DEAR REV. GRAHAM: How good do you have to be before you can become a Christian? My parents were very anti-religion, but now that I'm an adult I feel a need for God. But maybe I'm not good enough to be a Christian.
-- K.R.G.
DEAR K.R.G.: God loves you just as you are, and He wants to welcome you and make you part of His family just as you are. The only thing He wants from you is your trust.
Think of it this way. If you are sick, do you have to wait until you're well before the doctor will agree to see you? Of course not. Your doctor wants to see you just as you are, and he or she will treat you just as you are. All you have to do is know you need a doctor, and then trust the doctor to do whatever is necessary to make you well. Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick" (Luke 5:31).
In a far greater way, this is how God sees us. He doesn't wait until we're perfect before He'll save us. If this were the case, none of us could ever be saved, because none of us are perfect. In fact, God's standard is nothing less than perfection, because even the smallest sin is an offense to Him.
Be grateful for your inner hunger for God, which He gave you. Don't suppress it, but respond to it by turning to Jesus and inviting Him to come into your life. He loves you so much that He gave His life for you. Respond to His love by committing your life to Him. God's promise is for you: "To those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).
Write to Billy Graham in care of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C. 28201 or visit the website at
billygraham.org
MovieStyle on 09/23/2016