Study From The Watchtower, Week of May 1 to 7, 2023, Why be baptized?, Underlined Answers.

Study From The Watchtower, 1-7-May-2023, Why be baptized?, Underlined Answers.

Yellow: Direct Answer.

Dark Yellow: Additional Answer.

Light Blue: Additional Points.

"Let each one of you be baptized" (ACTS 2:38).

1, 2. (a) In general, what happens when someone is baptized? b) What will we see in this article?

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN a group of candidates for baptism? a). When they answer the two questions the speaker asks, their voices are full of conviction. His family and friends cannot contain their joy. And, when the candidates come out of the water, their faces radiate happiness, and applause is heard from all present. On average, every week thousands of people take that step. Thus they become dedicated and baptized witnesses of Jehovah.

2 If you are thinking of being baptized, it means that you are "seeking the Lord," and that makes you shine in this dark world (Ps. 14:1, 2). b). This article has been prepared for you, whether you are young or old. Here you will find three of the many reasons we have for serving Jehovah. And what about those of us who are baptized? This article will reinforce our desire to serve our God forever. 

HIS LOVE FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE

3. Why do Jehovah's servants love truth and justice? (Psalm 119:128, 163).

3 Jehovah gave his servants this command: “Love the truth” (Zech. 8:19). Furthermore, Jesus stressed the importance of seeking justice (Matt. 5:6). This means that we should want with all our might to do what is right, good, and clean from God's point of view. Do you love truth and justice? For sure yes. That is why he hates lies and everything that is false and bad (read Psalm 119:128, 163).Those who lie act like Satan, the ruler of this world (John 8:44; 12:31). One of the Devil's goals is to stain Jehovah's holy name. He has been telling lies about our God since the Garden of Eden rebellion, where he implied that Jehovah is a lying, selfish ruler who deprives humans of good things (Gen. 3:1, 4, 5). Because of his toxic lies, many people have a low opinion of Jehovah. When people choose not to love the truth, Satan can lead them to commit all kinds of injustice and evil acts (Rom. 1:25-31).

4. How has Jehovah shown that he is “the God of truth”? (See also image).

4 Jehovah is “the God of truth” and he generously teaches the truth to those who love him.—Ps. 31:5. He thus opens their eyes and frees them from the Devil's lies. In addition, Jehovah teaches his servants to be honest and act justly, and this dignifies them and gives them inner peace (Prov. 13: 5, 6). Have you seen that in your life since you started studying the Bible? You have already learned that there is no better guide for mankind and for you than that of Jehovah (Ps. 77:13). That is why he wants to follow Jehovah's righteous standards (Matt. 6:33). He also wants to defend the truth and show that everything Satan has said about our God is a lie. How can you achieve it?

ILLUSTRATION

Satan uses a snake to talk to Eve. Satan has been staining Jehovah's holy name for thousands of years. (See paragraphs 3 and 4)

5. What can you do to stand up for truth and justice?

5 What you do with your life will show others that you reject Satan's lies , that you stand for the truth, that you want Jehovah to be your ruler, and that you want to obey his righteous standards. For your life to convey that message, you must promise Jehovah in a prayer that it will serve you forever. She then has to be baptized to publicly show that she has dedicated herself to him. It is clear that love for truth and justice is a powerful motivation to take the step of being baptized.

HIS LOVE FOR JESUS ​​CHRIST

6. According to Psalm 45:4, what reasons do we have to love Jesus Christ?

6 Why do you love Jesus Christ? We find some compelling reasons in Psalm 45:4 (read it). Jesus defends and promotes truth, humility and justice. So it stands to reason that if you love truth and justice, you also love Jesus.   For example, think about the courage with which Jesus stood up for truth and justice (John 18:37). But how does it promote humility?

7. What strikes you most about the humility of Jesus?

7 Jesus promotes humility with his words and actions. For example, he always gives all the glory to his Father; he never seeks recognition from others (Mark 10:17, 18; John 5:19). What do you think of the humility of Jesus? Does it not impel you to love the Son of God and follow in his footsteps? For sure yes. Why is he so humble? Because Jehovah is humble, and Jesus loves his Father and perfectly imitates his personality (Ps. 18:35; Heb. 1:3). Doesn't that bring you closer to Jesus?

8. Why do we love that Jesus is our King?

8 We love that Jesus is our King because he is the ideal ruler. Jehovah himself trained him and made him King (Is. 50:4, 5). Also, think of the selfless love Jesus showed us (John 13:1). Since Jesus is our King, he deserves all our love. He himself explained that people who truly love him—those he considers his friends—show his love by obeying his commandments (John 14:15; 15:14, 15). What a tremendous honor to be able to be friends with the Son of Jehovah!

9. How is the baptism of Jesus similar to that of Christians?

9 One of Jesus' commandments is that his followers be baptized (Matt. 28:19, 20). He himself set the example. Although there are some differences between his baptism and his disciples' baptism, there are also similarities (see sidebar “Differences Between Jesus' Baptism and His Followers”). For example, when Jesus was baptized, he presented himself to do the Father's will for him (Heb. 10:7). His disciples do something similar. When they are baptized, they publicly demonstrate that they have dedicated themselves to Jehovah and that from now on the most important thing in his life is to do God's will, not theirs. Thus they follow the example of their Master.

Differences between the baptism of Jesus and that of his followers

The baptism of Jesus:

He did not have to dedicate himself to Jehovah because he was born into a nation that was already dedicated to God (Ex. 19:4-8).

He did not have to repent of any sin or ask God for a good conscience because he was perfect (Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 2:22).

The baptism of the followers of Christ:

Today, there is no race or nation dedicated to Jehovah, as was ancient Israel (Acts 10:34, 35). Today, followers of Jesus dedicate our lives to Jehovah before being baptized.

In order to be baptized, human beings, who are imperfect, must first repent of the sins committed and ask God for a good conscience (Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 3:21).

10. What reasons do you have for loving Jesus, and what should that love motivate you to do?

10 You believe that Jesus is the only begotten Son of Jehovah and the King that God has chosen to rule over us. He knows that Jesus is humble and that he perfectly imitates the personality of his Father. You have learned that he fed the hungry, comforted the discouraged, and even healed the sick (Matt. 14:14-21). You have seen for yourself that he leads the Christian congregation today (Matt. 23:10). And he knows that as King of the Kingdom of God he will do wonderful things for us in the future. How can she show him her love? Following his example (John 14:21). So one of the steps you should take is to make a dedication to Jehovah and be baptized.

HIS LOVE FOR JEHOVAH

11. What is the main reason for being baptized, and why?

11 What is the main reason for being baptized? We find it in what Jesus said about the most important commandment of God. He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). Do these words describe the love you have for God?

ILLUSTRATION

Images of some gifts that show Jehovah's love. 1. An assortment of fresh foods. 2. A family enjoys a cookout. 3. Jesus on the torture stake. All the good things you have and will have in the future are a gift from Jehovah. (See paragraphs 12 and 13).

12. Why do you love Jehovah? (See also pictures).

12 There are many reasons to love Jehovah. For example, you have learned that he is “the fountain of life” and that he gives us “all good gifts and all perfect gifts” (Ps. 36:9; James 1:17). All the good things you have come from Jehovah, who is generous and loves us very much.

13. Why is the ransom such a special gift?

13 The ransom is a special gift from Jehovah. Why can we say that? Let's think about how much Jehovah and his Son love each other. Jesus said, “The Father loves me” and “I love the Father” (John 10:17; 14:31). That relationship grew stronger and stronger over billions of years (Prov. 8:22, 23, 30). Now think how heartbreaking it must have been for Jehovah to allow his Son to suffer and die. But Jehovah so loves mankind, including you, that he gave his dear Son as a sacrifice so that you and others might live forever (John 3:16; Gal. 2:20). Can there be a greater reason than this to love God?

14. What is the best decision you can make in life?

14 Your love for Jehovah has grown stronger as you have learned more about him. Surely you want your friendship with Jehovah to continue to grow now and for eternity, and that is possible. With your words and your actions you can bring joy to his heart. In fact, Jehovah warmly encourages him to do so.—Prov. 23:15, 16. What you decide to do with your life will show if you really love Jehovah (1 John 5:3). Leading a life that pleases Jehovah is the best decision you can make.

15. In what way can you show your love for Jehovah?

15 How can you show your love for Jehovah? First, she must say a special prayer to him to tell him that she is dedicated to him, the only true God (Ps. 40: 8). Afterwards, he must be baptized to make public that dedication that he has made in private. As we mentioned earlier in the article, his baptism is a very happy moment, which marks a before and after in his life. From that day on he no longer lives for you, but for Jehovah (Rom. 14:8; 1 Pet. 4:1, 2). That may seem like a big step, and it certainly is, but it gives you a chance to enjoy the best life possible. Let's see why.

16. As indicated by Psalm 41:12, what reward will Jehovah give to those who use their lives to serve him?

16 Jehovah is the most generous person there is. No matter what you give him, he will always give you much more (Mark 10:29, 30). Even now in this world that he is nearing his end, he will give him the most fascinating, rewarding and happy life he could have. And this is just the beginning. The path that begins with his baptism does not have to end; he can serve his dear Father forever. The love between you and Jehovah will continue to grow, and you, like Jehovah, will live forever, for all eternity.—Read Psalm 41:12.

17. What is something that Jehovah does not have that you can give him?

17 By dedicating yourself and being baptized, you have the privilege of giving your Father something very valuable. All the good things you have and all the happy moments you have enjoyed have been given to you by Jehovah. And you can give the owner of heaven and earth something that he does not have: his loyalty and his unconditional service (Job 1: 8; 41:11; Prov. 27:11). There's nothing better I can do with his life. Without a doubt, your love for Jehovah is the most powerful reason for being baptized.

ARE YOU READY TO BE BAPTIZED?

18. What questions can you ask yourself?

18 After what we have seen, are you going to be baptized? Only you can answer this question. One thing that can help you is to ask yourself, “Am I ready to take this step?” (Acts 8:36). Remember the three reasons to be baptized that we have discussed. First, his love for truth and justice. Ask yourself, "Do I want to see the day when everyone tells the truth and does the right thing?" Second, his love for Jesus Christ. Ask yourself: “Do I want the Son of God to be my King and do I want to follow in his footsteps?” . And, third and most important, his love for Jehovah. Ask yourself: “Do I want to serve Jehovah and thus make his heart glad?” . If you answered yes to these questions, why not get baptized? What stops it? (Acts 16:33).

19. Why shouldn't you hesitate to get baptized? Give an example (John 4:34).

19 If you still don't know if you should be baptized, think of an example Jesus set (see John 4:34). Jesus said that doing his Father's will was like his food. Because? Because food does us good. Jesus knew that everything Jehovah asks of us is good for us. Jehovah does not ask us to do things that hurt us. Well, God's will is that you be baptized (Acts 2:38). So you can be sure that obeying the command to be baptized will do you a lot of good. If you were served the most delicious food in the world, wouldn't you hesitate to eat it? Then don't hesitate to get baptized either.

20. What will we see in the next article?

20 What stops some from taking this step? Perhaps they feel that they are not ready. It is true that the decision to dedicate yourself to Jehovah and be baptized is the most important decision you will make in your life. So think it through, take your time, and do your best to be prepared. But if you want to be baptized, what will help you get ready to take that step? We will see in the next article.

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

Why does love for truth and justice prompt us to be baptized?

We are driven by love for truth and justice, because Jehovah teaches his servants to be honest and act justly, and that dignifies them and gives us inner peace.

Why does love for Jesus Christ prompt us to be baptized?

Since Jesus is our King, he deserves all our love. He himself explained that the people who truly love him —those he considers his friends— show him his love by obeying his commandments.

Why does love for Jehovah prompt us to be baptized?

First, He prompts us to make a special prayer to tell him that we will dedicate ourselves to him, the only true God. Afterwards, we must be baptized to make public that dedication that we have made in private.

And we can give to the owner of heaven and earth: our loyalty and our unconditional service.