How To Be Right With God
The most important question that any person can ever ask is this…
“How can I have a right relationship with God?”
Perhaps you have asked this very question. Please don’t feel alone. This inquiry is common to all people. Since the time when man’s initial relationship with God was broken in the Garden of Eden — man has searched for the way to God. That search has led man in many different directions. An ancient oriental story says that the way to God is like a mountain with many roads to the top. There are many ways, but they all lead to God.
Basically, man has accepted this approach. All the roads have been tried. Good works, keeping the Ten Commandments, charity, sincerity, church membership, prayer, baptism, penance, communion, doing your best, fasting, helping others and many, many other ways represent man’s attempt to find God. Perhaps you have tried one of these ways to God. Could it be that you are trusting in one of these “roads” to lead you to God? Now as good as this approach seems, there is one problem. It will not work. In the Bible, which is God’s written revelation to man, God has much to say concerning the way to Him. First of all, God says that a person cannot be right before Him by keeping the Ten Commandments or by obeying the demands of a system of law: “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified (declared righteous) in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” [Romans 3:20]
Second, God also says that no man can be right with Him by performing good works. Without question, acts of charity, doing your best, leading a good life, and doing good works for man and God are commendable, but God says that will not lead to Him. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” [Ephesians 2:8-9]
As a matter of fact, God makes it very clear in the Bible that even the good things we do are not good enough. “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind have taken us away.” [Isaiah 64:6] “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.” [Romans 3:10-12]
The fact is all men are separated from God with no means or method of how to come to Him. God says that all men are lost. The reason for this condition is our sin. The Bible says very clearly -“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” [Romans 3:23] We can define sin with many words — disobedience, lawlessness, trespass, rebellion, transgression, missing the mark, iniquity, unrighteousness. But simply said, sin is “anything against God.” It is this sin that separates and keeps us from God. It is because of this sin that man cannot be right with God and can do nothing about it himself. But there is GOOD NEWS! God has done everything!
Through His Son, Jesus Christ, man can be right before God.
“For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” [Luke 19:10]
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12]
“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” [1 Timothy 1:15]
Jesus made it quite clear in John 14:6, when one of His disciples asked the way to God.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” [John 14:6]
The only way that we can be right with God is through faith or trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. This trust involves WHO Jesus is: He is God. This trust involves WHAT Jesus did: He died for MY sins and rose again. This trust involves WHY Jesus died: He forgives sin and gives ME eternal life. On the basis of personal trust in Jesus Christ alone — man can be right with God.
Are you right with God? You can be through Jesus Christ!
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” [Romans 5:1]
If you have any questions or desire more information about your relationship with God – call or email Harvest Baptist Church. pastor@harvestbaptistwilliamsburg.org