Good Friday

So today is Good Friday. The day we celebrate Jesus dying on the cross for us. YOu know my minister said something today about Salvation that i have always had a hard time believing. He said that conviction and repentance for doing a sin (true repentance he meant obviously) Is a proof of your salvation. He also continued on to say that Jesus blood on the cross and the blood and water that spilt out of the wound in his side was a symbol. I have heard this before but today it really struck me when He said Jesus blood cleanses us from our sin AND takes our guilt away. Guilt is a powerful thing God uses it to convict us of our sins. And our guilt can take us away from God too. With me anyways it did i felt like i could always feel Gods word kinda closing around me you know? Like I was running through a net and the farther i went the harder it got to fight through it. And yet i never wanted to stop running because of what i was guilty of. I supposed that i needed to keep running till i could stop myself and make amends to God and then fall into His grace more. Then when i finally could not move another inch forward anymore I felt that i needed to change myself by changing something in my life. It was not till the realization that i can not change anything in my life by my own power but that i have to ask God through the mediating Blood of His Son Jesus and have faith in Him that i finally began to actually change. See what i found by Gods providence was that If we truly believe In God and have faith in Him and repent He takes away our guilt. DO i still feel guilty. Yes I do quite a bit. But i know that through Christs blood i have atonement. And guilt i feel for a sin i have taken to the Lord and repented of is what the root i feel of dispair and depression is. If you face your sin and repent of it and know that God takes your Guilt away you will not dwell on yourselves as a depraved sinner (which you are) but you can rejoice in Gods salvation that when your depraved nature causes sin against God we can take it to him and in Gods eyes have our sins fall away and be blameless because of Christs sacrifice on the cross. On a day like today (well everyday but especially today) we have to reflect not only on how we turn our backs on Christ sometimes but on how He washes us clean of our sins right after we do this. This would be called perfect forgiveness. He gives us so many chances on so many different levels to do what He commands and we fail at all of them. And yet His sacrifice made it possible for us to still receive Salvation. And thats why it truly is a Good Friday for those who believe in Christ.