How Can Man Be Made Right Before God?

"But how can a man be in the right before God?" Job 9:2

Would you consider this to be one of the greatest questions in life?...and the least asked by mankind? Catholicism and many other religions have the understanding that they must do good deeds and follow church traditions. Many will say that they "hope they will get to heaven" when they die, mistakenly thinking that by being a 'good person' they shall enter heaven. If they were good enough, Jesus would not have died. Many today are pursuing whatever they have to do to make sure they are happy. They want to live happily and be happy in their old age. In a sin filled world, why are not more people asking this question found in the book of Job? The Bible makes it clear that our greatest need is not happiness, but righteousness. If you are "right before God" you have obtained the ultimate happiness because your eternal future would be secure. You were created to make God your treasure and to find your greatest joy in Him. You were created to find your ultimate joy and pleasure in Him. The problem is that we often exchange the glory of the incorruptible God for corruptible things. This is our great sin as mankind. We exchange the truth of God for a lie and worship created things rather than the Creator who is blessed forever. All creation exists to declare the glory of the grace of God.

"What Must I Do To Be Saved?" Acts 16:30

O the great questions of life! This honest question was asked by a prison guard who was guarding Paul and Silas. (Read Acts Chp. 16). We will never truly seek to answer this question until we realize our real guilt In our failure to keep the law of God. God's perfect and holy law stops the mouth of those who try to justify transgressing His laws. "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Romans 3:19 NKJV

What must you do in order to enter in to God's kingdom? Keep the Ten Commandments? Be a good person? Achieve great happiness? Live a life of good deeds? Be wealthy? The Bible says that righteousness is what we lack most and what we need in order to stand before a just God on judgment day. How can we be declared righteous or 'justified' in His sight? "God is good and forgiving!" Yes, He is good. He is so good that He will ensure that liars, idolaters, murderers, rapists, thieves, blasphemers, and adulterers will receive justice on judgment day.

The Bible clearly teaches that the unrighteous deserve God's wrath. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..." (Romans 1:18 NKJV) Those who refuse to repent are building a treasure of wrath. "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath..." Romans 2:5 NKJV

Who's NOT Going to Heaven - According Revelation 21:8

"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Who's NOT Going to Heaven - According to
1 Corinthians 6:9-10

1. Fornicators - Any sex outside of marriage
2. Idolaters - Includes bowing before statues of Mary and saints.
3. Adulterers - Jesus said lusting after someone IS committing adultery in your heart
4. Homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners

God's Righteousness and Justice

The Word of God tells us through the psalmist: "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;" (Ps 89:14 NKJV)

God’s commandments (Law) reveal how much we fall short of His perfect standard and keeps us from justifying ourselves. They are like a mirror we look into that reflect what we are. God’s holiness necessitates a salvation in which man’s sinfulness is removed and a perfect holiness is given to him.
So back to the first question above.... But how can a man be in the right before God? Job 9:2
In other words, How can you be justified before a just and holy God who promised to pour out His wrath on sinners?
Let the Bible, God's Word, answer with the mighty doctrine of 'Justification by Faith':

"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law." Rom. 3:28

"But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness," Rom. 4:5

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," Rom. 5:1

"Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us." Rom. 8:33-34

Are you being deceived?

Many do not understand "who Christ is" and what He actually accomplished on the cross because the official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church paints a different picture of Him than what is revealed in the Sacred Scriptures. Vatican Council II declares that we attain our own salvation and co-operate in saving our brothers through prayer and good works (p. 66, Vatican Council II Documents; Flannery). What's the point of Jesus suffering and dying a horrible death if we attain our own salvation? You cannot justify yourself when you are found trembling before the Almighty on judgment day. Let His grace grip your soul and ask Him to give you a taste for heaven and a fear of eternal hell.

THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION...