To Serve As An Idenifying Mark

For centuries the Jews served under the Mosaic Law as God's chosen people. Because they rejected Jesus as the Messiah, he foretold that shortly they themselves would be rejected: " Did you never read in the Scriptures , 'the stone that the builders rejected is the one that has become the chief cornerstone. From Jehovah this has come to be, and it is marvelous in our eyes? This is why I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits." (Matthew 21:42,43) Once the Christian congregation was founded at Pentecost 33 C.E., Christ's followers became the "nation producing its fruits." From then on, this congregation was God's channel of communication. To enable people to recognize this transfer of divine favor, God provided an unmistakable identifying mark.

At Pentecost the holy spirit enabled the disciples to speak in languages they had never learned, causing onlookers to react with astonishment and ask: "How is it we are hearing, each one of us, his own language in which we were born?" (Acts 2:7, 8) The ability to speak in unknown languages, along with the " many portents and signs [that] began to occur through the apostles," led some three thousand persons to recognize that God's spirit was truly operative. - Acts 2:41, 43.

Also, by bringing forth "the fruitage of the spirit" - love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness,goodness, faith, mildness, self-control - Christ's disciples were clearly identified as being God's servants. (Galatians 5:22, 23) Love, in fact, outstandingly identified the true Christian congregation. Jesus foretold: " By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves." - John 13:34, 35.

Members of the early Christian congregation accepted the leading of God's holy spirit and took advantage of the help it offered. While Christians today realize that God is not now raising the dead and performing miracles as in the first century, they allow the fruitage of God's spirit to identify them as being genuine disciples of Jesus Christ. - 1Corinthians 13:8.

Next time: A Helper In Making Personal Decisions