8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)
Do we have to be perfect to have a relationship with God? The answer to that question is a clear and resounding NO! If only those who are perfect can have a relationship with God, there is not one single person on earth who is qualified, since we all have faults and shortcomings.
One person has been totally perfect, though – Jesus Christ was without sin. Because of that, He could take our sins – and the sins of the whole world – upon Himself, by dying on a cross on our behalf 2000 years ago.
Jesus was perfect. We were sinners. On the cross He carried our sins; the Bible says that He became sin, so that you and I could be made the righteousness of God in Christ.
But on the third day God raised Jesus from the dead. He is alive today! When you believe in Jesus and confess Him as Lord with your mouth, you are saved. You then receive eternal life. At that very moment you are made righteous on the inside as you receive Jesus’ own righteousness, which is a free gift. Righteousness means that God sees you as totally holy, pure, and free from sin – because of Jesus.
So it’s not about that we have to be perfect in ourselves. It is all about that Jesus has been perfect on our behalf. This is what grace is all about: that we can receive the forgiveness of sins and have a relationship with God – not because of how good we have been, but because of how good Jesus has been and what He has done for us on the cross!
If you would like to receive Jesus in your heart, you can pray like this: “Jesus, I believe in you, that You died for my sins and that You rose from the dead. You are my Lord. Thank You, that I from this day on belong to You.”
