Satan the Devil—where did he come from?
How does Satan mislead people?
Why should you resist the Devil?
The word "devil" means someone who tells wicked
lies about another person. "Satan" means an enemy
or an opposer. These are terms given to God's chief
enemy. At first, he was a perfect angel in heaven with
God. However, he later thought too much of himself
and wanted the worship that rightly belongs to God.
—Matthew 4:8-10.
Why is Jesus called God's "firstborn" Son?
Why is he called "the Word"?
Why did Jesus come to earth as a man?
Why did he perform miracles?
What will Jesus do in the near future?
Jesus lived in heaven as a spirit person before he
came to earth. He was God's first creation, and so
he is called the "firstborn" Son of God.
(Colossians 1:15; Revelation 3:14)
Jesus is the only Son that God created by himself.
Jehovah used the prehuman Jesus as his "master
worker" in creating all other things in heaven and on
earth. (Proverbs 8:22-31; Colossians 1:16, 17) God
also used him as His chief spokesman. That is why
Jesus is called "the Word."
—John 1:1-3; Revelation 19:13.
Who is the true God, and what is his name?
What sort of body does he have?
What are his outstanding qualities?
Should we use images and symbols in our
worship of him?
What are two ways we can learn about God?
People worship many things. But the Bible tells us
that there is only one TRUE God. He created every-
thing in heaven and on earth. Because he gave us
life, he is the only One we should worship.
—1 Corinthians 8:5, 6; Revelation 4:11.
God has many titles but has only one name. That
name is JEHOVAH. In most Bibles, God's name
has been removed and has been replaced with the
titles LORD or GOD. But when the Bible was written,
the name Jehovah appeared in it some 7,000 times!
—Exodus 3:15; Psalm 83:18.
What important information is contained in the
Bible? Who is the Bible's author?
Why should you study the Bible?
The Bible is a precious gift from God. It is like a
letter from a loving father to his children. It tells us
the truth about God—who he is and what he stands
for. It explains how to cope with problems and how
to find true happiness. The Bible alone tells us what
we must do to please God.
—Psalm 1:1-3; Isaiah 48:17, 18.
The Bible tells us that “Jehovah is near to those
that are broken at heart; and those who are crushed
in spirit he saves.” God does not despise “a heart
broken and crushed,” but he promises “to revive the
spirit of the lowly ones and to revive the heart of the
ones being crushed.”
—Psalm 34:18; 51:17; Isaiah 57:15.
On one occasion God’s Son, Jesus, found it
necessary to draw to the attention of his disciples
the fact that God sees the good in His servants.
By way of an illustration, he related that God
notices when a sparrow falls to the ground—something
that most humans would consider of little importance.
He also highlighted that God knows the smallest detail
about humans, even the number of the hairs on their
head. Jesus concluded his illustration by saying:
“Therefore have no fear: you are worth more than many
sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29-31) Jesus indicated that
despite what individuals may feel about themselves,
humans with faith do have value in God’s eyes. In fact,
the apostle Peter reminds us that “God is not partial,
but in every nation the man that fears him and works
righteousness is acceptable to him.”—Acts 10:34, 35.
Though not a medical manual, the Bible does
comment on the effect that emotions—positive or
negative—can have on a person’s mental and
physical health. “A heart that is joyful does good
as a curer,” says the Bible, “but a spirit that is
stricken makes the bones dry.” Further, we read:
“Have you shown yourself discouraged in the day
of distress? Your power will be scanty.”
(Proverbs 17:22; 24:10)
Feelings of discouragement can sap our energy,
making us feel weak and vulnerable with no desire
to change or to seek help.
"Throw your burden upon Jehovah himself,
And he himself will sustain you."— Psalms 55:22
According to some experts, feelings of inadequacy
emerge when people are made to feel worthless by
others. Such a state of mind may develop when one
is subjected to constant berating, excessive and
harsh criticism, or abusive exploitation. Whatever
the reason, the consequences can be debilitating
and even destructive. A recent medical study found
that individuals with negative feelings about them-
selves tend to distrust themselves and others, thus
unwittingly sabotaging close relationships and
friendships. “In a sense,” says the report on the
study, “they ‘create’ the very situations they fear most.”
"When my disquieting thoughts became many inside
of me, Your own consolations began to fondle my soul."
— Psalm 94:19
“The Word” was with Jehovah God “in the beginning,”
when “the heavens and the earth” were created. He
was the one to whom God said: “Let us make man
in our image.” (John 1:1; Genesis 1:1, 26) Jehovah’s
firstborn Son was there at his Father’s side, actively
working with him. At Proverbs 8:22-31, he is
represented as saying: “I came to be beside [the
Creator] as a master worker, and I came to be the
one he was specially fond of day by day, I being
glad before him all the time.”
“I am from the realms above”—that is, from heaven.
—John 8:23
How do we know that Jesus really was God’s
Chosen One? Well, consider what happened in the
year 29 C.E. when Jesus was 30 years of age. He
went to John the Baptizer to be baptized by him in
the waters of the Jordan River. The Bible states:
“After being baptized Jesus immediately came up
from the water; and, look! the heavens were opened
up, and he saw descending like a dove God’s spirit
coming upon him. Look! Also, there was a voice from
the heavens that said: ‘This is my Son, the beloved,
whom I have approved.’” (Matthew 3:16, 17) After
hearing those words of approval, could John have had
any doubt that Jesus was God’s Chosen One? By
pouring out His holy spirit on Jesus, Jehovah God
anointed him, or appointed him, to be the King of His
coming Kingdom. Thus, Jesus became Jesus Christ,
or Jesus the Anointed One. In what way, though, was
Jesus God’s Son? What was his origin?
Jesus’ life course might be divided into three stages.
The first began long before his human birth. His
origin was “from early times, from the days of time
indefinite,” says Micah 5:2. Jesus himself said: “I am
from the realms above”—that is, from heaven.
(John 8:23) He had been in heaven as a mighty spirit
person. Since all created things had a beginning,
there was a time when God was alone. Countless
ages ago, however, God became a Creator. Who was
his first creation? The last book of the Bible identifies
Jesus as “the beginning of the creation by God.”
(Revelation 3:14) Jesus is “the firstborn of all creation.”
That is so “because by means of him all other things
were created in the heavens and upon the earth, the
things visible and the things invisible.” (Col. 1:15, 16)
Yes, Jesus was the only one directly created by God
himself. Therefore, he is called God’s “only-begotten
Son.” (John 3:16)
