What Makes A Person Right With God?

 What Makes A Person Right With God?

Somewhere in each of us is an unwritten code of conduct.  We think if we live a certain way and avoid doing certain things we’ll be okay.

Jesus was often challenged by the people of His day who thought they had the rules and regulations and proper lifestyle choices sorted out.  Jesus saved His harshest criticisms for just such folks.  He did not approve in any way of their religious pride.

So we are invited by God today to look honestly at our own lives, to see ourselves and our condition as God sees us and then offer ourselves to God so He can do things His way in our lives.

Jesus often used sheep as an illustration of our relationship with God.  Sheep are under the watch care of a shepherd but they can wander away and get themselves into trouble.

Jesus said that if a man owned a hundred sheep and one of them wandered from the flock, the owner would leave the ninety-nine in the field and go and search for the one sheep that was lost.  When the sheep was found the man would rejoice with his friends and neighbours.  And then Jesus made a connection between the sheep and us: 

In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner decides to change.  There is more joy for that one sinner than for 99 good people who don’t need to change. 

Luke 15:7

There’s no condemnation in God’s view of us when He asks us to acknowledge that we are wanderers in need of rescuing.  There are any number of areas in our lives that need changing and it’s good to be honest about that. 

God has already provided healing and forgiveness through Jesus for those who admit they need it.    that Jesus is our only way back to God.  What joy is in God’s heart when we get things right.  Look at these encouraging words:

Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do.  Come back to God!  Christ didn’t have any sin.  But God made him become sin for us.  So we can be made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.  2 Corinthians 5:20-21

Loving God, Even though we want to follow Jesus we often wander and get ourselves lost in troubles.  We need rescuing and forgiveness each day.  Thank You for Jesus who makes that available to us today. We accept what Jesus has done for our restoration to loving relationship with You today.  Help us to stay close and follow You in all our ways.  Amen

So today’s challenge is for us to check in with God rather than to decide for ourselves if things are okay.  I often think of that great prayer in the Psalms to help us do that and we’ll end with that today:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 139:23-24