My Answer: God is ready for imperfection
Q: If I become a Christian, will I have to be perfect? A friend of mine is urging me to ask Jesus to come into my life, but I don’t think I’d ever be able to do what God requires. — P.C.F.
A: If God required us to be perfect, then no one — absolutely no one — would ever be able to be a Christian. We’re all sinners, and no matter how hard we try, we still sin and fall short of God’s standard. If this weren’t true, why would Jesus tell us to pray, “Forgive us our sins” (Luke 11:4)?
One of the Bible’s greatest truths is that God welcomes us just as we are. He knows all about us, our failures and our sins, and he knows too the tendency we have to do wrong. But God still loves us, and he wants to forgive us and welcome us into his family — and he will, as we repent of our sins and turn in faith to Christ for our salvation.
Because of Christ, the Bible says, “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).
Does this mean we can live any way we want to after we give our lives to Christ? No, of course not, but if we’ve truly committed our lives to him, we won’t want to live that way. Instead, we’ll want to live for him and follow him, because we now belong to him.
Be thankful for your friend’s concern for you. But most of all, be thankful for Christ’s concern for you — a concern so great that he was willing to go to the cross and die for you. Don’t turn away from Christ, but accept the free gift of salvation he offers you by inviting him to come into your life today.
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Q: I read an article recently that said more Christians are dying for their faith today than at any other time in history. Is this true? Why don’t we ever hear about this? — Mrs. D. McC.
A: Tragically, reliable reports certainly indicate this is true. We don’t see it in our part of the world right now, which may be one reason we seldom hear such reports, but in a number of countries today Christians are being driven from their homes or even killed for their faith.
In some ways, we shouldn’t be surprised at this. Jesus repeatedly warned his disciples that an unbelieving world would not welcome them. The early Christians frequently faced hostility from the pagan rulers of their day and also from those who followed other religions.
The apostle Paul, who repeatedly faced jail and even death while preaching the gospel, warned, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Why is this? One reason is that Christ exposes the false hopes and beliefs of those who refuse to follow the living God — and they resent it. In addition, he calls us to turn from sin and live righteous lives — and many people refuse to do this. More than that, satan is constantly at work behind the scenes, seeking to turn people against God and his people.
Pray for those who are being persecuted for their faith, wherever they are. Even in our own country, many people face prejudice, scorn and hostility because of their faith in Christ. Most of all, make sure of your own commitment to Jesus Christ, and make it your goal to be faithful to him no matter what the future holds.
(Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Assn., 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM; or visit https://www.billygraham.org.)