Are you right with God?
I believe some people wonder if they are right with God and most people hope they are right with God. Unfortunately, many people live long periods of their life not knowing where they stand with God; they may try not to think about it and hope for the best. Some may think that they are a good person so hopefully God accepts them. Let me tell you, if that is you then you are missing out on so much in life and living a life that falls short of God’s best for you.
Did you know that God does not love people differently based on if they are right with Him or not. God loves each of us equally regardless of whether we are right with Him or not. You may ask, “Are you saying God loves a person who commits murder just as much as someone who goes to church, feeds the poor and rescues puppies?” Yes! That is exactly what I am saying!
To be struck or not to be struck by lightning is not the test of being right with God.
Now that I have your attention I will explain. God loves each of us equally. In fact, the bible states He loves us as much as He loves Jesus. John 17:23 NLT I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.
Even when we do bad things (sin) like the murderer I mentioned above or the person who eats grapes at the grocery store before paying, there are consequences. They may think that since they were not caught, they got away with it. Sin is sin whether the consequences are immediate or later, but it will always cause loss in your life.
God loved me before I was born again and He loves me equally now that I am Pastor at Atlin Family Church. His love is based on who He is not who I am or what I have done in life.
Even when we are right with God, when we sin, we allow the enemy into our world and our flesh so our health and relationship with God can be affected. The more we continue down the path of destruction the more we will begin to experience the mandate of Satan, our enemy! God still loves us, even though we have chosen a path of self destruction.
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10
Are you living a “rich and satisfying life"? When we know we are right with God a “rich and satisfying life” is available for every one of us!
No one is perfect and none of us can be made right with God by our actions, thoughts, belief system apart from His Word! Being right with God is all about Him & His love for us and again does not change based on who we are or what we have done in life!
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NLT
How do we know if we are right with God?
We are made right with God - by God! It was a gift! You can only enjoy a gift after you receive it and experience it. It was of no value to you before you knew it existed, but it was always available to you. It is my hope after reading this blog and believing His Word you can have the confidence you are in right standing with God based on His Word.
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.
We do have a part to play in God’s plan. It is up to us to believe His Word and accept His free gift of salvation and a “rich and satisfying life" on earth that is far beyond what we can imagine. Today if you are someone who has kept your distance from God by simply not thinking about Him or worse yet by thinking “you are a good person so therefore all is good” then today is your decision day. Will you accept His free gift and know you are right with God for the rest of your life and for eternity? Life is not over when we die!
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:1-2 NLT
If we are confident that we are right with God, then when we pray we can pray with confidence and not with a feeling of fear or timidity.
16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 NLT
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. Mark 11:22-24 NLT
