It seems everyone these days wants to write a children’s book. One of the latest is from Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan’s book ‘Forever Young’ is all about doing good. It seems to me, there is a misconception that the Christian, life is all about doing good. So often when we ask young children we get this answer to what a Christian is. And it’s not just children that have the wrong is idea that being a Christian is about doing good. In reality it’s not! Being a Christian is about trusting in the good that has already been done for us by Jesus on the cross, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 Romans 2:16, Hebrews 12:2.
If Christians do good in their lives it needs to be as a result of what Jesus has done for them. It is never a way for people to earn their way to heaven. Yet so often that is the impression people get. Only good people go to heaven. In fact the opposite is true.
Perhaps as parents we are partly responsible for fostering this view by stressing to children the importance of being good. The truth is we love our children whether they are good or not, just as God loves us whether we are good or not. Thankfully this is so, because if it had to rely on me being good I’d never get into heaven and the same is true of all of us.
There are many people the world would consider good, but they are not going to get into heaven. Why? Because getting to heaven doesn’t depend on being good and earning our way. It’s all about what Jesus has already done. This is the big difference between Christianity and many of the other world religions.
Yes, goodness and a changed lifestyle should come as a result of trusting in Jesus and having a relationship with him, but if we think it will get us into heaven we are deluding ourselves. All roads do not lead to heaven and to God. Only one. Jesus, Acts 4:12, John 14:6.
Look at the example of Paul who tried to keep the law and live as a Pharisee. It was all to no avail. What he needed was to know Jesus. Paul was called by Jesus, saved by Him and commissioned by Him, as He testifies in chapters 1 and 2 of Galatians and Acts 1:1-28. If salvation and grace came any other way then Jesus would have died for no reason, Galatians 2:21, Galatians 3:21-27.
So instead of teaching children to be good, we need to teach them about their need to trust in Jesus. And not give the impression it depends on what we do, when it doesn’t.
Bible verses from The New American Standard Version
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