What About Christian Truth?

What About Christian Truth?

What of the truth proclaimed by Jesus Christ? Did everyone recognize it as a message from God? No. Even though Jesus was right there in the midst of the people of Israel teaching them and performing miracles, most of his listeners did not discern that he was the foretold Messiah—the Christ, or Anointed One.
To the Pharisees who asked when God’s Kingdom was coming, Jesus himself said:
“The kingdom of God is not coming with striking observableness.” He added: “The kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Luke 17: 20, 21) God’s appointed Ruler, Jesus, was among them! But those Pharisees refused to open their eyes to the evidence that he was fulfilling the Messianic prophecies and to accept him as “the Christ, the Son of the living God.”—Matthew 16:16.

The response to the truth proclaimed by Christ’s first-century disciples was similar. While miracles helped to demonstrate that God was supporting the disciples, the truth was still not plain to most. (Acts 8:1-8; 9:
32-4 1) Jesus commissioned his followers to “make disciples of people” by teaching them. As a result of listening and learning Scriptural truths, sincere seekers of truth became believers.—Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:42; 17:2-4,
32-34.

It is the same today.

The “good news of the kingdom” is being “preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations.” (Matthew 24:14) This is ,. not necessarily being done “with striking observableness”—in so obvious a way that every individual on earth will recognize it as a message from God. Yet, God’s truth is recognizable and strikes a responsive chord in honesthearted individuals who want to worship God in the way approved by him.—John 10:4, 27.
The fact that you are reading this shows that you are likely a sincere seeker of truth. How can you determine which religion is teaching it?

Features of True Religion

Consider the practices and teachings of first-century Christians:

• They looked to God’s Word as their guide.—2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21.
• They taught that Jesus was God’s Son, distinct from God himself and subordinate to Him—1 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Peter 1:3.
• They taught that the dead will return to life by means of a future resurrection. —Acts 24:15.
• They were known overall for the love that prevailed among themselves. —John 13:34, 35.
• They did not worship merely as individuals but were organized into congregations and were united under overseers and a
central body of elders that looked to Jesus as Head.—Acts 14:21-23; 15:1-31; Ephesians 1:22; 1 Timothy 3:1-13.
• They were zealous preachers of God’s Kingdom as mankind’s only hope.—Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8.