Good Friday is a day of paradox—darkness and light, sorrow and hope, death and life. At first glance, the day Jesus died doesn’t seem “good” at all. The sinless Son of God was betrayed, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a Roman cross (Matt 27:26-31; John 19:16-18). The sky went dark, and even the earth trembled … Continue reading The Meaning of Good Friday
Tag: Sacrifice
Jesus’ Substitutionary Atonement in Salvation
Jesus’ atonement for sins is the basis for reconciliation, because God has judged our sins in the Person of Christ who died on the cross in our place. The death of Christ has forever satisfied God’s righteous demands for our sin and it is on this basis that He can accept sinners into heaven. The blood of Christ is the only coin in the heavenly realm that God accepts as payment for our sin-debt, and Christ paid our sin debt in full.
The Role of God the Father in Salvation
God the Father is seen as the initiator, planner, and orchestrator of the salvation of mankind. God the Father is loving, merciful, and kind, and “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4), and is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9).
Defining Salvation in the Bible
Soteriology is the study of salvation. The word soteriology is derived from the Greek words "soter" (σωτήρ), which means savior, and "logos" (λόγος), which means a word about, or the study of something. Soteriology is the sphere of systematic theology that speaks to the nature, means, scope, and purpose of salvation. It is an important theme that runs throughout Scripture and reveals the God who saves.
Beyond Self-Interest: Embracing Disadvantage for the Blessing of Others
The more I understand biblical Christianity, the more I think our advance to maturity involves being willingly disadvantaged that others might receive an advantage. To be voluntarily disadvantaged means I am deprived of something so that others might gain an asset, an edge, a benefit, or an opportunity they might not have otherwise. This is charitable on my part, in which I give for the benefit of others. This is how Jesus lived, as He said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
The Power of Encouragement: Lessons From the Life of Barnabas
Barnabas was noted as being an encourager (Acts 4:36; 11:23), who sacrificed his own resources to be a blessing to others (Acts 4:37). He was called “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts 11:24), and one—along with Paul—who “risked” his life “for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 15:26). Barnabas was not without his flaws; however, he possessed the qualities one would like to see in a Christian leader, as he sought to build the Christian community by means grace, love, and solid biblical instruction. Churches and Christians need people like Barnabas, who will stand with them, give them wise counsel, and encourage them in their walk with the Lord.
Atonement for Sins
Jesus’ death on the cross was a satisfactory sacrifice to God which completely paid the price for our sin. We owed a debt to God that we could never pay, and Jesus paid that debt in full when He died on the cross and bore the punishment that rightfully belonged to us.