Continue with: HOW TO IDENTIFY THE TRUE RELIGION

"Those who practice the true religion worship only Jehovah and make his name known. Jesus declared:"It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service." (Matthew 4:10) Thus, God's servants worship no one other than Jehovah. This true worship includes letting people know what the name of the true God is and what he is like. Psalm 83:18 states: "You whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth."  Jesus set the pattern in helping others to get to know God, as he said in a prayer:  "I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world." (John 17:6)  Similarly, true worshipers today teach others about God's name, his purposes, and his qualities.   

God's people show genuine, unselfish love for one another.  Jesus said: "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves."  (John 13:35) The early Christians had such love for one another. God's love overcomes racial, social, and national barriers and draws people together in an unbreakable bond of true brotherhood.  (Colossians 3:14) Members of false religions do not have such a loving brotherhood.  How do we know that?  They kill one another because of national or ethnic differences. True Christians  do not take up weapons to kill their Christian brothers or anyone else.  The Bible states:  "The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident in this fact: Everyone   who does not carry on righteousness does not originate with God, neither does he who does not love his brother.  .  . .We should have love for one another, not like Cain, who originated with the wicked one and slaughtered his brother." -1 John 4:10-12; 4:20, 21. 

OF course, genuine love means more than not killing others.  True Christians unselfishly use their time, energy, and resources to help and encourage one another. (Hebrews 10:24, 25)  They help one another in times of distress, and they deal honestly with others. In fact, they apply in their lives the Bible counsel  to "work what is good toward all." -Galatians 6:10.

Next time: Conclusion of HOW TO IDENTIFY THE TRUE RELIGION

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