.
I would like you to ponder and search the scriptures for yourself about
what I am going to share. It all started while reading 1 Peter 2:9 ;
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, A HOLY NATION, a people
for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him
who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
It was the
expression of A HOLY NATION that caught my attention. As a believer, I
began to realize that I am an ambassador of Christ of this HOLY NATION
to proclaim the good news of reconciliation to a dying world. The more I
grow in Christ, my politics have changed to a more eternal perspective.
I am learning more and more that I can bring change in America on my
knees rather then with my mouth . God doesn't need my mouth to express
my opinions and to get into aggressive arguments to get His work done.
The body of Christ, is a NATION WITHIN A NATION that rules
through prayer. Isaiah 9: 6 says " the government is upon His
shoulders" and this is the government that I am submitted to for
eternity:
Jesus Christ is the sovereign ruler over all Nations. I am to
pray for America, and her leaders, etc. but not to get emotionally
involved anymore. With another election around the corner, I am
expecting that it will be a real test to see how much I believe and
understand what I just wrote, namely that the church, (the body of
Christ) is a HOLY NATION, WITHIN A NATION. "Lord Jesus keep me on my
knees!" I pray. (2Chronicles 7-14)
"Lord Jesus, how can the Holy Spirit come and live in a heart, that the Word of God says is ' deceitful, above of things, and desperately sick.?" ( Jeremiah 17:9)
For years this questions troubled me. I wanted an answer. Then one day the Lord whispered in my ear, "Why are you trying so hard to clean a heart of sin? I took your heart of sin and nailed it to the cross. (Colossians 2:6-17). You need a new heart, a heart transplant."
Days later while I was reading in Ezekiel 36:25-27, my eyes were opened to the miracle that happened when I was born again,. "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanliness, and from all your idols, I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give a NEW heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules"
The light went on! The Lord Himself had created a new heart in me. No wonder I felt condemned and discouraged trying to change myself. It was impossible.
I am so grateful for the power of the cross and how it has liberated me from the power of sin. May the Name of the Lord be praised forever and ever.
Recently, I received on my blog a comment from an anonymous source asking, "When did the New Testament start and were the disciples born again" Great questions. I confess I don't have all the answers but I have given this some thought.
If the word Testament is another word for Covenant, than I believe the New Testament (Covenant) started after Jesus' ascension. After His resurrection, Jesus had to take His blood to the Mercy Seat in Heaven to make atonement for Adam's sin. Remember how when Mary first thought that He was the gardener, but when she recognized Him she wanted to embrace Him? His response was, "Don't touch Me, I have not yet ascended!" Could that of meant that the Mercy Seat was waiting for His blood? I don't know. God has His timing in everything.
I have also given some thought to the last supper, when Jesus lifted the cup of redemption saying, "this is my blood shed for you. this bread is my body broken for you." Could this be the beginning of the New Testament? Both Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36 prophesied that a New Covenant was going to be made.
Some people think that the New Testament started with St. Paul, and that Jesus was only speaking to the Jews. Personally, I think it had to do with the Heavenly Mercy Seat. It required a holy, righteous, prefect sacrifice of a man. Jesus, God's Son, was the 'only one' who could fulfilled it's requirements. After His death and resurrection, the curtain was torn in the temple and then, the believer could now enter the Throne of Grace by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus.
To attempt to answer 'Were the disciples born again" with biblical proof?" I don't think there is an explicit place where it says, "The disciples were born again". I believe it has been implied. One possibility might be in John 20:22. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples in the upper room. He breathed on them saying,"Receive the Holy Spirit". The disciples now had the Holy Spirit in them, Later at Pentecost, the disciples received the 'power' to witness the resurrection. Their lives were changed. Peter especially became bold with His speech.
Today, as disciples of Jesus,we are born again. The Lord has breathed into our spirits eternal life, (Zoe). But the question remains, have we received the "power" the witness the resurrection of our Lord? Are we ready to testify His gospel, face persecution, be hated by the world, love our enemies, forgive those who offend us, do we love one another?" Without His power released in us, we can't forsake the world and only be true to Him. Everything we receive from God we receive by faith. Have we believed and received the person of the Holy Spirit? He is God too and testifies to the world who Jesus is in us!
