A Letter To Those Whom I Love
Today is Good Friday. Many have asked why do we call it Good when an innocent man was put to death with a punishment reserved for traitors and those found guilty of the most heinous crimes. If you are a believer, you know the answer and need not continue reading if this feels like "preaching to the choir." This post is for my friends, family, and loved ones who are not. Many of you have heard the message before and like me rejected it due to its presentation or the hypocrisy of the presenters or both. Some of you have not.
First, you should know, that I cannot save you nor am I trying to. My job, as a disciple of Christ is to present the good news. The rest is between you and God. He and he alone is the author of salvation. I will also preface this with the fact, that after years of searching and research, I believe the Bible to be true and the word of God.
Brief history: God created man (evolution is unfounded - even atheist biologists state that) in his image; an eternal being. Man sinned and the human race became fallen and temporal in body but not soul. God's punishment for sin was death, physical and spiritual death. But God still loved man even when man was cursing God for their woes created by them in their sinful nature. The punishment was eternity in hell unless someone could redeem them by taking the punishment. Unfortunately, that required a pure and sinless sacrifice which no one could be. So God decided that he, himself, would pay the price. He became a man like us. He underwent temptation like us, but unlike us, never sinned even though he restricted his Godliness enough by becoming human and being susceptible to sin.
This brings us to Good Friday. Good because the sinless man, Jesus Christ, God in human form became the only acceptable payment for the sins of the human race. He paid that awful price so that we would not have to. Gospel means good news. The good news is that we can be free from the punishment of our sins by proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. Not just freedom from punishment but freedom from the enslavement to sin.
I know many will say,"well I am basically good." I know this because I also said it. I found out that I, and everyone else, am basically evil. A tough pill to swallow, but never-the-less true. If I was basically good, Christ would not have had to pay the price.
So why a I telling many of you what you have heard before in one way or another? Because, while imperfect, I love you too and I would want you to gain the same freedom and gift that I have. It is my hope and desire that you will. Again, I can't save you but I am compelled to direct you to the only one who can.
Love and peace,
Pete
First, you should know, that I cannot save you nor am I trying to. My job, as a disciple of Christ is to present the good news. The rest is between you and God. He and he alone is the author of salvation. I will also preface this with the fact, that after years of searching and research, I believe the Bible to be true and the word of God.
Brief history: God created man (evolution is unfounded - even atheist biologists state that) in his image; an eternal being. Man sinned and the human race became fallen and temporal in body but not soul. God's punishment for sin was death, physical and spiritual death. But God still loved man even when man was cursing God for their woes created by them in their sinful nature. The punishment was eternity in hell unless someone could redeem them by taking the punishment. Unfortunately, that required a pure and sinless sacrifice which no one could be. So God decided that he, himself, would pay the price. He became a man like us. He underwent temptation like us, but unlike us, never sinned even though he restricted his Godliness enough by becoming human and being susceptible to sin.
This brings us to Good Friday. Good because the sinless man, Jesus Christ, God in human form became the only acceptable payment for the sins of the human race. He paid that awful price so that we would not have to. Gospel means good news. The good news is that we can be free from the punishment of our sins by proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. Not just freedom from punishment but freedom from the enslavement to sin.
I know many will say,"well I am basically good." I know this because I also said it. I found out that I, and everyone else, am basically evil. A tough pill to swallow, but never-the-less true. If I was basically good, Christ would not have had to pay the price.
So why a I telling many of you what you have heard before in one way or another? Because, while imperfect, I love you too and I would want you to gain the same freedom and gift that I have. It is my hope and desire that you will. Again, I can't save you but I am compelled to direct you to the only one who can.
Love and peace,
Pete
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