was in no way a false worshiper at the time of his presenting himself to God and baptism. Only in so doing can a person give Jehovah his exclusive devotion.—Ex. 20:5.

16. (a) How does the record about Cornelius aid us to know how a proper dedication is made? (b) What are some important questions one must consider before dedicating oneself to God?

¹⁶ The Bible record of Cornelius, an army officer, reveals a man changing from a past course of life and becoming a Christian minister. Acts 10:30-32 tells how his earnest prayers to Jehovah brought angelic response and how Peter was directed to the home. Baptism is rightly performed by dedicated men; so Peter was sent. Of special interest to one wishing to make his dedication to God is the act of faith known as prayer. When one makes his dedication he prays to Jehovah in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son, the Mediator between God and man. Are you one who, desiring to make a dedication to serve God, has prayed to Jehovah to tell him so? Have you examined yourself to see if you are Scripturally qualified or clean from objectionable worldly practices so you might properly make a dedication to Jehovah to serve Him? Dedication is a solemn decision made unconditionally and an act of faith. Are you able to answer “Yes” to the two questions regularly propounded when individuals present themselves for Christian baptism?

(1) Have you recognized yourself before Jehovah God as a sinner who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him, the Father, through his Son Jesus Christ?

(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightening power of the holy spirit?

If so, then we say: “And now why are you delaying? Rise, get baptized and wash your sins away by your calling upon his name.”—Acts 22:16.

REMEMBER WHAT FOLLOWS DEDICATION

17, 18. (a) Why may dedication and baptism be termed “a good beginning”? (b) What is the goal of those who undertake God’s service in association with Christ?

¹⁷ Faith and works must continue following dedication. Not only is the baptism done in the name of the Father, the Son and holy spirit, but thereafter one must faithfully show appreciation for his relationship to the Father, the Son and holy spirit. The dedication and baptism might be called a good beginning; they must be followed up by endurance in continually doing Jehovah’s will. It is a spiritually refreshing work in association with Christ Jesus. (Matt. 11:28-30) Jesus is our special example of faith and endurance following presenting oneself to God, at whom we are to look intently: “So, then, because we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also put off every weight and the sin that easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, as we look intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus. For the joy that was set before him he endured a torture stake, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Indeed, consider closely the one who has endured such contrary talk by sinners against their own interests, that you may not get tired and give out in your souls.”—Heb. 12:1-3.

¹⁸ Baptism is a part of beginning the race or course that leads to life. It is a race in which endurance is a primary factor. For the present God’s will is the preaching of good news of the Kingdom, and it is not yet completed. (Matt. 24:14) Christians are obligated to God on account of their dedication, and their happiness comes as they observe the faith. At the end of his ministry the baptized apostle Paul was able to say with confidence: “I have fought the fine fight, I have run the course to the finish, I have observed the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7) One of the things required is to keep on preaching and teaching until that part of God’s work is concluded. Later on other blessed privileges will be given to the faithful creatures serving Jehovah.—Isa. 32:1.

19. With aid of God’s Word of truth, what course must be maintained following dedication and baptism?

¹⁹ Other matters also require our vigilance. Dedicated servants must maintain their position clean from Babylon the Great and the rest of Satan’s system of things. Prior to God’s great battle of Har–Magedon it is important that God’s servants be found scattered all over the earth for the purpose of telling out the good news of the Kingdom. Thus they cannot avoid contact with people of the world, but they do not allow themselves to become entangled again. Giving close attention to the truth, God’s Word, keeps them fortified and alert against uncleanness. They recall to mind what Jesus prayed for prior to his death, saying to his heavenly Father: “I request you, not to take them out of the world, but to watch over them because of the wicked one. They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world. Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth.”—John 17:15-17.

20. How and why do dedicated servants of Jehovah study the truth?

²⁰ The best way to keep a strong hold on the truth is by regular consideration of the truth in association with others of faith in a congregation. It becomes even more vital as we near the end of Satan’s rule. Bible study meetings in the congregation are Jehovah’s provision for building up his servants as each one makes open declaration of truths from the Bible. So it becomes a duty of man toward his God unwaveringly to maintain regular association with the Christian congregation, “not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:23-25) There can be no end to taking in truth; it must be a continuous action if we are to gain everlasting life. Jesus put it this way in his prayer to Jehovah God: “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.

21. (a) How do we press on to maturity? (b) What kind of fruit do mature ones produce?

²¹ Through accurate knowledge strong faith can be maintained. A little knowledge will start a Christian in the way, but we must not be satisfied with what is learned up to the time of baptism. Baptism is but one of the primary doctrines. What the apostle Paul describes as solid spiritual food is to be taken hold of and used. To serve God well we must desire to broaden out our knowledge of his purposes, to progress toward maturity with the help of God. This we can do if we keep using God’s Word, and it will put us in position to be able to guide ourselves in a life pleasing to God as we are able to choose the right things and reject the wrong. “Solid food belongs to mature people, to those who through use have their perceptive powers trained to distinguish both right and wrong. For this reason, now that we have left the primary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying a foundation again, namely, repentance from dead works, and faith toward God, the teaching on baptisms and the laying on of the hands, the resurrection of the dead and everlasting judgment. And this we will do, if God indeed permits.” (Heb. 5:14–6:3) Those who walk humbly with their God press on to maturity from year to year, and this will equip them to serve well now and in the centuries to come if they are faithful. This wise course of life has a definite effect upon each servant of God. The more developed he becomes as a dedicated servant of God the more he will be found living in accord with God’s spirit. It should be the heart’s desire of each of us to show the fruitage of the spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control,” and at the same time impaling “the flesh together with its passions and desires.”—Gal. 5:22-24.

22. How do dedication and baptism test our faith?

²² This brief consideration of God’s requirements connected with dedication and baptism and the course to be taken thereafter helps us to appreciate what Jesus Christ meant when he commanded the discipling and teaching work among people of all the nations so they could observe all the commandments. (Matt. 28:19, 20) We are called upon to use the intelligence and free will God put into man when we take the vow of dedication. Once we have done as God wants us to do and made a dedication, Jehovah expects us to continue serving him for as long as we may live, and that may be forever. (Eccl. 5:4) This takes faith. But we should have faith that Jehovah will help us to meet our obligations; the faithful apostles did so and were blessed with success. Turning to modern times, last year alone 64,393 individuals symbolized their dedication to God through water immersion, and Jehovah is helping them. Persons dedicated to God have the whole association of brothers to help and encourage them also. For Christians, baptism is a joyous step toward everlasting worship of Jehovah God.

DOING WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO

23, 24. (a) What is it that every man ought to do? (b) Is Jehovah indifferent toward man and the earth?

²³ Did you ever stop to think that man really owes God all these things? Is it reasonable for God to expect all this of mankind? Let us not forget where man got life; without it nothing can be enjoyed. But if we serve Jehovah we must not become boastful. Jesus used this illustration to make an important point for us: “Who of you is there that has a slave plowing or minding the flock who will say to him when he gets in from the field, ‘Come here at once and recline at the table’? Rather, will he not say to him, ‘Get something ready for me to have my evening meal, and put on an apron and minister to me until I am through eating and drinking, and afterward you can eat and drink’? He will not feel gratitude to the slave because he did the things assigned, will he? So you, also, when you have done all the things assigned to you, say, ‘We are good-for-nothing slaves. What we have done is what we ought to have done.’”—Luke 17:7-10.

²⁴ The point is, when we serve God it is only what we ought to be doing. It is right. Jehovah God knows what is good for man. We are in the right position when serving Him. Multitudes of people in Noah’s day took the opposite course and died disastrously. Ancient Israel went astray and it brought them only trouble. Jehovah God is not indifferent toward mankind or what is going on here upon the earth. Israel thought so: “For they are saying, ‘Jehovah is not seeing us. Jehovah has left the land.’” (Ezek. 8:12) “Jehovah will not do good, and he will not do bad.” (Zeph. 1:12) But men who feel that way are wrong. Jehovah is aware of all the violence, wickedness and evil, as well as the indifference and reproaches against His name, and he will take action against all wrongdoers—Rev. 11:17, 18.

25. What does God want us to do in proving our faith?

²⁵ Jehovah did not create man to be a violent destroyer of people or the earth itself. Above all, man is supposed to keep two great commandments. “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. The second, like it, is this, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22:37-40) Jehovah’s way is the way of love. “Do not you people be owing anybody a single thing, except to love one another; for he that loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. For the law code, ‘You must not commit adultery, You must not murder, You must not steal, You must not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there is, is summed up in this word, namely, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does not work evil to one’s neighbor; therefore love is the law’s fulfillment.” (Rom. 13:8-10) The expression of love for God and neighbor is a positive action. Should any man become indifferent or careless, failing to endure in it whole-souled, he must expect rejection as unfit to serve God. (Rev. 3:16) While we keep the second of the great commandments by showing love for our brothers, our neighbors, we must always remember what comes first, and that is to keep on loving our Creator, Jehovah God. That is the proof of our faith, that it is real and is acceptable to God.

26. What is the obligation of man?

²⁶ If we are contemplating dedication and baptism, we now have a fine opportunity to examine our position and take steps that will lead us into harmony with Jehovah God. Or if we have already made a dedication, it is a good time to determine whether we are living up to our obligations and pressing on toward Christian maturity. Yes, after consideration of this subject dealing with the relationship of man to his Creator each one should know what he owes God. “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.”—Eccl. 12:13.

Things to Be Done by Sundown

While sunset marked the close of the daylight period among the Israelites, it marked the start of the new calendar day, which officially began at sunset, being counted from evening to evening. (Lev. 23:32) Because the day ended at sunset, the Mosaic Law required certain things to be done by sundown. A garment taken in pledge had to be returned to its owner “at the setting of the sun.” (Ex. 22:26, 27) Also, wages had to be paid to hired laborers (Deut. 24:15); and a person who had been ceremonially unclean must bathe himself, and, following sunset, be considered clean again. (Deut. 23:11) The sunset’s closing of one day and initiating a new one give added meaning to the apostle’s exhortation not to let “the sun . . . set with you in a provoked state.”—Eph. 4:26.