For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:24

 

Are you good enough for God? The idea that our goodness earns us favor with God is held by many cultures and religions.

 

Many religions outline strict instructions on how to please God. And millions of people comply, in the hopes that they’ll be able to earn His favor and end up in better circumstances at the end of life. But, can we earn God’s favor?

 

Diya had learned about God from a young age and desperately wanted God to be pleased with her. She tried her best to follow her parents’ rules, be helpful, and do well in school. But no matter how hard she tried to be perfect, she still sometimes lied, fought, and made mistakes.

 

None of us can master goodness. The Bible says this: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 4:24). If we’re aiming for the embodiment of kindness, love, joy, and integrity- no one has attained it. That is, until God Himself took a human body and lived among us.

 

Jesus lived a perfect life and then died a terrible death that paid for all humanity’s sins. In so doing, Jesus opened a way for everyone to be forgiven and have the full, abundant lives God always wanted for us! We can’t earn God’s favor through perfect living or good deeds, but when we surrender to Jesus, God freely forgives us and shows us his favor.

 

Still trying to earn God’s favor through your own efforts, beating yourself up over every failure? Jesus offers freedom from striving. We can know the certainty of God’s love, and grow in goodness, as we look at what God is like and are filled with His strengthening Spirit.