What counts and what doesn't

Because the sinless savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Wouldn't be much of a stretch to suggest that these three days, the Friday of Christ's
death on the cross to Easter Sunday with the most important event in the history of mankind, the resurrection, are so very important.

So with that in mind, what is important and what not in the whole justification and
salvation of those belonging to Christ Jesus? As hard as it is for some to grasp and
understand, Christ, not we, achieved atonement for us; it IS by grace alone and through
faith in Jesus that we may, one day, stand before a Holy God and be invited in as a
son or daughter. We didn't do anything deserving, we didn't accomplish anything that
would merit being saved, we haven't done or said anything that warrants the greatest
gift ever given.

So what doesn't count? (in no particular order)....  the size of your bank account, the
latest credit rating, number of college degrees, notches on your belt, friends. the square
footage of your home, number and quality of automobiles you own, organizations to
which you belong, annual salary, number of hits on twitter, Facebook, etc. Size of
your plasma TV, amount you tithe, how you dress for church, where you sit in church,
favorite sports team and its success, your I.Q., amount of giving to charity, places you
have vacationed, body fitness, health status, good deeds you have done, kindness
you have shown, how you are perceived by others, books that you have read....

Obviously I could go on and on. the key, here, is that there simply isn't anything that
we can "bring to the table" when it comes to our own justification. 

So what does count? I'll start with something related to the above. We simply
have to recognize our own personal need for a savior. Nothing gets done until we
take to our knees and understand that we can't really control anything related to
God's willingness to accept us. We are unclean and sinful! Without Christ our future
is dim. We need to love God and others, the crux of Jesus statement about the
most important commands. We need to do this without expectation of any
related rewards, solely in appreciation and gratitude for what has been given us.
We need to forgive others because, yep, we have been forgiven! We need to be
ever aware of the darkness of Satan and his desire to heighten our pride and head
us in the horrible direction of rejecting God. 

It is a happy and blessed Easter because Christ has risen, defeating death, the devil
and granting to those who he tends, the gift of everlasting life in the presence of a
glorious sovereign God!

Happy Easter, everyone!!!

He was born to die!

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are                        healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53: 5-6

That's powerful prophetic scripture! Alistair Begg, in What Angels Wish They Knew, 
points out many interesting and thought-provoking aspects of the death of Christ.
He mentions the three hours of darkness that spread over the land in the mid-afternoon;
quite a contrast to the bright light that ushered in the glorious birth of the child Jesus.

Hymn words:

Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut the glories in,
When God the mighty maker dies
For man the creature's sin.

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God"  2 Cor. 5:21

There are many confused nihilists in this world that would suggest that we are born, ____
happens, and then we die. Jesus, as fully God and fully man, came to this world 
in a total act of sacrifice and walked steadily toward a brutal death upon a cross. He, of
course, by necessity, needed to be both God and man, as chief priest and as the second
Adam to fulfill God's glorious grace-filled plan for redemption of those who would recognize
their need for a spotless redeemer. 

Yes, He came here to die. Along the way He taught the gospel of good news, performed
countless miracles, reached out to the sick with healing and succumbed to most
brutal, unfair treatment with unbelievable grace and class. His was on a mission for His
Father, complete and noble willingness to do what would bring glory and provide
for His sheep, who He knew from before the beginning of time.

They were dark moments done for dark people. He was the light of the world come down
to provide a means. He remains the light of the world, a light shining brightly in the
hearts of those who love Him.

I love Him! Praise His glorious name.

Sorry...I just cannot call it Good Friday!

The etymology of the term "good" in the context of Good Friday is contested. Some sources claim it is from the senses pious, holy of the word "good", while others contend that it is a corruption of "God Friday".

According to Wikipedia, Good Friday has also been known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Black Friday and God Friday. Personally, I'd prefer any of those terms to the one celebrated
mostly by Christians this coming Friday.

 I can certainly understand "good' in association with the events leading up to the
crucifixion of Christ Jesus. There is without question good that resulted from this sacrifice:
the potential salvation for those who would believe in and trust our Lord, in fact, the only
possible way to a lasting relationship with our Holy God, the unbelievable strength and
servitude that allowed Jesus to march to a horrible series of events culminating in His
death, the fulfillment of prophesy and the law and the presentation of the new
covenant between God and those who have been saved by the very blood shed on Calvary.
The very moment of victory over death and over satan would have to be labeled as
good.

Yet, I just cannot wrap my heart around calling what happened to Jesus in all the events
that led up to His death, from even before His arrest to His last most memorable words,
"good." I know that these events were planned even before the beginning of creation,
that they were understood as necessary for the eventual salvation of some and the
judgement of all. I know that the culmination of these events and the Resurrection
resulted in Christ Jesus being the King of all creation, being adored and honored by God
the Father as King of Heaven and Earth. I know the necessity of these events that led
to the Holy Spirit in-dwelling all those in Christ. Yet, I don't know how to get past the
humiliation, the suffering, the anxiety, the pain, the loneliness... you get the picture.

Yes, I will be there in church this Sunday praising God for the Resurrection that
brings the Easter celebration. I will be mindful of the great sacrifice that led to my
sinful soul being reunited with God, undeserved totally on my part, by grace and faith
alone. I will sing the hymns, take the bread and the juice and thank God in my heart for
what He has done.

And yet, in my heart of hearts, deep within my soul, I will mourn for what happened to
my beloved Jesus Christ, totally undeserving of what was asked due to my sin.

How I love you, Jesus. I am so very sorry!