A person's actions or way of life. Good behaviour will not earn salvation, but believers must practise good behaviour in accordance with Scripture as evidence of their conversion. Scripture stresses that bad behaviour is inconsistent with Christian faith and urges believers to mend their ways.
Examples of good behaviour
Genesis 6:22; Luke 1:6 See also Genesis 5:24; 2 Kings 18:3; Job 1:8; John 1:47; 3 John 1:3, 3 John 1:5–6, 3 John 1:12
So Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.
Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.
Examples of bad behaviour
1 Kings 16:30 See also Genesis 4:8, Genesis 6:5; 1 Samuel 25:3; 2 Timothy 4:14; 3 John 1:9–10
However, Ahab son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him.
Good behaviour towards God is commanded
Exodus 20:2–11 parallel Deuteronomy 5:6–15
Obedience to God's word
Psalm 1:2 See also Psalm 19:7–11, Psalm 119:1–4
But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.
Good behaviour towards other people is commanded
1 Peter 2:12 See also Exodus 20:12–17 parallel Deuteronomy 5:16–21; Psalm 15:1–5; Proverbs 12:2 Proverbs 10:1–31:31 contains much wisdom concerning good and bad behaviour; Matthew 5:21–24
Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
Good behaviour does not earn salvation
Romans 3:20; Titus 3:5 See also Galatians 2:15–16; Ephesians 2:8–9; Philippians 3:9
Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.
He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Good behaviour confirms a believer's profession of faith
James 2:14–19; 2 Peter 1:5–11 See also Matthew 7:16–20 parallel Luke 6:43–45
What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble, and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Obedience to Jesus Christ and his teachings
Matthew 7:24–25 parallel Luke 6:47–48 See also John 14:15, John 14:23, John 15:10; Colossians 3:16
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock.
A believer has died to sin and is alive to God
Romans 6:11–14 See also Romans 6:2, Romans 6:19; Galatians 5:16, Galatians 5:24–25; Ephesians 4:22–24; Colossians 3:1, Colossians 3:5, Colossians 3:9–10; 1 Thessalonians 5:5–8
So you too must count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.