How Can You Recognize True Worship?

1. Is there only one true religion?

     Jesus taught his followers only one religion, the true religion. It is like a road leading to everlasting life.  Jesus said:  "Few are finding" that road.  (Matthew 7:14) God accepts only worship based on his Word of truth. All true worshippers are united in one faith.  Read John 4:23, 24; 14:6; Ephesians 4:4, 5. 

2. What did Jesus say about false Christians? 

      Jesus warned that false prophets would corrupt Christianity.  Outwardly,, they seem like true worshippers.  Their churches claim to be Christian. But you can recognize such people for what they really are.  How? Only true worship produces genuine Christians with recognizable qualities and ways.  Read Matthew 7:13-23. 

Note: There are other ways too. We all follow God's Words in the Bible, we do not celebrate or observe holidays and birthdays, which are really paganistic and not Christian.  We all actually know God, who he is, what He wants us to do and not do, we follow all his commandments and statutes, We love God will all our heart, our mind, our soul and everything that is in us, We love others, as God loves us. These are just a few examples of true worshipers and true Christians. 

3. How can you recognize true worshippers?

      Consider these five identifying marks, besides the examples I have already mentioned.

     *  True worshippers respect the Bible as God's Word.
   They strive to live by its principle. So true religion differs from religion that is based on man's ideas.  (Matthew 15:7-9)  True worshippers do not preach one thing and then practice another.  Read John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

  *   Jesus' true followers honor God's name, Jehovah. 

        Jesus honored God's name by making it known. He helped people to know God and taught them to pray that God's name be sanctified.  (Matthew 6:9) Where you live, which religion makes God's name known?  Read John 17:26; Romans 10:13, 14. 

  *   True Christians preach about God's Kingdom. 

God sent Jesus to preach the good news of the Kingdom. God's Kingdom is the  only hope for mankind. Jesus continued speaking about it until his dying day.  (Luke 4:43; 8:1; 23:42, 43) He said that his followers would preach about it.  If someone approaches you  to speak about God's Kingdom, to which religion does he likely belong?  Read Matthew 24:14. 

   *    Jesus' followers are not part of this wicked world.  

          You can recognize them by the way they take no part in politics or social conflicts.  (John 17:16; 18:36)  Also, they do not imitate the world's harmful practices and attitudes.  Read James 4:4. 

     * True Christians have outstanding love for one another.

         From God's Word, they learn to respect all ethnic groups.  Although false religions have often strongly  supported the wars of the nations, true Christians refuse to do so.  (Micah 4:1-3) Rather, true Christians unselfishly use their time and resources to help and encourage others. Read John 13:34, 35; 1 John 4:20. 

     *  Can you identify the true religion? 

          Which religion bases all its teachings on God's Word, honors God's name, and proclaims God's Kingdom as mankind's only hope? Which group practices love and shuns war? What do you think? Read 1 John 3:10-12.

Next time: How Do Bible Principles Benefit Us?

From the Awake! magazine, 2014