Oldal:WT 4-1936 - Our responsibility.djvu/8 forrásának megtekintése

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THe WATCHTOWER.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
persecuted by the Devil, and at all times Christ Jesus
was wholly faithful and obedient to his Father, and
by reason of obedience he suffered. Through all of this
he maintained his integrity toward Jehovah God and
was by Jehovah made the author of eternal salvation
to all who obey him. (Heb. 5:9) There is no other way
for the true followers of Christ Jesus to maintain their
integrity toward God. The servant of Jehovah in this
hour of great trial is subjected to great persecution
by the Devil and his agents, and God suffers or per¬
mits them to be thus assaulted that they may have
opportunity to prove their integrity. This great truth
was never made plain to God’s people until it pleased
the Lord to recently give them an understanding of
the prophecy of Ilabakkuk. In every part of the earth
called “Christendom” the Devil’s chief earthly
agency, to wit, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy, con¬
tinues to increase the pressure upon and persecution
of Jehovah’s witnesses. God could prevent this, of
course, but he has a reason for permitting it, and those
who render a full and true account to the Lord will
ultimately come through unscathed and will have a
part in the vindication of Jehovah’s name.
TRUTH
22 Jesus was sent to the earth by Jehovah to bear
witness to the truth, and he said: “Every one who is
of the truth hcarkeneth unto my voice.” (John 18: 37,
Noth.) This means that anyone in lhe covenant to do
the will of God, and who fails or refuses to obey the
Lord and hence does not bear witness to the truth as
commanded, is no longer of the truth and cannot re¬
ceive the Lord’s approval. The testimony must be
delivered as the Lord has commanded, and all who re¬
ceive the Lord’s approval in this day will joyfully
participate in the giving of that testimony as op¬
portunity is afforded. Tiie servant has no alternative,
but must obey the Lord. There are not two courses,
but just one, that he must take, and his only course
is to obey the commandment of the Lord and do it
joyfully. The true follower of Christ Jesus will not
stop to debate the question as to what course he should
take. His course is plainly marked out for him in
the Scriptures, and he must close his eyes to every¬
thing else and therefore be blind to everything except
the kingdom interests. “Who is blind, but my servant?
or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as
he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant?”
(Isa. 42:19) The kingdom is here, and the servant
class, to whom the kingdom interests are entrusted,
will go forth and proclaim the message of the kingdom
and thus give a true accounting. In some parts of the
earth, such as Germany, God’s faithful witnesses are
thrown into prison, cruelly persecuted, beaten, and
some of them put to death. This could not take place
except by God’s permission; and since he does permit
it, those who continue faithful unto death are certain
to have the approval of the Lord. His approval js the
only thing that is worth while.
WHY
23 Why the emphatic demand that the truth now be
told with greater plainness than ever before? Is it for
the benefit of the Lord? Certainly not for the Lord’s
benefit, because after the servant has done all he is
still an unprofitable servant to the Lord. No one can
bring any benefits to God. This is the ‘day of his
power’, and before God will have his power employed
for the destruction of the wicked one it is his purpose
to have the warning given, that each one may bear his
own responsibility. Israel symbolically stands for
those who desire to serve and undertake the service
of God, and it is the will of God that all such shall
receive some knowledge. A watchman is one who
watches out for and safeguards the interests that are
committed into his keeping. God begins to exercise
his power relative to the earth through Christ Jesus,
and he provides a watchman for his kingdom interests
on earth. That watchman is not one man, but is col¬
lectively made up of the “faithful and wise servant”
class to whom God’s kingdom interests on earth are
now entrusted. The Lord’s judgment day is here, and
the hour rapidly approaches when he will destroy all
the wicked who persist in their wickedness. To the
“faithful servant” class the Lord therefore says: “I
have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel:
therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them
warning.” Then says the Lord to the watchman: ‘If
you give them not warning and they die, their blood
I will require at your hands.’ (Ezek. 3: 17-20) Here
the Lord’s Word clearly shows that he has laid upon
the servant class tiie duty of giving warning and in¬
formation to others, that he makes his witnesses re¬
sponsible for performance and demands full and com¬
plete obedience and performance by his servant, and
he places responsibility upon all others who hear. It
is the final testimony before the showdown between
the Lord and the Devil.
24 The Lord Jesus is now upon his judgment seat,
exercising the power which God has committed into
his hands, as both judge and the executor' of his judg¬
ments. Before him are all the nations of the earth.
He now affords them an opportunity to choose whom
they will serve, and therefore he causes his witnesses
to bear' testimony in their hearing that they may
choose to take their place on the Lord’s side and live,
or remain on the Devil’s side and die. The giving of
this testimony is therefore for the benefit of the peo¬
ple and affords, to those who so desire, an opportunity
to take their stand on God’s side and have a part in
the vindication of his name. Jehovah’s witnesses can
be faithful only by giving the testimony in obedience
to God’s commandment and thus look well to the king¬
dom interests entrusted to their care.
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