What does it mean to be right with God? Some would say that following the ten commandments makes us right with God. Others would say that there is a list of sins that you need to stay away from to be right with God. The definitions of being right with God vary. One thing is for sure; there is only one way to be right with God.
Let's take a look at the ten commandments and see what they have to say about being right with God.
- You shall have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make idols.
- You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
- Honor your father and your mother.
- You shall not murder.
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not steal.
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- You shall not covet.
As you can see, there is not a disclaimer on this list. In no way does the list include all sins that we can commit. So if the ten commandments are not the way to be right with God, then what is?
James 2:10 “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.”
How do we become right with God?
So according to James, we can follow the ten commandments to a T. We can be 100% on the whole law. What happens if we fail at making one sin? We are accountable for all of it. What does that mean exactly?
If we sin, we are separated from God. The only way to be right with God is through his son Jesus. When Jesus came to earth to die for our sins, he paid the price so that we could enter the kingdom. We will never be perfect as humans. We will always have sin in our lives. One sin separates us from God just as much as a million sins.
The good news is that we have Jesus to forgive us of our sins. When we bring our sins to him, they will be forgiven. We can only be saved through the blood of Jesus.