love on the part of God is great. He does not even desire wicked ones to die, but, rather, that they would turn from their wickedness. Through Ezekiel he says: “‘As I am alive,’ is the utterance of the Lord Jehovah, ‘I take delight, not in the death of the wicked one, but in that someone wicked turns back from his way and actually keeps living.’” (Ezek. 33:11) One comes to know these things and much more by study of the Word of God, his revealed truth, the Holy Bible.

MAKING AN UNRESERVED DEDICATION

17. What attitude should one have on establishing these points on salvation?

¹⁷ On establishing a basis for this belief in God and his provision for salvation through his Son, Christ Jesus, the learner now desires to know what the next step for him is in order to ensure coming under the benefits of the provision by God. We might liken this to a person who has been the recipient of many blessings and wants to do something in return for his benefactor to show his appreciation. The psalmist felt that way and stated it in these words: “What shall I repay to Jehovah for all his benefits to me? The cup of grand salvation I shall take up, and on the name of Jehovah I shall call. My vows I shall pay to Jehovah, yes, in front of all his people.” (Ps. 116:12-14) A person realizing he is a sinner, and knowing that salvation comes from Jehovah and through his Son, Christ Jesus, then studies the Word of God to find out God’s will for him. He learns from such a study that God asks certain things of him.

18. (a) How did Solomon outline God’s requirements for those who would gain his favor? (b) What did Jesus encourage persons to do?

¹⁸ The wise King Solomon summed up well what God asks of those who will benefit from his provisions for life. After outlining much of the vanity of this life he says this to those who would gain God’s approval: “The conclusion of the matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the true God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole obligation of man. For the true God himself will bring every sort of work into the judgment in relation to every hidden thing, as to whether it is good or bad.” (Eccl. 12:13, 14) If one will fear the true God, Jehovah, that is, hold him in awe, fear to displease him and seek to do his will, then one will keep his commandments. One will find the course of action outlined in God’s Word that is pleasing to God and that shows one wants to do God’s will in God’s way. His diligent search of the Holy Scriptures will reveal to him that God’s commandments are not burdensome. In fact, Jesus, mankind’s ransom and one of those in whose name a person is baptized, said this to those he encouraged to follow him: “Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and become my disciples, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for your souls. For my yoke is kindly and my load is light.”—Matt. 11:28-30.

19. What part does prayer play in one’s determining to dedicate himself to Jehovah?

¹⁹ One interested in setting himself apart to do God’s will will go to Jehovah in prayer through Christ Jesus and ask for Jehovah’s spirit to be with him and to indicate to him, through the Bible, just what he must do to merit Jehovah’s favor and blessing. Jesus in his sermon on the mount gave this encouragement: “Keep on asking, and it will be given you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.” (Matt. 7:7) Finding that it is Jehovah’s desire that one set oneself aside to do that One’s will, a person then should take the necessary steps to bring himself into an acceptable condition so that Jehovah will acknowledge his dedication and water baptism and deal with him. Therefore, let us turn to God’s Word and find what he wants of those who would please him.

“Fear the True God and Keep His Commandments”

1. What must one first have in order to meet the requirements set by God for those he favors?

BEFORE one can undertake any assignment in life and be successful one must know something about the requirements of the assignment. Basically, for one to bring oneself to the point of dedication of oneself to the doing of Jehovah’s will, one has to have an accurate knowledge of God’s Word and know what God requires of those whom he favors.

2. Why is recognition of a visible earthly channnel of Jehovah necessary for one seeking to serve God?

² For example, to be pleasing to Jehovah one has to recognize the earthly channel that God is using to dispense accurate knowledge to people of all the world. From the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden to this day there has been the producing of two seeds, Jehovah’s seed and the Devil’s seed. (Gen. 3:15) Therefore, just as God dealt with a certain people in the days before the flood, namely, Noah and his sons, and in the days thereafter with Abraham and his seed, so down to this day Jehovah is dealing with those whom he has approved to represent him upon the earth. A person recognizing who Jehovah God and his Son Jesus Christ are, and what the holy spirit represents, needs to appreciate also that Jehovah God has on this earth in this time a visible organization representing his interests. Jesus spoke of such a group as a “faithful and discreet slave.” (Matt. 24:45-47) Thus the person desiring to do Jehovah’s will must associate with the “slave” organization that is charged with the oversight of everything belonging to the Master, Christ Jesus. That person cannot feel that there are many roads leading to life, but must realize there is only one. If all religions were simply different roads leading to life everlasting and God’s favor, there would have been no need for Jesus to have organized his followers for the work he commissioned them to do. The Jewish teachings would have been sufficient. The Christian, then, realizes that broad and spacious is the road leading off to destruction, but narrow the gate and cramped the way leading off into life.—Matt. 7:13, 14.