LIVING UP TO YOUR DEDICATION AND BAPTISM

It is important to remember that baptism is not the end of your spiritual progress.  It marks the beginning of lifelong service to God as an ordained minister and one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Although baptism is vitally important, it is not a guarantee of salvation.  Jesus did not say: 'Everyone baptized will be saved.' Instead, he said: "He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved."  (Mark 24:13)  Therefore, it is vital that you seek God's Kingdom first by making it the paramount concern in your life. -Matthew 6:25-34.

 To endure in your service to Jehovah, you will want to set spiritual goals for yourself.  One worthy goal is to further your knowledge of God through regularly, for the association you find there will will help to give you spiritual strength.  For your part, why not make it your goal to comment at congregation meetings and thus praise Jehovah and seek to upbuild others? (Romans 1:11, 12)  Another goal might be to improve the quality of your prayers. -Luke 11:2-4.

If you are to live up to the meaning of your baptism, you need to pay constant attention to what you do, letting God's holy spirit produce in your such qualities as love, joy, peace, long-suffering,kindness, faith, mildness and self-control.  (Galatians 5:22, 23; 2 Peter 3:11) Remember, Jehovah gives his holy spirit to all who pray for it and obey him as his faithful servants. (Luke 11:13; Acts 5:32) So pray to God for his spirit and ask him for help in displaying qualities that please him.  Such qualities will become more evident in your speech and conduct as you respond to the influence of God's spirit.  Of course, every individual in the  Christian congregation is striving to develop "the new personality"  so as to become more like Christ. (Colossians 3:9-14)  Each one of us faces different challenges in doing this because we are at varying stages of spiritual progress.  Since you are imperfect, you must work hard to have a Christlike personality. But never despair in this regard, for it is possible with God's help.

Among your spiritual goals should be that of imitating Jesus' joyful example more closely.  (Hebrews 12:1-3)  He loved the ministry. If you are privileged to share in the Kingdom-preaching activity, then, do not let it become mere routine. Seek to find satisfaction in teaching others about God's Kingdom as Jesus did.  Put to use the instruction that the congregation provides to help you improve as a teacher.  And be assured that Jehovah can give you the strength to carry out your ministry. -1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

A dedicated, baptized person faithfully endeavoring to follow Jesus is special to God.  Jehovah examines all the billions of human hearts and knows how rare such individuals are.  He considers them to be treasures, "desirable things." (Haggai 2:7) Bible prophecies show that God views such ones as marked to survive the execution of his judgment soon to come upon this wicked system of things.  (Ezekiel 9:1-6; Malachi 3:16, 18) Are you "rightly disposed for everlasting life"?  (Acts 13:48) Is it your earnest desire to be marked as one serving God?  Dedication and baptism are part of that mark, and they are essential for survival.

After the global Flood, Noah and his family came out of the ark into a cleansed  earth.  Similarly today, "a great crowd" who apply the knowledge of God in their lives and gain Jehovah's approval have the prospect of surviving the end of this wicked system of things and enjoying everlasting life on a permanently cleansed earth. (Revelation 7:9, 14) What will that life be like?  

Next time: WHEN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD FILLS THE EARTH

The Book - KNOWLEDGE That Leads To Everlasting Life, 1995