Tag Archives: faith

James, chapters 1 & 2

“But the one who peers into the perfect law that belongs to freedom and continues in it has become, not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work; and he will be happy in what he does.”
~James 1:25

What is the “perfect law that belongs to freedom?”
It is the “Law of Christ,” which “encompasses everything that Jehovah requires of us.” (Gal. 6:2; Watchtower 7-15-2012, p. 8, parr. 4)
It frees us from being slaves to our fleshly desires and habits. (Rom. 8:5,6; 2 Pet. 2:19)
When we learn to act in unison with God’s holy spirit, displaying qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and self-control, there is no divine law that limits those qualities. We are free to display them without limits. (2 Cor. 3:17; Gal. 5:18,22,23)
If we observe Christ’s law, under God’s kingdom, we will also be free of sin and death. (Rom. 8:20,21)
We peer into the law when we study God’s way of thinking to try to make it our own. (John 8:31,32; 1 Tim. 4:15; Jas. 2:12)

Hebrews, chapters 12 & 13

“Pursue peace with all people […].”
~Hebrews 12:14

Jesus said, “Happy are the peacemakers, since they will be called sons of God.” (Matt. 5:9)
Is it possible to pursue peace without letting others walk all over you?
Abraham’s son, Isaac, had to move on several occasions to keep peace with his neighbors, and Jehovah blessed him. (Gen. 26:12-25)
Eventually, Isaac’s good example brought praise to Jehovah. (Gen. 26:26-31)
If a Christian keeps him or herself “restrained under evil,” in time, the other party could come back to their senses. (Prov. 16:7; 2 Tim. 2:24-26)
We trust that we do not need to take matters into our own hands because Jehovah will hold wrongdoers accountable for their actions. (Rom. 12:17-19)
But pursuing peace is not passive; rather, we try to conquer evil by kindly doing good. (Rom. 12:20,21)
While it may grow tiring waiting on Jehovah, we focus on the future promises for those who endure, and on our spiritual blessings. (Rom. 12:12)

Hebrews, chapter 11

“[…] God is not ashamed of them, to be called on as their God […].”
~Hebrews 11:16

This verse leads me to wonder if I sometimes conduct myself in a way that would embarrass God because I carry his name.
Psalm 15 lists some qualities expected of friends of God: showing integrity, being honest, honoring those who deserve it, rejecting gossip, keeping our word, kindly sharing material things, and rejecting corruption.
God’s Word tells us the importance of believing in him to the point that we do not doubt his individual love for us. (Heb. 11:6)
Other qualities include being willing to make an honest living, and to not entertain ourselves with violence or other activities he hates. (Is. 33:15,16)
And while we may feel unworthy of being called God’s friend, we need humility to keep trying to meet his standards. (Ps. 16:7)

Hebrews, chapters 9 & 10

“For you need endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the fulfillment of the promise.”
~Hebrews 10:36

The work “Insight on the Scriptures” explains that “endurance” in ancient Greek means to “stand one’s ground; persevere; remain steadfast,” and “not lose hope in the face of obstacles.”
Jesus had to wait patiently to receive his heavenly blessings after sacrificing his life, and we do well to imitate his patient attitude. (Heb. 10:12,13)
He taught that what we do towards the end of our Christian ministry counts for more than what we did at the start. (Matt. 24:13; Luke 21:19)
We demonstrate endurance when we look for strength in God’s Word and through prayer, instead of looking for quick and easy short-term solutions to our problems. (Rom. 15:4,5; Jas. 1:5)
We can then face problems with a positive attitude, knowing that without them, we would not have had a chance to demonstrate our faith/hone our Christian qualities. (Rom. 5:3-5; Jas. 1:2-4)
Though God’s promises might sometimes feel like they are too far off, endurance helps us remember that they “will not delay.” (Heb. 10:37)

Hebrews, chapters 7 & 8

“[ …] They will no longer teach each one his fellow citizen and each one his brother, saying: ‘Know Jehovah!’ For they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them.”
~Hebrews 8:11

How is Jeremiah’s prophecy being fulfilled under God’s covenant with annointed Christians?
Annointed Christians show they have God’s law written in their hearts through their preaching work and actions. (Jer. 31:33; Heb. 8:10)
When those of us who do not have a heavenly hope learn about Jehovah, obey him and develop faith, we too come to have his law written in our hearts. (John 17:3; Heb. 11:6; 1 John 5:3)
We do not rely on human teachings, but on the truths found in his Word. (2 Tim. 3:16,17)
He answers our prayers through principles we learn in our study of the Scriptures and when we rely on him in our times of need.
As a result, each one of Jehovah’s Witnesses has the privilege of a personal relationship with Jehovah God through his new kingdom covenant. (Rom. 8:19-21)

Hebrews, chapters 4-6

“[…] A promise of entering into his rest remains […].”
~Hebrews 4:1

Although Jehovah God rested from his creative works on the “seventh day” of creation, there remains a figurative “sabbath” day into which God’s people will enter. (Gen. 2:2,3; John 5:17) This will be when the earth becomes a paradise free of evil, pain or sin, as was God’s original purpose. (Ps. 37:9-11; Is. 33:24; Matt. 5:3-6; 12:8-13; Luke 13:10-13; John 5:5-9; 9:1-14)
That God’s original purpose of a paradise earth will be accomplished is guaranteed by his own word, which is immutable. (Heb. 6:17,18)
Whether we end up entering into God’s rest in person or through the resurrection, we can be sure that our efforts to listen to him and do what is right are never in vain. (Heb. 6:9,10)

Hebrews, chapters 1-3

“Look! I and the young children, whom Jehovah gave me.”
~Hebrews 2:13

This passage is a quote from the book of Isaiah, in which the prophet and his children were to serve as “signs” to the people of Judah. (Is. 8:18)
But the prophet foreshadowed Christ’s role as a means to salvation from death. (Heb. 2:14,15)
His “children” are the annointed members of the Christian congregation who are to rule in heaven with him. (Gal. 3:29; Heb. 2:16)
They serve as signs to us when they proclaim God’s kingdom message of justice. (Luke 4:18,19)
The tenderness with which Jesus views his brothers and sisters upon calling them “children” inspires one to draw closer to his congregation.

Titus, chapters 1-3 and Philemon

“[The undeserved kindness of God] trains us to reject ungodliness and worldly desires and to live with soundness of mind and righteousness and godly devotion amid this present system of things.”
~Titus 2:12

Paul mentions soundness of mind three times in his letter to Titus, as well as alluding to our use of reason. (Tit. 1:8; 2:5; 3:2)
It seems to be the underlying theme of his letter.
He says that for someone whose mind and conscience are defiled, “nothing is clean,” right before he condemns religious hypocrisy. (Tit. 1:15,16)
We can conclude, then, that in order to have a stronger sound mind, we need to continuously nurture our own moral thoughts so as to have purer motives.
A Christian with a sound mind is one who adopts Christ’s way of thinking over his or her own. (Matt. 6:33,34; Rom. 12:2; Phil. 1:9,10; 4:4-7; 1 Pet. 4:7,8)
If we feel this world is pushing us toward our tipping point, we can meditate on the transcendence of God’s promises. (Tit. 1:2)

“[…] You may have him back forever, no longer as a slave, but as more than a slave, as a brother who is beloved […].
~Philemon 15, 16

In his letter to Philemon, Paul entreats him to welcome back their fellow Christian, Onesimus, as a brother more so than as an escaped slave.
Paul did not use his authority in the congregation to promote personal opinions on civic matters.
Instead, he appealed to his friend’s love for God and others. (Phil. 9)
Even today, in such a hate-filled world in which we feel the effects of generations of injustice, we can trust that divine love is capable of eradicating the root causes of inequality. (1 John 4:21)

2 Timothy, chapters 1-4

“In my first defense no one came to my side, but they all forsook me—may they not be held accountable.”
~2 Timothy 4:16

Is it normal to feel alone serving God Jehovah?
After all, our worldwide brotherhood and local congregations are supposed to be a haven of love and kindness amidst this wicked world. (Heb. 10:24,25; 1 John 5:19)
But it is unrealistic to assume others will never fail us.
David, who had an army of supporters at different times in his life, wrote:
“Reproach has broken my heart, and the wound is incurable.
“I was hoping for sympathy, but there was none,
“And for comforters, but I found none.” (Ps. 31:12; 69:20; 142:4)
Job’s closest friends also abandoned him during the hardest time of his life. (Job 19:14)
Jesus’ own friends fled from him when he faced death. (Matt. 26:56)
So we should not be too discouraged nor surprised if our support group does not react the way we need them to.
We are all Christians trying to fight the good fight, and part of that is learning to forgive each other. (Col. 3:13)
Such circumstances also teach us to rely on Jehovah’s unfailing love regardless of what happens. (2 Tim. 4:17,18)

1 Timothy, chapters 4-6

“[…] I desire the younger widows to marry, to bear children, to manage a household, to give no opportunity to the opposer to criticize.”
~1 Timothy 5:14

I have mixed feelings every time I read this passage.
Why did Paul’s advice differ from that given to the women in Corinth ten years earlier? (1 Cor. 7:8,9)
Why did Paul assume that a younger woman was incapable of controlling her sexual desires to the point of remaining single? (1 Tim. 5:11)
Christian women in the first century did not have less help from God’s holy spirit to exercise self-control, so it seems to me he made a rather sexist assumption. (Gal. 5:22-24)
While I can understand that some women who had originally felt hopeless and asked for the congregation’s material assistance might eventually backtrack on their choice and decide to remarry, it is a bit irritating that Paul would state that choice as a matter of fact. (1 Tim. 5:12)
It does seem that he was more concerned with protecting the congregation’s reputation than he was with advocating women’s rights.
While I struggle to see beyond my scope of modern millennial culture, the 2011 Watchtower, July Study edition, points out: “Paul’s words are directed to certain ‘younger widows,’ but the principles he mentions apply to all of us.”
The article goes on to explain that when we keep ourselves busy with good works, we are less likely to do harm to others, for example through gossip. (1 Tim. 5:13)
Paul also stressed the need for extended family members to care for each other first. (1 Tim. 5:16)
So whatever Paul’s reasons were for wording his instructions the way he did, the principles underlying his advice are timeless.