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, the Bible teaches us that having the right relationship with God’s Son, Christ Jesus, is the key to experiencing God’s righteousness. But wait. Do we understand what this is?

Do We Need To Get Right With God?

A more critical question to address than “why” is “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 or 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 in 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 scripture says, “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.”

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 causing us to fall short of the glory of God, our righteousness was gone, which resulted in our being disqualified from communing with the loving Creator.

Breaking God’s law is a serious matter. Since both righteousness and holiness are parts of God’s character, he cannot tolerate or associate with sinners or with any sinful thing. That’s bad news! This means we could no longer be in one place with God, just as 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 for 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?

For us to join God in eternal life, 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 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 certain when it says in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 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.

Just as the father welcomed the prodigal son when he decided to return home, our dear God will also show us his grace and forgiveness; we can finally come to repentance and spend everlasting life with him. This is the gift of our Lord Jesus. The salvation of God’s only Son freed us from sin; this is our reward for having accepted Jesus.

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.

Yes, sinners can indeed find salvation and reconciliation with God. Jesus taught us about this truth in the Bible. In the famous parable of the prodigal son, found in Luke 15:11–32, Jesus illustrates God’s unconditional love and forgiveness towards repentant sinners. The prodigal son, who had squandered his inheritance, returned to his father with a repentant heart. Despite his waywardness, the father lovingly embraced him and celebrated his return.

In another instance, Jesus, being God’s Son, came to Earth to offer himself as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity. He taught about the importance of faith and believing in him. John 14:6 records Jesus’ words, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Accepting Christ today and putting our faith in him is the pathway to eternal life and reconciliation with God.

The Apostle Paul, an influential figure in the early Christian church, wrote extensively about the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice and the righteousness that comes through faith. Paul stresses in Romans 3:22–24 that everyone sins and falls short of God’s glory, but God’s grace justifies them freely through the redemption that Christ Jesus provides. This highlights the futility of self-righteousness and the need for salvation through Christ.

Salvation is a gift from God, received by faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God—not by works so that no one can boast.” Our righteousness and acceptance before God are not based on our efforts but on the finished work of Christ on the cross.

How Does Jesus Christ Solve The Problem Of Sin?

Romans 5:10 in the Bible actively states, “God reconciled us to Himself through the death of His Son when we were His enemies. Now that we have been reconciled, we will be saved even more by His life.” In other words, Jesus Christ died on the cross to restore our relationship with God, which resulted in our being forgiven and accepted once again.

What Does This Mean For 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 based on 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 To Get Right With God

First Things First

Many popular teachings on this subject are circulating in 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 to be declared righteous in front of God.

The only thing required of us is to put our faith in the Lord and accept 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 acquiring knowledge of what happened to him on the cross to save humanity from sin.

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.”

Notice how the Apostle Peter emphasized the importance of repentance and baptism to get right with God. Only by 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.

Summary

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, indeed, we do not need to do any work to be reconciled and justified before 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 can restore our friendship with God, be declared righteous before him, and ultimately possess eternal life with him.