What does the Bible say about the ways we approach God?

According to Scripture, humanity possesses two distinct approaches to God. One can either come before God relying on their own merits—essentially saying, 'I did this, I accomplished that,'—or they can approach the Holy God on the complete merit of Jesus Christ. This reflects the broader theological truth that all mankind exists in service to God, whether they acknowledge it or not, and by nature, we enter the world in bondage to sin due to our offense against God. This principle is emphasized in Genesis 40, where the butler and the baker serve as representations of humanity's condition and choices. Through the lens of the Gospel, we understand that only through Christ's righteousness can we stand forgiven before God.