Do I have to be good to become a Christian?
No — that’s the whole point. Being a Christian isn’t about being good enough. None of us is.
It’s about accepting a gift. “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works.” You come to Jesus as you are, and he begins to change you.
Jesus told a story of a religious man who boasted to God about his goodness, and a cheat who simply said, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” It was the cheat who went home forgiven.
From the Bible
8for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, that no one would boast.
Ephesians 2:8–9
9He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. 10“Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:9–14