to stand the strain, in and out of prison, for years, and continue to preach with love and kindness? Testifying to such Christian completeness is this report from a brother in East Germany, who wrote about the arrest of his son: “He was arrested by the SSD and after seven weeks of imprisonment on remand sentenced to four years in the penitentiary. He was charged with having brought literature into East Germany from West Berlin. I myself was imprisoned from 1950 to 1956 and another one of my children from 1951 to 1954, because of the truth. Both of us who are back home are determined here in East Germany to continue serving the Lord with our humble power, and may He give us further of His undeserved kindness.”

FACTORS IN ATTAINING CHRISTIAN COMPLETENESS

22. What basic quality is needed in gaining completeness?

²² Like these faithful servants, it is needful for all who please Jehovah to be well rounded out in their Christian completeness. The basis of all their efforts must be love. This is clear from the context of Jesus’ words about Christian completeness: “You heard that it was said: ‘You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you; that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous. For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have? are not also the tax collectors doing the same thing? And if you greet your brothers only, what extraordinary thing are you doing? Are not also the people of the nations doing the same thing? You must accordingly be complete, as your heavenly Father is complete.”—Matt. 5:43-48.

23. What other qualities are necessary for completeness?

²³ To become complete, the Christian must develop maturity, with its qualities of integrity. He must honestly observe his weaknesses, and work hard to eliminate them. He must apply Jesus’ counsel daily: “If you want to be complete, go sell your belongings and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come be my follower.” Spiritual values must be placed higher than the material, and completeness attained by obediently following in Jesus’ steps.—Matt. 19:21.

24, 25. (a) What must be said about New World and old-world associations? (b) What is the “fruitage of the spirit,” and how may it be cultivated?

²⁴ Associations must be watched. Often relatives or former worldly friends would like to impose on the time set aside for New World associations. Do not let them do it! Be firm about it! Those hours set aside each week for meeting attendance and for Kingdom service are the most precious hours of the week. They are hours that belong to one’s Christian worship, and no one of the old world has a right to interfere with them. To those who might get involved in such relationships, Jesus says: “Keep following me.” If relatives and old-world friends want to follow along too, they can be given every loving assistance. However, never let them distract from your own growth to maturity and attaining Christian-completeness.—Matt. 8:21, 22.

²⁵ The need for right associations is something that the newly interested person, the long-dedicated person, and everyone in between, should engrave on his heart. Old-world associations will die with the old world. Why run the risk of dying with it? Association with one’s brothers in the New World society brings joy, peace, satisfaction and, in the end, eternal life. These are the associations to cultivate, associations with those who are showing the “fruitage of the spirit.” Through these associations, all come to dwell in the same love, the same joy and peace, the same long-suffering, the same kindness and goodness, the same faith, the same mildness and self-control. There is the place to attain Christian completeness! Right in there in the loving association of the New World society!—Gal. 5:22, 23; Heb. 10:24, 25.

26. How will good study habits help in attaining completeness?

²⁶ Another factor in attaining completeness is diligent and systematic study of Jehovah’s Word. Is not half an hour of personal study daily of more value than a well-earned half hour of rest or sleep? Form the study habit. With the habit of rising each morning combine the habit of considering the morning’s text. With the habit of the noon-hour break combine the habit of some theocratic reading. With the habit of going to bed each night combine the habit of further meditation on God’s Word. Read the Bible daily. Good study habits will help in ‘making over the mind’ for a joyful, zealous share in New World activity as the complete minister of God. How wonderfully worth while, in attaining to Christian maturity!—Josh. 1:6-8.

27. Who are most privileged of all earth’s people today, and what must these do?

²⁷ Who will be content with a minimum of service or of association? Having made the break for freedom, let all hold fast that freedom. (Gal. 5:1) Press on to attain completeness in the New World society. Most privileged of all is the lot of all those who, in complete dedication to Jehovah, continue to ‘present their bodies a sacrifice, living, holy, acceptable to God, a sacred service with their power of reason.’ Let the break from “this present evil world” be complete, lasting, irrevocable! With minds completely made over to New World thinking, and lives completely given over to New World living, let all strive to “be complete, as your heavenly Father is complete.”

“According to Their Wish”

Writing in the Union Bible Companion, S. Austin Allibone says: “Sir Isaac Newton . . . was also eminent as a critic of ancient writings, and examined with great care the Holy Scriptures. What is his verdict on this point? ‘I find,’ says he, ‘more sure marks of authenticity in the New Testament than in any profane history whatever.’ Dr. Johnson says that we have more evidence that Jesus Christ died on Calvary, as stated in the Gospels, than we have that Julius Caesar died in the Capitol. We have, indeed, far more. Ask anyone who professes to doubt the truth of the Gospel history what reason he has for believing that Caesar died in the Capitol, or that the Emperor Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the West by Pope Leo III in 800. . . . How do you know that such a man as Charles I ever lived, and was beheaded, and that Oliver Cromwell became ruler in his stead? . . . Sir Isaac Newton is credited with the discovery of the law of gravitation. . . . We believe all the assertions just made respecting these men; and that because we have historical evidence of their truth. . . . If, on the production of such proof as this, any still refuse to believe, we abandon them as stupidly perverse or hopelessly ignorant. What shall we say, then, of those who, notwithstanding the abundant evidence now produced of the authenticity of the Holy Scriptures, profess themselves unconvinced? . . . Surely we have reason to conclude that it is the heart rather than the head which is at fault;—that they do not wish to believe that which humbles their pride, and will force them to lead different lives.”

Concerning those who would ignore such truths as the great flood of Noah’s day, God’s Word says it is “according to their wish.”—2 Pet. 3:5.