WORSHIP THAT GOD APPROVES,Chapter Fifteen

Jehovah God deeply cares for us and wants us to benefit from his loving direction. If we worship him in the right way, we will be happy and will avoid  many problems in life.  We will also have his blessing and his help. (Isaiah 48:17)  There are, however, hundreds of religions that claim to teach the truth about God. Yet, they differ greatly in their teachings about who God is and what he expects of us. 

How can you know the right way to worship Jehovah?  You do  not have to study to compare the teachings of all the many religions. You need only to learn what the Bible really teaches about true worship. To illustrate:  In many lands, there is a problem with counterfeit money. If you were given the job of picking out such false money, how would you go about it?  By memorizing every kind of counterfeit?  No. Your time  would be better spent if you studied real money.  After you know what real money looked like, you could recognize  a counterfeit. Similarly, when we learn how to identify the true religions  that are false. 

It is important that we worship Jehovah in the way that he approves.  Many people believe that all religions are pleasing to God, but the Bible does not teach that.  It is not even enough just to claim to be a Christian.  Jesus said:  "Not everyone saying to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will."   To  have God's approval, therefore, we must learn what God requires of us and do it.  Jesus called  those who do not do God's will "workers of lawlessness."  (Matthew 7:21-23)  Like counterfeit money, false religion has no real value.  Even worse, such religion is actually harmful.

Jehovah gives everyone on earth the opportunity to gain everlasting life.  To have eternal life in Paradise, however, we must worship God properly and live now in a way that is acceptable to him. Sadly, many refuse to do so.  That is why Jesus said:  "Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and specious  is the road  leading off into destruction, and many are the ones finding it."  (Matthew 7:13, 14) True religion leads to everlasting life. False religions leads to destruction.  Jehovah does not want any human to be destroyed, and  that is why he is giving people everywhere an opportunity to learn about him.  (2 Peter 3:9)  Really, then, the way we worship God means either life or death for us.

Next time:  HOW TO IDENTIFY THE TRUE RELIGION

From the Book: What Does the Bible Really Teach? 2005 and 2006