Can a Man Be Right with God?

Can a Man Be Right with God?

by Craig Hudgins

This is one of the most important and timeless questions anyone can ask:
Can a man be right with God?

It’s a question people have been asking for centuries. It’s the heart-cry of every soul, and the focus of every religion’s answer. In fact, it’s a question found in one of the oldest books of the Bible. Job, a man described as upright and God-fearing, asked in Job 9:2, “How should man be just with God?”

Even Job—righteous as he was—recognized his shortcomings before a holy God. In the crushing reality of God’s greatness, Job saw his own brokenness. That’s why preaching the holiness of God is so vital. When we truly see the righteousness of our Creator, we realize how far we fall short. Only then do we grasp how much we need the righteousness found in Jesus Christ.

The Problem: Sin

The reason this question even needs asking is because of the problem of sin. Every person is born into sin. We may compare ourselves with others—some better, some worse—but none of us can measure up to God’s perfect standard.
Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

It’s like trying to jump across the Grand Canyon. Some might get farther than others, but none will make it across. Sin has created a divide we cannot cross on our own.

The Pursuit: Right Standing

Throughout time, man has tried to pursue a right standing with God. We try good works—we feed the hungry, give to the poor, and attend religious services. Those things are good, but they’re not enough. They can’t justify us.

To be right with God, we must seek a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. That’s the only way.

The Provision: Justified by Faith

Here’s the good news: where there is a problem and a pursuit, God has made a provision.
We are not justified by works, rituals, or offerings. We are justified by faith.

Romans 5:1 declares:
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

And 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us:
“For he hath made him to be sin for us… that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

What an exchange! We give God our sin by faith, and in return, receive His righteousness. That’s the gospel. That’s grace.
What a Savior!

The Personal Response: A Redeemer Who Lives

Job’s question wasn’t about a nation or a group. It was personal. He wanted to know: Am I right with God? He wasn’t seeking religious approval—he was seeking a relationship with the Almighty.

Later in the book, Job makes a powerful statement of faith:
“I know that my redeemer liveth.”
Even in the Old Testament, Job looked forward to a living Redeemer—the risen Christ.

Romans 10:9 confirms that same truth:
“If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

It’s not just about believing in God—it’s about placing your personal faith in the resurrected Savior.

So Let Me Ask You…

Have you ever done that?
Has there been a moment when you confessed your belief in Jesus as your Savior?
Is your heart right with God?

This isn’t just a good question—it’s the greatest question. And the Bible gives us a clear, hopeful answer:
Yes, a man can be just with God—through Jesus Christ.