A friend recently told me they heard a sermon that included a 5 minute video on child sex slaves. The video went into uncomfortable detail and everyone watching was sickened. After the video, the speaker turned to the people and said something to the effect of, 'As angry and disgusted as you feel right now towards the people who sell these little girls out and those who pay for their services, this is how God feels about ALL sin.'
Yeah.
You know what that means? It means that that perfect little neighbor of yours, that perfect sibling, that perfect 'Mr. Christian' that you know, in their sin, is as disgusting to God as the worst pedophile. No one is better then you. But there is no one worse then you either.
It took the death and sacrifice of God himself to pay what we could not- our sin. Every lie, every theft, every sexual sin, every act of hate, every tiny, unseen sin had to be accounted for because God wants nothing but the best for us and the best for us is to be with him. And He can not be in the presence of sin. Any sin. Because every sin is disgusting.
On a similar note, nothing good we do can nullify a bad thing we have done. It doesn't work that way. Just like if we cheated on our spouse and then made them breakfast the next morning. The deed is done. It had consequences. It hurt somebody, even if that somebody was God alone.
There were a lot of 'religious people in Jesus' day. They gave large sums of money to the church, they memorized and quoted scripture, etc. But there was only one person to whom Jesus said, "TODAY you will be with me in paradise." Do you know who that was? It was one of the criminals hanging next to him on the cross. This man was dying. He would never give a cent to the church or the poor. He would never teach Sunday School. He would never be a missionary or even attend a church service.
But he believed.
How beautifully simple.
How fearfully difficult.
You don't have to pre-qualify for God's forgiveness. You couldn't even if you tried.
Going to church doesn't give you 'heaven points' or something.
God doesn't sit well with goody two shoes.
He wants your heart. Not your Girl Scout badges.

"If the greatest sinner on earth should repent at the moment of death, and draw his last breath in an act of love, neither the many graces he has abused, nor the many sins he has committed would stand in his way. Our Lord would receive him into His mercy." -Saint Therese of Lisieux