Proper Identification

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:21-23; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 John 5:10-13

“Wanna go see if Dad’s busy?” asked Josie as she and her brother started home from school. Connor nodded, so they took the route that led past the place where Dad worked.

Their father, who was a gate guard at a factory, saw them coming. “Sorry, but you can’t get through here without a badge,” he growled with a stern face.

Josie giggled. “Dad, quit teasing!”

“Everyone needs to have a badge to get inside the factory, right?” asked Connor. “Even the gatekeeper’s kids.”

“Not all factories require badges, do they?” Josie asked.

“No, but at our factory it’s strict company policy for everyone going in to have a badge identifying them and showing that they belong here,” Dad replied. “Proper identification keeps outsiders from hindering our production, and it also protects them. It keeps them from getting hurt by wandering into the wrong place.”

“What if somebody tries to get in without a badge?” asked Connor.

“Then I find out why they’ve come,” said Dad. “I give them a badge if they have legitimate business here, but if not…well, I just have to disappoint them.” Dad nodded toward the street. “Here come some people now, so I’ll see if they have badges—or find out what they need. I’ll see you two at dinner.”

“Okay. Bye, Dad,” said Josie, and she and Connor went on home.

After dinner that evening, Dad reached for his Bible and read several verses. “Hey,” said Connor when Dad finished. “That’s kinda like what we talked about this afternoon. People need a badge to get into your factory, and they need to know Jesus to get into heaven.”

“That’s right,” said Dad. “If we think we’ll get into heaven by doing good deeds, we’re wrong. Knowing Jesus is the only way to be saved and have eternal life. When we trust in Him, He gives us His Holy Spirit, who lives inside of us and shows that we belong to Him.”

“Kind of like the identification badges you have to check,” said Josie.

“Exactly,” said Dad. “The Holy Spirit identifies us as God’s children. He’s like a badge that proves we belong in God’s kingdom because we’ve been saved by Jesus.”

-Jan L. Hansen

How About You?

Do you want to go to heaven? You can, but not because of your own good deeds. You can’t do anything to earn your way to heaven—only Jesus can get you there. He paid the price to save you by dying on the cross for your sins. To have eternal life, you need to trust in Him. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page.) Then you’ll receive His Holy Spirit, who identifies you as a child of God.

Today’s Key Verse:
1 John 5:12 (ERV) Whoever has the Son has life, but whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Today’s Key Thought:

You need Jesus to get into heaven