How To Get Right With God?

In today’s modern world, Christians and non-Christians have differing views on this subject. To some, it is just a fantasy, an impossible goal to achieve, while others believe it is just a few good deeds away, no more, no less—just good deeds.

Surely, knowing how to get right with God is a serious matter to consider. While many try their best to live a sinless life, others find it reasonable not to worry that much. Oh, does this mean it’s okay to relax? On the other hand, Christianity teaches us that having the right relationship with Jesus is the key to experiencing God’s righteousness. But wait. Do we really understand what this is?

Why Do We Need To Get Right With God?

A more critical question to address than “Why” is the question of “Who.” “Who” establishes the authority of the one we need to get right with. Furthermore, “Who” puts us in the proper position before the one we must be suitable with.

Who Is God And Why Do We Need To Get Right With Him?

Scripture says humans were created in the image of God. Imagine our Creator. He is the Almighty God who embodies holiness, righteousness, goodness, power, and might. Nothing in all creation, both in heaven and on earth, can ever be equal to him nor be compared to Him.

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament record God as a holy God. His holiness sets Him apart from anyone else, and His righteousness tells us how perfect He is. That’s why no lie, no sin, and no fault could be found in Him.

What Is The Expectation From Us?

Therefore, when God created mankind, He made us into His image and likeness, so He could manifest Himself in us as we reflect His glory and as He fulfills His plan for us.

The scriptures say You must be holy because I am holy (NLT). This is found in 1 Peter 1:16, while Leviticus 20:7 writes, Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am the LORD your God (NIV).

Where Do We Stand Before God?

When the first humans failed to obey His word, they were found guilty of sin, the sin of disobedience. This affected us all. With the birth of sin, our righteousness was gone, which resulted in us being disqualified from communing with the loving Creator.

Breaking God’s law is a serious matter. Since both righteousness and holiness are God’s character, He cannot tolerate nor associate with sinners nor with any sinful thing. That’s terrible news! This means we could no longer be in one place with God, just as what happened to our first parents.

To make our circumstances even worse, we should know that sin separates us from God not only here on earth but also in eternity. And to be separated from God in eternity means we have to spend our lives in hell forever as a form of punishment. Surprisingly, nobody wants to go to hell because even the worst sinners hope to be in heaven someday.

What Awaits Us?

In order for us to join God in eternity, we need to be right with Him first. As a result, we ask how we can make ourselves right in the sight of God the Father again.

This is the hard truth. Romans 3:20 says, No one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are (NLT). This clearly means that there is nothing we can do on our own to gain the right standing before God. Despite this biblical truth, many think otherwise.

Yet, the Bible is stern and is certain when it says in Romans 3:23, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (NIV). Whether we accept this truth of the scriptures or not, this is the sad reality of our predicament.

On the other hand, since we were originally designed to live with God, deep in our hearts and souls, there is always a longing, a desire, and a hunger to get right with God. Because of this, we are given a solution through God’s promise. God’s word tells us about His mercy and grace granted through His eternal Son, and that’s where the Good News begins.

Can Sinners Get Right With God?

The answer is yes, sinners can get right with God. Scripture says in John 3:16[1], For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (NIV). In this passage, we learn about the solution God has offered us, sinners, through Jesus.

How Does Jesus Christ Solve The Problem With Sin?

The Bible says in Romans 5:10, For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (NIV). In other words, Jesus died on the cross to restore our relationship with God, which resulted in us being forgiven and accepted once again.

What Does This Mean To Us?

To be reconciled with God means that, in His eyes, we are no longer considered his enemies for disobeying His commands because, ultimately, Jesus paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross for us so that, through his death, we will live and be saved from all of our sins.

Furthermore, Scripture tells us in 2 Cor 5:21, For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin so that we could be made right with God through Christ (NLT). Christ’s death did not just restore our friendship with God, it also justified us in front of Him.

This means that though we are sinners, we are declared just on the basis of Christ’s righteousness, resulting in our peace with God. Since Jesus gave up His righteousness in exchange for our unrighteousness, we can now stand righteous in the eyes of God.

How Do I Get Right With God?

First Things First

A number of popular teachings about this subject are circulating around the world nowadays. However, before accepting any teaching, let us examine whether it is biblically correct or not. First and foremost, the Bible reminds us that there is no amount of work we can do in order for us to be declared right in front of God.

The only thing required of us is to put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. No more, no less. Ephesians 2:8 says, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Active Faith Versus Passive Belief

It is also crucial to understand that what the scripture says about believing in Jesus and putting our faith in Him doesn’t just mean passively accepting the truth or literally acquiring knowledge of what happened to Him on the cross.

Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ should prompt us to respond properly to what He did on the cross for you and me. Acts 2: 38 says, Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (NIV).

Notice how the Apostle Peter emphasized the importance of repentance and baptism in order to get right with God. Only when responding to this can we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and enjoy God’s grace to its fullest.

Finally, believing in Jesus as the only one who could save us from eternal condemnation should ultimately result in complete trust and absolute obedience to His Words which are found in the Bible.

God Raised Jesus So We Can Have Eternal Life With Him

What is so amazing about the grace of God extended to us through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is that when God raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, we weren’t just reconciled and justified. We were guaranteed forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life in heaven all at the same time. And all these are ours, for free, if and only if we believe.

Conclusion

Being right with God may not be as difficult as it sounds. However, it shouldn’t be as light as we would treat it. Yes, it is true that we do not need to do any work in order to be reconciled and justified in front of God because Jesus already did it for us.

However, it is of utmost importance that we put our faith in Jesus Christ for bearing our sins, dying on our behalf, and rising from the dead so we could restore our friendship with God, be declared right before Him, and ultimately possess eternal life with Him.

At the end of the day, may we all come to believe in Jesus, not just cognitively but rather in a way that will transform us into the kind of believers who will trust Him without reservation, obey Him without objection, and submit to Him without question.