One of the amazing things about our human body is its ability to heal and repair itself. As C.S. Lewis pointed out, ‘a live body is not one that never gets hurt, but one that can to some extent repair itself.’ Even deep wounds, if covered and kept from being infected, will heal themselves.
In the same way, Jesus taught that a righteous person is not someone who never goes wrong, but rather is someone whom God enables to acknowledge their failure, turn back and, in the strength God gives, begin again after each stumble. The presence of Jesus within them brings healing and power to go on, forgiven and renewed.
It’s not a matter of God loving us because we are good, but rather God making us good because He loves us; just as a greenhouse doesn’t attract the sun because it’s bright, it becomes bright because the sun shines on it.