How Did God Decide What Was Wrong And What Was Right?

Answer: God didn’t have a meeting with the angels and announce that some actions were right and some actions were wrong.

He is perfect and right. God’s very nature is good, and whatever he does is right. And anything that is against God’s nature is wrong.

God’s rules in the Bible tell us what God is like. Remember also that God tells us what is right and wrong because he loves us.

His rules protect us and guide us. It’s like our telling a baby not to touch a hot stove. We want to keep the baby from getting hurt.

We make the rule because we love the baby. God tells us what to do for the same reason. He wants to take care of us, to make us joyful, and to help us live.

Key verse: You are to be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)

Related verses: Psalm 118:29; Jeremiah 33:11; Micah 6:8; Nahum 1:7; John 14:6; 1 Peter 1:15-16

Related questions: How do I know if a person is good or bad? Why are right and wrong different?

Note to parents: You can often explain the usefulness of rules by drawing examples from the rules that adults “force” on very young children.

For example, we don’t let babies play in the toilet, break things, or toddle into the street, because we love them and want to protect them.

Even more important, babies don’t understand these rules. They just have to obey them.

Even a four-or five-year-old can understand that all of God’s rules, in a similar way, come out of his love and care for us – even if we don’t always understand how.

Are Things Always Either Right Or Wrong?

Answer: Not every choice we make is either right or wrong. Sometimes we just like certain things more than others – such as ice cream flavors.

If you like strawberry, it isn’t right or wrong – it’s just something you like. Or you might have two toys to play with, and you choose one over the other.

Both would be all right, but you chose one. At other times, we have to choose between what is good, what is better, and what is best.

None of those choices would be bad or wrong, but we would be wise to choose what is best.

In choices like those, parents and other wise people can give us good advice. Some choices are either right or wrong, but not all choices are.

Key verses: You are free to eat food offered to idols if you want to. It’s not against God’s laws to eat such meat. But that doesn’t mean that you should go ahead and do it. It may be legal, but it may not be best and helpful. Don’t think only of yourself. Try to do what is best for others. (1 Corinthians 10:23-24)

Related verses: Galatians 5:1, 13-26; James 1:5

Note to parents: Again, be careful about how you use the word wrong. An absolute moral wrong, such as stealing, doesn’t have the same “wrongness” as a matter of etiquette, such as what to say to a hostess about the food.

Absolute right or wrong is that which is right or wrong for all people, at all times, in all places.