The Spirit Bears Witness With Our Spirit - HAVE YOU BEEN CALLED?

Perhaps you are wondering if you have received this wonderful invitation. If you think that you might have, ponder some important questions.  Do you feel that you have more than average zeal in the ministry? Are you a keen student of God's Word who loves to delve into "the deep things of God"?  ( 1 Corinthians 2:10) Have you seen Jehovah's special blessing on your ministry?  Do you have a burning desire to do Jehovah's will?  Do you have a deep inner feeling of responsibility to help others spiritually?  Have you seen proof that Jehovah has personally intervened in your life?  if you answer thee questions with a resounding yes, does this mean that you now have the heavenly calling?  No, it does not.  Why not? Because these are  not unique feelings experienced only by those who have the heavenly calling. Jehovah's spirit works with equal force in those who have the hope of living forever on earth.  In fact, if you are wondering whether you have received the heavenly calling, that would itself indicate that you have not received  it. Those called by Jehovah do not wonder whether they have been invited or not!   They know! 

Throughout the Scriptures, we see many examples of men of faith who were deeply moved  by holy spirit; yet they did not have the hope of living in heaven.  John the Baptist was one such person. Jesus highly praised him but stated that  John would not be included in the heavenly kingdom.  (Matthew 11:10, 11) David was likewise  moved by holy spirit.  (1 Samuel 16:13) He was a man of great spiritual depth and was even inspired to write sections of the Bible.   (Mark 12:36) Still, at Pentecost, Peter said of David that he "did not ascend to the heavens." (Acts 2:34) Holy spirit worked mightily in such ones, but it did not give them the special witness that they had been selected   for heavenly life.  That did not mean that they were in some way unworthy or deficient. It simply meant that Jehovah would resurrect them to life on a paradise earth. -John 5:28, 29; Acts 24:15.

The vast majority of God's servants today do not have this heavenly calling.  They entertain the same hope as did David, John the Baptist, and other faithful men and women of old.  Like Abraham, they look forward to living as subjects  under the Kingdom arrangement.  (Hebrews 11:10)  Only a remnant of those selected for heavenly life remains here on earth in this time of the end.  (Revelation 12:17) This means that the majority of the 144,000  chosen ones have already died faithfully.  

So, then, how should those with an earthly hope view anyone who claims to have the heavenly hope?  If someone in your congregation starts to partake of the emblems at the Lord's Evening Meal, how should you react?  Should you be concerned with any increase in the number of those who claim to have the heavenly calling?  These questions will be answered in the next article.  

Next time:"We Want to God With You"

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