"The Real Life" Is A Certainty-Grasp It!

For many, eternal life in a better world is just a dream or an illusion. However, for those who truly have faith in the Bible's promise, this hope is a certainty. It is like an anchor for their lives. (Hebrews 6:19) Just as an anchor hold a ship steady and prevents it from floundering, the hope of eternal life makes people stable and confident and enables them to confront the serious difficulties in life and even overcome them. We cab be sure that God will fulfill his promises. He has even furnished a guaranteed by uttering an oath, an irrevocable commitment. The apostle Paul wrote: "God, when he purposed to demonstrate more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his counsel, stepped in with an oath, in order that, through two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we . . .may have strong encouragement to lay hold on the hope set before us." (Hebrews 6:17, 18) The "two unchangeable things" that God can never annul are his promise and his oath, on which we base our expectations.

Faith in God's promises provides great comfort and spiritual strength. Joshua, a leader of the people of Israel, had such faith. When Joshua gave his farewell speech to the Israelites, he was old and knew that he was about to die. Yet, he expressed strength and unbreakable loyalty, which sprang from complete trust in God's promises. After saying that he was going "in the way of all the earth," the path that leads all mankind to death, Joshua stated: "You well know with all your hearts and with all your souls that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed. they have all come true for you. Not one word of them has failed." Yes, three times Joshua repeated that God always keeps his promises. -Joshua 23:14.

You too can have the same faith in God's promise of a new world that will soon be established. By earnestly studying the Bible, you will come to understand who Jehovah is and why he deserves your full trust. (Revelation 4:11) Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob and other faithful ones of old had unbreakable faith, based on their intimate knowledge of the true God. Jehovah. They remained strong in hope, despite the fact that they "did not get the fulfillment of the promises" while they were alive. Still, "they saw them afar off and welcomed them." -Hebrews 11:13.

Next time: Conclusion of the above subject

Watchtower, 1999