MAY WE NEVER SHRINK BACK TO DESTRUCTION

Why We Should Never Shrink Back to Destruction

True Christians today have equally powerful reasons for not shrinking back. First, let us remember what a blessing we have in the pure for of worship that Jehovah has given us. Like the first-century Christians, we live at a time when members of the more popular religions sneer at us and mock us, pointing proudly to their impressive religious edifices and the antiquity of their traditions. Jehovah assures us, though, that he approves of our form of worship. In fact, we enjoy blessings today that the first-century Christians did not have. You might wonder, 'How can that be?' After all, they lived when the spiritual temple came into operation. Christ became its High Priest upon his baptism in 29 C.E. Some of them had seen the miracle-working Son of God. Even after his death, there were more miracles. As foretold, though, such gifts eventually ceased. -1Corinthians 13:8)

However, we live during a significant fulfillment of the extensive temple prophecy of Ezekiel chapters 40-48. Thus, we have seen the restoration of God's arrangement for pure worship. that spiritual temple has been cleansed of all forms of religious pollution and idolatry. (Ezekiel 43:9; Malachi 3:1-5) Think of the advantages that this cleansing has given us.

During the first century, the future looked dark for the organized Christian congregation. Jesus had foretold that it would be as if a newly planted wheat field were oversown with weeds, making the wheat virtually indistinguishable from the weeds. (Matthew 13:24-30) And so it was. By the end of the first century, when the aged apostle John was acting as the final restraint against corruption, apostasy was already flourishing. (2 Thessalonians 2:6; 1John 2:18) Not long after the death of the apostles, a separate clergy class arose, oppressing the flock and wearing distinctive garb. Apostasy spread like gangrene. How discouraging for faithful Christians! They saw the newly established arrangement for pure worship become overwhelmed by a corrupted form. This developed less than a century after Christ founded the congregation.

Next time: Continue with: Why We Should Never Shrink Back to Destruction

Watchtower, 1999

MAY WE NEVER SHRINK BACK TO DESTRUCTION

THE apostles must have been shocked when their beloved Master, Jesus, told them that they would all scatter and abandon him. How could such a think be -in this, his hour of greatest need? Peter insisted: "Even if all the others are stumbled, yet I will not be." In truth, Peter was a brave bold man. But when Jesus was betrayed and arrested, the apostles-including Peter-scattered. Later, while Jesus was being interrogated in the house of the High Pries Caiaphas, Peter lingered anxiously in the courtyard. As the cold night wore on, Peter likely came to fear that Jesus and anyone associated with him might be executed. When some bystanders recognized Peter as one of Jesus' close associates, panic seized him. Three times he disavowed his connection with Jesus. Peter denied even knowing him! -Mark 14:27-31, 66-72.

That was a low point in Peter's life, a moment he no doubt regretted for the rest of his days. But did Peter's course that night make him a coward? Did it make him one of "the sort," that the apostle Paul later described when he wrote: "Now we are not the sort that shrink back to destruction?" (Hebrews 10:39) Most of us would likely agree that Paul's words do not apply to Peter. Why? Because Peter's fear was temporary, a brief lapse in a life marked by outstanding courage and faith. Similarly, many of us have moments in our past that we recall to some degree of shame, moments when fear caught us by surprise and kept us from standing as boldly for the truth as we would have liked. (Compare Romans 7:21-23) We can be assured that such momentary lapses do not make us the sort that shrink back from destruction. Still, we need to be determined never to become of that sort. Why? And how can we avoid becoming such a person?

Next time: What It Means to Shrink Back to Destruction

Watchtower, 1999

ARE YOU LIVING UP TO YOUR DEDICATION?

HOW do athletes reach their peak performance? In tennis, soccer, basketball, baseball, track, golf, or any other sport, the best reach the top only by unwavering dedication. Physical and mental conditioning are priorities. This fits well with one of the definitions of the word "dedicated," which is "wholly committed to a particular course of thought or action."

However, what does "dedication" mean in the Biblical sense? "Dedicate" translates a Hebrew verb that has the meaning "keep separate; be separated; withdraw." In ancient Israel, High Priest Aaron wore on his turban "the holy sign of dedication," which was a shining plate of pure gold engraved with the Hebrew words for "Holiness belongs to Jehovah." That served as a reminder to the high priest that he must avoid doing anything that would profane the sanctuary "because the sign of dedication, the anointing oil of h is God, [was] upon him." -Exodus 29:6; 39:30; Leviticus 21:12.

We can see in this context that dedication is a serious matter. It implies voluntary identification as a servant of God, and it requires clean conduct. Therefore, we can appreciate why the apostle Peter quoted Jehovah as saying: "You must be holy because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:15, 16) As dedicated Christians, we bear a heavy responsibility to live up to our dedication, being faithful to the end. But what is involved in Christian dedication? -Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 24:13.

After we gained accurate knowledge of Jehovah God and his purposes and of Jesus Christ and his role to those purposes, we made the personal decision to serve God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength. (Mark 8:34; 12:30; John 17:3) that might even be viewed as a personal vow, an undeserved dedication to God. Our dedication was not made as a result of an emotional caprice. It was carefully and prayerfully thought through, using the power of reason./ We cannot be like someone who starts to plow a field and then gives up partway through because it is too much hard work or because the harvest seems to be too far off or by no means certain. Consider the examples of some who have 'put their hand to the plow' of theocratic responsibility through thick and thin. -Luke 9:62; Romans 12:1, 2.

Next time: They Did Not Renounce Their Dedication

Watchtower, 2001

STUDY - REWARDING AND ENJOYABLE

Digging Deeper Into God's Word

In reverential admiration, the psalmist exclaimed: "How great your works are, O Jehovah! Very deep your thoughts are. " (Psalm 92:5) And the apostle Paul spoke of "the deep things of God," profound thoughts that Jehovah reveals to his people "through his spirit" operating on the faithful and discreet slave class. (1 Corinthians 2:10; Matthew 24:45) The slave class diligently provides spiritual nourishment for all - "milk" new ones but "solid food" ff "mature people." -Hebrews 5:11-14.

To comprehend such "deep things of God," it is necessary to study prayerfully and reflect his Word. For example, fine material has been published that shows how Jehovah can at once be just and merciful. His exercising of mercy is not a watering down of his justice; rather, divine mercy is an expression of God's justice as well as his love. When judging a sinner, Jehovah first determines whether it is possible to show mercy on the basis of his Son's ransom sacrifice. If the sinner is unrepentant or rebellious, God allows justice to take its course without unwarranted mercy. Either way, he is faithful to his elevated principles. (Romans 3:21-26) 'O the depth of God's wisdom!' -Romans 11:33.

Like the psalmist, we thrill at the fact that Jehovah shares many of his thoughts with us. David wrote: "To me how precious your thoughts are! O God, how much does the grand sum of them amount to! Were I to try to count them, they are more than even the grains of sand." (Psalm 139:17, 18) Although our knowledge today represents only a fraction of the innumerable thoughts Jehovah will reveal throughout eternity. we deeply appreciate "the grand sum" of precious spiritual truths revealed thus far and dig ever deeper into the sum, or substance, of God's Word. -Psalm 119:160.

Next time: Effort And Effective Tools Needed

Watchtower, 2000