So How Does One Really Get Right with God?

Song Link for Meditation

39One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
40But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die?
41We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”
42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23

The above Scripture occurring while Jesus was being crucified is one of my favorite stories in the Bible because it shows how truly easy it is to get right with God and, conversely, how easily we often mess it up by making it seem so difficult.

Just as Dad’s tremendous love for this thief prompted Him to utilize Jesus to snatch him from the clutches of the enemy in his last dying moment, so I had the honor of Dad utilizing me to do the same for my grandma at the age of 80, who then went on home with Dad a couple years later.

In grandma wanting to know what she needed to do to get right with God, the first thing I asked her was if she believed He was real as opposed to our world being an accident, to which she replied yes. She demonstrated this belief through her desire to be right with Him, just as this thief did in verses 40-42.

The second thing I asked her was if she knew she had done things in her life she shouldn’t have done. She didn’t have to tell me what they were for God knew, but simply acknowledge she had, which she did very similar to how the thief did in verse 41.

The third thing I asked her was if she wanted to be forgiven for those things she did wrong. I didn’t ask her if she felt she deserved to be forgiven, but if she simply wanted to be forgiven if she knew she could be. Of course, she said yes just as the thief both acknowledged what He deserved, yet still pleaded for Jesus to pardon him in verses 41-42.

I then told her it wasn’t an accident she sought forgiveness for in being our Creator, Dad if you will, God placed in our hearts a desire to be right with Him and that all she has to do is ask Him and He will as the thief both demonstrated and asked for in verse 42 and Jesus granted in verse 43.

I then proceeded to tell her that if she, without having to fully understand it, nonetheless believed all this, then she was right with God and upon passing from here to there, would spend eternity with Him just as Jesus promised the thief in verse 43. She paused for a bit to absorb it all and then through tears, asked me if it was really that simple, to which I told her yes. I then told her that in the days ahead if she shared this with anyone and they tried to make her doubt the authenticity of her decision, to just remember the story of the thief on the cross to continue to embrace the truth.

If you are reading this and have doubts about your own relationship with Dad, it isn’t an accident. He is using this story to remove that doubt. If you are reading this and believe it, without having to fully understand it all, He is using this story to tell you He loves you and that your faith has made you right, just as it did this thief.

Now, if you want to grow in understanding and, as a result, deepen your relationship with Dad, there are three things you can do to assist you. The first is to talk to Him daily which is what prayer is. The second is to listen to Him and one way to begin to grow in hearing and recognizing it is Him is reading His word everyday in the Bible. Finally, ask Him to lead you to a healthy church that will help you grow in Him as well. If you come to Him with a sincere heart in all this, your relationship with Him will grow.

This is my “evangelism” story I share with anyone who may ask me how to get right with God, so I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did sharing it.

I have one last thought I wanted to share about my grandma. Her health deteriorated shortly after she got right with God due to bone cancer, to the point where she was completely bed-ridden when she passed on. Amidst her fear of dying, I reminded her of where she was heading and this reminder allowed God to instill a peace in her she carried with her until He walked her from here to there. Given the hard life she bared here and her physical state upon departure, combined with knowing where she went and trying to imagine what she encountered and the transformation she went through upon getting there, I have enclosed a link to a song that reminds me of her every time I hear it. With that, again I hope you enjoyed the read, feel free to share as led, peace, and may Dad continue to bless you all richly!