DAILY TEXT, Today Tuesday November 8, Hold on to what you learned and were persuaded to believe (2 Tim. 3:14).

DAILY TEXT, Tuesday November 8, Hold on to what you have learned and been persuaded to believe (2 Tim. 3:14).

Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2022

Tuesday, November 8

Stand by what you learned and were persuaded to believe (2 Tim. 3:14).

Jesus said that people would know who his disciples are by their love for one another (John 13:34, 35). But, if we want to have a strong faith, we must do something else. Our faith should not only be based on the love shown by true Christians. Why? Let us say that a brother, even an elder or a pioneer, commits a serious sin, or hurts us, or becomes apostate and says that we do not have the truth. What would we do in any of these cases? Would we stumble and stop serving Jehovah? This teaches us that if we want to have strong faith, it must be based on a good friendship with Jehovah, not on what other people do. Our faith is like a house, which should not be built only with “soft” materials like feelings and emotions, but also with “solid” materials like facts and logical reasoning. We must convince ourselves that the Bible teaches us the truth about Jehovah (Rom. 12:2). w20.07 8 paras. 23.

According to Matthew 13:3-6, 20, 21, what happens to some when their faith is tested?

Jesus said that some would accept the truth “with joy” but that their faith would wither when trouble came (read Matthew 13:3-6, 20, 21). They may not understand that by following Jesus they will have difficulties and trials (Matt. 16:24). Or maybe they think that the life of a Christian is just a bed of roses full of blessings. But, in this imperfect world, it is inevitable to have problems. Circumstances can change and take away some of the joy for a time (Ps. 6:6; Eccl. 9:11).

How do most of Jehovah's servants show that they are convinced that they have the truth?

Most of Jehovah's servants show that they are convinced that they have the truth. How do we know? Because their faith is not shaken when a brother hurts them or does something that is not typical of a Christian (Ps. 119:165). With each trial they face, their faith grows stronger, not weaker (Jas. 1:2-4). What must we do to have a faith like that?

On what was the faith of the first-century disciples based?

The faith of the first-century disciples was based on their knowledge of the Scriptures and the teachings of Jesus Christ, that is, on “the truth of the good news” (Gal. 2:5). This truth is the body of Christian teachings, which includes the details about the sacrifice of Jesus and his resurrection. The apostle Paul was sure that these teachings were true. Why do we know? Because he used the Scriptures to prove “by reference that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and rise from the dead” (Acts 17:2, 3). The early Christians accepted these teachings and sought the help of the holy spirit to understand God's Word. They investigated to make sure such teachings were based on the Scriptures (Acts 17:11, 12; Heb. 5:14). Their faith was not based on feelings and emotions alone, and they were not serving Jehovah just because they enjoyed being with other Christians. Rather, they based their faith on “the exact knowledge of God” (Col. 1:9, 10).

How will our faith in Bible truths benefit us?

The truths of God's Word never change (Ps. 119:160). For example, they do not change if a brother offends us or commits a serious sin. And they don't change when we have problems either. So we must thoroughly know the biblical teachings and be convinced that they are true. Just as an anchor keeps a ship afloat during a storm, our faith based on biblical truths will sustain us in difficult times. How can we be even more convinced that we have the truth?