Am I Good Enough?

“I’m not a Christian…” said our son Dylan in between sleepy sobs. “Why would you say that?” Dan and I asked worried. “Well…” Dylan replied, rubbing his teary eyes, “I am a bad boy…I don’t know how to be good, and you have to be good to be a Christian.”

Dan and I looked at each other and sighed.

Isn’t that one of the biggest lies the enemy tries to deceive us with? Isn’t that one of the biggest misrepresentations of how Christianity works?

Actually, there are two equally confusing patterns of false logic at play here. One version says: “I’m not good enough. I’ll never be good enough. Therefore, I could never be a Christian.” The other version suggests sort of the same misguided logic, but in reverse: “I’m not perfect, but I am better than most people I know. I am a decent and pretty good person. I’m OK!”

Both these theories have basic flaws. The first one is a fatalistic idea that denies hope by limiting God’s power. It insists that God is not able or powerful enough to change even the greatest sinner. It forgets about God’s Mercy and it doesn’t value Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins. The second one simply implies that one can work his/her way into eternity by his/her own means and good deeds. Plainly stated, we’re OK, and we don’t need a Savior.

The truth is,

As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.” Romans 3: 10-12

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 1 Timothy 1: 15

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6: 23

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2: 8-10

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3: 16

That night, we tucked Dylan in after we talked to him as plainly as we could about how we are all sinners, and there is no one good…and that’s why we need a Savior. We reminded him that Jesus loves him and that if he believes that Christ died for him to forgive his sins and save his soul, he is a Christian. “I believe,” Dylan said with a more calmed expression in his face. We said a prayer, kissed him good night and walked out of his room hoping his little heart is really ready to open up to Christ coming in to dwell in him.