A person is made right with God through: Jesus Christ alone.
This critical question has been answered in countless ways throughout history.
Some insist we are made right with God by being good. A person is made right with God through goodness, they say. Pay your taxes. Hand out sandwiches to the poor. Drive safely. Avoid drinking too much—or at all. Maintain Christian conduct. That’s the secret.
Others claim we are made right with God through suffering. Sleep on dirt floors. Endure malaria, poverty, cold nights, and long vigils. Take vows of chastity. Shave your head. Walk barefoot. The greater the pain, the greater the saint.
Still others argue that we are made right with God through religious activity. Get the doctrine right. Memorize the creeds. Master the theological system. Nail down the beliefs, and salvation is assured.
How is a person made right with God? All the above have been tried. All have been taught. All have been demonstrated. But none are from God.
At the end of the day, every religion in the world boils down to two answers:
- We are made right with God by something we do, or
- We are made right with God by something God has done for us.
Scripture is clear: salvation is not achieved by human effort but received by divine grace.
The Words That Explain Salvation
The Bible uses several rich words to describe what God has done for us.
Some explain what salvation is — like adoption. Others explain how salvation works — like grace and mercy.
But one word is often lost in English: propitiation.
Propitiation comes from the Greek word hilastērion. It speaks of God’s righteous anger being appeased.
Where reconciliation restores the relationship, propitiation deals with the sin that broke the relationship in the first place.
It is closely tied to the Old Testament word atonement — the cleansing of sin and unrighteousness through the blood of a sacrifice. And Scripture is clear: this cleansing is received by faith, not earned by effort.
The Real Problem: Personal Guilt
Our problem is not bad habits, poor discipline, or lack of religious commitment. Our problem is guilt — real guilt before a holy God.
If guilt remains unresolved, we cannot be right with God. Instead, we stand under His well‑deserved wrath.
The guilt problem can only be resolved through a sacrifice of blood. And Jesus’ death is sufficient to cover the sins of the entire world.
The Lamb of God
The Old Testament sacrificial system pointed to this moment. A lamb was chosen. The sins of the people were symbolically placed upon it. Its neck was slit. Its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat. The hope was simple: may this blood satisfy the anger of God.
Then John the Baptist stepped onto the scene and changed the message forever.
Twice in John 1 he pointed at Jesus and declared:
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” “Look, the Lamb of God!”
Jesus is still the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He voluntarily gave His life as the perfect sacrifice for sin.
The Perfect Sacrifice
The author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus’ sacrifice was not symbolic, temporary, or partial — it was powerfully effective.
14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
His sacrifice makes propitiation for us. His sacrifice makes us perfect. His sacrifice makes us right with God.
THREE TRUTHS THAT STICK
- God is not mad at you.
- He wants to walk with you.
- To make it possible, Jesus is your advocate.
“But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” — 1 John 2:1–2
