How Can People Find Out What is Right and Wrong?

We can know what is right by knowing God.  God is perfect and always right, so everything good matches what God is like.  For example, we know it is right to beloving and kind because God is love.  Everything that is wrong goes against what God is like.  We can learn what God is like by reading His Word, the Bible.  The Bible helps us to know how to be like God and act as He does.  God has given us rules and guidance for how to live.  Those are also in the Bible.  When we read rules such as the Ten Commandments, we know how God wants us to act.

KEY VERSES:  Deuteronomy 12:28

Why Do People Do Wrong When They Know It's Wrong?

People do wrong because of their sinful nature.  Many, many years ago, God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve.  But soon afterward, Adam and Eve committed the first sin - they disobeyed God.  You can read about it in Genesis 3:1-24.  Before then, the world was perfect, with no sin, evil, or wrongdoing.  But when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered the world, and ever since then everyone has been born with a sinful nature.  In other words, people find it natural to do what is wrong; they find it easy to choose to do wrong.  This is a weakness that all people have.  Sometimes people will do something wrong even when they know it's wrong because they are afraid of what others will say if they do right.  They might feel pressured by friends to do wrong.  They might have a bad habit.  It's not that everything they do is wrong; they can do good and make right choices, too.  But they find it easy to make the wrong choices.  People still have the same choice today that Adam and Eve had.  We can trust God and follow His way, or we can decide for ourselves what is right and wrong and do it it our own way, the wrong way.

KEY VERSES:  Romans 5:12

Why is it Wrong to be Bad?

It is wrong to be bad because God created us to do good.  Think about your bicycle.  It was made for riding, for helping you to get from one place to another faster and easier than walking.  If you tried to use your bike for scraping snow off the sidewalk or to ride across a lake, it wouldn't work - and it would mess up your bike, too.  That's not what your bike was made for.  In the same way, God designed us to do what is good and right to bring honor to Him.  When we do bad things, we do what we were not created to do.  God created everything; He knows what works and what doesn't, and He knows what will make us happy and what will hurt us.  And He loves us!  If we trust Him, we will do things His way.

KEY VERSES:  Ephesians 2:10

Are Things Always Either Right or Wrong?

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 you like 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 these choices would be bad or wrong, but we would be wise to choose what is best.  In choices like those, parents or otherwise people can give us good advice.  Some choices are either right or wrong, but not all choices are.

KEY VERSES:  1 Corinthians 10:23-24

How Can I Tell Right from Wrong?

Anything that goes against what God is like is wrong.  We can discover what God is like by reading His Word, the Bible.  The Bible also tell us what God wants us to do.  So we can tell right from wrong by asking:  Will this disobey a law that God has given us?  (For example, "no stealing," "no lying," "love your neighbor," or "honor your father and mother.")  Anything that breaks one of God's laws is wrong.

If we are faced with a choice that God hasn't given us a law about (or if we don't know where to find it in the Bible), we can ask:  Will doing this go against my conscience?  We can also ask:  Will it hurt someone?  If the answer is yes to either question, them most likely we should not do it.

Another question to ask is:  Why am I doing this?  If it's only because of pressure from friends or because of fear, then it may not be right.  This is when we must carefully consider the choice that we have to make.  We must think about what we know about God, pray for wisdom, and make the best choice we can.

KEY VERSES:  Luke 6:45

If the Law Says Something is Right but God Says It's Wrong, Who's Right?

The Bible tells us to obey the government.  But when a government law goes against what God wants us to do, we should obey God instead of the government.  God is in charge of the government and not the other way around.  For example, if the government passed a law making it illegal to pray, we should break the law and pray anyway.  The same would be true about worshipping God, reading the Bible and telling others about Christ.  And if the government were to make it OK to lie and steal, we still shouldn't do these things because they go against God's law.  God created and rules the universe.  No one can have higher authority than God.  So we must always obey Him first.

KEY VERSES:  Acts 5:29

Why Shouldn't We Take Drugs?

Prescription drugs (medicine) are OK to take.  In fact, doctors give those to us to help make us well when we're sick.  We must carefully obey the doctor's instructions about when to take them and how much to take so the drugs can help us.  Taking drugs the wrong way can be very bad for us.  That's why there are laws about them.

Drugs that can hurt us are against the law.  Some people use these drugs because it makes them feel good for a little while.  But often they get hooked, and the drugs take over their lives.  The affect people's brain so that they can't think right, and they can even kill people.

We shouldn't let anything we put into our bodies control us, whether it's food, drinks, drugs, alcohol, or any other chemical.  Only God should be in control of our lives.  And God wants us to take care of our bodies - bad drugs destroy our bodies.  Stay far away from all illegal drugs.

KEY VERSES:  Ephesians 5:18

What is a Conscience?

God has built into us a way of helping us tell right from wrong.  We call this inner voice our conscience, and we need to learn to listen to it.  It's a feeling inside about something we are thinking about doing.  If what we are thinking about doing is not right, then our conscience can make us feel bad about it and give us the sense that we should not do it.  Our conscience can also tell us when we should do something.  When it does that, we get a strong sense that we should do what we're thinking about.  God gave us our conscience to help us decide what to do.  So it's important for us to listen to our conscience.

If we don't listen to our conscience, pretty soon we get into the habit of ignoring it.  After a while we won't hear it at all.  That can lead to trouble.  Listen carefully to your conscience.

KEY VERSES:  Acts 24:16

Is It All Right to Laugh at Dirty Jokes?

Some jokes are funny but not good.  We should avoid laughing at dirty jokes.  A "dirty" joke uses foul words or talks about sex in a wrong way, just to get a laugh.  It's called a dirty joke, even by people who don't know God, because it's bad.  Jokes that make fun of other people, their race, skin color, religion, and so forth are also bad.  Why?  Because God is Holy and pure and He wants us to be pure.  Being like Him is the key to living the way He meant us to live.  Telling or listening to dirty jokes dills our minds with wrong thoughts and may cause others to feel bad.

If you are near someone who is telling jokes that are bad, go away from that person.  You don't have to listen to the jokes, and you don't have to encourage the person who is telling them.  There are plenty of good, clean jokes.  Listen to those, tell those, and have fun!

KEY VERSES:  Ephesian 5:4

Is It OK to Slam the Door When You're Mad?

No, because the Bible says that we should have self-control.  That means God wants us to control our emotions, not let them control us.  Emotions are good, and it's good to understand what we are feeling.  In other words, if we are angry, we shouldn't pretend we aren't.  But we should also think about why we are angry, talk to God and others about it, and work at changing what caused the anger.  And we have to be careful about how we express our anger - yelling, screaming, calling names, hitting, and slamming doors can hurt other people, making the situation worse.  If you are polite, people will be more likely to listen and pay attention to your concerns.

KEY VERSES:  Proverbs 16:32

If You Say JESUS When You're Mad, Isn't That Like Praying?

No.  It is one thing to talk to God.  It is another to say His name as a swear word because you got hurt or angry.

Sometimes the same word can have different meanings.  When and how we say a word can help tell what we mean by it.  For example, a person may smile and say, "That's great!" with a happy tone of voice.  But another person could frown and mutter angrily, "That's great!"  The same words would have very different meanings.

It's the same with God's name.  When people use God, Jesus, or Christ in a sentence, when and how they say those words can tell us what they mean.  We pray and worship using God's name.  In Sunday school classes we talk a lot about Jesus.  And we talk about Christ with our friends.  Those are good ways to use God's name.  But some people say His name in anger, frustration, or just in passing.  That's called swearing or using God's name "in vain."  That's not OK.  God says it is wrong.

We love God and want to please Him.  We love Jesus and thank Him for dying on the cross for us.  So we should only say God, Jesus, or Christ when we are being serious about God, praising Him, and praying to Him.  We shouldn't even say "My God!" or "Oh, Lord!" when we are surprised.  Treat God with respect.  Honor His name.  This will show others that you love and respect God, and that will affect them.

KEY VERSES:  Exodus 20:7

Is it All Right to Throw Rocks at Someone Who Threw Rocks at You?

It is not right to do something bad to someone just because that person did something bad to us.  The Bible calls that "returning evil for evil," and Jesus says it is wrong.  The Bible also tells us that we shouldn't try to get back at people who hurt us.  We do not have the right to punish people for the things they do wrong.  Instead, we should talk about the situation with God and leave it to Him.  It's all right to protect ourselves, but it not OK to get even.

This may seem unfair.  But actually, only God knows how to judge fairly - we don't.  By refusing to return evil for evil, we let God take care of making things right.  And God is perfect in all His judgements.

Just because someone else is sinning doesn't give us the excuse to sin.  We should always try to obey God and do what is right.  God's way is always best.  Betting back at others usually doesn't solve the problem; it just makes things worse.

KEY VERSES:  Matthew 5:38-39

Is it All Right to Say Bad Things If There Is No One There to Hear You?

If something is wrong, then it's wrong even if no one else ever finds out about it.  So swearing, lying, and saying bad things about others are wrong, even if our parents, friends, neighbors, and everyone else can't hear.  God knows what's going on; He sees and hears everything.

That's why a true test of your character come whenever you think no one else is watching or listening.  If you really believe that swearing is wrong, you won't do it, period.  You won't look for opportunities to do it when no one is around to catch you.  Work hard at speaking and thinking what is good and right, even when no one else is around, because that's what really matters.  Even what you think counts; God knows our every thought.

And if anyone ever does find out what you said in private, they will know that you can be trusted.  Live every moment as a service to God.

KEY VERSES:  Ephesians 4:29

What Does God Want Me to Do When I Do Something Wrong?

The first thing we should do is to pray and admit to God what we have done.  We should tell Him that we are sorry and that we want Him to help us not to do it again.  Also, we should ask God to help us learn from the experience.  Admitting our sins to God brings us back close to Him.  Remember God wants to protect us and to provide all we need for living.  So we should stay close to Him and talk with Him about everything.  Try praying when you first think of doing something wrong.  God can help you avoid or get out of trouble.

If our sin has hurt others, we should talk to them, too, saying we are sorry and asking for forgiveness.

KEY VERSES:  1 John 1:9

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** These questions and answers are provided from the book 801 Questions Kids Ask About God—with Answers from the Bible, by Heritage Builders, a ministry of Focus on the Family, For All Ages.  Copyright 2000 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.  All rights reserved.  Used by Permission.