ARTICLES WRITTEN FOR THE GLASGOW DAILY TIMES BY PASTOR MIKE PADGETT

Good Friday?

What is “good” about Good Friday?

I looked up a definition of the day in two dictionaries. Webster simply says, “the Friday before Easter observed in churches as the anniversary of the crucifixion of Christ and in some states of the U.S. as a legal holiday”. Harper’s Bible Dictionary says it is “the Friday immediately before Easter on which Christians memorialize the day Jesus was crucified”.

What is “good” about it? Wouldn’t it be better to call it “bad” Friday? After all, this is the day that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Wow… wait a minute! That’s it!

The Bible tells us that there is none righteous or good, no not one and that we have all sinned and missed the mark or standard of God’s holiness. The good thing about “Good Friday” is that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine. He took our place! He was our substitute!

I could not and cannot meet God’s high standard of holiness. God knew that so He sent Jesus Christ to redeem me from my sinful predicament. Maybe you don’t need a Savior. Maybe you have never sinned. But I have and I know I need the Lord Jesus Christ to save my soul from the eternal hell.

I wonder how many folks in good ol’ Glasgow really have been born again. I wonder how many have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. I can go on and on with the “Christian jargon” in this article. Most of you will understand it perfectly because you have been raised in the “Bible Belt” and you know the “lingo”.

But, I wonder how many of you are really saved – born again – redeemed by the blood of the Lamb – converted – on the way to heaven for sure. Are you one of many who have their name on the church roll but not on heaven’s roll. When the roll is called up yonder, are you sure you will be there?

I must say that “Christian Culture” lends itself to shallow Christianity. How deep is our commitment to Jesus Christ here in Glasgow? Do we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Do we live by His commands? Do we live by His Word? Do His precepts permeate all we say and do?

How does my life measure up to that of the Savior? I don’t know about you, but I come up awful short a lot of times. What does that look like to those who are not Christians? What does that look like to people in our community that are not from the “Bible Belt”? What does that look like to the Muslim, the Hindu, the Buddhist and others? What makes us any different from any other person of any other religion of the world?

Are we only “good” on “Good Friday” and other religious days… like Sunday? How is our Christianity played out in the market place Monday through Saturday? At the store or in the school?

“Good Friday”? Did Jesus die just to give us the way to heaven or did He die to give us a way of life? I believe the Bible is clear in its teaching that a true born again experience with Jesus Christ will result in a total change of our behavior, our thought patterns, our vocabulary, our motives, our goals in life and on and on it goes.

What about you? Is your “Christianity” more than just a cultural identity? Do you only do the “good” things because that is what is expected in Glasgow? Or do you have a personal daily relationship with the living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that internally motivates you to do what He would do? Do you communicate daily, hourly with the Creator of the universe?

“Good Friday” is good news to every sinner. Jesus died for you and me. He loves you and wants to give you purpose and peace in your life. Will you let Him?

Let this Easter be a very special one for you and your family. Be in church on Sunday. Don’t miss Resurrection Day. If you truly know Jesus, I am sure you will want to celebrate this day with great sincerity of heart.


Pastor Mike Padgett
E-mail: mpadgett@glasgow-ky.com
Church Web Site: www.GlasgowBible.org
Phone: 270-678-5972