Be Good!

Bible Reading: Romans 3:10-12; Ephesians 2:8-10

“Mom, can Julian and I go to Ethan’s house?” asked Noah one day. “He invited us to come swim in his pool.” Mom agreed, so the boys ran off to get their swimsuits. Soon they were ready to leave.

“Bye, boys,” said Mom. “Be sure to thank Ethan for the invitation. And be good!”

“We will,” they promised.

Their sister, Piper, laughed. “Easy to say, but impossible for the two of you. Being good is not included among your talents.”

After the boys had ridden away on their bikes, Piper had a question for her mother. “I know that when you tell us to be good, you’re telling us to behave ourselves wherever we are, but people really aren’t good, are they? Nobody is good—except God, right? I read a verse in my Bible this morning that says, ‘There is no one who does good, not even one.’”

“Well, let’s think about that verse,” said Mom. “It’s pointing out that everyone is a sinner. Nobody is good enough to get to heaven based on their own actions. We all need to receive Jesus and His goodness—His righteousness—to have eternal life. When we trust in Him to save us from sin, He makes us new people. Ephesians 2:10 says we’re ‘created in Christ Jesus to do good works.’ In other words, Jesus gives us the ability to do good things.”

“I learned that verse in church last year,” said Piper. “I didn’t think of that.”

“When we know Jesus as our Savior, He makes us good and helps us do good things,” Mom continued. “He helps us do things that reflect His goodness and show His love to others.”

Just then, Piper’s phone buzzed, and Piper looked at the screen. “It’s a text from Angela,” she said. “She wants to know if I can go with her and her mom to the ice cream shop. Can I go?”

“Sure, that’s fine,” said Mom. She grinned. “Be good!”

Piper grinned back. “I will!” she promised. “I’ll be very good!”

Hazel W. Marett

How About You?

Do you do a lot of good things? You can’t earn your way to heaven by doing good deeds. God says the only way to be saved and have eternal life is through His Son, Jesus. If you know Jesus as your Savior, He’s made you a new person who can show His love and goodness to others. You can always be good because you trust in Him.

Today’s Key Verse: Ephesians 2:10 We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. (NIV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Jesus makes us good