The Watchtower, May 15, 1968
Download: PDF — The Watchtower, May 15, 1968
The Watchtower — May 15, 1968
Source: jw.org
Contents
What Is the Quality of Your Virtue?
Is There Really a Devil?
Recognizing God’s Requirements for Life
“Fear the True God and Keep His Commandments”
Beware of Idolizing Creatures
Happiness Results from Making the Most of One’s Talents
Questions From Readers
Announcements
What Is the Quality of Your Virtue?
What Is the Quality of Your Virtue?
THE pearl of virtue is little prized today. The pursuit of pleasure and self-gain has relegated virtue to the background in the lives of the vast majority of people. The Bible, however, sets forth virtue as one of the basic requirements of Christians. It tells them to “supply to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge,” and counsels them to keep considering “whatever things are true, . . . chaste, . . . whatever virtue there is.”—2 Pet. 1:5; Phil. 4:8.
Virtue is defined as “moral practice or action: conformity to a standard of right; . . . moral excellence; uprightness of conduct.” And, again, we are told that virtue is “moral goodness” and “the opposite of vice.” In the Christian Greek Scriptures the word rendered virtue is a·re·teʹ, which is defined by Greek scholars as “intrinsic value, moral goodness, virtue, . . . any particular moral excellence.” Virtue also has inherent in it the thought of moral strength, manliness, as can be seen from the fact that the English word “virility” comes from the same Latin root. Virtue might, therefore, be likened to a strong metal such as iron, which by repeated heatings and coolings can be tempered so as to become steel, making it not only stronger but also tougher, far less likely to crack under strain.
Some people consider themselves virtuous because they do not appear to be breaking any of the Ten Commandments. But is not such a negative virtue, at best? Besides, even this kind of virtue has varying degrees of merit. For example: A person may not steal only because of having inherited great wealth. There would not be much virtue to his not stealing. Neither would there be for the one who did not steal simply because of not having any opportunity to do so.
Then, again, persons might not steal because of taking inordinate pride in being “better” than other people. Such call to mind the Pharisee of Jesus’ parable who prayed: “O God, I thank you I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give the tenth of all things I acquire.” But did this man appear virtuous in the eyes of God? Jesus said, No.—Luke 18:9-14.
Or, the fear of the consequences, punishment or disgrace might be the sole deterrents to one’s stealing. While these are a proper basis for virtue, virtue based on these alone is not of the highest quality. Such virtue might be said to be chiefly enlightened self-interest and to belong more to the field of policy than to that of principle. Underscoring this point are the words of the apostle Paul in his counsel for Christians to obey the laws of the land, not only because of wrath or the fear of punishment, but “also on account of your conscience.”—Rom. 13:5.
A still higher quality of virtue is that based on our love for our Creator, Jehovah God, and the fear to displease him. As the inspired psalmist expressed it: “O you lovers of Jehovah, hate what is bad.” Yes, we ought to have a love for what is right and actually to hate what is bad, wicked, what displeases God. Jesus Christ had this kind of virtue when on earth, even as we read of him: “You have loved righteousness and you hate wickedness.” That love of what is right and hatred of what is bad enabled him to weather all the attacks that the Devil was able to bring against him in the way of temptations and persecution.—Ps. 97:10; 45:7; Heb. 5:8.
This love of righteousness, this fear of displeasing one’s Creator, not only will aid one in avoiding what is bad, but will also impel one to become positive in his virtue; for, after all, strictly speaking, virtue means more than the mere absence of vice. Yes, often referred to in the Scriptures as righteousness, virtue is more than a negative goodness. Jesus showed this when he summed up the law of Moses in a positive way, saying: “All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them; this, in fact, is what the Law and the Prophets mean.”—Matt. 7:12.
That is why a young child might be considered innocent by reason of its tender years, but it could not be considered virtuous. Actually, it would have to be a very young child to be considered innocent because of its years alone, for today we read of six-year-old murderers. One deliberately killed his father with a shotgun; another deliberately shot a playmate with a rifle. Such children pose problems for the police and the courts, as there is no legislation covering such youthful crimes!—New York Times, October 24, 1967; New York Sunday News, November 19, 1967.
Underscoring the positive side of virtue are the words of Jesus to a rich young ruler who had come to him asking what he must do to inherit everlasting life and who evidently was quite satisfied with himself because of keeping the largely negative aspects of the law of Moses. But Jesus pointed out to him what he was lacking: a positive goodness or virtue. “Give to the poor . . . and come be my follower.” But he was not interested in that high quality of virtue and so “he grew sad at the saying and went off grieved.”—Mark 10:17-22.
Clearly there are varying kinds of virtue; it is not all of the same quality. There is a negative virtue of merely refraining from wickedness or harming others, and there is a virtue that is based more on policy than on principle. Concerning such Jesus Christ said: “If your righteousness [or virtue] does not abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens.” (Matt. 5:20) To keep the pearl of virtue and to reap its reward, everlasting life, we must safeguard its quality, seeking ever to improve it. Never may we take a complacent attitude toward virtue. We must ever heed the counsel: “Let him that thinks he is standing beware that he does not fall.”—1 Cor. 10:12.
Is There Really a Devil?
Is There Really a Devil?
Is there basis for believing that a wicked spirit creature exists? Or is this belief unfounded?
THE widely read editorial writer David Lawrence once observed: “‘Peace on earth’—nearly everybody wants it. ‘Good will toward men’—almost all the peoples of the world feel it toward one another. Then what’s wrong? Why is war threatened despite the innate desires of peoples?”
These questions do cause a person to think. When the natural desire of all normal persons is to live at peace, why is it so common for people to hate and make a practice of killing one another? It truly is a paradox, as Dr. Hugh Keenleyside, former Canadian diplomat, noted some years ago: “We can accept without a qualm the idea of incinerating hundreds of thousands or millions of women and children whom under normal conditions we should be glad to cherish and in whom we should find gentleness and delight.”
Conditions are similar today. Victims of war are regularly mangled and maimed. How can civilized people treat one another this way? What forces drive them to such loathsome deeds, or maneuver them into the situation where they feel compelled to commit them? It is certainly not amiss to raise, in all seriousness, the questions: Can some wicked, invisible power be influencing humans to these acts of violence? Is there really a Devil?
Do not dismiss these questions with the reply that this is just the way men are; to the contrary, their normal desire is for peace. This, then, is a matter deserving your careful consideration.
MODERN VIEW
The popularizing, toward the end of the last century, of materialistic ideas has greatly influenced the present-day thinking of many persons regarding the Devil. Under the heading “Materialism,” The Encyclopedia Americana (1955) observes: “Thorough-going materialism asserts that nothing exists but physical bodies and physical processes.”
This materialistic view has gained the ascendency in many circles, and has even affected the beliefs of many religious leaders concerning the Devil. Explains the religious magazine Eternity, in its August 1964 issue: “For over a century now, belief in the devil has seemed to be on the way out. . . . Protestant theologians generally have banished the personal devil of the Bible to the lumberroom reserved for broken-down myths.”
Regarding the modern view of the Devil, the Dictionary of All Scriptures and Myths (1960) by G. A. Gaskell says: “The true devil, against whom we have to be sober and vigilant, is within man; is carried about within the human heart. He is the animal part of human nature.”
Also, The Encyclopœdia Britannica (1966), under the heading “Devil,” observes: “Modern liberal Protestantism tends to deny the necessity of belief in a personal devil, preferring to understand the biblical and other references to him as to personification of the principle of evil.”
So it has become fashionable to believe in an “animal part of human nature,” or a “principle of evil,” rather than in a real Devil. Thus, the once-common understanding that the Devil is a living, unseen person is no longer taken seriously by many. What has caused this change of view? Is it justified?
REASONS WHY HIS EXISTENCE IS DENIED
In his book, Satan, A Portrait, Edward Langton traces the historical belief concerning the Devil. Interestingly, he notes regarding the view of the Devil expressed in the literature of the monks of the Middle Ages: “The religious imagination runs riot, and illusions and hallucinations, the products of diseased or strained minds, are set forth as objective realities.”
Thus, in time, superstitious and ridiculous misconceptions about the Devil came to be accepted by many religious persons. Even today the Devil is traditionally conceived as a creature in a tight-fitting red uniform, having horns, a tail, and a pitchfork in his hand. Doubtless such ridiculous misconceptions are responsible, in part, for many persons’ denying the Devil’s existence.
However, the Bible is not the source of these misconceptions. Nevertheless, an attack was launched against its teachings by men championing materialistic ideas during the latter part of the last century. This, in particular, resulted in denial of the Devil’s existence, as indicated by The Encyclopœdia Britannica, eleventh edition (1910-1911). Under its heading “Devil,” it observes:
“It may be confidently affirmed that belief in Satan is not now generally regarded as an essential article of the Christian faith . . . The modern view of the inspiration of the Scriptures does not necessitate the acceptance of the doctrine of the Scriptures on this subject as finally and absolutely authoritative. The teaching of Jesus even in this matter may be accounted for as either an accommodation to the views of those with whom he was dealing, or more probably as a proof of the limitation of knowledge which was a necessary condition of the Incarnation . . . ”
So the “modern view” that the Bible is not literally true caused many persons to reject what it said about a personal Devil. (Matt. 25:41; Luke 4:1-8; John 8:44) Even religious leaders began to teach that references Jesus made to the Devil were due to his limited knowledge on the subject. Or they claimed that Jesus accommodated himself to the ideas and language that then prevailed in Judea, but did not himself regard the Devil as a real and living person.
But was this idea that a personal Devil does not exist satisfactory? How was man’s horrible mistreatment of his fellow creatures accounted for?
MATERIALISTIC VIEW UNSATISFACTORY
The materialistic theory that man had evolved from lower animals was adopted as the answer, even by many religious leaders. It was claimed that man still retains part of his animal past, and that this is the reason he fights, torments and kills his fellow creatures. It was also reasoned that this viciousness, in time, would be eliminated from man as he continued to evolve upward. In the conclusion of his book on man’s beliefs regarding the Devil, Edward Langton interestingly comments on this:
“Scholars expelled [the Devil] from their system of belief dogmatically and unceremoniously. They shut the door upon him with a bang, and locked and barred it. Satan, they had concluded, was a relic of ancient superstition. He had forever faded out of existence under the strong clear light of reason and commonsense. The simple fact is, they said, that man is born of an animal stock. . . . Nevertheless, the time will come when, under the influence of the forces of civilisation—of education, culture, increasing knowledge—man will gradually leave behind the ape, the tiger and the wolf, and at long last we shall behold the perfect man. In the meantime every generation gets better and better.”
But how unsatisfactory this explanation proved to be! For, rather than getting better, humankind sank to unprecedented depths of depravity. World War I was started, employing fiendish gases to choke and burn humans to death, and other new weapons to mangle and maim. But that conflict was only the beginning of horrors. Consider the cold-blooded reveling in monstrous cruelty that has followed that war. Consider the flame thrower, the concentration camps, the gas chambers, the mass murder of millions of Jews; consider the atomic bombs, the napalm bombs, the hydrogen bombs.
It is indisputable that, instead of each generation’s becoming better, never has there been on so colossal a scale a greater debasement of all standards of morals and conduct. Do you think that all these perpetrated evils simply happened by chance? Do you believe that man, who longs for peace and happiness, is capable, of his own accord, of such gross wickedness against himself? Why, not even animals are guilty of the horrible tortures and deaths that humans have planned and schemed for their fellows.
So do not be duped into accepting a purely materialistic view. For, as one of this century’s foremost scientists, the late Dr. Robert A. Millikan, thoughtfully remarked: “A purely materialistic philosophy is to me the height of unintelligence.”a It is simply unreasonable to believe that material creatures are the highest form of life. Sound reasoning points to the fact that there are unseen, invisible living creatures, and that these exercise a powerful influence upon human affairs.
THE BIBLE’S EXPLANATION
The Bible also points to this fact. It is, therefore, not unscientific or ridiculous when it speaks of invisible spirit persons. “God is a Spirit,” the Bible explains. (John 4:24) It also tells us that God made angels in spirit form. (Heb. 1:7) These are real, living persons. So the Devil, too, is a spirit person.
“But,” someone might ask, “if God made all spirit creatures, why did he create one a Devil?” Actually, God did not do so. He made all spirit creatures perfect. But one of these made a Devil out of himself. He was corrupted by his own improper desires. The Bible explains the process by which even perfect creatures can turn bad: “Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin.”—Jas. 1:14, 15.
The improper desire that this powerful spirit creature entertained was to receive the worship of other creatures, which only the Creator, Jehovah God, deserves. He was able to get the human pair to serve him by misrepresenting to them what God had spoken about eating of a certain tree in the garden of Eden. He thus became a slanderer, or “Devil.” He is also called in the Bible “Satan,” “dragon” and “original serpent.” In time, even other spirit creatures joined Satan in rebellion against God, and also became devils or demons.—Gen. 3:1-6; Rev. 12:9; Mark 3:22.
“But,” someone might inquire further, “why did God not immediately destroy the Devil and the human pair he had induced to break God’s law?” Jehovah God did not choose to do this. An issue had been raised by the rebellion, including the question: Can the Devil succeed in turning all creatures away from God? Adam and Eve were allowed to bring forth offspring so that the integrity-keeping course of faithful ones among their descendants would vindicate their Creator and prove the Devil a liar. So a sufficient length of time was set aside by God to settle this issue.—Job chapters 1 and 2.
In the meantime, Satan the Devil has exercised unseen influence over human affairs. He is the one responsible for the fact that although ‘nearly everybody wants peace on earth,’ they fight and slaughter one another by the millions. Yes, it is because of his evil influence that all efforts to establish lasting peace fail, even though ‘almost all the peoples of the world feel good will toward one another.’
The Bible explains that the Devil is “the ruler of this world.” It also calls him “the god of this system of things.” (John 12:31; 2 Cor. 4:4) How clear it is that these Bible statements are true! The record of human history unquestionably indicates that an unholy, wicked force is behind human rulers, driving them to deeds of unspeakable dreadfulness.
However, the question might come into someone’s mind: Why, at this time, when materialistic men predicted that each generation should be getting better, have man’s relations with fellow creatures grown worse than ever before? Why has lawlessness now increased to epidemic proportions, so that in many cities it is no longer safe even to walk the streets after dark. The Bible also gives the explanation for this.
THE DEVIL’S TIME IS SHORT
It reveals that we have reached the time of the end of this system of things. Bible prophecies and the events in fulfillment of them show that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, has assumed power to rule amidst his enemies. (Ps. 110:1, 2) It shows that within this very generation he has administered a smashing defeat upon Satan. How so? The Bible explains:
“Down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth . . . On this account be glad, you heavens and you who reside in them! Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.”—Rev. 12:9, 12.
This accounts for the tremendous increase of lawlessness since the first world war. Satan the Devil has been cast out of heaven, and he is out to cause as much ruin among mankind as possible. Yes, we are living right now in the short period of woe of which the Bible speaks. How vital, therefore, to do all we can to avoid being led into destruction by the Devil!
The first essential step is to recognize that the Devil really does exist—that he and his demons are real, unseen enemies. (Eph. 6:12) It is important, too, that we learn of his methods of misleading people. He is cunning. “Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light,” the Bible explains. (2 Cor. 11:14) His devices for misleading people can appear very innocent. As we have seen, he even uses religious leaders as his ministers to deceive people into believing that he does not exist.
Therefore, turn away from the religious clergy, who more and more view the Bible as myth. Be armed with knowledge. Inform yourself. Get help in your Bible study from those who hold to the Bible as true. Jehovah’s witnesses stand willing to help you. And by all means heed the Scriptural warning: “Keep your senses, be watchful. Your adversary, the Devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone.”—1 Pet. 5:8.
[Footnotes]
New York Times, April 30, 1948.
Recognizing God’s Requirements for Life
Recognizing God’s Requirements for Life
1, 2. What are the two questions asked of all candidates for water baptism as performed by Jehovah’s witnesses?
THE speaker, one of Jehovah’s witnesses, at the conclusion of his discourse on the subject of baptism asked of those who were about to be baptized: “(1) Have you recognized yourself before Jehovah as a sinner who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him, the Father, through his Son, Jesus Christ?” After getting an audible “Yes” in reply, he next asked: “(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightening power of the holy spirit?” Getting an audible answer of “Yes” to this second question, the speaker informed those about to be immersed that they were eligible for the public ceremony of water baptism.
2 These same two questions are propounded by Jehovah’s witnesses to all candidates for water immersion, whether the ceremony is arranged for the baptizing of one or two or for the baptizing of thousands, as, for example, in New York city in July of 1958 when 7,136 persons were immersed in water during the “Divine Will” International Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
3. What questions may properly be asked about the information contained in these two basic questions?
3 But upon reading the above two questions you may ask: What is the significance of water baptism as performed by Jehovah’s witnesses and what does it accomplish? How does one recognize himself as a sinner before Jehovah and in need of salvation? How does one come to know that salvation comes from Jehovah, the Father, through his Son, Jesus Christ? Further, how does one go about dedicating himself unreservedly to the doing of God’s will, and in what way is God’s will for such one revealed through Jesus Christ and through the holy Bible and under the enlightening power of holy spirit? All these questions are worthy of our serious consideration, and to get truthful and satisfying answers let us turn to God’s Word of truth and consider what it has to say on this subject.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BAPTISM IN WATER
4. (a) What significance was there in the baptism performed by John the Baptist? (b) How had the Jewish nation been made aware of their sinful state, and what would the sacrifices they made cause them to realize?
4 To begin with, let us consider the significance of water baptism. The disciple Luke records the following that occurred in the spring of the year 29 C.E.: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, . . . in the days of chief priest Annas and of Caiaphas, God’s declaration came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. So he came into all the country around the Jordan, preaching baptism in symbol of repentance for forgiveness of sins.” (Luke 3:1-3) John the Baptist carried on this baptizing work for repentant Jews. His baptism, we are told, was “in symbol of repentance for forgiveness of sins.” Luke further tells us that John was fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah, for he was ‘preparing the way of Jehovah.’ (Luke 3:4) John the Baptist was the forerunner of the one whom all flesh would see as the saving means of God, namely, Jesus Christ. The Jewish nation was in a covenant relationship with Jehovah God and thus that nation was obligated to keep the laws and commandments of Jehovah as his chosen people. Being sinners, born imperfect, they were thus transgressors against the laws that Jehovah had given them. For centuries the Almighty God had been impressing upon their minds that they were sinners in need of someone to redeem them from their fallen condition. Through his prophet Moses, God gave them a set of laws and commandments that brought forcefully to their attention that they were sinners and that their sins needed to be atoned for. Through Moses, Jehovah God said that each year there would be a day of atonement for the nation of Israel and on that day, the tenth day of the seventh month, sacrifices would have to be made in behalf of their sins and that these sacrifices would continue as a statute or law to ‘time indefinite.’ By this yearly remembrance the Jewish nation would recall their sins and see the need of offering up animal sacrifices to atone for their sins. At the same time they would realize that the blood of bulls and of goats would never release them from their sins and make them perfect. Otherwise the animal offerings would have ceased.—Heb. 10:4.
5. Why was the baptism by John the Baptist necessary for the Jews?
5 By the year 29 C.E. the Jews had had the day of atonement for many centuries, but during that time they had drifted away from God and had even gone into exile and ceased to exist as an independent nation of God. Now John the Baptist was calling upon them to repent and be baptized for forgiveness of sins against God’s righteous laws. By being baptized in the Jordan River by John the Jews were signifying that they were repenting of their sins against the law of God. They were preparing themselves for the coming of the one who would be God’s saving means for mankind, namely, Jesus.
6. Why did John the Baptist question the need of Jesus’ being baptized?
6 At the end of about six months of doing baptizing, John the Baptist was approached by Jesus, now about thirty years of age. Jesus asked John to baptize him. But John reasoned, How could it be that Jesus would come to him to be baptized? John knew that his baptism was in symbol of repentance for sins against God’s law, and he knew that Jesus was no ordinary human, but, rather, a sinless individual, for he later said: “See, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) So John the Baptist said to Jesus: “I am the one needing to be baptized by you, and are you coming to me?” Then Jesus replied: “Let it be, this time, for in that way it is suitable for us to carry out all that is righteous. Then he quit preventing him.”—Matt. 3:14, 15.
7. (a) What significance was there in Jesus’ baptism by John? (b) Why was the baptism at Pentecost of the first followers of Jesus a baptism symbolically like that of Jesus?
7 What, now, was the significance of this baptism of Jesus by John? It was not in symbol of repentance for sins, for Jesus had none. It was not in symbol of Jesus’ there dedicating his life to God, for he was a Jew and a member of a nation already dedicated to God and in covenant relationship with God. Therefore, by this course of water baptism Jesus was symbolizing something else, namely, the presenting of himself before Jehovah to do Jehovah’s will for that time. That is, Jesus was presenting himself to his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, to be used in behalf of the “kingdom of the heavens” as Jehovah saw fit. God was pleased with Jesus’ presentation of himself and we are told that a voice from the heavens said: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.” (Matt. 3:17; Heb. 10:5-7) The first followers of Jesus were people of the Jewish nation, those in a dedicated relationship with Jehovah God, a nation set aside for God, and which nation was obligated to do God’s will as set out in the Law covenant. The Bible account shows us that in 33 C.E. at Pentecost the apostle Peter called on such Jewish people to be baptized with a water baptism “in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins,” namely, to become disciples of Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:37-41; Matt. 28:19, 20) It might be called a baptism of presentation of themselves to God to do his will as disciples of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul, about 52‹v›C.E., called on certain disciples in Ephesus to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:4-6) These had been previously baptized with John’s baptism in symbol of repentance. However, by the new baptism these circumcised believers were dedicating themselves to Jehovah to do his will and carry out his commandments under the new covenant. They being members of a nation already rejected by Jehovah God and no longer under his special favor since the year 36 C.E., their baptism in Jesus’ name was a baptism in symbol of dedication, a dedication of themselves to God through Christ Jesus.—Dan. 9:24-26.
8. (a) What appropriate significance did baptism take on when the first non-Jew, Cornelius, was baptized? (b) So what then became necessary for all who would become Christians?
8 Yes, indeed, with the preaching of the good news of the Lord Jesus to the first non-Jew, namely, the Italian centurion Cornelius, in the year 36 C.E., there was an appropriate significance given to water baptism. The non-Jews or Gentile nations were not in a dedicated relationship with Jehovah as the nation of Israel had been up till 36 C.E. They were in no national covenant with the Creator of heaven and earth. Thus when the way to God’s favor was opened up to them in 36 C.E. they had first of all to conclude in their own minds that they wanted to dedicate themselves to God to do his will. They had to make request of God for a clean conscience. Therefore, they had to dedicate themselves to God, or set themselves unreservedly aside for the doing of God’s will, and then when they were immersed or baptized in water such baptism appropriately symbolized their becoming dead to their previous course in life and their becoming alive to God’s will for disciples of Jesus Christ. So they henceforth set their heart, mind, soul and strength to do God’s will in fulfillment of their dedication of themselves. Thus they are dedicated to God unconditionally, for him to do with them as he pleases according to his Word. Water baptism became an apt public declaration of such dedication. Water baptism, then, is a necessary step for a believer who wishes to enjoy the salvation of God through Jesus Christ. This salvation comes to believers of the Word of God and doers of the commandments of God.—1 Pet. 3:21.
RECOGNIZING OURSELVES AS SINNERS
9. How does one come to know he is a sinner in need of salvation?
9 But now the question, How does one reach the conclusion that before the God of the universe, Jehovah, he is a sinner and in need of salvation through Christ? One need only turn to the Word of God to find that he is born imperfect and sinful. Open your Bible to the book of Psalms. There we read: “Look! With error I was brought forth with birth pains, and in sin my mother conceived me.” (Ps 51:5) David’s son Solomon also made mention of the fact that “there is no man that does not sin.” (1 Ki. 8:46) The apostle John under inspiration wrote: “If we make the statement: ‘We have no sin,’ we are misleading ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) Sin is a missing of the mark of perfection. Our first parents started all of us on the road of sin and death by their disobedience to God’s righteous and perfect laws. The fact that no man continues to live forever is evidence that all men are born in sin. For, as the apostle Paul says, “the wages sin pays is death.”—Rom. 6:23.
10. Do all people believe mankind is born in sin and that death is a result of sin? Why do you so answer?
10 There are many today who do not believe these Bible truths. To the world’s more than 160 million Buddhists no act is sin. The idea of sin is unknown. It is simply the case of a bad act’s producing a bad result. Thus if one were a Buddhist it would be difficult for him to realize the results produced by sin, or, in fact, to recognize himself as a sinner. To many millions of people of various religions, death is from God. One Catholic clergyman stated after a young girl had been murdered by her brother that God had in effect said to this girl that the reason for her death was: “Because I love you and I want you home.”
11. How can we come to right conclusions regarding ourselves as sinners?
11 In order, then, to reach the right and accurate conclusion about ourselves as sinners it is necessary to listen to God, the Creator of man, and to realize that sin produces death and therefore we must turn to God for salvation. In the garden of Eden, after placing man in that paradise, God said to him: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.” (Gen. 2:16, 17) Adam and Eve both disobeyed that law of God and received the due recompense, namely, death. Their offspring, the human family, were all born after that sin of disobedience in the garden of Eden and thus all were born in sin and condemned to death. Recognizing that fact, the apostle Paul said: “For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Cor. 15:22) By observation one knows that man dies, and it becomes evident that the human race is in need of salvation and deliverance from death. Man needs to be saved from the spiritual and physical consequences of sin. When one comes to this frame of mind, one is then in a position to ask: “How does one come to know that salvation comes from the Father, Jehovah, through his Son, Jesus Christ?”
JEHOVAH’S SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST
12. What must we realize about any salvation by man?
12 One can come to appreciate Jehovah’s salvation comes through his Son Jesus Christ only when one realizes the futility of any redemption by imperfect man. This is Jehovah’s word to the sons of man: “Hear this, all you peoples. Give ear, all you inhabitants of the system of things, you sons of humankind as well as you sons of man, you rich one and you poor one together. Those who are trusting in their means of maintenance, and who keep boasting about the abundance of their riches, not one of them can by any means redeem even a brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.” (Ps. 49:1, 2, 6, 7) So, turning to another source, to the wisdom of God, one can come to know of the salvation by Jehovah through a study of his Word of truth the Bible.
13, 14. Outline the steps taken by Jehovah God to bring about redemption through Jesus Christ.
13 As quickly as Jehovah found that Adam and Eve had disobeyed his law in Eden he began making provision for redeeming the offspring of the first human pair. Immediately he made mention of producing a seed that would crush the originator of the rebellion, namely, the arch-foe of Jehovah, Satan the Devil. (Gen. 3:15) Thereafter, he used the nation of Israel as a type through which he gave many illustrations and references leading to the one that would be mankind’s redeemer, namely, Christ Jesus. For example, through the blessings pronounced by his servant Jacob upon his twelve sons he foretold the coming of the promised righteous one. To the fourth son, Judah, Jacob said: “The scepter will not turn aside from Judah, neither the commander’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to him the obedience of the people will belong.” (Gen. 49:10) Later he said of this Promised One, through his prophet Isaiah: “For there has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us; and the princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom in order to establish it firmly and to sustain it by means of justice and by means of righteousness, from now on and to time indefinite. The very zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this.”—Isa. 9:6, 7.
14 Years after these inspired words of Isaiah were uttered God caused his servant Daniel to write about this coming One in these words: “And you should know and have the insight that from the going forth of the word to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Leader, there will be seven weeks, also sixty-two weeks.” (Dan. 9:25) Upon coming to earth and being miraculously born as a perfect child to the wife of Joseph, the virgin Mary, Jesus grew to manhood. He came to John the Baptist at the Jordan River, and John under inspiration said of Jesus: “See, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!”—John 1:29.
15. (a) How did Jesus testify that he was man’s savior? (b) What did the apostles Paul and John say about this?
15 This one, Jesus himself, said concerning his purpose in coming to earth: “The Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister and to give his soul a ransom in exchange for many.” (Matt. 20:28) The apostle Paul corroborates this testimony of Jesus in these words: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all.” (1 Tim. 2:5, 6) The apostle John spoke of Jesus in this way: “We ourselves have beheld and are bearing witness that the Father has sent forth his Son as Savior of the world.”—1 John 4:14.
16. Why did Jehovah take these steps?
16 The one who set about to make these marvelous provisions for mankind is Jehovah God, the Creator of man. We are told in His Word: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) This love on the part of God is great. He does not even desire wicked ones to die, but, rather, that they would turn from their wickedness. Through Ezekiel he says: “‘As I am alive,’ is the utterance of the Lord Jehovah, ‘I take delight, not in the death of the wicked one, but in that someone wicked turns back from his way and actually keeps living.’” (Ezek. 33:11) One comes to know these things and much more by study of the Word of God, his revealed truth, the Holy Bible.
MAKING AN UNRESERVED DEDICATION
17. What attitude should one have on establishing these points on salvation?
17 On establishing a basis for this belief in God and his provision for salvation through his Son, Christ Jesus, the learner now desires to know what the next step for him is in order to ensure coming under the benefits of the provision by God. We might liken this to a person who has been the recipient of many blessings and wants to do something in return for his benefactor to show his appreciation. The psalmist felt that way and stated it in these words: “What shall I repay to Jehovah for all his benefits to me? The cup of grand salvation I shall take up, and on the name of Jehovah I shall call. My vows I shall pay to Jehovah, yes, in front of all his people.” (Ps. 116:12-14) A person realizing he is a sinner, and knowing that salvation comes from Jehovah and through his Son, Christ Jesus, then studies the Word of God to find out God’s will for him. He learns from such a study that God asks certain things of him.
18. (a) How did Solomon outline God’s requirements for those who would gain his favor? (b) What did Jesus encourage persons to do?
18 The wise King Solomon summed up well what God asks of those who will benefit from his provisions for life. After outlining much of the vanity of this life he says this to those who would gain God’s approval: “The conclusion of the matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the true God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole obligation of man. For the true God himself will bring every sort of work into the judgment in relation to every hidden thing, as to whether it is good or bad.” (Eccl. 12:13, 14) If one will fear the true God, Jehovah, that is, hold him in awe, fear to displease him and seek to do his will, then one will keep his commandments. One will find the course of action outlined in God’s Word that is pleasing to God and that shows one wants to do God’s will in God’s way. His diligent search of the Holy Scriptures will reveal to him that God’s commandments are not burdensome. In fact, Jesus, mankind’s ransom and one of those in whose name a person is baptized, said this to those he encouraged to follow him: “Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and become my disciples, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for your souls. For my yoke is kindly and my load is light.”—Matt. 11:28-30.
19. What part does prayer play in one’s determining to dedicate himself to Jehovah?
19 One interested in setting himself apart to do God’s will will go to Jehovah in prayer through Christ Jesus and ask for Jehovah’s spirit to be with him and to indicate to him, through the Bible, just what he must do to merit Jehovah’s favor and blessing. Jesus in his sermon on the mount gave this encouragement: “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.” (Matt. 7:7) Finding that it is Jehovah’s desire that one set oneself aside to do that One’s will, a person then should take the necessary steps to bring himself into an acceptable condition so that Jehovah will acknowledge his dedication and water baptism and deal with him. Therefore, let us turn to God’s Word and find what he wants of those who would please him.
“Fear the True God and Keep His Commandments”
“Fear the True God and Keep His Commandments”
1. What must one first have in order to meet the requirements set by God for those he favors?
BEFORE one can undertake any assignment in life and be successful one must know something about the requirements of the assignment. Basically, for one to bring oneself to the point of dedication of oneself to the doing of Jehovah’s will, one has to have an accurate knowledge of God’s Word and know what God requires of those whom he favors.
2. Why is recognition of a visible earthly channnel of Jehovah necessary for one seeking to serve God?
2 For example, to be pleasing to Jehovah one has to recognize the earthly channel that God is using to dispense accurate knowledge to people of all the world. From the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden to this day there has been the producing of two seeds, Jehovah’s seed and the Devil’s seed. (Gen. 3:15) Therefore, just as God dealt with a certain people in the days before the flood, namely, Noah and his sons, and in the days thereafter with Abraham and his seed, so down to this day Jehovah is dealing with those whom he has approved to represent him upon the earth. A person recognizing who Jehovah God and his Son Jesus Christ are, and what the holy spirit represents, needs to appreciate also that Jehovah God has on this earth in this time a visible organization representing his interests. Jesus spoke of such a group as a “faithful and discreet slave.” (Matt. 24:45-47) Thus the person desiring to do Jehovah’s will must associate with the “slave” organization that is charged with the oversight of everything belonging to the Master, Christ Jesus. That person cannot feel that there are many roads leading to life, but must realize there is only one. If all religions were simply different roads leading to life everlasting and God’s favor, there would have been no need for Jesus to have organized his followers for the work he commissioned them to do. The Jewish teachings would have been sufficient. The Christian, then, realizes that broad and spacious is the road leading off to destruction, but narrow the gate and cramped the way leading off into life.—Matt. 7:13, 14.
3. What information on heavenly and earthly life should one have?
3 Before a person could be accepted for water baptism in symbol of an acceptable dedication of himself to the doing of Jehovah’s will he would have to be acquainted with and understand that there are two life possibilities open to man. Jesus promised there would be some from this earth with him in heaven, and these are spoken of as a “little flock.” To them Jesus said: “Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32) That “little flock” is limited to 144,000 persons “bought from among mankind as a first fruits to God and to the Lamb.” (Rev. 14:4) The rest of mankind who follow Jesus Christ as Shepherd are referred to at John 10:16 as “other sheep.” Their future life lies in the promise of God that the earth will become a paradise, where there will be no more sickness, sorrow or death. (Rev. 21:1-4) When a person is baptized, that is a step toward one of these life possibilities, heavenly or earthly.
4. What does God expect of one wanting to do his will as far as love and peace are concerned?
4 As for one’s personal life, this must be brought into line with the requirements of God. For while there are two life possibilities, heavenly and earthly, there is a certain righteous standard for both. A person must make a change in his life to conform to such requirements before being baptized. A check in God’s Word reveals many things about what God expects of those coming to him to do his will. For example, when asked what the greatest commandment in the Law was, Jesus said these words: “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. The second, like it, is this, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22:37-40) A person dedicating himself to Jehovah God would strive in every way to live at peace with his neighbor, regardless of race or nationality. Jesus further said: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves.” (John 13:35) A Christian dedicated to Jehovah God must be peaceful and loving, a follower of Jesus’ commands in these matters.
5. In what ways must one’s personal life be in accord with the Word of God?
5 The personal life of a person also has to conform to Jehovah’s Word with regard to being morally clean and upright. Moral uprightness is a command of long standing for those who would merit God’s approval. When choosing the descendants of Jacob, or Israel, as his people, one of the laws God gave to them concerning morality is found in the Ten Commandments, which says: “You must not commit adultery.” (Ex. 20:14) This law has never been revoked. In fact, when the early congregation of Christians met in Jerusalem to consider congregational problems, the result was a reaffirming of the need to keep free from fornication. (Acts 15:29) In counseling the Corinthian congregation on the matter, the apostle Paul advised: “Now the body is not for fornication,” and so he said: “Flee from fornication.” (1 Cor. 6:13, 18) While you may find many clergymen in Christendom condoning this immoral practice in one way or another, you will find God’s Word, the guide for those desiring to do Jehovah God’s will, condemns it in no uncertain terms.
6-8. What other practices stand condemned by God’s Word?
6 But that is not the only uncleanness that is to be avoided by one wanting to come into an acceptable position before Jehovah God. There are many other wicked practices that must be avoided. Consider these prohibitions in the laws given to the Jews but which carried right through into the governing principles and laws of the Christian congregation:
7 Leviticus 18:22 warns: “And you must not lie down with a male the same as you lie down with a woman. It is a detestable thing.” In the Christian Greek Scriptures the apostle Paul warns Christians that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit God’s kingdom. (1 Cor. 6:9, 10) While some so-called guidance counselors may encourage such wicked practices, saying that one should be free to do as he wishes, so as not to become inhibited in his feelings and develop a guilt complex, that is not the command from the Maker of man, Jehovah God the Creator. God inspired the apostle Paul to write to the Roman congregation in these words about those who become detestable in his sight: “For both their females changed the natural use of themselves into one contrary to nature; and likewise even the males left the natural use of the female and became violently inflamed in their lust toward one another, males with males, working what is obscene.”—Rom. 1:26, 27.
8 The counsel of God’s Word on the matter of overdrinking is clear in the scriptures: “Do not come to be among heavy drinkers of wine . . . For a drunkard . . . will come to poverty.” (Prov. 23:20, 21) “Woe to those who are mighty in drinking wine, and to the men with vital energy for mixing intoxicating liquor.” (Isa. 5:22) In the Christian Greek Scriptures we find that Paul condemns drunkenness at 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, and his words in Ephesians 5:18 are: “Do not be getting drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery.” Drunkenness is immorality. The person desiring to do Jehovah’s will must not practice this evil vice.
9, 10. (a) How must one guard his thinking processes in order to please God? (b) Should one clean up from any bad practices condemned by God’s Word after dedication and baptism, or what?
9 Additionally, God’s Word condemns thievery, incest, murder, greediness, reviling, extortion, lying, bearing false witness, coveting, and so forth. The fact is, the Scriptures even counsel not to be thinking and talking about such vices so as to get sensual or immoral pleasure from such talk. Hear Paul’s words: “Let fornication and uncleanness of every kind or greediness not even be mentioned among you just as it befits holy people; neither shameful conduct nor foolish talking nor obscene jesting, things which are not becoming.” (Eph. 5:3-5) Rather, the Christian is admonished: “Let all malicious bitterness and anger and wrath and screaming and abusive speech be taken away from you along with all injuriousness. But become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave you.” (Eph. 4:31, 32) So to be acceptable to Jehovah one must have stopped these wicked practices of the flesh. Thus the words of the apostle Paul can apply, namely: “And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean, but you have been sanctified, but you have been declared righteous in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.”—1 Cor. 6:11.
10 If a person has been negligent and continues so negligent in any of these requirements, then he is not in position to make an acceptable dedication to the doing of Jehovah’s will. If a person wants to be a servant of Jehovah he must come clean, and that means he has corrected his faults in order to present himself before Jehovah. Man cannot excuse himself because he is a sinner, but he must put away the practices of the flesh and cultivate the fruits of the spirit.—Gal. 5:22, 23.
A FURTHER SERIOUS REQUIREMENT
11. (a) What is another requirement to be met by one fearing God and keeping his commandments? (b) Is this course one that brings favor from the world in general? (c) What stand did early Christians take in this regard?
11 Before departing from this earth Jesus made it plain to his followers that they had to be whole-souled in their devotion to him and in the way they served the interests of those to whom they would speak about God’s kingdom. He said: “If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you.” (John 15:19) The conduct of the followers of Jesus would have to bear out that they were no part of the world of mankind under the wicked system of things of which the Devil is the god. (2 Cor. 4:4) This would bring great pressure and persecution upon them, even as Jesus said: “If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also; if they have observed my word, they will observe yours also.” (John 15:20) The great majority of the world’s inhabitants in the days of the apostles and disciples of Jesus, down to our present generation, cannot or will not understand the need for followers of the Lord Jesus to be separate from the world, as he commanded. The person today who desires to do Jehovah’s will in Jehovah’s way must be prepared to meet this opposition. It is not something new, for the pages of history record the many sufferings and persecutions that followers of Christ underwent for their determined effort not to be part of this world. Of early Christians it was said: “They preferred the Kingdom of God to any kingdom that they might serve on earth. The early Christians were ready to die for their faith.”—Old World to the New, Eugene A. Colligan and Maxwell F. Littwin.
12. Should one fear that Jehovah will ever leave one if one is faithful? Why?
12 This separation does not bring popularity to the dedicated Christian. Anyone undertaking the work that Christ Jesus did needs to understand fully this need of not being part of the world. He does not have to fear, however, that Jehovah and his Son Jesus will ever forsake him in time of trouble and oppression. Paul gave this assurance to the followers of Jesus: “No temptation has taken you except what is common to men. But God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out in order for you to be able to endure it.”—1 Cor. 10:13.
DOING AS JESUS DID
13. Why do we know it is necessary to do as Jesus did when it comes to telling out the Kingdom good news?
13 When an individual desires to present himself before Jehovah to do his will he recognizes that another responsibility he must assume is that of being a minister of the good news. There is no clergy-laity distinction among true followers of the Lord Jesus. We are told that those followers of Jesus in the first century of our Common Era spent time telling the good news about Jesus to others. In the Gospel of Matthew we find information about Jesus’ sending out twelve to spread the good news of the kingdom of the heavens. (Matt. 10:5-7) On another occasion he commissioned seventy of his disciples and sent them out before him into the cities to preach the coming of the kingdom of God. (Luke 10:1, 8, 9) Following his resurrection and just before his ascension to heaven Jesus said to his eleven disciples:. “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.” (Matt. 28:19, 20) The disciple Luke records the words of Jesus’ meeting with some of his disciples following his resurrection and he tells of Jesus’ saying to them: “But you will receive power when the holy spirit arrives upon you, and you will be witnesses of me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the most distant part of the earth.”—Acts 1:8.
14. How do the apostle Paul’s words show the need of being active in doing the preaching work?
14 Some years after the death of Jesus and in the writings of the apostle Paul to Timothy this admonition is recorded to be ministers of the good news: “Preach the word, be at it urgently in favorable season, in troublesome season, reprove, reprimand, exhort, with all long-suffering and art of teaching.” (2 Tim. 4:2) Paul also reminded the older men in the congregation of Ephesus of the need to spread God’s Word by telling others about it. He said: “I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.”—Acts 20:20.
15. How active was Jesus as a minister of God, and what did he say his servants would be doing at the time of the end of this system of things?
15 This example for the preaching of the good news was set by Jesus himself. We are told: “And Jesus set out on a tour of all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news of the kingdom.” (Matt. 9:35) Truly Jesus was a working minister, and he called upon all his followers to follow the lead he set during his earthly sojourn. This requirement has never been revoked. In fact, Jesus set it as part of the sign marking the end of this wicked system when he said, among other things: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.” (Matt. 24:14) Recognizing this requirement of God as set out in his Word and as commanded by God’s Son Jesus, the person dedicating himself for the doing of God’s will has the desire to share in such preaching work to Jehovah’s honor and glory.
THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE DEDICATION VOW
16. (a) Why is one who vows to do God’s will entering into a serious course? (b) How long a time is involved in vowing to give one’s life to God for his service?
16 From this consideration it becomes readily evident that being a true follower of Christ Jesus is not the easy course in life. However, it is the right course, and the one that can bring everlasting blessings. But just as Jesus counseled, “Who of you that wants to build a tower does not first sit down and calculate the expense, to see if he has enough to complete it?” so the person thinking about dedication and baptism is called on to calculate what will be required of him. (Luke 14:28) Jesus was a student of the Word of truth, and he well knew the seriousness of the vows made to his Father. In Ecclesiastes Jehovah had caused the words to be recorded: “Whenever you vow a vow to God, do not hesitate to pay it, for there is no delight in the stupid ones. What you vow, pay.” (Eccl. 5:4) This must be the view of the person now thinking of dedication and baptism. Regardless of how much longer he may live, or how much longer this wicked system of things may continue, the dedicated Christian must be firmly resolved in his heart to carry out his vow of dedication. No dedication to Jehovah is acceptable with a time stipulation attached. One cannot say he will serve for a certain period of time only. Rather, it is a lifetime promise, and the one coming before Jehovah God is expected to keep that promise.
17. (a) Why is it only reasonable to conclude that God expects us to live up to our vow? (b) Is procrastination the course of wisdom? Why? (c) With what heart motive should we approach Jehovah?
17 It is only reasonable to expect that Jehovah requires a life of faithfulness. We expect that Jehovah will keep his promise to grant us everlasting life if we maintain faithfulness. We do not even think for a moment that God would go back on his promise. On the other hand, Jehovah rightly can expect faithfulness on our part when we dedicate ourselves to Him for the doing of his will. Thus it is that the word of Ecclesiastes 5:2 is timely: “Do not hurry yourself as regards your mouth; and as for your heart, let it not be hasty to bring forth a word before the true God.” The person coming to an appreciation of God’s will for him needs to realize that there is a need to get firmly in his mind what the requirements of Jehovah God are. He does not want to be of a hasty heart in such a serious matter. At the same time, though, while caution is necessary, procrastination brings the disfavor of Jehovah. For says God’s Word: “Therefore, if one knows how to do what is right and yet does not do it, it is a sin for him.” (Jas. 4:17) Jehovah knows the heart, and he knows our motives and way of life. He is not deceived. We should not then deceive ourselves, or feel we can deceive Jehovah. We need to come before Him with a pure heart, with the same mind that Jesus had and which the psalmist wrote about: “To do your will, O my God, I have delighted, and your law is within my inward parts.”—Ps. 40:8; Heb. 10:5-10.
A COURSE OF ACTION BRINGING JEHOVAH’S BLESSING
18. What comfort is there from God for those fearing him and keeping his commandments?
18 Those who come to this appreciation of the relationship they can have with Jehovah God are certainly in line for a great blessing. The care and protection of the heavenly Father are greatly to be treasured, and we are told of such provisions in these words: “Anyone dwelling in the secret place of the Most High will procure himself lodging under the very shadow of the Almighty One. I will say to Jehovah: ‘You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God, in whom I will trust.’” And says Jehovah: “Because on me he has set his affection, I shall also provide him with escape. I shall protect him because he has come to know my name. He will call upon me, and I shall answer him. I shall be with him in distress. I shall rescue him and glorify him. With length of days I shall satisfy him, and I shall cause him to see salvation by me.”—Ps. 91:1, 2, 14-16.
…