Do You Qualify as a Christian?
Is Your Church Preparing You to Stand Before the Judgment Seat of God? What does God Require of Us? What Standard is set to Qualify as a Christian?
It takes more than going to Church on Sunday in your Best Clothes to be a Christian. God wants You to Have a Personal Relationship with Him. He wants you to feel He is with you all day. To draw closer to Him there are some guidelines we learn from Jesus example and The Bible.
Our Personal Relationship-Requires Use of His Name
Have you ever had a close personal relationship without using the other persons name? God is not His name. God’s personal name is Jehovah. It was written in the Bible more than 7000 times until men thought it as being disrespectful for a sinner to say it or write it, so they abbreviated it with four Hebrew characters YHWH or in English JHWH. see Isaiah 42:8
Jesus knew His Fathers name and used it while on Earth. He gave a sample prayer that shows he was concerned with the lies that slander and tarnish God’s Personal Name. You Must Pray to Jesus’ God, Jehovah as he did, holding His Name in Honor and High Esteem. Matthew 6:9,10 states “You must pray, then, this way: Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. 10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth”. It is important to ask whatever we pray for in Jesus name because he gave his life that we might be able to pray for forgiveness and be led back to Jehovah’s favor. John 14:14 states “If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” We must acknowledge Jehovah as the name of Almighty God and Jesus as His Only Begotten Son.
Our Personal Relationship-Remorse Over Adam’s Betrayal & Sin
Our forefather Adam stabbed Jehovah God in the back so to speak, because of this Jehovah evicted Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. He never spoke to them again after they had sided with the Devil in disloyalty that day. They were dead to Him. We were born after that, deserving of death as they were. The Bible calls this a “sinful state”. Our thinking and flesh is suppressed into this state until we are allowed back into Jehovah’s favor. Genesis 6:3
This is why we must pray for our sins to be forgiven. Even though Jesus Christ died for our sins that we inherit from Adam, we have bad thoughts all day long, those thoughts are sinful, alienating us from God. We should have remorse over our sinful condition and ask that Jehovah forgive us for our sin. Some may say “I didn’t do anything wrong today”, that may be the case, but your thinking does not measure up to that of a person welcome in God’s presence. We are alienated from God, separated from the friendship Adam once had with Him, we must ask for His forgiveness. In order to completely understand this point you must also understand the Holiness of God.
In short, imagine we are covered in wet, dripping mud. Jehovah and His immediate presence is Holy, the whitest and purest wool we can imagine. Nothing with a spot of impurity is allowed in His presence. Our flesh and thoughts are in this muddy, defiled condition, our prayers are allowed because they pass through Jesus and the merit of his redeeming sacrifice. This illustrates our need to pray for forgiveness and God’s patience with us. John 14:6
Jesus stated that his followers eventually would not act in any unloving way toward God or another person. Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said: “He said to him: “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 The second, like it, is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ The Bible states this principle will be written on our hearts, as you progress in Bible understanding you will attest to that.
What is Unloving toward Jehovah?
Lying about Him is Unloving. Saying He Took a loved one is an Unloving falsehood. Saying He is Equal to Jesus and the Holy Spirit is an unloving lie, He is alone Almighty, Eternal, Creator. Saying He Torments people in a fiery hell forever is an unloving lie. Saying that He accepts everyone is a lie, Jesus died for everyone, but only those that apply his teachings in spirit and truth in their life will benefit from his sacrifice. Let us look at the Ten Commandments at Exodus 20:1-17 for more information. The first 3 commandments teach us 3 must not’s towards Jehovah God
20 Then God spoke all these words:
2 “I am Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 You must not have any other gods besides me.
4 “You must not make for yourself a carved image or a form like anything that is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5 You must not bow down to them nor be enticed to serve them, for I, Jehovah your God, am a God who requires exclusive devotion, bringing punishment for the error of fathers upon sons, upon the third generation and upon the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing loyal love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You must not take up the name of Jehovah your God in a worthless way, for Jehovah will not leave unpunished the one who takes up His name in a worthless way.”
8 “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it sacred. 9 You are to labor and do all your work for six days, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to Jehovah your God. You must not do any work, neither you nor your son nor your daughter nor your slave man nor your slave girl nor your domestic animal nor your foreign resident who is inside your settlements. 11 For in six days Jehovah made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and he began to rest on the seventh day. That is why Jehovah blessed the Sabbath day and made it sacred.”
The First Commandment states: We must not worship or make anyone or anything a god, this is the first requirement in not abusing your relationship with Jehovah. Just as in a marriage, you should not give anyone else what is deserving your mate. Some people worship Jesus, Mary,a Trinity, Saints all these violate the principle of the First Commandment.
The Second Commandment states: God is a Spirit, invisible to our eyes, we most not use any image to represent Jehovah or another god. Nothing made by us would glorify Jehovah, rather it would demean Him. We should not use any image to advertise our relationship with Jehovah, we worship a Holy God, do not try to glorify yourself by elevating your private relationship with Jehovah or try to profit by it.
The Third Commandment states: How important His Name is to Him, His Name represents all that He is. If you slander His Name , Jehovah , You Slander, Tarnish, Demean, Defame the very Person of God.
A Christian is not under the Ten Commandments, the principles are still the same today though. Like the Sabbath a Christian must Make Time to Fill their Spiritual Need. A relationship requires constant attention, reading His Word, Meditate on it’s meaning, prayer, pray to know more and draw closer to Jehovah. James 4:8 states “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you……..” Service to God is very important, for by speaking with others about the truth, you strengthen yourself and Honor the God that has drawn you. In effect, He has given you a nugget of Gold, He expects you to share it with as many other people that you can. If you do He will continue to increase the amount He gives you. If you don’t share it, He will take it away, if you try again to share it, over and over, your relationship with Him will die and you will grieve.
Consider the following Commandments as Unloving toward another person
12 “Honor your father and your mother,+ so that you may live a long time in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you.”
13 “You must not murder.”
14 “You must not commit adultery.”
15 “You must not steal.”
16 “You must not testify falsely when you are a witness against your fellow man.”
17 “You must not desire your fellow man’s house. You must not desire your fellow man’s wife nor his slave man nor his slave girl nor his bull nor his donkey nor anything that belongs to your fellow man.”
Our Personal Relationship-Must Hope In Him
A Christian will not hope in this world to solve mankind’s problems. They will not hope in the kingdoms or governments or other people on earth, but will hope in and pray for the Kingdom of God to bring the needed remedy. A Christian must uphold Christ’s teachings in whatever country they live in. Being Neutral in all the Worlds affairs. They are respectful of governmental authority and pay their taxes. In all things we respect God Law First then Mans. “We must obey God as ruler rather than men.”—ACTS 5:29 see Proverbs 3:5,6
What is Unloving Toward Your Neighbor?
Murder, Lying, Cursing, Stealing, Premarital or outside of marriage sex, Revenge, Defrauding, Arrogance, Prejudice, Hate, Slander, animal abuse, medical abuse, teaching religious doctrines of men, spousal abuse, child abuse, all of these are just some of the ways we are unloving toward our neighbors. Being unloving or unnatural toward our own bodies including smoking, drug abuse, abortion, homosexuality, alcohol abuse, tobacco abuse, gluttony, laziness, masturbation. Please see some of the publications at the bottom of the page for more information.
Proverb 6:16-19 “There are six things that Jehovah hates;Yes, seven things that he detests: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart plotting wicked schemes, and feet that run quickly to evil, A false witness who lies with every breath, And anyone sowing contentions among brothers”
Our Personal Relationship-Repentance Is Needed
A person trying to draw closer to God, realizing they have acted unloving toward Him or another person must feel remorse for what they have done then turn around from doing that action anymore. This is imperative to have your sins forgiven. You must take some action or resolve not to act in an unloving way or sinful way again. Continual Bible Study is required to learn the finer points of what is a sinful act from God’s point of view.
Most churches don’t teach God’s standards accurately. They don’t teach that God has a standard that must be met to qualify as a Christian. If you don’t reach that standard of living then you won’t qualify as a Christian when you stand before God in the day of judgment. If you don’t qualify as a Christian then you are seen as an resister of God and Jesus in their eyes, there is no middle ground. Only One Path Leads to Him, meditate on 1 Corinthians 14:33. Ephesians 4:1-6, Exodus 20:20
Every resister of God is considered as a supporter of Satan and This World’s System of Things which includes all governments, commerce and false religions. There are only two sides, You Must Qualify as a Christian by God’s standards, not mans, to be a Christian or You Are On the Other Side which pleases Satan to no end. Satan influences almost every religion on Earth to lower the standard acceptable in religions so they will not be seen as Christians by God. 1 John 5:19 “We know that we originate with God, but the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one”
Sadly millions of people, many very sincere in their religious convictions, will soon discover they were not Saved. Their Church may have led them to Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, however the demons know Jesus very well and believe, but will not be Saved when the Day of Judgment arrives.Those demons have sided with Satan the Devil in his rebellion against Jehovah’s Sovereignty. More than Belief is needed, you must act in harmony with accurate knowledge of Jehovah God and Jesus Christ which is only gained from Bible study and meditation. James 2:19 “You believe that there is one God, do you? You are doing quite well. And yet the demons believe and shudder” Comparing the Christian Life to a race, no one is Awarded until they Finish the Race.
Our Personal Relationship– Association With Others Loving Jehovah is Necessary
To Qualify as a Foot Step Follower of Jesus Christ (a Christian) involves living your life similar to the way he lived. He studied the scriptures and was able to speak about spiritual things from childhood. A Christian must do the same, be an avid Bible reader. Zealous for learning and applying Bible knowledge in your life. Jesus prayed to his Father Jehovah, he followed his Fathers principles and made those known to others. He strove to do Gods Will as much as he could day after day.
The Bible foretells that there would be a people that are called by God’s Name. Act 15:14 “Symʹe·on has related thoroughly how God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name” Isaiah 43:10 states that those people would bear witness to Jehovah’s Love, Righteousness, Justice, Wisdom and Truth by bringing attention to the lies spread by especially Christendom then pagans that slander the person of God .see John 17:17
Our Personal Relationship-Baptism Is Needed
In time you will come to a point where you have progressed in your relationship with Jehovah and are concerned about it all day. At that time you will need to make a personal dedication to Him and be baptized to symbolize this to others that you have reached that stage in your life just as Jesus did. After Jesus was baptized He was seen in many places teaching others the things needed to please God. You to should be doing the same thing prior to and after baptism.
Our Personal Relationship-Proselytism Is Necessary
He told the people of that time their Jewish religious system was no longer acceptable to Jehovah God and a new religious order would take place after his death. He spoke with them as Heirs of the New Religious System telling them they should call no one Rabbi or Father, but they were all Brothers. No Clergy Class. Jehovah has made arrangements to bring sinful humans back into a close relationship with Him. Jesus Sacrificial Death was the first step. Next Satan and all those considered to be resisters will be removed from the earth, this will allow for God’s Kingdom to rule unopposed. Psalms 37:10,11, 2 Peter 3:11-13
Qualify for One of Two Hopes
The first one hundred and forty four thousand followers approved by Jehovah would fill the Thrones to Jesus Kingship to the left and right of Jesus. see Matthew 20:23 “He said to them: “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.””
For the Apostles and disciples of Jesus, it took many years of faithful service, living as Jesus did, dedicated to Jehovah and His Purpose, teaching others what Jehovah’s Purpose is and resisting the desires of this System under Satan’s Control. After a lifetime of faithful service those followers may be considered as sealed or unlikely to break their integrity to God before death. That takes a lot more than coming to the front of the church and being Saved once. Joel 2:32
Qualify as one of the Little Flock Limited to 144,000 Christians
You have to discern Who Jesus or the Apostles are speaking with and what Their Hope Was when reading the Bible to understand it fully. People prior to Jesus, hoped for a peaceful country flowing with milk and honey. After Jesus came to Earth and told his Apostles and disciples that they could live eternally in Heaven with him everything changed.
Jesus said there would be 1 Flock with two groups or two hopes. One Little Flock, one Other Sheep or Other Hope. John 10:16 states “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those too I must bring in, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd” Luke 12:32 states “Have no fear, little flock, for your Father has approved of giving you the Kingdom.” The Little Flock with a Hope of Heavenly Life began to be filled after Jesus Death and Resurrection, this period continued until the 144,000 were filled then the Earthly Hope would be what all people were offered. The Hope of Fleshly Earthly Life began with the first man Adam and continues today.
The Little Flock are Rulers in Gods Kingdom
The 144,000 Followers approved and anointed by Jehovah would rule with Jesus in God’s Kingdom as Kings and Priests from Heaven. Revelation 5:10 states “and you made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they are to rule as kings over the earth.” The Little Flock of Kings and Priests being “Little” means that the other group of Other Sheep would be Much Larger in numbers than 144,000.
The Little Flock will be what Jehovah uses to Govern the Planet. These spiritual beings know what it is like living on Earth in the flesh. The 144,000 of these people resurrected to Heaven with Jesus will have an opportunity to gain eternal life in Heaven. This Immortality is something more than the angels in Heaven already have. Something special for Christ Joint Heirs.
There will be no Police or Sheriffs department on Earth then. The Kings with Jesus will care for any needs that may come up. The Holy Spirit will enable them to read what is in your heart and will aid them in heading off potential problems. They will use their Priestly function to help those living on Earth draw closer to Jehovah. They will teach those living on Earth how to better themselves after this World System ends.
You can see evidence of Jesus’s organization on Earth today. He has organized brothers and sisters to share the Good News of God’s Kingdom Worldwide. He has used them to knock on virtually every door on Earth and hold out the most valuable thing on Earth, Hope of Everlasting Life. He has used them to print more Bibles and supporting Kingdom Teaching materials than anyone else. They have made these available in hundreds of languages and distributed them to villages and town around the world even places where few men have been before. He is Ready to Rule the Earth Today, He is Just waiting for the Day Jehovah has set. Each new day brings us ever closer to that Day. You can see more of Jesus organization today at JW.ORG . Matthew 24:14 , Matthew 28:19,20
Fast Facts —Worldwide
240 —Lands where Jehovah’s Witnesses worship
8,220,103 —Jehovah’s Witnesses
9,708,968 —Free home Bible courses conducted
19,862,783 —Attendance at the annual Memorial of Christ’s death
118,016 —Congregations
Qualify as a Christian Today and have a Hope for the Real Life Forever
The Bible describes it vividly.
Most people today are part of the Other Sheep with a Hope like that of Abel, Noah, Moses, King David and Others who died before Jesus Death or after the 144,000 of the Little Flock was Filled. That Hope is for Eternal Life In Paradise on Earth. Acts 2:34 “For David did not ascend to the heavens, but he himself says, ‘Jehovah said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand.
A Resurrection to Life on Earth again, awaits almost everyone who lived and died before Jesus Christ. Many of Family members we have lost before Jehovah’s Great Day will be resurrected to life again and given this opportunity to learn and live. Many Young children will be resurrected and taught, this could take many years and many teachers will be needed. Would you like to meet Moses or Noah? Many will meet them and many other people from our past. see the supporting scriptures at Acts 24:15, John 5:25-28 Psalms 37:29, 145:16
Imagine Your Sister Died before Armageddon, but You Survive
What will that be like? Eventually it will be equal to what Adam forfeited, Perfect Human Life in Paradise on Earth and Yet Better because there will be Many more people, all with a goal to make life better. There will be no money, no factories, no markets, no stores, no cities, no hospitals, no police or firefighters. We will all work at home and share in cleaning up the planet that men and greed and pollution has almost destroyed. Revelation 11:18
There will be plenty of food on the Earth. Where weeds grew before, grain will now grow, even on the tops of mountains for Jehovah will bless the Earth. Today it is cursed and difficult because of Adams disloyalty. Psalms 72:16“There will be an abundance of grain on the earth; On the top of the mountains it will overflow.His fruit will flourish as in Lebʹa·non, And in the cities people will blossom like the vegetation of the earth”
Families will enjoy working together
Isaiah 65:21-23 “21 They will build houses and live in them,
And they will plant vineyards and eat their fruitage.
22 They will not build for someone else to inhabit,
Nor will they plant for others to eat.
For the days of my people will be like the days of a tree,
And the work of their hands my chosen ones will enjoy to the full.
23 They will not toil for nothing,
Nor will they bear children for distress,
Because they are the offspring made up of those blessed by Jehovah,
And their descendants with them.
The entire planet will be at Peace with one another.
Isaiah 11:6-9
6 The wolf will reside for a while with the lamb,
And with the young goat the leopard will lie down,
And the calf and the lion and the fattened animal will all be together;
And a little boy will lead them.
7 The cow and the bear will feed together,
And their young will lie down together.
The lion will eat straw like the bull.
8 The nursing child will play over the lair of a cobra,
And a weaned child will put his hand over the den of a poisonous snake.
9 They will not cause any harm
Or any ruin in all my holy mountain,
Because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah
As the waters cover the sea.
All Will Enjoy Life with the Hope of Everlasting Life
We will grow closer to perfect human life.No more sickness or disease. The Blind will see, the deaf will hear, the mute will speak, the lame will walk and leap for sheer joy.
Isaiah 33:24″And no resident will say: “I am sick.”The people dwelling in the land will be pardoned for their error.
Revelation 21:3-5 “With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”
Millions Now Living May Never Die At All
Revelation 7:14-17 ” So right away I said to him: “My lord, you are the one who knows.” And he said to me: “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 That is why they are before the throne of God, and they are rendering him sacred service day and night in his temple; and the One seated on the throne will spread his tent over them. 16 They will hunger no more nor thirst anymore, neither will the sun beat down on them nor any scorching heat, 17 because the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, will shepherd them and will guide them to springs of waters of life. And God will wipe out every tear from their eyes.”
We have a chance to Live far beyond what others have lived, Methuselah, who lived 969 years is nothing compared with Everlasting Life. Imagine jumping out of bed like you did when you were you. You will never get sick or have a headache or backache. You will be able to build the house of your dreams with your friends and family. You will be able to enjoy youthful energy. Though you may be a thousand years old your flesh will look young and never age. You will be able to master any of the arts of music or painting. Boating, sailing, fishing, traveling around the world. No need to hurry when you have forever. The greatest days of your life are yet in the future. Think of the Day Jehovah speaks with you personally, He say’s He is proud of you and all you’ve done, He looks forward to speaking with you again and sharing all things that are new under the sun. He may ask you and your wife to be the first people to inhabit another planet. The possibilities of Everlasting Life could fill the Internet. Don’t You Want to be part of a Universal Paradise and Longevity to enjoy it? Then start today, Pray to Jehovah God for His Holy Spirit and search out the knowledge that leads to Eternal Life in Paradise on Earth.
Learn more about God and What He Requires of Us.
Living in a Way That Pleases God
A Peaceful New World—Will It Come?
See JW.org for more information
- Jesus did visit the Temple in Jerusalem