An Impersonal Force Or A Real Person?

Many who believe in God think of him as a force, not as a person. In certain cultures, for example, gods have been identified with the forces of nature. Some who have examined evidence gathered through scientific research into the structure of the universe and the nature of life on earth have concluded that there has to be a First Cause. Nevertheless, they hesitate to attach a personality to this Cause.

Yet, does not the complexity of creation indicate that the First Cause must have had great intelligence? Intelligence requires a mind. The great mind responsible for all creation belongs the the person of God. Yes, God has a body, not a physical one like ours, but a spiritual body. "If there is a physical body," says the Bible, "there is also a spiritual one." (1 Corinthians 15:44) Explaining the nature of God, the Bible clearly states: "God is a Spirit." (John 4:24) A spirit has a form of life that differs greatly from ours, and it is invisible to human eyes. (John 1:18) There are invisible creatures as well. They are angels- "the sons of the true God." -Job1:6; 2:1.

Since God is an uncreated person with a spiritual body, he logically has a place of residence. Referring to the spirit realm, the Bible tells us that the heavens are God's "established place of dwelling." (1 Kings 8:43) Also, the Bible writer Paul states: 'Christ entered into heaven itself to appear before the person of God for us. -Hebrews 9:24.

The word "spirit" is also used in the Bible in another sense. Addressing God in prayer, the psalmist said: "if you send forth your spirit, they are created." (Psalm 104:30) This spirit is not God himself but a force that God sends forth, or uses to accomplish whatever he wishes. By means of it, God created the physical heavens, the earth and all living things. (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 33:6) His spirit is called holy spirit. God used his holy spirit to inspire the men who wrote the Bible. (2 Peter 1:20, 21) Hence, the holy spirit is the invisible active force that God uses to fulfill his purposes.

Next time: God Has A Unique Name

Watchtower, 2002

Who Is God?

"GOD is the name commonly given to the ultimate source and power of the universe and the subject of religious devotion," says The Encyclopedia Americana. A dictionary defines the term "God" as "the supreme or ultimate reality." What is the name of such an awesome reality?

Is God an impersonal force or a real person? Does he have a name? Is he a triune entity, a Trinity, as many believe? How can we come to know God? The Bible provides truthful and satisfying answers to these questions. In fact, it encourages us to seek God, saying: "He is not far off from each one of us." - Acts 17:27.

Next time: An Impersonal Force Or A Real Person?

Watchtower, 1999

We Need To Know Who God Is

ARE you not thrilled to see a star-studded sky on a cloudless night? Is not the fragrance of colorful flowers delightful? Do you not enjoy listening to the songs of birds and the sound of rustling leaves in a gentle breeze? And how fascinating are powerful whales and other creatures that inhabit the sea! Then there are humans with their faculty of conscience and an amazingly complex brain. How do you account for the existence of all the wonderful things that surround us?

Some believe that all of this is a product of blind chance. but if this is so, why are humans conscious of God? Why would an accidental combination of various chemicals produce creatures with a spiritual need?

"Religion is deeply rooted in human nature and experienced at every level of economic status and educational background." This statement summed up the research that Professor Alister Hardy presented in his book The Spiritual Nature of Man. Recent experiments on the brain have led certain neuro-scientist to suggest that humans may have been "hardwired" with the capacity for religion. The book entitled Is God the Only Reality? Observes: "The religious quest for meaning . . . is the common experience in every culture and every age since the emergence of humankind."

Consider what a learned man concluded some 2,000 years ago. He wrote: "Every house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all things is God." (Hebrews 3:4) In fact, the very first verse of the Bible states: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." -Genesis 1:1.

Who, though, is God? Mankind is divided on this question. When asked who God is, a Japanese teenager named Yoshi replied: "I am not sure. I am a Buddhist, and it has not been important for me to know who God is." Yoshi, though, admitted that Buddha himself is defined by many. Nick, a businessman in his 60's , believes in God and thinks of him as an all-powerful force. When asked to explain what he knows about God, Nick replied after a long pause: "That is a very difficult question, my friend. All I can say is that God is there. He exists."

Some People "worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself." (Romans 1:25, Today's English Version) Millions worship dead ancestors, believing that God is too remote to be approached. In the Hindu religion, there are many gods and goddesses. Various deities, such as Zeus and Hermes, were worshiped in the days of Jesus Christ's apostles. (Acts 14:11, 12) Many churches of Christendom teach that God is a trinity, consisting of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Indeed, "there are many 'gods' and many 'lords,' states the Bible. However, it adds: "There is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are." ( 1 Corinthians 8:5, 6) Yes, there is only one true God. But who is he? What is he like? It is important for us to know the answers to these questions. Jesus himself said in a prayer to this One: "This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ." (John 17:3) There is reason to believe that our eternal welfare depends on knowing the truth about God.

Next time: Who Is God?

Watchtower, 1999

Conclusion of Saying No-A Matter Of Life And Death

As a result, Paul though imperfect, kept his integrity to Jehovah right to the end. Not long before his death, he could write: "I have fought the fine fight, I have run the course to the finish, I have observed the faith. From this time on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness." -2Timothy 4:7, 8.

As we war against our imperfections, what encouraging examples we have, not just in Paul, but also in those who served as examples to him-Joseph, Moses, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and many others. Imperfect humans though they were, each of these men of faith said no to wrongdoing, not because of doggedness or stubbornness, but because of moral strength born of Jehovah's spirit. (Galatians 5:22, 23) They were spiritual men. They hungered for every utterance of Jehovah's mouth. (Deuteronomy 8:3) His word meant life to them (Deuteronomy 32:47) Above all, they loved Jehovah and feared him, and with his help, they patiently cultivated a hatred for wrongdoing. -Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 1:7.

May we be like them. Indeed, to endure in saying not to wrongdoing in all its forms, we need Jehovah's spirit just as they did. Jehovah generously gives us his spirit if we sincerely ask for it, study his Word, and regularly attend Christian meetings. -Psalm 119:105; Luke 11:13; Hebrews 10:24, 25.

Timothy, mentioned at the outset, was glad he did not neglect his spiritual needs. The young female employee, who overheard his conversation with his workmate and was wrongly attracted by Timothy's innocence, later quietly invited Timothy to her home when her husband was out. Timothy declined. Not easily put off, she extended the invitation on many occasions, like Potiphar's wife. Timothy firmly but kindly said no each time. He even gave this woman a fine witness from God's Word. Deeply grateful to Jehovah for giving him the moral fortitude to say no, Timothy is now happily married to a delightful fellow Christian. Indeed, Jehovah will bless and fortify all who want to maintain their Christian integrity by saying no to wrongdoing. -Psalm 1:1-3.

Next time:We Need To Know Who God Is

Watchtower, 1999

Saying No-A Matter Of Life And Death

Jesus said: "Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it." -Matthew 7:13, 14.

The broad road is popular because it is easy to travel. Its travelers are self-indulgent, given to fleshly thinking and ways, and they want, not to be different, but to conform to Satan's world. They feel morally hemmed in by God's laws and principles. (Ephesians 4:17-19) Yet, Jesus specifically said that the broad road leads "off into destruction."

But why did Jesus say that only a few choose the cramped road? Primarily because only a minority want God's laws and principles to govern their lives and to help them resist the many inducements to and opportunities for wrongdoing around them. Furthermore, only a comparative few are prepared to fight illicit desire, peer pressure and the fear of ridicule that may come their way because of the path they have chosen.. -1 Peter 3:16; 4:4.

These ones understand fully how the apostle Paul felt when he described the fight that he had in saying no to sin. Like today's world, the Roman and Greek world of Paul's time provided a broad road of opportunity to indulge in wrongdoing. Paul explained that his mind, which knew what was right, waged an ongoing 'war' with his flesh, which leaned toward wrongdoing. (Romans 7:21-24) Yes, Paul knew that his body was a good servant but a bad master, so he learned to say no to it. "I pummel my body and lead it as a slave," he wrote. ( 1 Corinthians 9:27) How did he achieve such mastery? Not in his own strength, which was unequal to the task, but with the help of God's spirit. -Romans 8:9-11.

Next time: Continue with the above subject

Watchtower, 1999

Saying No To Peer Pressure

Another influence toward wrongdoing is peer pressure. One youth confessed: "I'm living two lives-one at school and one at home. At school I hang around kinds who swear almost every time they open their mouths. And I'm turning out just like them. What should I do?" What is needed is the courage to be different, and one way to obtain it is by reading and meditating on Bible accounts that tell us about God's loyal servants like Joseph. Other fine examples are Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego-four young men who had the courage to be different from their peers.

While being educated with other young men in the royal court of Babylon, these four young Israelites were required to eat "a daily allowance from the delicacies of the king." Not wanting to violate the dietary aspects of the Law of Moses, they said no to this food. That took strength-and all the more so because the dishes, being "delicacies of the king," were probably quite tempting. What a fine example these young men set for Christians today who may be tempted, even pressured, to overindulge in alcohol or take drugs and use tobacco! -Daniel 1:3-17.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego also demonstrated the truth of what Jesus Christ later said: "The person faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. " (Luke 16:10) Their courageous stand on the comparatively small matter of food and the fine outcome Jehovah gave no doubt fortified outcome them for a later, more serious test. (Daniel 1:18-20) This test came when they were ordered, on pain of death by fire, to participate in idolatry. Courageously, the three young men remained determined to worship only Jehovah, trusting fully in him whatever the outcome might be. Once again Jehovah blessed them for their faith and courage- this time by miraculously protecting them from the flames when they were thrown into a superheated furnace. -Daniel 3:1-30.

God's Word contains many other examples of those who said no to being "called the son of the daughter of Pharaoh," even though this would have given him ample opportunity to indulge in "the temporary enjoyment of sin" in Egypt. (Hebrews 11:24-26) The prophet Samuel refused to abuse his authority by accepting bribes. ( 1 Samuel 12:3, 4) The apostles of Jesus Christ boldly answered no when ordered to stop preaching . (Acts 5:27-29) Jesus himself firmly said not to all wrongdoing-right down to the last moments of his life when soldiers offered him "wine drugged with myrrh." Accepting it might have weakened his resolve at that critical time. - Mark 15:23; Matthew 4:1-10.

Next time: Saying No-A Matter Of Life And Death

Watchtower, 1999

Learning From A Young Man Who Said No

Saying no to fornication and adultery seems to be especially difficult, even for some in the Christian congregation. Timothy, mentioned in the opening paragraph, took to heart the example of young Joseph, recorded in the Scriptures at Genesis 39:1-12. Joseph displayed moral strength when invited by the wife of the Egyptian official Potiphar to have relations with her. Joseph, the account says, "would refuse and would say . . . 'How could I commit this great badness and actually sin against God?' "

How did Joseph acquire the moral strength to say no to Potiphar's wife day after day? For a start, he valued his relationship with Jehovah far more than he valued momentary pleasures. Additionally, although he was not under a divine law code ( the Law of Moses was yet to come), J0seph had a clear grasp of moral principles; he knew that committing fornication with Potiphar's infatuated wife would be a sin not only against her husband but also against God. -Genesis 39:8, 9.

Joseph evidently understood the importance of not even lighting the match of desire that could ignite an uncontrollable inferno of passion. A Christian is wise to follow Joseph's example. The July 1, 19578, Watchtower stated: "He must recognize his fleshly weaknesses and not think he can follow sensual desires to the Scriptural boundary line and stop there. Even if he may succeed in doing that for awhile, he will eventually be drawn over that boundary line into sin. This is certain to happen, since lusts that are nourished grow in strength and get a tighter grip on a person. He then has greater difficulty getting his mind off them. His best defense is to resist them at the outset.

Resisting at the outset becomes easier as we develop a love for what is right and a hatred for what is wrong. (Psalm 37:27) But we need to keep working at it, to be persistent, If we do, with Jehovah's help our love for right and our contempt for wrong will grow stronger. Meanwhile, of course, we must remain vigilant, as Jesus directed, constantly praying to be spared from temptation and to be delivered from the wicked one. -Matthew 6:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

Next time: Saying No To Peer Pressure

Watchtower, 1999

Saying No Is Especially Important Today

Saying no to wrongdoing has never been easy, and nowadays it can be especially difficult, for we are living in what the Bible calls "the last days" of this system of things. True to bible prophecy, people enmasse have become lovers of pleasures and violence, devoid of both spirituality and morality. ( 2 Timothy 3:1-5) A Jesuit university president stated: "We had a traditional set of standards that have been challenged and found wanting or no longer fashionable. Now there don't seem to be any moral landmarks at all." In a similar vein, a superior court judge said: "Things aren't black and white anymore. Everything is gray . . . Fewer people recognize the difference between right and wrong. The sin now is getting caught, not the violation."

The apostle Paul wrote about people with such attitudes: "They are in darkness mentally, and alienated from the life that belongs to God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the insensibility of their hearts. Having come to be past all moral sense, they gave themselves over to loose conduct to work uncleanness of every sort with greediness." (Ephesians 4:L18, 19) But trouble looms for them. Isaiah declared: "Woe to those who are saying that good is bad and bad is good, those who are putting darkness for light and light for darkness." (Isaiah 5:20) Not only do these ones reap what they sow now but they will soon experience their greatest "woe" - adverse judgment from Jehovah. -Galatians 6:7.

"When the wicked ones sprout as the vegetation and all the practicers of what is hurtful blossom forth, it is that they may be annihilated forever," says Psalm 92:7. In other words, this bumper crop of wickedness will not go on indefinitely, making life unbearable for all. In fact, Jesus said that the "generation" sponsoring this wickedness will be the very one that God will do away with in a "great tribulation." (Matthew 24:3, 21, 34) So if we want to be spared through that tribulation, we need to know right from wrong according to God's standards; and, of course, we also need the moral strength to say no to wrongdoing in all its forms. Though this is not easy, Jehovah has furnished us with some encouraging examples in Bible times and today.

Next time: Learning From A Young Man Who Said No

Watchtower, 1999

FORTIFIED To Say No To Wrongdoing

"WHEN I was still in my teens and working at a grocery store," explains Timothy, "a workmate invited me over to his house. He said that his parents would be away, girls would be there, and there would be opportunity to engage in sex." Many young people today would be quick to say yes to such an invitation. But what was Timothy's response? "I told him there and then that I would not be coming and that because of my Christian conscience, I did not wish to have sex with someone to whom I was not married."

While explaining his refusal, Timothy was unaware that a young female employee was listening in. His innocence challenged her, and soon he was faced with having to say no to her as well-on a number of occasions, as we shall see later. Having temptation thrown before us is, of course, not unique to our times. Some 3,000 years ago, King Solomon wrote: "My son, if sinners try to seduce you, do not consent. . . .Hold back your foot from their roadway." (Proverbs 1:10, 15) Jehovah himself commanded the nation of Israel: "You must not follow after the crowd for evil ends." (Exodus 23:3) Yes, at times we must say no, resisting the temptation to do wrong, even though it may not be the popular course.

Next time: Saying No Is Especially Important Today

Watchtower, 1999

Looking To The Light

"Interest in riddles," observes one source, "seems to coincide with seasons of Intellectual awakening." Today we are highly privileged to be living in a time when spiritual "light itself has flashed up" for God's people. (Psalm 97:11; Daniel 12:4, 9) Can we patiently wait on Jehovah to reveal his purposes according to his timetable? More important, do we act promptly to change our lives when we become aware of how to conform more fully to God's revealed will? (Psalm 1:1-3; James 1:22-25) If we do, Jehovah will bless our efforts, so that, just as eyeglasses correct blurred vision, holy spirit will bring the beautiful mosaic of the divine purpose clearly into focus in our mind's eye, sharpening our spiritual vision. -1 Corinthians 2:7, 9, 10).

Indeed, Scriptural riddles magnify Jehovah as the "Revealer of secrets." (Daniel 2:28, 29) Moreover, he is also a Searcher of hearts. (1 Chronicles 28:9) It should not surprise us to learn that the unveiling of the light of divine truth has always been progressive. (Proverbs 4:18; Romans 16:25, 26) Rather than seek knowledge of the deep things of God through mysticism or shallow human wisdom, which can only lead to futility, let us confidently look to Jehovah Got to turn the light of truth on his "dark sayings,"making known his wonderful purposes to faithful servants at his appointed time. -Amos 3:7; Matthew 24:25-27.

Next time: Fortified To Say No To Wrongdoing

Watchtower, 1999