Why do I need Christianity to be a good person?

You may be asking yourself this issue because you sincerely believe that being a decent person does not need you to be or become a Christian. As an individual, you believe that you are generally highly capable of judging what is right and wrong and of treating people well. It is evident that [those who are not religious can act morally] and that [Christians can conduct immorally] in contrast.

Check your motives

Let’s examine some of the underlying presumptions you might have in order to respond to your question:

1. You might believe that becoming a nice person is the main objective of Christianity.
2. You believe that in most cases, you are capable of making the correct decision and acting appropriately. You will probably acknowledge that you occasionally make moral mistakes as well, but for the most part, you behave adequately, if not admirably. You claim that nobody is obligated or capable of leading a perfect life, after all.
3. You believe that you can live a (usually) decent life by upholding the moral standards you have created for yourself.
4. You most likely hold a relativist worldview, which holds that morality, knowledge, and truth are relative and depend on factors such as society, culture, and historical context.

As a result, you can draw the conclusion that Christianity has nothing to offer, is deficient, or even works against your idea of what it means to be a decent person.

What moral standard to choose?

Your approach’s subjectivity is the issue. It is a truth that moral standards differ amongst individuals. Therefore, how can you be certain that your own moral standards are sufficient, or even “better,” than those of other people? What you consider to be good might not be so to others. This has been seen throughout history and in the modern world, where countries have mistreated particular populations and have come to believe it is acceptable.

Moreover, how can you be sure that you have [reliable standards by which to judge your moral decisions]? According to Aristotle, living a decent existence requires us to refrain from acting in extreme ways, which is made possible by our special ability for reason. According to John Stuart Mill, living a successful life entails balancing pleasure with sorrow. Some modern thinkers contend that when your needs are met and your potential is reached, you can lead a happy life. All of these viewpoints are subject to criticism; for example, moral behavior need not always be reasonable, mild, or enjoyable.

What is the true definition of “being a good person”? People frequently mean, “I don’t steal, kill, cheat, etc.” This, nevertheless, appears to be a quite cursory understanding of the issues involved.

God’s moral standard

God created all individuals in His image, according to the first book of the Bible, Genesis. This suggests that humans are born with a conscience and a sense of right and wrong. But the Bible also says that because of the corruption of God’s image within us, we only fully comprehend and do what is “good.” The Bible teaches that God’s perfect, holy, and loving nature serves as the basis for an objective moral norm that defines good and evil. Every rule found in the Bible, including the 10 Commandments, stems from this fundamental knowledge.

Jesus reiterated God’s requirement for moral perfection:

“Therefore, since your heavenly Father is perfect, so must you be.” Matthew 5:48

He summarized God’s moral code like this:

“You must have complete devotion to the Lord, your God, with all of your heart, soul, and mind. The first and greatest commandment is this one. Similarly, the second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. All of the law and the prophets are predicated on these two commandments. Matthew 22:37–40

We fall short of God’s standard

It goes without saying that, just as we can never be flawless in love, we can never live up to this. The Bible therefore teaches that “missing the mark” or “sin”—a destructive force that is inside us and causes us to become self-centered by giving ourselves or other entities authority over our personalities—is what causes man’s situation. Our moral abilities, motivations, and actions are all impacted by this sinful state.

In His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Christ specifically addressed this issue by bringing out the deeper meaning of the 10 commandments. Failing morally in thought and motive, e.g. thinking evil of a person in one’s heart, also makes one guilty before God. (Matthew 5: 21-22). Jesus also points out that failing to do good when we could actively do so, is also falling short of God’s standards. The apostle Paul says it like this: “no one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:12) We sin “in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.” (Episcopal Book of Common Prayer)

The purpose of Christianity

Christ’s main message was not to try to live a decent life by abstaining from harm and performing good things. There were two main points of concern:

1. The absolute priority of our relationship with God
2. Himself as the One Who was sent by God to mend that relationship and change our nature so that we can live as God intended—as reborn and reconciled people.

This will have an impact on our moral behavior in interpersonal relationships. By giving His life on the cross to atone for our sins and effect an internal spiritual transformation, Christ made this possible for us. Because of the work of the Holy Spirit, he calls this a new birth.

Paul states it like this:

“Anyone who is in Christ is therefore a new creation. The old is dead, and the new is here to stay. All of this is a gift from God, who made us right with Himself through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17–18).

And as we all see the splendor of the Lord with our faces uncovered, we are gradually becoming more and more like him. Because the Spirit, the Lord, is the source of this. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

The Bible says that reflecting the essence of Christ in our lives is the [goal of a good life]. To put it briefly, we shouldn’t act only out of a desire to be “good” people anymore. This is meaningless without a relationship with God. The good news is that we are able to reflect God more and more in our life because of God’s boundless grace, which is an unmerited kindness.

Conclusion

Everyone has the capacity to do some good, and with enough effort, maybe even a great deal of good. However, nobody is able to meet the bar for perfection. However, God demands that you be in that state because He cannot accept you as His imperfect image. To help you get there, He provides you with Jesus. Christianity must be flawless, but it is not necessary to do good.