Preparing Your Heart for Good Friday & Easter

Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

This Friday we remember Good Friday @ 7pm. It will be a paradoxical night; an unhappy celebration. It is a day of intense sadness mixed with intense gladness. It will be both uncomfortable and convicting as we reflect on the depth of our sin and the amazing love of our God who died for us.

Then, on Easter Sunday @ 10am, we’ll celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. In the words of Graeme Goldsworthy, “The resurrection was the Father’s ‘Amen’ to the finished work of Christ.”

In order to prepare your heart for this weekend, I encourage you to consider what is now true of you in Jesus – if indeed you do trust Him – in light of the events we celebrate this weekend. If not, he invites you to be reconciled to Him according to his rich mercy, lavish grace and great love. For all who turn from their lives of self-centeredness to Jesus are now…

…victorious over Satan, sin and death (1 Cor 15:57; 2 Cor 9:15; Rom 7:23-25; 2 Cor 2:14)
…adopted by God (Eph 1:5; Rom 8:15) as God’s children (Jn 1:12; 1 Jn 3:1,2).
…made friends of God (Jn 15:15) and saints (Eph. 1:1).
…complete (Col. 2:10).
…hidden with Jesus in God (Col. 3:3) .
…seated with him in the heavenly kingdom (Eph. 2:6).
…established, chosen and made holy (2Cor. 1:21-22).
…forever in the love of God (Rom. 8:35-39).
…free from any charges against you (Rom. 8:31-34).
…assured that all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28).
…forever free from being ruined (Rom. 8:1-2).
…saved from and forgiven of all your sins (Col. 1:14).
…able to go freely and confidently (Eph 3:12) to God the Father through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
…a recipient of grace and mercy in time of need (Heb. 4:16).
…fully reconciled to God (2Cor 5:18)
…able to do all things through him who strengthens you (Phil. 4:13).
…bought with a price and belong to God (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and
…free from the devil (1John 5:18) with authority over him (Col 2:14-15; 1 Jn 3.8)
…at peace with God (Rom. 5:1)
…in one spirit with God (1 Cor. 6:17).
…God’s co-worker (2 Cor. 6:1; 1 Cor. 3:9), God’s temple (1 Cor. 3:16) and personal witness (Acts 1:8).
…chosen to bear fruit (John 15:16) as a branch of the true Vine (John 15:1-5)
…a member of his body (1 Cor. 12:27; Rom 12).
…called to bring people together for God (2 Cor. 5:17-21)
…able to participate in his unfolding story of redemption (Mt. 28:18-20)
…sent as Jesus was sent (John 17:18).
…perfectly and completely loved. (Rom 5:7-8; Jn 3:16; Eph 1:7, 5:2, 5.25)
…no longer under God’s wrath (Gal 3:13; Rom 3:25; 1 Jn 4:10)
…declared “Not Guilty!” (Rom 5:9, 3:24, 3:28)
…reconciled to God and others. (Rom 5:10; 2 Cor 5:28; Eph 2:16; Col 1:20)
…entirely cleansed and forgiven. (Eph 1:7; Mt 26:28; Ps 103:12)
…free from the fear of death. (Heb 2:14-15)
…part of God’s people, the church. (Lk 9:23; Mt 10:38; Rev 5:9; Jn 10:16)
…free from slavery to sin (Rev 1:5-6; Heb 13:12)
…brought home to God (Rom 5:10; 1 Peter 3:18;  Eph 2:13; Rom 7:4; 1 Cor 6:19-20; Acts 20:28)
…declared 100% righteous (2 Cor 5:21; Rom 5:19; Phil 3:9)
…a recipient of eternal life…which is knowing him. (Jn 3.16; John 17:3)

We call this the Gospel. Good news, in fact world-altering, history-shaping, eternity-securing news, to people in great need of it.