The ‘be better’ gospel leads to striving and shifts us away from the
Gospel of grace. What might begin as an attempt to feel like a better
Christian ourselves soon becomes an attempt to feel like a better
Christian before others. And then, ultimately, it leads to our
attempting to impress God by how much better we are.
Salvation is not and never will be by our good works. Nothing we can do
will ever change God's acceptance of us. Nothing we can do will ever
change the way God feels about us. He loves us as we are.