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Chapter 10
 HOW
DO WE
“GET RIGHT WITH GOD”?
By Daniel LeEarl Hall
The other day I was surfing the TV channels and came to
TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network). I was surprised to hear a man preaching grace.
For a few minutes he expounded the Word of God as it truly is. Then he asked,
"So, how do we get this grace?" He hesitated, then said, "There are three things
you gotta do to receive this grace."
Up went the big red flag. Whenever anyone uses the phrase, "You gotta," I know
they are preaching themselves, not the Word of God. (2Cor. 4:5) He then
proceeded to outline the three things.
"First, you gotta believe... and participate!" If he would have just stopped
with believe, he would have been okay. But, he couldn't help himself. What did
he mean by "participate"? He didn't explain because he didn't want to use the
word, ”works."
But his second requirement parroted a very popular phrase today among such
ministries. He said, "Secondly, you've got to get right with God!" (The third
thing was you gotta humble yourself)
He didn't explain much about this second grace requirement either, but I am sure
that he has an entire list of things that fall under this category, starting
with tithing, changing your behavior, etc. etc.
Telling us that we have to "get right with God" implies that we are
"back-sliders," another favorite claim of these preachers. So, what is a
back-slider? Supposedly a Christian that has been sinning, their flesh not
living up to god's perfect, righteous, and holy standards.
First, it is impossible for our flesh nature to live up to God's holiness. (Rom.
8:7,8) Second, our spirit is incorruptible,(1Peter 1:23) so it didn't
back-slide. Third, our flesh cannot back-slide. It never came forward in the
first place, so how can it go back, or back-slide. God did not fix our flesh. He
will do that in the future. (Phil. 3:21)
So, the question is "How do we get right with God"? If there were some
flesh-works that we had to do to get right with God, we would be in trouble,
because we couldn't do it, for we cannot be justified by works of the flesh.
(Rom. 3:24)
When God moved our spirit to believe and receive Jesus, we died to sin and He
made us right with Him. We will never be more right than we are this very
moment, especially by self-sanctification, or any other flesh-works or
self-righteous activities. God sees us right now, seated with Him in heaven.
(Eph. 2:6)
Paul said that we are justified freely by His grace through the redemption which
is in Christ Jesus." (Rom. 3:24) God through Christ has justified us, which
means that He has made us right with Him by His grace. If we have believed and
received Jesus Christ, we are right with God. Rest in that truth.
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