Love and Appreciation for Jehovah Lead to Baptism

"What prevents me from getting baptized?" - ACTS 8:36.

DO YOU want to get baptized as a disciple of Christ?  Love and appreciation have motivated many to make the choice.  Consider the example of an official who served the queen of Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian acted immediately on what he had learned from the Scriptures. (Read Acts 8:27-31, 35-38)  What motivated him?  He obviously appreciated God's Word; he was reading a passage from the book of Isaiah as he rode in a chariot.  And when Philip spoke with him, the man developed an appreciation for what Jesus had done for him. But why had the official traveled to Jerusalem?  Because he had already developed a  love for Jehovah.  How do we know?  He had just been worshipping Jehovah in Jerusalem.  This man had apparently left the religion of his birth  and had joined the only nation that was dedicated to the true God. It was the same love for Jehovah that motivated him to take yet another vital step, that of getting  baptized ad becoming a disciple of Christ. - MATTHEW 28:19.

Love for Jehovah can motivate you to get baptized. But love might prevent you from doing so. How?  Note just some examples.  You may  love your unbelieving family and friends deeply, and you may worry that if you get baptized, they will hate you.  (Matthew 10:7)  Or you may love habits that you know God hates, and you may find it difficult to break free from their grip.  (Psalm 97:10)  OR you may have grown up celebrating customs that are associated with false religion. You may love the good memories associated with those celebrations. As a result, you may find it difficult to stop observing customs that displease Jehovah.  (1 Corinthians  10:20, 21) The question you face is., "What or whom do I love the most?" 

Next time: Love and Appreciation for Jehovah Lead to Baptism - What Is in Your Heart?

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