I had a good friend in Seattle, before I moved away, who was not a follower of Jesus. One rainy day we were chatting in a coffee shop, and the subject of religion came up. I’d known her a while and had never had an in-depth conversation with her about God or her beliefs; I just knew she wasn’t a Christian.

I sensed my opportunity to witness to her about Jesus — perhaps my one and only opportunity, so I was nervous. I didn’t have much experience talking about my beliefs or why I believe them.

I began by saying I believe God created humans to have a loving relationship with Him, but we rebelled, greedily trying to snatch control and power. He let us live with those consequences for a long time (death being the chief consequence), until one day He enacted His rescue plan. He sent His son Jesus to die in everyone’s place. Because of that, I can skirt past the consequence of my sin simply by repenting of my sin and accepting Jesus as my Savior. I can now have that loving relationship with God that He intended from the start for all eternity.

My friend listened to my speil patiently.

Then she said, “That’s nice, but I’m a pretty good person. I haven’t done anything so bad that I need a savior.”

I said, “Any sin, big or small, is enough to take us away from God.”

She still insisted she wasn’t guilty of “sin.”

We went in circles like that a bit. I couldn’t convince her she needed help or forgiveness. So Jesus’s gift was meaningless to her.

“We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished him for the iniquity of us all.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Every person, aside from Jesus, who ever existed since creation is guilty. We have all gone astray. We have all turned to our own way — self-serving since birth. It’s not a matter of being a “good person”, obeying laws, following social conventions, trying to be kind most of the time, etc.

We may not recognize our need, like my friend, or like a sheep busily grazing in its green pasture, but the need is there, and it is glaring. There is a wolf, and there are cliffs, and there will be droughts and storms and other sheep to contend with. In the face of my needy and greedy flesh, the taunting of the devil, scarcity of resources, and all manner of troubles and challenges that I will encounter, there is no possible way for me, or anyone, to be perfect the way Jesus was.

Hence my need for Jesus to be perfect for me.

Dear God,

Thank you for your patience with me. I’m sure I’m not even aware of half the sins I commit over the course of a day — things I’ve done or left undone. I know I can’t earn your love by being good. My good isn’t so great, and it certainly isn’t perfect. Thank you for providing a way out of my mess. Thank you for sending Jesus to die in my place so I can inherit His perfection and call it my own.