The Watchtower Study, "Article 50", Week of February 5 to 11, 2024, God declares us righteous by our faith and by our works, Answers.

The Watchtower Study, "Article 50", 5-11-February-2024, God declares us righteous by our faith and by our works, Answers.

“They follow closely the steps of faith that our father Abraham had” (ROM. 4:12).

1. What might we ask when thinking about Abraham's faith?

We may wonder if we can follow closely in Abraham's footsteps and have a faith as strong as his.

We may wonder this because the Bible, in Romans 4:11, presents Abraham as the father of all those who have faith, which leads us to reflect on the possibility of emulating his strong faith.

2. Why is it important that we examine Abraham's example? (James 2:22, 23).

Examining Abraham's example is important, because it will help us have a faith as strong as his.

It is important to examine Abraham's example because through his actions, such as obeying what God commanded him, moving to a faraway land, living in tents, and being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, he demonstrated strong faith. Therefore, if we analyze his life and his decisions, we can learn how to cultivate and maintain a strong faith and please Jehovah.

Both Paul and James highlighted Abraham's example so that everyone, including us, can imitate him and be obedient even in the most difficult trials, manifesting a firm faith. And also so that we can obtain the approval and friendship of Jehovah.

3. What verse did Paul and James quote from?

Paul and James cited Genesis 15:6, which says that Abraham put his faith in Jehovah, and he considered him righteous. Which means that Jehovah considered Abraham to be a righteous, blameless and blameless person, so he was very happy with him even though he was an imperfect and sinful human being.

WE MUST HAVE FAITH SO THAT GOD CONSIDERS US RIGHTEOUS

4. What prevents us human beings from being fair?

Romans 3:23 says that what prevents us from being righteous is that we have all sinned, so we fall short of the glory of God.

5. Why did Jehovah declare Abraham righteous? (Romans 4:2-4).

It was not because Abraham perfectly obeyed the law of Moses, because the nation of Israel received that law more than 400 years later. Rather, Jehovah showed Abraham undeserved kindness and declared him righteous because of his faith. 

Romans 4:24 shows that the works that Abraham did through his faith were counted to him and credited as righteousness. This, logically, did not make Abraham a perfect or sinless man, but it implied that because he had exercised faith in the Divine promise related to offspring and because he had strove to obey Jehovah's commands, he considered him righteous.

6. Why does Jehovah declare a sinner righteous?

Jehovah declares a sinner Righteous for putting faith in him and not for his works. Therefore, when a sinner puts his faith in Jehovah, he completely forgives his sins, since he does not take them into account, considers them blameless and declares him righteous.

7. In what sense were God's servants of the past righteous?

God's faithful servants of the past, such as Abraham, David, and others, were declared righteous even though they remained imperfect and sinful, because Jehovah considered them blameless because of their faith, compared to those who did not worship him.

For this reason, the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans emphasizes that faith is fundamental to being friends of Jehovah, as it was for Abraham and David, and as it is for us as well.

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND WORKS?

8, 9. What wrong conclusion have some reached, and why?

Some have mistakenly concluded that Paul and James had opposite views on faith and works. Some argue that Paul believed in salvation by faith alone, while James emphasizes the importance of works. However, both apostles wrote under the Inspiration of Jehovah, and their teachings do not contradict each other. The key to understanding their perspectives lies in analyzing the full context of their words.

10. What “works” was Paul primarily talking about? (Romans 3:21, 28; see also images).

In these verses, Paul was primarily referring to the works of the law that God gave to the Israelites through Moses. Paul emphasized that Jehovah's approval is not achieved through the observance of these works of the law, but through faith. What he said is very encouraging because it teaches us that we can have Jehovah's approval if we have faith in him and in Christ.

Apparently, some Jewish Christians found it difficult to accept that the law had been annulled and that it was no longer necessary to do the works that the law commanded, such as wearing a little blue string on the edge of one's clothing, celebrating the Passover, or washing oneself according to a certain law. rituals. Therefore, Paul used the example of Abraham to demonstrate that God's approval is not obtained by doing the works of the law, but by having faith.

ILLUSTRATION

Images of Paul and three “works of the law” that the Law of Moses required. 1. Someone sewing a little blue string on the edge of a garment. 2. The Passover meal: a roast lamb, unleavened bread and bitter vegetables. 3. A man washes his hands while another pours water on them. Paul told the Jewish Christians living in Rome that it was not necessary to perform works of the Law, but to have faith. (See paragraph 10). 

11. What “works” was James talking about?

The works mentioned in Chapter 2 of James refer to the activities that Christians carry out in their daily lives, since these works can reflect whether a Christian has authentic faith in Jehovah or not. For this reason, James highlights the importance of our actions demonstrating our true faith in God.

12. How did James explain the relationship between faith and works? (See also images).

In the first example, James said that Christians had to be impartial and treat all people equally. He made them see that if they treated a rich man kindly but despised a poor man, although they claimed to have faith, in reality his works demonstrated the opposite. In the second example, he spoke of someone who saw a brother or sister who needed clothing or food, but did nothing to help them. Even if that person claimed to have faith, since he was not demonstrating it with actions, he was of no use, because faith alone, without works, is dead.

James encouraged Christians to demonstrate their faith by doing good things for others, such as helping the poor, such as those who need clothing, food, or something else as seen in the image.

ILLUSTRATION

Images of the disciple Santiago and an example of an act of kindness. A first-century couple gives food and clothing to a poor, older woman while others, who are well dressed, chat in the background. James told Christians that they should demonstrate their faith through works, such as being impartial and doing good things for others. (See paragraphs 11 and 12). 

13. What example did James mention to make clear that we must demonstrate with works that we have faith? (James 2:25, 26).

James mentioned the example of Rahab to illustrate the importance of demonstrating our faith in God with actions. Rahab, by protecting the Israelite spies, demonstrated her trust in Jehovah and was declared righteous despite her imperfections and his non-Israelite origin. Her brave act teaches us the importance of evidencing our faith through works.

14. How do you explain the difference between what Paul and James wrote?

The difference is in the perspectives from which James and Paul approached the issue of faith and works. While Paul emphasized that God's approval is not obtained through works of the law, especially for Christians of Jewish origin, James highlighted the importance of all believers demonstrating their faith through good actions. Both apostles, inspired by Jehovah, offered complementary teachings on the same biblical truth.

15. Name some ways we demonstrate our faith with works. (See also images).

Jehovah invites us to follow Abraham's example of faith, not necessarily by repeating exactly what he did, but by demonstrating our faith in various ways through our daily actions. Some ways we demonstrate our faith include welcoming those new to the congregation, helping those in need within the fellowship, performing Kind acts for our family members, and preaching enthusiastically.

All of these actions are pleasing to Jehovah and allow us to demonstrate our confidence in his promises and wisdom. By doing so, we can be sure that Jehovah will consider us righteous and will count us among his friends.

ILLUSTRATION

Images of brothers and sisters who demonstrate with works that they have faith. 1. A brother greets a man in a wheelchair and his companion as they arrive for the meeting. 2. A sister writes a letter. 3. A couple preaches in the cart. Does your faith compel you to do works that please Jehovah? (See paragraph 15).

HOPE STRENGTHENS OUR FAITH

16. What was the relationship between Abraham's hope and faith?

Despite challenging circumstances and the apparent impossibility of having a child at an advanced age, Abraham kept hope alive in Jehovah's promise. This Hope strengthened his faith, allowing him to trust that he would become the father of many nations, as promised. So the relationship was that Abraham's hope strengthened his faith in Jehovah and in the fulfillment of his promises. Hence, in the most difficult moments, this faith became unbreakable.

17. How do we know that it is possible for God to declare us righteous and consider us his friends?

Like Abraham, we can get Jehovah to declare us righteous and consider us his friends. If we have faith, we carry out works that reflect that faith, we will be able to keep hope alive in his promises.

Paul reminds us that the words: “It was considered” apply not only to Abraham, but also to us, as long as we cultivate faith in Jehovah, manifest this faith in our works, and strengthen our faith with the hope that Jehovah's promises will be fulfilled. without fail.

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

What did Paul mean when he wrote that “a man is declared righteous by faith and not by works of the law”?

Paul in his letter to the Romans speaks of the happiness of the man whom God considers righteous but not for his works. With these words he meant that the acts that the Mosaic law required were no longer applied.

According to what James said, what relationship is there between faith and works?

James said that all Christians have to demonstrate their faith by doing good works. With these words he was referring to individual works, that is, the things we do for others and that come from the heart.

In what ways can we demonstrate with works that we have faith?

For example, gladly welcoming those new to the congregation, helping brothers who are in real need and doing good things for our family members. But the most important way we have to demonstrate faith is preaching.