Billy Graham By Billy Graham, Tribune Content Agency

How good does God expect me to be?

Jan 22, 2018

Q: I know I’m not perfect, but how good does God expect me to be? I’d never given this much thought, but recently I had some unexpected major surgery, and I realized I probably needed to start thinking about it. — Mrs. S.R.

A: I’m thankful for your concern; sometimes God allows us to pass through hard times (such as a health crisis) just so we’ll begin thinking more deeply about our lives. Life is uncertain, and none of us knows when we may be called into God’s presence. As the Bible says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

How good does God expect you to be? The answer may shock you — because God’s standard is nothing less than perfection! The reason is because God is absolutely pure and holy, and even one sin — just one — makes us unfit to live in His presence. The Bible puts it this way: “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing” (Habakkuk 1:13).

This is why we need to put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, for only He can take away our sins and make us pure in God’s eyes. He did this by doing what we could never do for ourselves: He became the final and complete sacrifice for our sins. He was without sin — but on the cross, all our sins were placed on Him, and He took upon Himself the death and Hell that we deserve.

By a simple prayer of faith turn to Christ, confessing to Him your sins and your need for His forgiveness, and committing your life into His hands. When you do, you will become part of God’s family — both now, and forever. Put your trust in Him today.

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(Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.)

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