I cannot say that I am perfect, or at least have been perfect.

Close to absolutely perfect, but:

Ecclesiastes 7:20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own.
Hebrews 10:14 For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.
James 3:2 For we all make many mistakes, and if any one makes no mistakes in what he says he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.

At least I'm trying. VERY trying.

Everyone thinks that they have to "make up for" their mistakes. Have some kind of self-sacrifice - even bloody ones.
Hence, the animals sacrifices of the heathen, and of the Old-Testament Jews. Not to mention the bloody murder against Christ hanging on some cross. Supposed to atone for sins. OUR sins. Nowadays. Here in America. We're to take it as that. No problem. Not a big deal.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

First John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
James 4:4 Unfaithful creatures! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity against God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy against God.
First John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.

Proverbs 14:7 Leave the presence of a fool, for there you do not meet words of knowledge.
Proverbs 20:19 He who goes about gossiping reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with one who speaks foolishly.
Romans 16:17 I appeal to you, brethren, to take note of those who create dissensions and difficulties, in opposition to the doctrine which you have been taught; avoid them.
Ephesians 5:7 Therefore do not associate with them....

Second Timothy 2:16 Avoid such godless chatter, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness,
Second Timothy 3:5 ....holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people.

But I am better than a lot of people, and do not do the sins that they do.

First Samuel 15:28 And Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.

Second Samuel 17:14 And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

First Kings 2:32 The LORD will bring back his bloody deeds upon his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and slew with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself, Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.

First Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked that he might die, saying, "It is enough; now, Oh LORD, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers."

Second Chronicles 21:12 And a letter came to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, "Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father, 'Because you have not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat your father, or in the ways of Asa king of Judah,
13 but have walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and have led Judah and the residents of Jerusalem into unfaithfulness, as the house of Ahab led Israel into unfaithfulness, and also you have killed your brothers, of your father's house, who were better than yourself;
14 hey, the LORD will bring a great plague on your people, your children, your wives, and all your possessions,
15 and you yourself will have a severe sickness with a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the disease, day by day.'"
16 And the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the anger of the Philistines and of the Arabs who are near the Ethiopians.

Esther 1:19 If it please the king, let a royal order go forth from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes so that it may not be altered, that Vashti is to come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves.

Some of my sins have not been as bad or serious as the sins of others:

First Corinthians 6:18 Shun immorality. Every other sin which a man commits is outside the body; but the immoral man sins against his own body.

Hence, I can truly say that I am justified by works, not by faith alone (as it states in James 2:24).

. . . in view of:

Ezekiel 18:5 "If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right
Ezekiel 18:9 [and] walks in my statutes, and is careful to observe my ordinances....he is righteous, he shall surely live," says the Lord GOD.

There is one among us who NEVER makes ANY mistakes:

Daniel 9:14 Therefore the LORD has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He has done, and we have not obeyed His voice.
Zephaniah 3:5 The LORD within her is righteous, He does no wrong; every morning He shows forth His justice, each dawn He does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame.

Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous shall live."

Romans 3:10 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;
Romans 3:12 All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one."
Romans 3:26 it was to prove at the present time that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies him who has faith in Jesus.

Galatians 3:11 Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the law; for "He who through faith is righteous shall live"

First Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
Ephesians 5:8 for once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light.
First Peter 2:10 Once you were no people but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.

First John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you may be sure that every one who does right is born of Him.
First John 3:1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
First John 3:10 By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother.
First John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
First John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous.

Romans 3:20 For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
Galatians 2:16 ....a man is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one be justified.
Galatians 3:2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
Galatians 3:5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
Galatians 3:10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them."

For your information, I:

(1) Never smoke.
(2) Never get drunk.
(3) Have no tattoos or piercings anywhere on my body.
(4) Do not wear eye shadow, rouge, fingernail, or toenail polish.
(5) Do not exhibit loose long hair in mixed-gender public view.
(6) Do not wear sleevesless blouses or halter-tops in public view.
(7) Do not expose my naked legs with shortened skirts or shorts in public view.
(8) Always wear socks in public view.
(9) Do not fumigate the air around me by wearing stinky perfume.

First Corinthians 14:18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than you all.
Second Corinthians 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one (I am talking like a madman) with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.

So I am on par with the righteous, like:

- Abel, who was slain by Cain
- Uriah, who was set up for murder by David
- Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the temple (Luke 11:51)
- John the Baptist, who was beheaded
- Stephen the Martyr, who was stoned
- James the brother of John, who was killed with the sword (Acts 12:1-2)

Clearly, I can honestly claim that:

Second Samuel 22:21 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He recompensed me.
Second Samuel 22:25 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight.
Job 27:6 I hold fast my righteousness, and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.
Psalm 7:8 The LORD judges the peoples; judge me, Oh LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.
Psalm 18:20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He recompensed me.
Psalm 18:24 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

I can truthfully state that I am a good man, and not evil, although:

Mark 10:18 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone."
Luke 18:19 And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

And:

Romans 7:18 For I know that nothing good resides within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.
First Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Ephesians 3:8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ
First Timothy 1:15 The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And I am the foremost of sinners...

In view of that, I am (and you are) indeed special, because:

Titus 3:5 ...He saved us, not because of deeds done by us in righteousness, but in virtue of His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit...
First Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.