{"id":925,"date":"2011-03-11T01:45:51","date_gmt":"2011-03-11T06:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.fbclafayette.org\/?p=925"},"modified":"2011-12-12T09:28:09","modified_gmt":"2011-12-12T14:28:09","slug":"how-does-a-person-get-right-with-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/how-does-a-person-get-right-with-god\/","title":{"rendered":"How does a person get right with God?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

A lot of people think that there are many different answers to that question.\u00a0 Many think that as long as you act in a way that\u2019s consistent with your particular system of beliefs, then God will accept you.<\/p>\n

Other people think that all it takes to become right with God is to be a good person.\u00a0 Try to live a decent life, make sure not to harm anyone, and do the occasional good deed.\u00a0 There are still others who think it\u2019s impossible to know whether you\u2019re right with God.<\/p>\n

Who Makes the Call?<\/h2>\n

Ideas about this topic are like spectators at a baseball game.\u00a0 Everyone may have their own opinion on whether a pitch is a ball or a strike, but there\u2019s only one opinion in that stadium that matters.\u00a0 That\u2019s the opinion of the umpire.\u00a0 He alone gets to make the call.<\/p>\n

It works the same way with God.\u00a0 People may have different ideas about how to get right with Him, but if our ideas don\u2019t match what He says, then our ideas are wrong.\u00a0 We don\u2019t set the terms\u2014He does.<\/p>\n

What\u00a0Is God’s Response?<\/h2>\n

Thankfully, we don\u2019t have to wonder what God has to say about the subject.\u00a0 He has stated in very clear terms how a person can establish and develop a relationship with Him–how a person can know with certainty that they\u2019re on their way to heaven.\u00a0 God\u2019s answer is found in the pages of the Bible.<\/p>\n

The Bible is God Word.\u00a0 It\u2019s His revelation to humanity of who He is, what He\u2019s like, and how He relates to us.\u00a0 And the Bible is pretty straightforward about the realities of our situation.\u00a0 It tells us some pretty disturbing things about ourselves and about our ability to please God.\u00a0 But it can help us if we\u2019ll be\u00a0willing to listen and respond in the appropriate way.<\/p>\n

Who Is God?<\/h2>\n

If we\u2019re going to\u00a0be right with God, we first need to understand who He is.\u00a0 Scripture tells us that He is the Creator.\u00a0 Genesis chapter 1 explains that \u201cIn the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.\u201d\u00a0 He also \u201ccreated man in His own image.\u201d\u00a0 Because He created us we are accountable to Him.\u00a0 We have a responsibility to please Him.<\/p>\n

Scripture also tells us that God is Holy.\u00a0 In fact, it tells us that \u201cThere is no one holy like the Lord.\u201d\u00a0 That means He is pristine in His purity.\u00a0 He is completely separate from all that is impure or sinful.\u00a0 He is absolutely perfect in all His ways.<\/p>\n

We’ve\u00a0Got a Problem<\/h2>\n

Now, that\u2019s\u00a0bad news for us because if God is holy, that means He can\u2019t have anything to do with those who aren\u2019t.\u00a0 And Scripture states in unmistakable terms that we are not holy.\u00a0 In fact, God\u2019s Word regularly refers to us as sinners.<\/p>\n

But what is \u201csin?\u201d\u00a0 If you study the original languages in which the Scriptures were written, you find out that sin literally means \u201cmissing the mark.\u201d\u00a0 In fact, the word was used to describe an archer who failed to hit his target.\u00a0 And when we do things, or say things, or even think things that are inconsistent with God\u2019s character, we miss the mark God\u2019s perfection, of His holiness.\u00a0 In short, we sin.<\/p>\n

And the Scriptures tell us that everyone at some point has sinned.<\/p>\n

Romans 3:23
\nAll have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

All have sinned.\u00a0 What’s more is that our sin separates us from the Lord.<\/p>\n

Isaiah 59:2
\nYour sins have separated you from your God.\u00a0 Your sins have hidden his face from you.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It Gets Worse<\/h2>\n

Scripture paints a pretty grim picture of our ability to become right with God.\u00a0 And unfortunately, the picture gets darker before it gets brighter because this separation from God has consequences.<\/p>\n

Romans 6:23
\nThe wages of sin is death.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

God can\u2019t just pretend that our sin doesn\u2019t exist.\u00a0 He can\u2019t just ignore it.\u00a0 When we sin, we violate His standards, and if He were to ignore that, He wouldn\u2019t be a very just God.\u00a0 There is a penalty for our sins, and that penalty must be paid.<\/p>\n

God’s Answer<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s where the good news comes in.\u00a0 God gives us a choice.\u00a0 We can either pay for our sins personally by spending eternity separated from Him in a very real place called Hell, or we can accept God\u2019s offer to pay the penalty for us.<\/p>\n

And you say, \u201cWhat?\u00a0 Why would God do that?\u00a0 How could God do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Scripture tells us that at the right time, God sent His Son Jesus–who had existed before creation of the universe–to take on human flesh, to be born in the likeness of men, to live a perfect, sinless life, and to die in our place.<\/p>\n

1 Peter 3:18
\n[Christ] died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jesus endured the punishment that we deserve.\u00a0 He paid for our sins by His death.\u00a0 That\u2019s what makes reconciliation with God possible.<\/p>\n

2 Corinthians 5:21
\nHe made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But when Jesus died, He didn\u2019t remain in the grave.\u00a0 He was raised to life just as the Scriptures had promised.\u00a0 1 Corinthians 15 tells us that after His resurrection, He appeared to his disciples and to more than five-hundred of His followers.<\/p>\n

His resurrection is proof that God accepted His sacrifice.\u00a0 By His resurrection, we know that we too can have eternal life.\u00a0 But we must be willing to accept what He has done for us.<\/p>\n

Only those who personally place their faith in Jesus, trusting Him to forgive them of their sins, can benefit from what He has done.<\/p>\n

John 3:16
\nGod so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s Not Up to You<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s one more thing you need to understand about all this.\u00a0 God\u2019s offer of forgiveness is a gift.\u00a0 It\u2019s not something we deserve.\u00a0 It\u2019s not something we can earn.\u00a0 We can never do enough good to somehow prove ourselves worthy of the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.<\/p>\n

Ephesians 2:8-9
\nBy grace\u00a0you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no man may boast.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jesus\u2019 payment for sins was complete.\u00a0 And nothing we do can either add to or detract from the sufficiency of His sacrifice.\u00a0 All we can do is respond in faith.<\/p>\n

Responding in Faith<\/h2>\n

So, what does a person have to do to place their faith in Jesus?\u00a0 The answer is really very simple:\u00a0 just tell Him.<\/p>\n

Just tell Jesus that you know that your sins have separated you from God, that you know you have violated God\u2019s standards, and that you agree with what the Scriptures say, that you deserve to be separated from God.<\/p>\n

Then, tell Him you believe that He is able to forgive you of your sins because of the payment He has already made through His death.\u00a0 Ask Him to be your Savior and Lord and to grant you eternal life.<\/p>\n

If you do that, the Scriptures tell us you can be assured that God will answer your prayer.\u00a0 Romans 10:9 says, \u201cthat if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s God\u2019s promise.<\/p>\n

Get It Settled<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve never asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to be your Savior, I want to challenge you:\u00a0 don\u2019t let another day go by without doing that.\u00a0 Don\u2019t spend another day separated from God.<\/p>\n

He may be doing a work in your heart right now, but you need to know that He\u2019s not obligated to continue working to the same degree tomorrow that He is today.\u00a0 I encourage you to place faith in Him before this day is over.<\/p>\n

If you have questions about any of this, talk to a pastor or someone you know to be a follower of Jesus.\u00a0 Don\u2019t let anything stand in the way of your making the most important decision of your life.\u00a0 God has provided a way for us to become right with Him.\u00a0 All we need to do is believe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We don\u2019t have to wonder what God has to say about this subject. He has stated in very clear terms how a person can establish and develop a relationship with Him–how a person can know with certainty that they\u2019re on their way to heaven. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4242,105],"tags":[165,145,242,64],"yoast_head":"\nHow does a person get right with God? - Faith Church Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/how-does-a-person-get-right-with-god\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How does a person get right with God? - Faith Church Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We don\u2019t have to wonder what God has to say about this subject. 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