Update: 2026-08-25

Background

This question arises often on how Christians are to handle others like Muslims or Buddhists and seculars. This is a learning point for Christians because we know how evil some of these are. But also for the Jewish religious establishment back in the day of Jesus Christ. Because this question was answered by Jesus by telling the story of the good Samaritan to a Jewish Lawyer or someone who knew the Law very well. See Luke 10:25-37. Here you read that the Lawyer knew the law because Jesus asked what the law said. 

But as Jews despised Samaritans because the Jews were convinced they were better, the Lawyer asked the question: "Who is my neighbor?". 

And the man answered right in verse 27: 

²⁷ The man said, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart. You must love Him with all your soul. You must love Him with all your strength. You must love Him with all your mind. You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

But Jesus knew the hearts of men, because this man did not consider a Samaritan as his neighbor. And that is why, right on the spot, Jesus attacked his heart's condition by giving an example of the Law. The story of the good Samaritan. You have to take in mind that in that story, you'll see a Pharesee and a Levite passing the beat up man left for dead. And the thing is that these Jews rather not touch this man because of their cleansing rituals to become clean again. Also they had a strong belief that if you were not righteous, these things would happen to you. I wonder why these Jews did not consider the story of Job. 

Jesus attacked this behavior too, while putting the Law above all other things.

Who is my Neighbor?

To come back to the question of who is my Neighbor. The answer is everyone is. Because everyone needs to be saved. Everyone needs to be loved like you love yourself. That is the love of the real living God. No other religion on this planet supports this. Rather in other religions they murder, rape, steal and lie in the name of their belief - and they indeed say that they are righteous and good, while they know at some point in their life that it was not so, because the Law of the real living God is written in their hearts. But when later on the heart is hardened they no longer are alerted or have any compassion.

The highest Law of the one and true living God is the most difficult for any man or woman to follow, how to love people who are evil to the core and rather say nothing then to save them because hell awaits them for sure, which is part your revenge. Even when God does His revenge on the un-repented, He may still be telling you that you did nothing to save those that needed to hear His Word.

Who is my Brother or Sister?

Here is it were you need to be very picky because everyone maybe your neighbor but only few are your brother or sister. And in todays developments of religion Satan is very busy right from the beginning to contaminate the Christian churches with doctrines of demons. The question is how can you really see that you are dealing with a false church or a person of a false church?

The first direction to look at is yourself. If you are convinced that you are indwelled with the Holy Spirit you have the signs that show that you are saved. Check out this article God of Hearts, the list in the rebirth section.

Let's just say you are a saved Christian, if you are dealing with unsaved people, these could be pretending Christians as well, they will draw you to the things that are not of God. And herein lies sometime the trouble in discerning the things of God and the things of this world. And for anyone that is different on how far you matured in the faith since your rebirth. But no matter, when you have doubts you can always consult the Bible on how to deal with certain aspects.

So what you'd been looking for is that will draw you into the arms of demons:

• They want me to go to concert with them but they sing things that are evil.
• A person who says he's a Christian says I am saved if I only pray as certain prayer. 
• A person who says he's a Christian says if I send him money I will prosper, and get even more in return.
• A person who says he's a Christian says that God talked to him in a bilateral sense...
• A person who says he's a Christian preacher but never reads from the Bible in church gatherings sessions.
• A secular person wants to spend time with me doing a workshop but the work bears no fruit. 

In short: 

A person who confesses Christ as our Lord and Savior and follows Him in words and deeds, living by Scripture and obeying the commands of God. He or she is your brother or sister. This how you test spirits, angels and persons.