But which one is the true one? Does anyone have it figured out? I would assume it's some small group somewhere that everyone ignores considering God is going to destroy this entire world supposedly...
Yes....just as the first Christians had to leave the apostate Jewish system, as one no longer recognised by Jesus as the true religion, we have to use this example to figure it out. Judaism has a modern day counterpart.
The first Christians were just a small group compared to the majority who stuck with the Pharisee's version of Judaism. Remember though, that Jesus was not sent to the religious leaders, but to the "lost sheep" who were in a poor spiritual condition because of how corrupted their shepherds had become. Jesus led them out of that apostate system and into a clean, new pen with a Shepherd who cared for them lovingly.
So what is the criteria that the Bible outlines for identifying genuine Christians?
1) They understand who God is, and what his relationship is to his son. There is no trinity in the Bible. Jesus was Jewish and anyone claiming to be God would have been put to death for blasphemy. It was the Jews who tried to pin that charge on him so that they had an excuse to have him executed. Jesus never once said he was God. He only ever said he was "the son of God".
Christ was put to death as an innocent man (an unblemished lamb)....but if he was God, then he was guilty as charged.
2) They live their Christianity 24/7.....They don't turn up at church, put on their Christianity at the door and then leave it there on their way out. They understand that they have responsibilities attached to their profession of the faith. It is a "cramped and narrow road" for a reason....not an easy path.
3) They obey God's laws on moral issues, marriage and divorce, involvement in nationalistic issues, and in any other ways that other so-called Christians might ignore or justify their actions. (Especially with regard to political conflicts and bloodshed in war)
4) They don't adopt pagan concepts and beliefs and pretend that they are Christian. So much of what is taught in Christendom is not from the Bible. Most people do not know what the Bible teaches because they rely on their church and its leaders to know it all for them.
5) They understand what the Kingdom of God is, and what the "good news" about it means for us as human beings in the future. God did not put humans on earth as a training ground for heaven. He designed humans to live forever on this earth in paradise conditions.
They can preach about this "good news" to the world because they want to bless others and because Jesus commanded them to. The churches do not preach, and they have no unity.
In his parable of the "wheat and the weeds", Jesus indicated that "weeds" of false Christianity would be sown among the wheat, "while men were sleeping". It was foretold that Christianity would be corrupted from within, in much the same way as the Jewish religion was corrupted by the introduction of man-made traditions.
A careful study of the Bible will reveal what belongs in the Christian faith and what does not. Most people would be shocked to find out how much of what they have been taught is not true and not of Biblical origin.
There are more things that genuine Christians do that others do not.....but you get the gist as to what creates the difference.