DO YOU consider yourself to be a Christian? If so, you are among the more than two billion people on earth​—almost 1 in every 3—​who profess to be followers of Christ. Today, there are thousands of denominations that are called Christian, yet they are divided by conflicting doctrines and differing views. So your beliefs may be very different from those of other professed Christians. Does it really matter what you believe? Yes, it does​—if you want to practice the Christianity taught in the Bible itself.

The early followers of Jesus Christ became known as “Christians.” (Acts 11:26) There was no need for other names to identify them, since only one Christian faith existed. Christians unitedly followed the teachings and instructions of the Founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ. What about your church? Do you believe that it teaches what Christ taught and what the early followers of Christ believed in? How can you know for sure? There is only one way​—to use the Bible as a measuring stick.

 Consider this: Jesus Christ had a deep respect for the Scriptures as the Word of God. He did not approve of those who watered down the Bible’s teachings by giving priority to man-made traditions. (Mark 7:9-13) We can thus safely conclude that true followers of Jesus would base their beliefs on the Bible. So each Christian does well to ask himself, ‘Do the teachings of my church agree with the Bible?’ To answer that question, why not compare what your church teaches with what the Bible actually says?

Jesus said that our worship of God must be based on truth​—the truth found in the Bible. (John 4:24; 17:17) And the apostle Paul said that our salvation depends on our coming to “an accurate knowledge of truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) So it is vital that our beliefs be based on accurate Bible truth. Why, our very salvation is at stake!