real faith, life's secrets

REAL FAITHYour Key to a

Happy Life

1 Does God Care About Us? 3

2 What Is Real Faith? 4

3 Practical Counsel That Improves Lives 6

4 Who Is God? 10

5 Appreciating God’s Matchless Qualities 12

6 What Is God’s Purpose for the Earth? 15

7 What God Promised Through the Prophets 18

8 The Messiah Appears 20

9 Learning From Messiah the Leader 22

10 Exposing the Enemy of Faith 24

11 Showing Real Faith Today 26

12 Show That You Have Real Faith! 28

13 Real Faith Leads to Everlasting Happiness 30

CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE

Photo Credits: Page 13, bottom: Todd Bolen/BiblePlaces.com; page 25, globe: Based on NASA/Visible Earth imagery

� 2010Monominoto Seisho Sasshi KyokaiAll Rights Reserved

PublishersMonominoto Seisho Sasshi Kyokai

2010 Printing

This publication is not for sale. It is provided as part of a worldwideeducational work supported by voluntary donations.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the modern-languageNew World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References

Real Faith—Your Key to a Happy Life English (rk-E)

TODAY’S world is full of prob-lems.Wars, natural disasters, sick-

ness, poverty, corruption, and oth-er evils afflict millions of people. You

too may face daily worries. Who canhelp us? Does anyone care?

We can be sure that God truly cares.In his Holy Word, he states: “Can awife forget her suckling so that sheshould not pity the son of her belly?Even thesewomencan forget, yet Imy-self shall not forget you.”�

Is that not comforting to know?God’s love is far greater than a moth-er’s tender compassion for her baby

� See Isaiah 49:15 in the Holy Scriptures.

—one of the strongest human emo-tions. Never will God abandon us! In-deed, he has already come to our aid ina marvelous way. How? By showing usthe key to a happy life—real faith.

Having genuine faith will make youhappy. Such faith will help you toavoid many problems and to deal suc-cessfully with problems you cannotavoid. It will also draw you close toGod, bringing you peace of mindand heart. And real faith leads to awonderful future—everlasting life inParadise!

But what is real faith? And how canyou cultivate it?

1 Does God Care About Us?

God’s love for us isgreater than that of amother for her baby

REAL FAITH—YOUR KEY TO A HAPPY LIFE 3

HAVING real faith is more than just be-lieving that God exists. There are mil-lions of people who believe in Godyet deliberately do wicked deeds. Such“faith” is like counterfeit money. Itlooks real but is actually worthless.What, then, is real faith?

Real faith is based on accurate knowl-edge of the Holy Scriptures. These in-spired writings tell us the truth aboutGod and enable us to get to know him.They reveal his laws, purposes, andteachings. These teachings include:

˙ God isone.Hehasnoequal.˙ Jesus isnot AlmightyGod.He is

God’s prophet.˙ Godcondemns idolatry in all its

forms.

˙ Humans face a comingdayofjudgment.

˙ Countless deadhumanswill beresurrected toParadise.

Real faith moves us to do fine works.Such works honor God and also bene-fit us and others. These fine works in-clude such things as

˙ worshippingGod.˙ cultivating godly qualities

—especially love.˙ rejectingevil thoughts

anddesires.˙ maintaining faith inGod

despite trials.˙ teachingothers about

God.

2 What Is Real Faith?

Like money, faith must bereal to have value

We can be sure that God has keptthe Holy Scriptures in a pure form forus today. God Almighty can protecthis own book. His Word states: “Thegreen grass has dried up, the blossomhas withered; but as for the word ofour God, it will last to time indefinite.”—Isaiah 40:8.

God Safeguards His Word

4 REAL FAITH—YOUR KEY TO A HAPPY LIFE

How Can You Cultivate Real Faith?

Ask God for help. The prophet Mosesprayed toGod: “Makemeknow, please,your ways, that I may know you, in or-der that Imay find favor inyour eyes.”�God heard and answered his prayer.Mosesbecameanoutstandingexampleof faith. God will also help you to cul-tivate real faith.

Make time to study the Holy Scriptures.Inspired Scriptures, including the To-rah, the Psalms, and the Gospels, maybe found in the Holy Bible, the mostwidely translated and distributed book

� Exodus 33:13.

in the world. Do you have a copy ofthese inspired writings?

Apply the counsel of the Holy Writingsin your daily life. Faith, like a muscle,grows through use. As you exerciseyour faith, it too will grow. You willsee firsthand that God’s advice works.Indeed, the practical counsel foundin the Holy Scriptures has improvedcountless lives. Read on to considersome examples.

How Would You Answer?

˙ Real faith is based on what?

˙ Real faith prompts what finedeeds?

˙ How can you cultivate real faith?

Real faithproduces good

works

Faith, like amuscle, growsthrough use

IMAGINE that a new doctor movedinto your area. At first you may be a lit-tle wary of him. But what if some ofyour friends sought his help and theirhealth improved dramatically? Mightyou not consider consulting that doc-tor too?

In some ways, the Holy Scripturesare like that doctor. Some people arewary of consulting them. But whenthey apply the wise counsel foundtherein, their lives improve dramati-cally. Consider some examples.

Resolving Marriage Problems

“Early in my marriage, I felt that Du-mas, my husband, neglected me,” re-calls Sumiatun. “In frustration, I oftenscreamed abuse at him, hurled objectsat him, even hit him. Sometimes I gotso worked up, I fainted.

“When Dumas began to study theHoly Scriptures, I mocked him. But se-cretly I listened in on his studies fromthe next room. One day, I heard someverses read: ‘Let wives be in subjectionto theirhusbands as to the Lord . . . Thewife should have deep respect for herhusband.’ (Ephesians 5:22, 33) Thesewords touched my heart. I asked Godto forgive me for abusing my husband,and I prayed for His help to become abetter wife. Soon Dumas and I werestudying the Scriptures together.”

The Holy Scriptures also say: “Hus-bands ought to be loving their wives

as their own bodies.” (Ephesians 5:28) Sumiatun relates: “Learning thesethings affected us both. I began tobring Dumas a cup of tea when hecame home from work and to speak tohim in a kind way. Dumas, in turn,showed me more affection and helpedme with the household chores. Weboth worked to ‘become kind to oneanother, tenderly compassionate, free-ly forgiving one another.’ (Ephesians4:32) In turn, our love and respect foreach other steadily grew. Now we havebeenhappilymarried forover40 years.The wise counsel in God’s Word savedour marriage!”

3 Practical Counsel ThatImproves Lives

Dumas andSumiatun


Controlling Anger

“I had a violent temper,” says Tayib.“I got into many fights and oftenthreatened others with a gun. I alsobeat my wife, Kustriyah, knocking herto the ground in a rage. Many peoplefeared me.

“One day, I read Jesus’ words: ‘I amgiving you a new commandment, thatyou love one another; just as I haveloved you.’ (John 13:34) I was deeplymoved, and I determined to change.When anger welled up inside me, Iprayed toGod forhelp to staycalm.Myanger soon subsided. My wife and I ap-plied the counsel of Ephesians 4:26,27: ‘Let the sun not set with you ina provoked state, neither allow placefor the Devil.’ We read the Scripturesand prayed together every night. Thisswept away the tensions of the day anddrew us closer together.

“NowI amknownas amanof peace.My wife and children love and respectme. I have many friends, and I feelclose to God. I am a truly happy man.”

Overcoming Drug Abuse

“I ran with a gang of youths, was aheavy smoker, and regularly spent thenight collapsed in the street, drunk,”says Goin. “I also used and sold illicitdrugs—marijuana and ecstasy—whichI kept hidden under my bulletproofvest. Although I looked and actedtough, I lived in constant fear.

“Then someone showed me thisscripture: ‘My son, my law do not for-get . . . because length of days andyears of life and peace will be addedto you.’ (Proverbs 3:1, 2) I yearned fora long and peaceful life! I also read:

Kustriyah and Tayib praytogether every night

Goin


‘Sincewehave thesepromises, belovedones, let us cleanse ourselves of everydefilement of flesh and spirit, perfect-ingholiness inGod’s fear.’ (2Corinthi-ans 7:1) So I quit drugs, cut off my as-sociation with the gang, and startedserving God.

“I have now been drug-free for over17 years. I enjoy good health, a happyfamily, good friends, and a clear con-science. And instead of lying in thestreet drunk, I sleep peacefully in bedevery night.”

Conquering Racial Prejudice

“As a teenager, I lived a life of crime,”recalls Bambang, “and most of my vic-tims belonged to an ethnic minoritythat I hated.

“In time, however, I began search-ing for God. My search led me to agroup thatmet to study theHoly Scrip-tures. There, I was greeted warmly bypeople of the very ethnic background

that I hated! I also saw that withinthe study group, different races mixedfreely and happily. I was amazed! Ithen understood the scripture thatsays: ‘God is not partial, but in everynation the man that fears him andworks righteousness is acceptable tohim.’—Acts 10:34-35.

“Today, my heart is no longer poi-soned by prejudice. Some of my bestfriends belong to the ethnic group Ionce hated. Through the Holy Scrip-tures, God has taught me to love.”

Abandoning Violence

“While still a teenager, I was jailedthree times—twice for stealing andonce for brutally stabbing a man,” saysGaroga. “Later, I joined a rebel groupand killed many people. After the con-flict ended, I ran an extortion racket asa crime boss. My bodyguards accom-panied me everywhere. I was a violentand dangerous man.

Bambang now enjoys happyassociation with people ofdifferent races

“Then, one day, I read this scrip-ture: ‘Love is long-suffering and kind.Love is not jealous, it does not brag,does not get puffed up, does not be-have indecently, does not look for itsown interests, does not become pro-voked. It does not keep account of theinjury.’ (1 Corinthians 13:4, 5) Thosewords touched my heart. I moved to anew area, studied the Scriptures, andapplied their counsel in my life.

“Now I am no longer a violent man.Instead, I am respected as a teacher ofGod’s Word. My life has true directionand purpose.”

God’s Word Exerts Power

These and countless other experi-ences prove that “the word of God isalive and exerts power.” (Hebrews 4:12) Its counsel is simple, practical, andupbuilding.

Can the Holy Scriptures help youtoo? Yes, they can, with whateverproblem you may be facing. “All Scrip-ture is inspired of God and beneficialfor teaching, for reproving, for setting

things straight, fordisciplining in righ-teousness, that themanofGodmaybefully competent, completely equippedfor every good work.”—2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

Therefore, let us consider some ba-sic teachings found in the Holy Scrip-tures.

What Do You Think?

˙ Which of the above experiencesimpressed you the most? Why?

˙ How can the Holy Scriptures helpyou?

Garoga is no longer a violentman but a respected teacherof God’s Word


PEOPLE worship many gods. But theHoly Scriptures teach that there is onlyone true God. He is unique, supreme,and eternal. He created everything inheaven and on earth, and he gave uslife. Therefore, he alone is worthy ofour worship.

God has many titles but only onepersonal name—JEHOVAH. God toldMoses: “This is what you are to say tothe sons of Israel, ‘Jehovah the God ofyour forefathers, the God of Abraham,the God of Isaac and the God of Ja-cob, has sent me to you.’ This is myname to time indefinite, and this isthememorial ofme togenerationaftergeneration.” (Exodus 3:15) The nameJehovah appears some 7,000 times inthe Holy Scriptures. As Psalm 83:18says about God, “you, whose name isJehovah, you alone are the Most Highover all the earth.”

No human has ever seen God. Godtold Moses: “You are not able to seemy face, because no man may see meand yet live.” (Exodus 33:20) God livesin the heavens and is invisible to hu-man eyes. It is wrong to make or prayto an idol, picture, or symbol of God.Jehovah God commanded throughthe prophet Moses: “You must notmake for yourself a carved image or aform like anything that is in the heav-ens above or that is on the earth un-derneath or that is in the waters underthe earth. You must not bow down tothem nor be induced to serve them,

because I Jehovah your God am a Godexacting exclusive devotion.” (Exodus20:2-5) Later, through the prophet Isa-iah, God said: “I am Jehovah. That ismy name; and to no one else shall Igive my own glory, neither my praiseto graven images.”—Isaiah 42:8.

Some people believe in God butmay view him as unknowable and un-approachable, someone to fear ratherthan to love. What do you think? IsGod interested in you personally? Canyou really get to know him, even drawclose to him? Let us see what the Scrip-tures say about God’s personal quali-ties.

4 Who Is God?

Ancient Dead Sea Scrollscripture manuscript showing

God’s name



˙ Why should we worship God?

˙ What is God’s name?

˙ Why should we not use idols orsymbols to worship God?

˙ How does God use his holyspirit and angels to accomplishhis will?

The Law was given through theprophet Moses as “the word spoken

through angels”

How does God accomplish hiswill? One way is by sending forth hisholy spirit. God’s spirit is, not aconscious being or an angel, but hisinvisible active force, the limitlessenergy that he projects to accomplishwhatever he chooses. God used thisforce to create heaven and earth.“By the word of Jehovah the heavensthemselves were made, and by thespirit of his mouth all their army.”(Psalm 33:6) Genesis 1:2 explains thatwhen the earth was still covered withwater and God was preparing the earthfor human habitation, “God’s activeforce was moving to and fro over thesurface of the waters.” God then usedhis holy spirit to create all forms of lifeon earth.

God also uses angels to carry outhis will. God created them to live inheaven with him. Angels are verypowerful. They convey divine messagesand perform other important tasks.For example, the Scriptures refer to theLaw given through the prophet Mosesas “the word spoken through angels.”God’s angels also help his servants onearth. In fact, the Scriptures call God’sangels “spirits for public service,sent forth to minister for those whoare going to inherit salvation.”—Hebrews 1:14; 2:2.

God’s Holy Spirit andHis Angels


THE Holy Scriptures reveal God’smany wonderful qualities, enabling usto get to know him. For instance, theScriptures tell us of God’s four main at-tributes—power, justice, wisdom, andlove. Let us consider each of them.

Limitless in Power

Jehovah told Abraham: “I am GodAlmighty.” (Genesis 17:1) His poweris matchless, limitless, and inexhaust-ible. By his power, God created the en-tire universe.

God never misuses his power. He al-ways uses it in a controlled and pur-poseful way. He perfectly balances hisuse of power with his justice, wisdom,and love.

Jehovah generously uses his powerin behalf of his faithful servants. “Hiseyes are roving about through all theearth to show his strength in behalf ofthose whose heart is complete towardhim.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) Are you notdrawn to this powerful yet caring God?

A God of Justice

“Jehovah is a lover of justice.”(Psalm 37:28) He always does what isright and fair according to his ownper-fect standard.

God hates injustice. He “treats nonewith partiality nor accepts a bribe.”(Deuteronomy 10:17) He opposesthose who oppress others, and he actsin behalf of the vulnerable, including

“anywidowor fatherless boy.” (Exodus22:22) God views all humans withoutprejudice. “God is not partial, but inevery nation the man that fears himand works righteousness is acceptableto him.”—Acts 10:34, 35.

Jehovah’s justice is perfectly bal-anced. He is never too lenient, nevertoo harsh. He punishes unrepentantwrongdoers but extends tender mer-cy to repentant ones. “Jehovah is mer-ciful and gracious, slow to anger andabundant in loving-kindness. He willnot for all time keep finding fault, nei-ther will he to time indefinite keep re-sentful. He has not done to us evenaccording to our sins; nor accordingto our errors has he brought upon uswhat we deserve.” (Psalm 103:8-10)God also remembers and rewards thefaithful acts of his loyal servants. Doesnot the God of such justice merit yourtrust?

5 Appreciating God’sMatchless Qualities

God is mightyin power


A God of Wisdom

Jehovah is the Source of all wisdom. “O thedepth of God’s riches and wisdom and knowl-edge!” (Romans 11:33) His wisdom is un-rivaled and infinite.

God’s wisdom is clearly seen in physical cre-ation. “Howmanyyour works are,O Jehovah!”exclaimed thepsalmist. “All of them inwisdomyou have made.”—Psalm 104:24.

God’s wisdom is also revealed in the HolyScriptures. King David wrote: “The reminderof Jehovah is trustworthy, making the inexpe-rienced one wise.” (Psalm 19:7) Just imagine—you can draw on God’s boundless wisdom!Will you take advantage of that opportunity?

“God Is Love”

Jehovah’s principal attribute is love. “God islove,” the Scriptures tell us. (1 John 4:8) Lovemotivates and guides all he does.

God shows his love for us in countless ways.He gives us good things. “He did good, giving

God is impartial

God’s creative wisdominspires awe

The Holy Scripturescontain God’s wisdom

you rains from heaven and fruitfulseasons, filling your hearts to the fullwith food and good cheer.” (Acts 14:17) Indeed, “every good gift and everyperfect present is from above, for itcomes down from the Father of thecelestial lights.” (James 1:17) Throughthe priceless gift of the Scriptures, Godreveals the truth about himself andteaches us his loving laws and princi-ples. “Your word is truth,” said Jesus inprayer.—John 17:17.

God also helps us in our trials.“Throw your burden upon Jehovahhimself, and he himself will sustain

you. Never will he allow the righteousone to totter.” (Psalm 55:22) He for-gives our sins. “You, O Jehovah, aregood and ready to forgive; and theloving-kindness to all those callingupon you is abundant.” (Psalm 86:5)And he even offers us everlasting life.“He will wipe out every tear from theireyes, and death will be no more, nei-ther will mourning nor outcry norpain be anymore.” (Revelation 21:4)How will you respond to God’s love?Will you love him in return?

Draw Close to God

God wants you to know him well.His Word urges you: “Draw close toGod, and he will draw close to you.”(James 4:8) God called the faithfulprophet Abraham “my friend.” (Isa-iah 41:8) Jehovah wants you to be hisfriend too.

The more you learn about God, thecloser you will feel to him and thehappier you will be. “Happy is theman” whose “delight is in the law ofJehovah, and in his law he reads in anundertone day and night.” (Psalm 1:1, 2) Therefore, keep on studying theHoly Scriptures. Meditate on God’squalities and works. Show your lovefor God by applying what you learn.“This is what the love of God means,that we observe his commandments;and yet his commandments are notburdensome.” (1 John 5:3) Pray, then,as did the psalmist: “Make me knowyour own ways, O Jehovah; teach meyour ownpaths. Make me walk in yourtruth.” (Psalm 25:4, 5) You will findthat God “is not far off from each oneof us.”—Acts 17:27.

What Do You Think?

˙ Which of God’s qualitiesespecially appeals to you? Why?

˙ How can you draw close toGod?

Praying andmeditating on God’squalities will drawyou closer to him

15

GOD created the earth to bemankind’s perfect home. His

Word states: “To Jehovah the heav-ens belong, but the earth he has givento the sons of men.”—Psalm 115:16.

Before he created the first man,Adam, God chose one small part of theearth called Eden and there planted abeautiful garden. The Scriptures statethat the Euphrates and Tigris (Hidde-kel) rivers had their source in Eden.�The garden of Eden is thought to havebeen located in what is now easternTurkey. Yes, the garden of Eden reallydid exist on earth!

God created Adam and settled himin the garden of Eden “to cultivateit and to take care of it.” (Genesis 2:15) Later, God created a wife for Adam—Eve. God commanded the couple:“Be fruitful and become many andfill the earth and subdue it.” (Gene-sis 1:28) Clearly, God “did not create[the earth] simply for nothing, [but]formed it even to be inhabited.”—Isa-iah 45:18.

Adam and Eve, however, rebelledagainst God by deliberately breakinghis law. God therefore put them out of

� Genesis 2:10-14 says: “There was a river issuingout of Eden to water the garden, and from there it be-gan to be parted and it became, as it were, four heads.The first one’s name is Pishon . . . the name of thesecond river is Gihon . . . the name of the third riveris Hiddekel [or, Tigris]; it is the one going to the eastof Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.” Thelocation and identity of the first two rivers are notknown.

the garden of Eden. Paradise was lost.And the damage caused by Adam’s sinwent further. The Scriptures tell us:“Through one man sin entered intothe world and death through sin,and thus death spread to all men be-cause they had all sinned.”—Romans5:12.

Did Jehovah abandon his originalpurpose—that the earth be a paradiseinhabited by happy people? No! Godstates: “My word that goes forth frommy mouth will . . . not return to mewithout results, but it will certainly dothat in which I have delighted, andit will have certain success in that forwhich I have sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)Paradise will be restored on earth!

What will life in Paradise be like?Consider the Scriptural promisesshown on the following two pages.

6 What Is God’s Purposefor the Earth?


˙ What was God’s original purposefor the earth and man?

˙ How do we know that God willfulfill that purpose?

The dead will be resurrected: “All those in thememorial tombs will hear his voice and comeout.”—John 5:28, 29.

No more old age, infirmity, ordeath: “No resident will say: ‘Iam sick.’ ” (Isaiah 33:24) God“will wipe out every tear fromtheir eyes, and death will beno more, neither will mourn-ing nor outcry nor pain be any-more.”—Revelation 21:4.

Plenty of good food:“The earth itself will certainlygive its produce; God, our God,will bless us.”—Psalm 67:6.

17

A Coming Earthly Paradise

Fine homes and satisfying work: “Theywill certainly build houses and have occu-pancy . . . The work of their own hands mychosen ones will use to the full.”—Isaiah65:21, 22.

No more war, crime, or violence:Jehovah “is making wars to cease tothe extremity of the earth.” (Psalm46:9) “The wicked . . . will be cut offfrom the very earth.”—Proverbs 2:22.

THE ancient prophets showed faith inGod. They believed his promises andbuilt their lives around them. Whatdid those promises include?

Immediately after Adam and Eve re-belled in Eden, God promised that hewould appoint someone to crush thehead of “the serpent,” representing“the great dragon . . . , the original ser-pent, the one called Devil and Satan,”destroying him forever. (Genesis 3:14,15; Revelation 12:9, 12) Who wouldthat Coming One prove to be?

Some 2,000 years after giving thatfirst prophecy, Jehovah promised theprophet Abraham that the ComingOnewouldbe adescendantofhis.Godtold Abraham: “By means of your seed[or, offspring] all nations of the earthwill certainly bless themselves due to

the fact that you have listened to myvoice.”—Genesis 22:18.

In1473B.C.E., Godgave the prophetMoses further information about the“seed.” Moses told the children of Isra-el: “A prophet from your own midst,from your brothers, like me, is whatJehovah your God will raise up for you—to him you people should listen.”(Deuteronomy 18:15) The comingprophet like Moses would thus comefrom among the children of Abraham.

That prophet would also be a de-scendant of King David and wouldhimself become a great king. Godpromised King David: “I shall certain-ly raise up your seed after you [and]establish the throne of his kingdomfirmly to time indefinite.” (2 Samuel7:12, 13) God also revealed that this

7 What God PromisedThrough the Prophets

The promised “seed” would . . .

descend fromAbraham

be a prophet likeMoses


descendant of David would be called“Prince of Peace,” adding: “To theabundance of the princely rule and topeace there will be no end, upon thethrone of David and upon his king-dom in order to establish it firmlyand to sustain it by means of justiceand by means of righteousness, fromnow on and to time indefinite.” (Isa-iah 9:6, 7) Yes, that righteous Leaderwould restore global peace and justice.But when would he arrive?

The angel Gabriel later told God’sprophet Daniel: “You should knowand have the insight that from thegoing forth of the word to restoreand to rebuild Jerusalem until Mes-siah the Leader, there will be sevenweeks, also sixty-two weeks.” (Daniel9:25) Those were 69 weeks of years—7 years each—that totaled 483 years.They ran from 455 B.C.E. to 29 C.E.�

� See pages 197-199 of the book What Does the Bi-ble Really Teach? published by Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Did the Messiah, the prophet likeMoses and long-awaited “seed,” reallycome in 29 C.E.? Let us see.


˙ What will the promised “seed”of Abraham do to Satan?

˙ What did God promise throughMoses?

˙ What did David learn about the“seed”?

˙ What did the angel Gabriel tellDaniel?

come inDavid’s line

arrive in 29 C.E.

crush theserpent, Satan

MORE than 500 years after Danielprophesied, God’s angel Gabriel ap-peared to a young virgin girl namedMary, a descendant of King David.“Good day, highly favored one,Jehovah is with you,” Gabriel told her.(Luke 1:28) Mary, however, was afraid.What could Gabriel’s greeting mean?

“Have no fear, Mary, for you havefound favor with God; and, look!you will conceive in your womb andgive birth to a son, and you are to callhis name Jesus,” Gabriel explained.“JehovahGodwill givehim the throneof David his father, and . . . therewill be no end of his kingdom.” (Luke1:30-33) What wonderful news! Marywould give birth to the Messiah, thelong-awaited “seed”!

The following year, Jesus was bornin Bethlehem. That night, an angel an-nounced to local shepherds: “Look! Iam declaring to you good news of agreat joy . . . because there was born toyou today a Savior, who is Christ theLord, in David’s city.” (Luke 2:10, 11)Later, Jesus’ family moved toNazareth,where he grew up.

In the year 29 C.E.—the very yearthat the Messiah was due to ap-pear—Jesus began serving as God’sprophet, when he was “about thirtyyears old.” (Luke 3:23) Many peoplecame to realize that he had been sentby God. They said: “A great prophet

has been raised up among us.” (Luke 7:16, 17) But what did Jesus teach?

Jesus taught people to love and wor-ship God: He declared: “Jehovah ourGod is one Jehovah, andyoumust loveJehovah your God with your wholeheart and with your whole soul andwith your whole mind and with yourwhole strength.” (Mark 12:29, 30)He also said: “It is Jehovah your Godyou must worship, and it is to himalone you must render sacred service.”—Luke 4:8.

Jesus urged people to love one anoth-er: “You must love your neighbor asyourself,”he said. (Mark12:31)He alsosaid: “All things . . . that you want mento do to you, you also must likewisedo to them; this, in fact, is what the

8 The MessiahAppears

Gabriel told Mary thatshe would give birth to

the Messiah


“Messiah” and “Christ” both mean “Anointed One,” that is,one appointed to a position by God. God gave life to Jesus,the Messiah. By means of a great miracle, God caused Jesusto be born to Mary without a human father.

Why did so many people put faith in Jesus? The followingare just a few reasons:

˙ He based his teachings on the Holy Scriptures.

˙ His teachings and his example attracted lovers of truthand justice.

˙ He performed many miracles by means of God’s power.

˙ He fulfilled many prophecies recorded in the HolyScriptures.

Who Is Jesus, the Messiah?

Law and the Prophets mean.”—Mat-thew 7:12.

Jesus zealously told others about God’sKingdom: “I must declare the goodnews of the kingdom of God, becausefor this I was sent forth,” he stated.(Luke 4:43) Why is God’s Kingdom soimportant?

The Scriptures teach that God’sKingdom is a heavenly governmentthat will rule over the earth. Jesus, theMessiah, is its God-appointed King.The prophet Daniel foresaw that inheaven God would give the Messiah“rulership and dignity and kingdom.”(Daniel 7:14) That Kingdom will es-tablish Paradise earth wide and rewardGod’s servants with everlasting life. Isthat not the best of news?


˙ What did God’s angel Gabrieltell Mary?

˙ What prophecy was fulfilled in29 C.E?

˙ What did Jesus teach?

˙ What is God’s Kingdom, andwhat will it accomplish?


GOD foretold that he would appointthe Messiah as the Leader for all peo-ples. God knows what kind of lead-er we really need and chose the bestLeader possible. What sort of Leaderdid the Messiah prove to be? A mightygeneral? A skilled politician? A wisephilosopher? According to the HolyScriptures, the Messiah was a very spe-cial prophet—Jesus Christ.—Matthew23:10.

God made sure that Jesus was bornperfect, holy. Further, Jesus resisted Sa-tan’s every effort to corrupt him. Inword and deed, Jesus flawlessly reflect-ed God’s perfect use of power, as wellas God’s justice, wisdom, and love.Considerhow we can learn from Jesus’example.

He used his God-given power to helpothers. Jesus really cared about peo-ple, and he generously used his powerto fill their needs. “I feel pity for thecrowd, because . . . they have nothingto eat,” he said. (Mark 8:2) Then Jesusmiraculously fed the large crowds thathad come to hear him teach.

Jesus also traveled about, teachingand “curing every sort of disease andevery sort of infirmity among the peo-ple.” (Matthew 4:23) Understandably,multitudes followed him, and “all thecrowd were seeking to touch him, be-cause power was going out of him andhealing them all.” (Luke 6:19) Indeed,

Jesus came, “not to be ministered to,but to minister, and to give his soul aransom in exchange for many.” (Mat-thew 20:28)� How many human lead-ers show such a self-sacrificing spirit?

He reflected God’s justice. Jesus ad-hered to the letter and the spirit ofGod’s law. As the Scriptures had fore-told, he said, in effect: “To do yourwill, O my God, I have delighted, andyour law is within my inward parts.”(Psalm 40:8) Jesus treated all—rich andpoor, male and female, children andadults—with dignity, respect, and im-partiality, as God does. Once, Jesus’disciples reprimanded parents whowere bringing their children to Jesus.But Jesus said: “Let the young childrencome to me; do not try to stop them,for the kingdom of God belongs tosuchlike ones.”—Mark 10:14.

He displayed divine wisdom. Jesus hadkeen understanding of people. “Hehimself knew what was in man.”(John 2:25) When Jesus’ enemies sentmen to arrest him, even these ac-knowledged: “Never has another manspoken like this.” Where did Jesus gethis wisdom? He explained: “What Iteach is not mine, but belongs to himthat sent me.”—John 7:16, 46.

He showed godly love. Jesus also hadtender compassion for people. A man

� For a discussion of the ransom, see chapter 5 ofthe book What Does the Bible Really Teach?

9 Learning From Messiahthe Leader


who was “full of leprosy” begged him:“Lord, if you just want to, you canmake me clean.” Moved with pity,Jesus “stretched out his hand andtouched him, and said to him: ‘I wantto. Be made clean.’ And immediatelythe leprosy vanished from him.” (Luke5:12, 13; Mark 1:41, 42) Jesus truly de-sired to relieve that poor man’s suffer-ing.

Does Jesus care about you too? Jesushimself answers: “Come to me, all youwho are toiling and loaded down, andI will refresh you. Take my yoke uponyou and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and youwill find refreshment for your souls.”—Matthew 11:28, 29.

Jesus is the best Leader we couldpossibly have. As such, he urges us:“Learn from me.” Will you accept hisheartwarming invitation? Doing sowill lead to a happy life.


˙ What position did God giveJesus?

˙ What qualities did Jesus display?Which qualities appeal most toyou?

˙ What invitation does Jesus ex-tend to us?

Jesus generouslyhelped others

Jesus loved children

Jesus compassionatelyhealed the sick

LONG before Jehovah God made theearth, he created angels in heaven. Intime, however, one angel began to de-sire the worship that rightly belongsonly to God. By acting on that desire,he made himself Satan, meaning “Re-sister,” that is, one who resists God.How did Satan act against God?

Satan tricked Eve into disobeyingGod. Cunningly, he suggested thatJehovah God was withholding some-thing good by forbidding her to eatfrom a particular tree. He brazen-ly called God a liar and implied thatEve should reject God’s guidance,saying: “God knows that in the veryday of your eating from it your eyesare bound to be opened and you arebound to be like God, knowing goodand bad.” (Genesis 3:5) Eve foolishlybelieved Satan’s lies. She broke God’slaw and influenced Adam to do thesame. Ever since, Satan has been anenemy of all those having real faith.And he has continued to deceive peo-ple down to this day. How?

Corrupted Faith Spreads

Satan used idolatry and human tra-ditions to corrupt the children of Isra-el. Jesus, the Messiah, told their reli-gious leaders that because they taught“commands of men as doctrines,”their worship was in vain. (Matthew15:9) When that nation rejected theMessiah, God rejected them. Jesus told

them: “The kingdom of God will betaken from you and be given to a na-tion producing its fruits.” (Matthew21:43) Jesus’ followers then becameGod’s favored people.

Satan next worked to corrupt Jesus’followers. Did he succeed? Jesus fore-told what would happen in a prophet-ic illustration. In the illustration, aman sowed fine wheat in a field. Later,an enemy sowed weeds in among thewheat. Both crops were left to growuntil harvesttime. Then the weedswere separated from the wheat and de-stroyed. But the wheat was gatheredinto the owner’s storehouse.

Jesus then explained to his discipleswhat the illustration meant. He him-self is the Sower. “As for the fine seed,”he went on, “these are the sons of thekingdom;but theweeds are the sons ofthe wicked one, and the enemy thatsowed them is the Devil. The harvest isa conclusionof a systemof things, andthe reapers are angels.” (Matthew 13:38, 39) Jesus likened his true disciplesto wheat. But Satan sowed false disci-ples, like weeds, in among these truefollowers of Jesus. Thus, as Jesus him-self foretold, during the centuries af-ter his death, false disciples appeared.These promoted apostate teachings,such as the Trinity, the idea that thereare three persons in one God. The falsedisciples also began to practice idola-

10 Exposing the Enemyof Faith


try and to meddle in politics. Only a few re-mained true to Jesus’ teachings.

Real Faith Is Preserved

However, as Jesus explained, eventually achange would occur. God’s angels would sep-arate out those without real faith to be de-stroyed. Then, those having real faith wouldbe easier to identify. Finally, Satan the Devil,the original enemy of faith, would also be de-stroyed. Yes, real faith would triumph!

But how can you identify people who havereal faith today? We will discuss the answer tothis question next.


˙ Where did Satan come from?

˙ How has Satan tried to corruptfaith?

˙ Explain Jesus’ illustration ofthe wheat and the weeds.

Satan used a serpentto mislead Eve

Satan has used idolatryand human traditions

to mislead people

God’s angels aresearching for

people who desireto have real faith

MANY people today claim to havefaith. But Jesus taught that few peoplewould have real faith. He said: “Broadand spacious is the road leading offinto destruction, and many are theones going in through it; whereas nar-row is the gate and cramped the roadleading off into life, and few are theones finding it.”—Matthew 7:13, 14.

How do people today show thatthey have real faith? “By their fruitsyou will recognize them,” Jesus said.“Every good tree produces fine fruit,but every rotten tree produces worth-less fruit.” (Matthew 7:16, 17) Thus,real faith produces “fine fruit.” It mo-tivates people to display godly quali-ties. How do they do so?

Make Proper Use of Power

People who have real faith use theirpower andauthority tohonorGod andto benefit others. Jesus taught: “Who-ever wants to become great amongyou must be your minister.” (Mark 10:43) Similarly, men of faith are not ty-rants, neither outside nor inside thehome. Theycherish their wives, assignthem honor, and lovingly respond totheir needs. The Scriptures say: “Youhusbands, keep on loving your wivesand do not be bitterly angry withthem.” (Colossians 3:19) “Husbands,continue dwelling in likemanner withthem according to knowledge, assign-ing them honor as to a weaker vessel,

the feminine one, since you are alsoheirs with them of the undeserved fa-vorof life, in order for your prayers notto be hindered.”—1 Peter 3:7.

On the other hand, a wife who hasreal faith “should have deep respectfor her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33)Wives should “love their husbands”and “love their children.” (Titus 2:4)Fathers and mothers who have faithspend time with their children andteach them God’s laws and princi-ples. In the home, workplace, and else-where, they treat others with dignityand respect. They follow the Scrip-tural counsel: “In showing honor toone another take the lead.”—Romans12:10.

God’s servants observe the Scriptur-al injunction: “You are not to accepta bribe.” (Exodus 23:8) They neverabuse their position for selfish gain.Rather, they look for opportunities tohelp others, especially those in need.They heed the advice: “Do not forgetthe doing of good and the sharing ofthings with others, for with such sac-rifices God is well pleased.” (Hebrews13:16) Therefore, they experience thetruth of Jesus’ words: “There is morehappiness in giving than there is in re-ceiving.”—Acts 20:35.

Uphold Godly Justice

People of faith willingly obey God’slaws, and for them “his command-

11 Showing Real FaithToday


ments are not burdensome.” (1 John5:3) They know that “the law ofJehovah is perfect . . . The ordersfrom Jehovah are upright, causing theheart to rejoice; the commandmentof Jehovah is clean, making the eyesshine.”—Psalm 19:7, 8.

Real faith also moves them to re-ject all forms of prejudice. They donot elevate one race, country, or socialclass above another, but instead, theyimitate God. “God is not partial, but inevery nation the man that fears himand works righteousness is acceptableto him.”—Acts 10:34, 35.

Real faith moves people to “conduct[themselves] honestly in all things.”(Hebrews 13:18) A person who hasfaith also avoids harmful gossip andslander. About the sort of personwhom God approves, the psalmist Da-vid wrote: “He has not slandered withhis tongue. To his companion he hasdone nothing bad.”—Psalm 15:3.

Reflect Godly Wisdom

Those who have real faith base theirbeliefs solely on the Holy Scrip-tures. They believe that “all Scrip-ture is inspired of God and beneficialfor teaching, for reproving, for set-ting things straight, for disciplin-ing in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16) In their relationships with others,they reflect “the wisdom from above,”which is “chaste, then peaceable, rea-sonable, ready to obey, full of mercyand good fruits.” (James 3:17) Theyshun ungodly traditions and spiritismand “guard [themselves] from idols.”—1 John 5:21.

Show Genuine Love

The prophet Moses said: “You mustlove Jehovah your God with all yourheart and all your soul and all your vi-tal force.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) Peopleof faith show that kindof love forGod.They respect God’s name, Jehovah.They “give thanks to Jehovah” and“call upon his name” in faith. (Psalm105:1) God’s servants also heed hiscommand: “You must love your fellowas yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18) They re-ject violence and strive to “be peace-able with all men.” (Romans 12:18)Figuratively, they “beat their swordsinto plowshares and their spears intopruning shears.” (Isaiah 2:4) As a re-sult, they “have love among [them-selves]” and enjoy a global brother-hood. (John 13:35) Can you identifysuch people today?


˙ What identifies people whohave real faith?

˙ How do people of faith reflectGod’s qualities in regard to

power? wisdom?

justice? love?


GOD warns his servants to expect testsof faith. His Word says: “Be watchful.Your adversary, the Devil, walks aboutlike a roaring lion, seeking to devoursomeone.” (1 Peter 5:8) Howmight Sa-tan try to destroy your faith?

Satan may use others, even yourloved ones, to pressure you not to lookinto the Holy Scriptures. In this re-gard, Jesus foretold: “A man’s enemieswill be persons of his ownhousehold.”(Matthew 10:36) Well-meaning fami-ly members and friends may be un-aware of the wonderful truths foundin God’s Word. Or they may fear whatothers think. However, the Scripturessay: “Trembling at men is what laysa snare, but he that is trusting inJehovah will be protected.” (Proverbs29:25) If you stop learning from theScriptures in order to please men, willthat pleaseGod? Certainlynot!On theother hand, when we show real faith,God helps us. “We are not the sort thatshrinkback todestruction, but the sort

that have faith to the preserving aliveof the soul.”—Hebrews 10:39.

Recall the experience of Dumas, re-lated earlier. At first, his wife mockedhim for his faith. But later she joinedhim in learning from God’s Word.Likewise, if you persevere in doingwhat is right, you may influence yourfriends and loved ones to do the same.In many cases, an unbelieving fami-ly member has been “won without aword through the . . . chaste conduct”and “deep respect” of one who showsreal faith.—1 Peter 3:1, 2.

Satanalso tries tomakepeople thinkthey are too busy to study the Scrip-tures. He would like the pressures oflife—personal concerns and worriesabout money—to “choke the word” inyour case so that your faith “becomesunfruitful.” (Mark 4:19) Reject such ashortsighted view! The Scriptures say:“This means everlasting life, their tak-ing in knowledge of you, the only trueGod, and of the one whom you sent

12 Show That You HaveReal Faith!

Have you experiencedthis kind of opposition?

Pray for God’s help

Associate with otherswho have faith

forth, Jesus Christ.” (John 17:3) Yes,continuing to learn more about Godand Jesus, the Messiah, is essential togaining everlasting life in Paradise!

Think of Moses, who was a memberof Egypt’s royal household. He couldhave pursued wealth, fame, and pow-er. Yet, Moses chose “to be ill-treatedwith the people of God rather thanto have the temporary enjoyment ofsin.” Why? “He continued steadfast asseeing the One who is invisible.” (He-brews 11:24, 25, 27) Yes, Moses hadstrong faith in God. He put God’s in-terests ahead of selfish pursuits, andGod blessed him richly. If you do thesame, God will bless you too.

Satan may try to prey on you in avariety of ways. But you need not be-come his victim. God’s Word urges us:“Oppose the Devil, and he will fleefrom you.” (James 4:7) How can youoppose him?

Keep studying the Holy Scriptures. ReadGod’s Word every day. Study its teach-ings. Apply its counsel. By doing so,you will “take up the complete suit of

armor from God,” with which you canresist Satan’s attacks.—Ephesians 6:13.

Associate with people who have realfaith. Search out others who read,study, and apply the Holy Scriptures.Such ones “consider one another toincite to love and fine works, . . . en-couraging one another.” They willhelp you to grow in faith.—Hebrews10:24, 25.

Draw close to Jehovah. Pray for God’shelp, and trust in him. Never forget,God wants to help you. “Throw allyour anxiety upon [God], because hecares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6, 7) “Godis faithful, and he will not let you betempted beyond what you can bear,but along with the temptation he willalso make the way out in order for youtobe able to endure it.”—1Corinthians10:13.

Satan taunts God, saying that noone will continue to serve Him if itmeans suffering trials. But you havethe opportunity to prove that Satan isa liar! “Be wise,” God says, “and makemy heart rejoice, that I may make a re-ply to him that is taunting me.” (Prov-erbs 27:11) Yes, be determined to showthat you have real faith!


˙ How might Satan try to under-mine your faith?

˙ How did Moses show real faith?

˙ How can you endure trials offaith?

29

“THE righteous one—by means offaith he will live,” say the Holy Scrip-tures. (Romans 1:17) These words con-tain a thrilling promise that involvesyou. In what ways?

After completing his work on earth,Jesus, theMessiah, ascended toheavento be with God. As his disciples lookedon, “he was lifted up and a cloudcaught him up from their vision.”(Acts 1:9) In heaven, God appointedhim as a mighty heavenly King. In thenear future, Jesus, “the Son of man,”will arrive “in his glory, and all the an-gels with him, then he will sit downon his glorious throne. And all the na-tions will be gathered before him, andhe will separate people one from an-other, just as a shepherd separates thesheep from the goats.” (Matthew 25:31, 32) When will this occur?

The Holy Scriptures foretell a peri-od of worldwide trouble that would bethe sign that the Messiah’s judgmentof the nations was imminent. Jesus ex-plained what that sign would include:“Nation will rise against nation, andkingdom against kingdom; and therewill be great earthquakes, and in oneplace after another pestilences andfood shortages; and there will be fear-ful sights.”—Luke 21:7, 10, 11.

Today, we can clearly see Jesus’words being fulfilled. Soon, Jesus willcome to destroy the wicked. Finally,even Satan will be destroyed! Earth

will become a global paradise. All peo-ple will live in peace with one anotherand even with the animals. “The wolfwill actually reside for a while with themale lamb, and with the kid the leop-ard itselfwill lie down, and the calf andthemanedyoung lionand thewell-fedanimal all together; and a mere littleboy will be leader over them. They willnot do any harm or cause any ruin.”(Isaiah 11:6, 9) “No resident will say:‘I am sick.’ . . . At that time the eyesof the blind ones will be opened, andthe very ears of the deaf ones will beunstopped.” (Isaiah 33:24; 35:5) Eventhe dead will be resurrected. “Jehovahwill certainly wipe the tears from allfaces,” and “death will be no more,neither will mourning nor outcry norpain be anymore.” (Isaiah 25:8; Reve-lation 21:4) God’s original purpose forthe earth will then be fulfilled. What awonderful prospect!

Keep Growing in Faith

What sort of people will God rewardwith life in Paradise? People of faith—real faith!

Remember that real faith is basedon accurate knowledge of God’s Word.Therefore, continue to get to knowGod and Jesus better!

Real faith is backed up by righteousworks. God’s Word states: “Faith with-out works is dead.” (James 2:26) Bydoing such good works, you will re-

13 Real Faith Leads toEverlasting Happiness


flect God’s marvelous attributes—pow-er, justice, wisdom, and love. Keep onstriving to develop these godly quali-ties!

Cultivating real faith will bring yourich rewards. Indeed, it is your key to ahappy life—both now and on into aneverlasting future! How Would You Answer?

˙ Where is Jesus now?

˙ How do we know that Jesus willsoon come to judge the nations?

˙ When Jesus arrives, what willhe do?

˙ How can you keep building yourfaith?

Today’s problems showthat the Messiah will

soon judge the nations

People of faith will enjoyParadise forever!

rk-E

Millions of people have found satisfying answers to thesequestions by studying the Holy Scriptures. You can too.

Have You Ever Wondered?˘ What is the truth about God?

˘ How can you make your family life happy?

˘ Why are there so many problems in the world?

˘ Why does God allow suffering?

˘ What is God’s purpose for the earth?

˘ Where are the dead?

˘ How do angels affect us?

˘ How can you draw close to God?

Would you welcome more information?You may contact Jehovah’s Witnesses at www.jw.org.

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