Good Friday Is Full of Good News
Good Friday Is Full of Good News
by Pastor Carlos Ramirez
Good Friday doesn't always feel good. But if you sit with the story long enough, the goodness becomes undeniable.
These reflections started during our baptism class last Sunday, when someone asked a question I haven't been able to shake: I'm making this big commitment to the Lord — and yet I'm still human, still prone to sin. How do I wrestle with that?
That question is exactly what Good Friday is for.
Salvation Has Tenses
In the Alliance, we believe in the Fourfold Gospel — that Jesus is our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and Coming King. And wrapped inside that truth is something I think gets overlooked: salvation isn't just a moment. It has a past, a present, and a future.
I Have Been Saved — Jesus Is My Savior
On June 3, 2007, I responded to an altar call at a youth retreat. I grew up in church, knew all the stories — but that night was different. I encountered the love of God for the first time. It felt like waves of liquid love washing over a cold heart, making it warm and new.
That was the day I said yes to Jesus. I was justified — declared righteous by his blood. That gift is free, available to anyone who believes (Romans 5:1, John 3:16). Had I died shortly after, I would have been confident I was spending eternity with my Savior.
I Am Being Saved — Jesus Is My Sanctifier
The second tense is present tense. Salvation isn't just something that happened — it's something happening right now.
Paul captures it in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." Following Jesus means taking up my cross daily. It means surrendering to a process.
I am not perfect. I struggle with selfishness, pride, and plenty else. But because of the cross, the power of sin over my life has been broken. I am being saved and sanctified every day — through his blood and by the power of his Spirit (Hebrews 13:12).
I Have Been Healed, and I Am Still Healing — Jesus Is My Healer
Think of sin as a sickness. We are all sick, and we all need healing. Isaiah 53 puts it plainly: "By his wounds we are healed."
This healing isn't just spiritual — it touches every dimension of who we are: body, soul, spirit. Jesus is my Healer, and honestly? I am still healing with him. That's not a lack of faith. That's the honest, ongoing reality of walking with a Healer.
I Will Be Saved — Jesus Is My Coming King
The final tense is future. Our salvation won't be fully complete until Jesus returns. Philippians 3:20-21 says we await a Savior who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.
I used to fear death — afraid of becoming some ghost-like creature, or worse, that death was just permanent sleep. But neither is biblical. To be fully human is to be body, soul, and spirit. And 1 Corinthians 15 promises we will be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Jesus is coming back, and we will experience resurrection power in our very bodies.
The Good News
If you believe in Jesus, you believe in a whole Savior — not just a ticket to heaven, but someone who is actively with you right now.
You are saved. You are being saved. You are healing. And you will be saved.
That's why this Friday is called Good.
Join us this Easter Sunday, April 5th, at 10:30 AM — 448 Bedford Road, Armonk, NY. Good coffee, bagels, and a community ready to celebrate resurrection. First time? You can even plan your visit by clicking here.