First and foremost, you need to understand that there is absolutely nothing you can do to make yourself right with God.  Attending church, getting baptized, praying, being kind to someone – these are all good things, but they could never atone for our sin.  “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6)  The night before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.” Throughout the Bible, “cup” is used as a metaphor for someone’s destiny (Psalm 16, 23, Isaiah 57, Jeremiah 25, Zechariah 12 and 14 and, most poignantly here in Matthew 26).  The Lord Jesus Christ is essentially saying “Please, Father, if there is any other way…”  But there was no other way. Jesus had to do it for us and the statement in Ephesians 2:8 could not be clearer:  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”.  God alone has the power to make you right with God. And yet we do have a responsibility.