THINK TOGETHER
How do you know the difference between right and wrong? OR, who teaches you right from wrong?
READ TOGETHER
Yesterday we read about how God planted two very different trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowing Good and Evil. If Adam and Eve chose to eat from the Tree of Life they would be obeying God and would live forever with him. But if they chose to eat from the Tree of Knowing Good and Evil they would be disobeying God and they would be separated from God and eventually die. Here’s how God warned them about this deadly tree:
Genesis 2:17. but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
The Bible says that Adam and Eve were tempted to eat from the Tree of Knowledge because it would make them “like God.” They would be able to know what is good and what is evil. But doesn’t God want us to know right from wrong? Doesn’t he want us to be good and not evil? And shouldn’t we want to be like God?
Yes. But here’s what the Bible really wants us to know: God wants us to learn to trust him BEFORE we try to be good.
You see, the Bible isn’t a book about how to be good. It’s a book about how to trust God who IS good. You see, no matter how hard we try, or how much we know, none of us will ever be perfectly good. In fact, we’re all bad and do bad things. And that is why Jesus came to earth, to be good for us. Jesus always loved God and others. But most importantly, Jesus always trusted God his Father. So now we have a choice to make just like Adam and Eve – will we first try to be good on our own, or will we first choose to trust that Jesus was already good for us?
Because of Jesus even when I am not good I am loved by God.
With Jesus I can be good because I am loved by God.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Make a card or sign to help you remember this order: 1. Trust God. 2. Be good.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, thank you for loving me even when I’m not good. Help me to be good because you love me, and not because I am afraid or want to show off. Amen.
TLICfamily 