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Every person who is involved in a Christian form of religion thinks that his particular brand of Christianity is the true one. In this we are all alike. But we cannot all be right. Truth is exclusive. It does not accept, nor does it harbor, contradictions to itself. So, how do we find out if our particular form of religion is the one which God accepts?
Most folks simply assume that they couldn't be involved in a deceptive form of religion. Those folks invariably die after a life-long affair with deception and discover only after it is too late that they should have been more interested in the Truth and less committed to their own rightness. Let me see if I can make it more plain: those of us who just assume that our form of religion is the right one are wrong. If we live our whole lives on the basis of uninvestigated assumptions we will die and perish. God isn't interested in saving the self-righteous. His only interest is in saving those for whom the Truth is more important than anything else in their lives.
I have had occasion to speak with people who claimed that they were interested in being acceptable to God who, when we ran into a difference of opinion, were unwilling to investigate the basis for their belief. I have known people who backed away from following the Truth because they knew what their community of acquaintances would say and do in criticism and ridicule. Because it was more important to them to be accepted by their pool of friends and religious acquaintances, they rejected the Truth and its demand that they discover the fountains of their faith and see if they were sweet water or bitter springs. Do you think for one minute that God will accept those who would rather be at peace with friends and family than with Him?
I have also had the opportunity to speak with people who had actually looked into their brand of Christianity, found it wanting as a deceptive look-alike for true Christianity, and walked away from it in favor of the Truth. They ran the gauntlet of criticism, anger, hatred, and rejection--for the sake of the Christ in whom they actually believed--and are not one bit sorry for the life they now have in Christ.
So, how do we investigate? Not by automatically assuming that our parents were right. Not by automatically submitting to whatever religious authority claims to be Christ's representative (anyone can claim to have the truth and point to a long tradition to claim it). Not by looking around us and saying forty-eleven-million people can't be wrong (several billion are). Not by closing our ears and eyes to what we don't want to hear or see. Only by comparing what our brand of religion teaches to what the Bible says can we know the Truth. The Bible is the Word of God. He speaks to all who want to understand it. We don't have to have some religious guru interpret it for us. God seeks a one-on-one relationship with us and we can't have that as long as we allow some intermediary between Him and us.