How many times have you heard someone say, “I need to get my act together before I come to church”? That’s like an overweight person saying they need to lose weight before they can go to the gym. It doesn’t make sense. Church isn’t a place for perfect people—it’s where we go because we know we need help.
Even the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 is full of people with messy pasts. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob—all flawed men. But what really stands out is Rahab. Scripture tells us that Rahab was a prostitute, yet she believed in the God of Israel, helped the spies, and became part of the lineage of Jesus (Matthew 1:1–5; Joshua 2:1; Hebrews 11:31). God had a plan for her life, and by faith she stepped into it.
Another example is Paul. In Acts 26:9–11, he admits to persecuting Christians, voting for their deaths, and harassing them in fury. He was determined to destroy the church. But then, on the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to him. Paul describes it like this: “I’m Jesus whom you’re persecuting. But arise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as my servant and witness” (Acts 26:15–16).
Think about that. Paul went from murdering Christians to writing half the New Testament. His past didn’t disqualify him. God redeemed it and gave him a new mission. That’s the power of repentance and grace (Acts 3:19).
Romans 10:9–10 explains it clearly: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” It’s that simple. Salvation isn’t about fixing yourself before you come to God. It’s about confessing and believing.
And when you’re in Christ, you’re a new creation. “The old life is gone; a new life has begun” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT). Even if you stumble after becoming a Christian, nothing can separate you from the love of God.
Romans 8:38–39 says, “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow…indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God.”
You may think your mistakes disqualify you, but Scripture says otherwise. “For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn” (Romans 11:29, NLT). Once He calls you, He doesn’t change His mind. Jesus has already broken the power of sin in your life (Romans 6:10–11). You’re alive to God, living in unbroken fellowship with Him.
And God promises never to let you go. Hebrews 13:5 reminds us of His words: “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” That’s repeated three times in that passage just to drive it home.
The prodigal son thought he had gone too far. Twice he said, “I am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:19, 21, NLT). But the father ran to him, embraced him, and gave him the best robe, a ring, and sandals. He didn’t treat him as a servant—he restored him as a son. That’s how God treats us when we turn back to Him.
Psalm 139 reminds us that God knows us inside and out. He knit us together in our mother’s womb. He knows every word before it’s spoken and every thought before it crosses our mind. “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous” (Psalm 139:14, NLT). His thoughts toward us are more numerous than the grains of sand.
You can’t escape His love. He pursues you relentlessly because you matter to Him. Your past doesn’t change that.
Whether you’ve been following Jesus for years or you feel too far gone, the message is the same: your past doesn’t matter. What matters is that God knows you, loves you, and has a plan for you. Nothing you’ve done can separate you from His love.
So stop worrying about cleaning yourself up before coming to Him. Just come. He already knows everything about you, and He’s waiting with open arms.
