Are you right with God?
That’s a question that many would say yes to. Simply because knowing that you aren’t, has implications that are really difficult to process. Not being right with God has eternal consequences. Scripture makes clear that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
The question that we all must wrestle through is what makes us right with God? Know that it is our faith in Jesus that makes us right with God. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the things around us, our own ability, our wit, nor our dreams that makes us right with God. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus.
What is it about faith in Jesus that makes us right with God? There are 3 actions of faith that makes us right with God:
Faith produces humility. How does faith in Jesus produce humility? It brings to weight the reality that there’s no way that we can save ourselves. It was Jesus who lived a perfect life. It was Jesus who was wounded for our transgression and bruised for our iniquities. It was Jesus who humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. It was Jesus who took our sins on his back, died on the cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb and rose from the grave. Because of His finished work on the cross, we are able to be right with God.
There’s nothing that we have done or can do to be right with God. The works were placed on him, therefore, our faith must be in Him. That is what produces humility in the life of the blood bought.
Second, Faith fuels our work. Our belief in Jesus should fuel the work that we do for Jesus. What we do for God is fueled by what we know about God. Knowing God should fuel our doing. For some reason, we’ve gotten this wrong. We do for God hoping to know more about Him, but that can’t continue to be a strategy. Mainly because it an unbiblical approach to attaining fabricated righteousness. We can’t continue to have this factory generated salvation expecting for things to be custom.
Thinking that if I add a little of this and a little of that I’ll be alright. No, there’s nothing at all that we can do.
Third, Faith in Jesus reveals how blessed we are. Think about it… What if you actually received what you deserve as a result of your sin? What if you actually had to pay for every bad decision that you’ve made? The blessing is that by placing our faith in the finished work of Christ, every lawless act, and ungodly deed is forgiven. He’s not holding our sin against us, but rather he’s setting us free from sin and death. Whom the son sets free is free indeed!
Are you right with God? Truth is, if he doesn’t have your heart, then he doesn’t have you.
-Pastor Michael T. Byrd Sr.
