GOOD Friday

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

I am continually amazed at the lack of understanding of orthodox Christianity.  It is really pretty simple. 

1. We, as humans, break the few simple rules that God the Creator has given us.  Because of this, we cannot approach God and our relationship with Him is broken.
2. God is a just god.  He must punish rule breaking (sin). Therefore, we suffer generally and specifically for our sin.
3. God still loves us, and has provided a way for us to reestablish our relationship with Him.  He did this by taking on the shell of a human and living the perfect human life among men without sin, thus becoming the perfect sacrifice.
4. God sacrificed Himself, taking on our sins for which He is not guilty, to satisfy the requirement for the punishment of sin.
5. Because the requirement for punishment has been satisfied, we are able to re-enter the relationship with God.  God now views us as men who have never sinned.

But, again, there is a simple rule to take advantage of  this wonderful gift from God.  You must believe that God is God, and that He did what He did for you.  If you do not believe, then you cannot have a relationship with Him.  If you do not have a relationship with Him, you will continue to suffer punishment for all eternity.

Scotty Smith explains it eloquently.

That's it in a nutshell. Great and voluminous books have been written explaining this, and to be truthful, such a simple message does indeed generate many, many questions.  Should this cause you to have questions, I suggest you start by obtaining a copy of the Bible, or even just of the New Testament, and read the Gospel According to John.  It would be good to read it in a modern translation, such as NIV or NASB, not some archaic version of a language of which the lexicon has evolved where the words have changed meaning.

Reading about what God has done for us may be the most important thing you do in life.

Happy Good Friday, and Happy Easter.