PART 8

Reject False Religion; Practice True Religion

1. Concerning worship, what choice do people face today?

JESUS said: “He that is not on my side is against me.” (Matthew 12:30) We are either on Jehovah’s side or on Satan’s side. Most people think that they are serving God acceptably, but the Bible says that Satan is “misleading the entire inhabited earth.” (Revelation 12:9) Millions of people believe that they are worshiping God, but they are really serving Satan the Devil! People today face a choice: They must serve either Jehovah, “the God of truth,” or Satan, “the father of the lie.”—Psalm 31:5; John 8:44.

Break Free From False Religion

2. What is one way Satan tries to hinder people from worshiping Jehovah?

² Making the decision to serve Jehovah is the wise choice, the choice that brings God’s approval. But Satan is not happy with anyone who serves God; he makes trouble for those who do. One way he does this is by bringing ridicule or opposition from others, even from friends and family members. Jesus warned: “Indeed, a man’s enemies will be persons of his own household.”—Matthew 10:36.

3. If your family or friends oppose your worship of God, what will you do?

³ If that happens to you, how will you react? Many people know that their way of worship is wrong, yet they hesitate to break free from it. They think that it would be disloyal to their family to do so. Is that reasonable? If you learned that close family members used dangerous drugs, would you not warn them that the drugs will harm them? You would not join them in using those drugs, would you?

4. What did Joshua say to the Israelites concerning worship in his day?

⁴ Joshua encouraged the Israelites to give up the wrong religious practices and traditions of their forefathers. He said: “Now fear Jehovah and serve him in faultlessness and in truth, and remove the gods that your forefathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt, and serve Jehovah.” (Joshua 24:14) Joshua was loyal to God, and Jehovah blessed him. If we are loyal to Jehovah, he will bless us too.—2 Samuel 22:26.

Religious Teachings—The True and the False

The Trinity: Many religions teach that God is a Trinity. They say that “the Father is God, the Son [Jesus] is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God.”

The Bible does not even mention the word “Trinity,” nor does it teach that Jehovah is three persons in one. Jehovah alone is God. First Corinthians 8:6 says: “There is actually to us one God the Father.” Jehovah is the Supreme One. Jesus is, not God, but “the Son of God.” (1 John 4:15) Likewise, the holy spirit is not God. The holy spirit is not even a person. It is God’s active force.—Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:18.
The Soul: Many religions teach that the soul is something inside a person that can never die. The Bible teaches that the soul is the person and, of course, a person can die.—Genesis 2:7; Ezekiel 18:4.
Hellfire: False religions teach that the souls of the wicked are tormented forever in hell. The Bible states that the dead are “conscious of nothing at all.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5) The Bible also teaches that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Jehovah, the loving God, would never torture others with fire.

Box: What does the Bible teach concerning the Trinity, the soul, and hellfire?

Get Rid of Things Used in False Worship

5. Why should we get rid of magical objects?

⁵ Breaking free from false religion also means that we should destroy any magical objects that we may have, such as charms, amulets, magical rings and bracelets, and things like these. This is important because it shows that we put our full trust in Jehovah.

6. What did early Christians do with their books about magic?

⁶ Consider what some early Christians did when they decided to practice true religion. The Bible says: “Quite a number of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them up before everybody.”—Acts 19:19.

7. What can we do if the demons harass us?

⁷ Some who begin to serve Jehovah and who have directly been involved with witchcraft, sorcery, or magical practices may be harassed by the demons. If that happens to you, call on Jehovah aloud in prayer, using his name. He will help you.—Proverbs 18:10; James 4:7.

8. How do Christians view idols, images, and pictures used in false worship?

⁸ Those who wish to serve Jehovah must not keep or use any idol, image, or picture that is part of false worship. True Christians “are walking by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) They respect God’s law that forbids the use of any image in worship.—Exodus 20:4, 5.

Associate With Jehovah’s People

A mother and her little girl prepare food together

9. What advice does the Bible give about becoming wise?

⁹ The Bible says: “He that is walking with wise persons will become wise.” (Proverbs 13:20) If we want to be wise, we need to walk, or associate, with Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are the people who are walking on the road that leads to life.—Matthew 7:14.

10. How can Jehovah’s Witnesses help you to serve God?

¹⁰ The Witnesses really care about people. Their work is to help honesthearted ones understand Bible truths that lead to everlasting life. They can help you by studying the Bible with you, free of charge. They will answer your questions and show you how to apply Bible knowledge in your life.—John 17:3.

11. How will Christian meetings help you?

¹¹ At their meetings, usually held at a Kingdom Hall, you will learn more about Jehovah’s ways. You will be strengthened in your desire to practice the true religion. And you will also receive training in how to help others learn Bible truths.—Hebrews 10:24, 25.

A congregation meeting at a Kingdom Hall

12. How can prayer help you to serve God?

¹² As you learn more about Jehovah’s will and purpose, you will likely deepen your appreciation for his loving ways. You should also grow in your desire to do what pleases him and to avoid what displeases him. Remember that you can approach Jehovah in prayer to ask him to help you do what is right and avoid what is wrong.—1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; Philippians 4:6.

A family reads the Bible together — How can you practice true worship?

13. How can you make Jehovah’s heart rejoice?

¹³ In time, as you grow spiritually, you will doubtless see the need to become a dedicated, baptized Witness of Jehovah. By joining the ranks of Jehovah’s people, you will make Jehovah’s heart rejoice. (Proverbs 27:11) You will be among the happy people about whom God says: “I shall reside among them and walk among them, and I shall be their God, and they will be my people.”—2 Corinthians 6:16.

I Broke Free From the Demons

One night while I was asleep in bed with my husband, I heard a voice call my name three times. Then I saw the ceiling split apart, and a fiery, ball-like object dropped onto my stomach. Of course, my husband could see none of these things. Nevertheless, I felt a terrible heat that lasted for several months.

Six months later, the voice called me again. Immediately, the whole house seemed to be in deep water. A large python came out of the water and crawled around my hand. I tried in vain to shake it off. I was terrified. Then the water and the snake vanished, and I was violently thrown to the ground. I was unconscious for several hours. The voice then told me to return to a spiritistic healing temple in the village. When I asked the spirit his name, he gave a name meaning “possessor of wealth but no child.” He promised to make me rich through healing powers.

Sick people came to me from near and far. Before arriving at my house, they would appear in my special mirror. Then, as one arrived, I would slap my palm against his palm, and the nature of his sickness or problem along with the remedy would immediately be revealed to me. The spirit also told me how much money people had to pay.

Money and gifts were pouring in because of the effectiveness of the cures. I became a “possessor of wealth,” but I also learned the meaning of “no child.” Each time I bore a child, his immediate senior would die. This was very distressing. During the 12 years that I served this spirit, six of my children died.

I began to pray to God for help. I prayed fervently. One day Jehovah’s Witnesses knocked at my door. Although I usually chased them away, that day I decided to listen. In the discussions that followed, I learned that I was serving a demon! I made up my mind to quit spiritism.

When I told that to the spirit, he warned me against my decision. However, I said: “I am finished with you.”

I burned all the things I used in divining. I studied the Bible with the Witnesses, became a servant of Jehovah, and was baptized in 1973. Now I have five healthy children. My husband also became a baptized Witness.—As told by Josephine Ikezu.

Box: How did one woman break free from the demons?