I agree.

It makes me sad when a Christian confesses that he/she believes that they HAVE to somehow be more 'good' than 'bad'. Following the Law of God, is definately good. It is how we are supposed to live in His eyes and we should desperately strive to uphold His Law. Though, we are no longer bound BY the Law as the Jews before Christ were. They had no choice but to follow not only the Law God laid out, but what they themselves added to that Law. When they sinned, they had to attone for it through sacrifice. And of course, those sacrifices were a dim foreshadowing for what Christ did for us. He was the FINAL sacrifice for all sin.

To say that we have to manditorily be sinless or we will suffer in hell, subtracts from the gift of grace, and in my opinion, is a snub at Jesus. As if we are saying he didn't do enough. Instead, we strive for sinlessness not because we are afraid of what might happen, but for His promise of eternal life, and the love and gratitude that we feel for God.

That is not to say that God doesn't notice it when we sin. Like you said, he is with us always. Those sins hurt him, just as surely and probably more, than when we see someone betray us. Yet, because of Christ's sacrifice, they are washed away, instead piling at the feet of Jesus. He that became our sin, so we might be attributed with a clean garment.

We all have our downfalls, you are right. And God surely knows even the shortcomings that we ourselves cannot or will not recognize. Sometimes it may not feel the best, but absolutely, God is in control. Even if the worst thing ever that we could think of should happen, we are blessed with the knowledge that God has not abandoned us, and it WILL work out in the end. Even if that end is heaven. *smiles* How desperately I yearn for that outcome, but God keeps telling me He is not finished. God's will be done, not my own.