Lesson 13What Is the Good News About Religion?
1. Is all religion good?
There are sincere people in all religions. It is good news that God sees those people and cares about them. But sadly, religion has been used for evil ends. (2 Corinthians 4:3, 4; 11:13-15) According to news reports, some religions are even involved in terrorism, genocide, war, and child abuse. How this saddens sincere believers in God!—Read Matthew 24:3-5, 11, 12.
[“Read” scriptures.] Matthew 24:3-5: While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?” In answer Jesus said to them: “Look out that nobody misleads you, for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.
Matthew 24:11, 12: Many false prophets will arise and mislead many; and because of the increasing of lawlessness, the love of the greater number will grow cold. [End of “Read” scriptures.]
Whereas true religion glorifies God, false religion displeases him. It teaches ideas that are not in the Bible, including false teachings about God and about the dead. But Jehovah wants people to know the truth about him.—Read Ezekiel 18:4; 1 Timothy 2:3-5.
[“Read” scriptures.] Ezekiel 18:4: Look! All the souls—to me they belong. As the soul of the father so also the soul of the son—to me they belong. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
1 Timothy 2:3-5: This is fine and acceptable in the sight of our Savior, God, whose will is that all sorts of people should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, [End of “Read” scriptures.]
Picture on page 26: [Image:] A man reading the Bible
2. What is the good news about religion?
Happily, God is not deceived by religions that claim to love him but are really in love with Satan’s world. (James 4:4) God’s Word refers to all false religion as “Babylon the Great.” Babylon was the ancient city where false religion began after the Flood of Noah’s day. Soon, God will bring a sudden end to religion that deceives and oppresses mankind.—Read Revelation 17:1, 2, 5, 16, 17; 18:8.
[“Read” scriptures.] Revelation 17:1, 2: One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me: “Come, I will show you the judgment on the great prostitute who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and earth’s inhabitants were made drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality.”
Revelation 17:5: On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: “Babylon the Great, the mother of the prostitutes and of the disgusting things of the earth.”
Revelation 17:16, 17: And the ten horns that you saw and the wild beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her devastated and naked, and they will eat up her flesh and completely burn her with fire. For God put it into their hearts to carry out his thought, yes, to carry out their one thought by giving their kingdom to the wild beast, until the words of God will have been accomplished.
Revelation 18:8: That is why in one day her plagues will come, death and mourning and famine, and she will be completely burned with fire, because Jehovah God, who judged her, is strong. [End of “Read” scriptures.]
There is more good news. Jehovah has not forgotten the sincere people who are scattered among false religions worldwide. He is uniting such people by teaching them the truth.—Read Micah 4:2, 5.
[“Read” scriptures.] Micah 4:2: And many nations will go and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah And to the house of the God of Jacob. He will instruct us about his ways, And we will walk in his paths.” For law will go out of Zion, And the word of Jehovah out of Jerusalem.
Micah 4:5: For all the peoples will walk, each in the name of its god, But we will walk in the name of Jehovah our God forever and ever. [End of “Read” scriptures.]
3. What should sincere people do?
Jehovah cares about people who love what is true and good. He urges them to leave false religion behind. People who love God are willing to make changes to please him.—Read Revelation 18:4.
[“Read” scripture.] Revelation 18:4: And I heard another voice out of heaven say: “Get out of her, my people, if you do not want to share with her in her sins, and if you do not want to receive part of her plagues. [End of “Read” scripture.]
In the first century, when sincere people heard the good news from the apostles, they responded with joy. They learned a new way of life from Jehovah, a happier way of life with a purpose and a hope. They are a good example for us today because they responded to the good news by putting Jehovah first in their lives.—Read 1 Thessalonians 1:8, 9; 2:13.
[“Read” scriptures.] 1 Thessalonians 1:8, 9: The fact is, not only has the word of Jehovah sounded out from you in Macedonia and Achaia but your faith in God has spread abroad in every place, so that we do not need to say anything. For they themselves keep reporting about our first contact with you and how you turned to God from your idols to slave for a living and true God,
1 Thessalonians 2:13: Indeed, that is why we also thank God unceasingly, because when you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but, just as it truthfully is, as the word of God, which is also at work in you believers. [End of “Read” scriptures.]
Jehovah welcomes into his family of worshippers those who turn away from false religion. If you accept Jehovah’s warm invitation, you will receive his friendship, a new and loving family of fellow worshippers of Jehovah, and everlasting life.—Read Mark 10:29, 30; 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18.
[“Read” scriptures.] Mark 10:29, 30: Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, no one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news who will not get 100 times more now in this period of time—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the coming system of things, everlasting life.
2 Corinthians 6:17, 18: “‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’”; “‘and I will take you in.’” “‘And I will become a father to you, and you will become sons and daughters to me,’ says Jehovah, the Almighty.” [End of “Read” scriptures.]
Picture on page 27: [Image:] People talking after a Christian meeting
Caption: True religion is uniting people
4. How will God bring joy to every land?
The coming judgment of false religion is good news. It will bring worldwide relief from oppression. Never again will false religion mislead and divide mankind. Everyone living will be united in the worship of the only true God.—Read Revelation 18:20, 21; 21:3, 4.
[“Read” scriptures.] Revelation 18:20, 21: “Be glad over her, O heaven, also you holy ones and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced his judgment on her in your behalf!” And a strong angel lifted up a stone like a great millstone and hurled it into the sea, saying: “Thus with a swift pitch will Babylon the great city be hurled down, and she will never be found again.
Revelation 21:3, 4: 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. 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.” [End of “Read” scriptures.]

For more information, see chapters 15 and 16 of the book What Does the Bible Really Teach?