Are You Convinced That You Have the Truth? Why?

"Prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." - ROMANS 12:2.

IS IT the will of God that true Christians go to war and kill people of a different nationality?  During the last 100 years, that has often been done by many who call themselves Christians.  Catholic army chaplains have blessed troops  and their weapons in wars against Catholics of an opposing nation.  The same has been true of Protestant chaplains, World War II is a prime example of the resulting slaughter. 

What did Jehovah's Witnesses do in that time of war?  The historical record shows that they  maintained a position of Christian neutrality.  What was the basis for their stand?  It was primarily the example and teachings of Jesus. He said: "By this all will know that you are my disciples-if you have love among yourselves." (John 13:35)  They also took to heart the extended application of the reasoning that the apostle Paul resented in writing to the Christians in Corinth. - Read 2 CORINTHIANS 10:3, 4. 

Therefore, true Christians, who have their conscience trained by the Bible, do not learn war or participate in warfare.  As a result  of holding to this Christian  position, thousands of Witnesses, young and old, male and female, have been persecuted.  Many have suffered in forced-labor camps and prisons. During the Nazi war in Germany, some were even murdered. Regardless of the vicious persecution they faced in Europe, the Witnesses never forgot their commission to preach the good news of Jehovah's Kingdom.  They faithfully did so-in prisons, in concentration camps, and in exile.  Later, Witnesses took no part in the warlike ethnic cleansing in Rwanda in 1994.  They also remained neutral during the bloodbaths that more recently occurred in the Balkans conflict during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

The strict neutrality of Jehovah's Witnesses has convinced thousands of observers around the globe that the Witnesses practice genuine love of God and of neighbor. In other words, they are practicing  true Christianity. Yet, there are other features of our worship that have convinced many that see Jehovah's Witnesses, they are seeing true Christians.

Next time: Are You Convinced That You Have the Truth? Why? - THE GREATEST EDUCATIONAL WORK IN HISTORY

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