Bay City Baptist Church, Green Bay, WI

Stories for children that teach them about the nature of God

Who’s good enough for Heaven?

Bobbie and Toph were having a little talk. Bobbie kept saying, "Good!" And Toph kept telling her, "Perfect! Bobbie, I’m tellin’ you - perfect!

"Good ones! No one is perfect. Mom said so."

"It is, too, the perfect ones and that one you’re holding isn’t one of them." Toph knew he was right. They were sitting in the family room with their baseball cards spread out on the floor.

Mom came into the room. "What are you children arguing about?" Then Megan came in behind her.

Toph explained about the problem. "Baseball cards, Mom. Bobbie says that we’ll get a lot of money for the good ones. I keep telling her only the perfect ones are worth much. Here, look in my book. Sometimes you can get as much as ten dollars for a perfect card, but you only get twenty-five cents for the good ones that have some small problems."

Bobbie didn’t like that. "That’s not fair."

"That’s why you need my help when you’re trading, Bobbie. You don’t understand how this works." Toph was trying to be a good big brother, but he couldn’t help her if she wouldn’t listen to him.

Mom started folding clothes. She had brought a full basket with her. "Your discussion about good and perfect reminds me of how some people feel about who gets to Heaven."

"What do you mean, Mom?" asked Toph. "What do baseball cards have to do with Heaven?"

Bobbie just looked even more confused.

Mom tried to explain. "Many people think that being good is enough."

"Being good isn’t enough!" Toph looked at Bobbie when he said that.

"But people can’t be very good, can they?" Megan wanted to know. She was helping Mom fold the towels.

Mom shook her head. "When Jesus lived on earth, a group of people was very proud of themselves for living exactly by the Law."

Bobbie asked if they were perfect.

"No, they weren’t, even though they tried to make people believe they were."

"I think it’s wrong to try and make people believe you’re something you’re not," Megan said.

"You’re right, Megan. That’s why Jesus said you would have to live more perfectly than the scribes or Pharisees to enter Heaven."

"Whoa! If that’s true, it seems like nobody would ever be good enough." Toph knew he wasn’t perfect.

"Me neither. I don’t always obey. Do I, Mom?" Bobbie looked at Mom, and Mom shook her head again. Then Bobbie said, "I pray all the time that God will help me be good, but I keep on doing wrong stuff."

"Well, I can help you with baseball stuff." Toph was trying to be a good big brother again. "But you’ll have to get somebody else to help you obey. I’m not even nearly good!"

Mom laughed a little. "You should try to obey, but God doesn’t expect us to be perfect before we can get to Heaven. We can’t be. That’s why He sent Jesus."

Verses to Read

Matthew 5:20: "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

I Peter 1:15: "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all conduct. (NKJV)

Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD

1. What is God like?

2. What does "holy" mean?

3. How can you be holy?

This material is reprinted by permission from "Kids' Questions About Jesus" and "Kids' Questions about Sin and Salvation,," published by Regular Baptist Press. (www.rbpstore.org/showprod.cfm?prodnum=5308)

Who is God?

Why Did Jesus Die?

I Have a Question About Sin

Who Goes to Heaven?

I Have a Question About Salvation

For Whom Did Jesus Die?

How Does Jesus' Death Help Me?

What Does God Think About Jesus' Death?

How Do I Get the Free Gift?

I Sinned Again, Now What?