Human Imperfection, Teboho Kibe [read a book .txt] 📗

But friend, someone may ask: I understand that John’s baptism was for remission of sins committed against the Mosaic law, but that water baptism in Jesus’ name is not for remission of sins. It symbolizes the person’s dedication to do Jehovah’s will. However, those who believe water baptism now washes away sins quote Acts 2:38 as proof. Does this text support their claim?

Acts 2:38 (NW) reads: “Peter said to them: ‘Repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the free gift of the holy spirit.’”

Well, John’s baptism was for Jews under the law covenant and indicated their repentance of sins they had committed against that law. Their being baptized by John’s baptism showed their repentance and Jehovah forgave them their sins. But this case at Acts 2:38 was different. Peter was talking to opposers. It is unlikely that they had submitted to John’s baptism in preparation to receive Christ; anyway, they did not receive him but opposed him and must bear responsibility for his impalement, being a part of the house of Israel upon whom the blood of Jesus came. When Peter’s hearers heard of their responsibility for Jesus’ death, either personal responsibility or community responsibility, they were stabbed to the heart, saw their error, and asked what they could do to correct matters. Peter said they should repent and be baptized in Jesus’ name to get their sins forgiven. These were not sins against the law covenant but were sins against Jesus. These were the sins they must repent of. How could they show this repentance and gain forgiveness?

The way for forgiveness was no longer through animal sacrifices offered at the temple in Jerusalem. That law arrangement for forgiveness through temple sacrifices was no longer effective. Now the effective sacrifice was Jesus, his shed blood, and there was no other name given whereby men could be forgiven and saved. Accept him and get forgiveness from God through him, through Jesus, through the merit of his shed blood. This repentance of sins and acceptance of Jesus and his cleansing blood was to be shown by baptism in the name of Jesus. The baptism was only a symbol. This immersion in water did not in itself effect forgiveness of sins, washing them away like a bath does dirt. If that were the case, then one would have to be baptized again and again, repeatedly washing away new sins, just as we bathe to get clean, then later on have to bathe again. The animal sacrifices did not actually and effectively remove sins either, being merely pictorial and having to be repeated over and over again. It is Jesus’ blood that cleanses from sin, not water, and “unless blood is poured out no forgiveness takes place.”—Heb. 9:22, NW.

Acts 22:16 (NW) states: “And now why are you delaying? Rise, get baptized and wash your sins away by your calling upon his name.” Not by mere water immersion, but by calling on his name are sins washed away. Cornelius called on Jehovah’s name and he accepted Christ Jesus and was baptized by holy spirit. For this to happen his sins must have been forgiven, yet it was all before he was baptized in water. If one repents and accepts Christ and trusts in His shed blood one’s sins can be forgiven. Water immersion in Jesus’ name is important, but only as a symbol and public demonstration of repentance of sins and acceptance of Jesus and dedication to do Jehovah’s will faithfully, as Jesus did.

Now my friend, in trying to describe what true success is in this imperfect world, I’d like to share with you the talk, public address or speech that was delivered by the president of the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, Nathan.H.Knorr, at the graduation exercises of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 30, 1950, at the Yankee Stadium, New York city, as the opening feature of the 8-day international assembly of Jehovah’s witnesses. There are some principles we can learn from it and try to apply in our lives too. I am quoting it in italics.

“Then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”—Josh. 1:8.

JEHOVAH is conducting a Government school of success. There is nothing else on earth like it. Since it graduated a Master Instructor it has been in operation for nineteen hundred years. The wonderful course that it offers through him is an education and training for life through all eternity to come. You will not graduate from this school until you have proved yourself worthy of the right to everlasting life. Gaining this right is the measure of a person’s real success, and it is a credit to the School Instructors and a lasting joy and blessing to the successful graduate. Success is really to be measured in terms of living, and not in the fleeting superficial things of this world. The One who gained the highest type of life, immortality in the heavens, said: “What benefit will it be to a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul? or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26, NW) To what greater success could any man or woman attain than to gain endless life in happiness, that with it he might serve the God who bestows this prize? Next to that, what sweeter privilege could we have than to help someone else to gain such life with us? None. Then how to make such a success is the question, and Jehovah’s theocratic school of success supplies the answer.

To enter this school we have to turn ourselves over fully to the great Conductor of the school, Jehovah God. We have to submit ourselves fully to his course of instruction and be willing to learn according to his way. That means we have to choose to serve God and to enter into an agreement with him to do his will, desiring his will to be done in everything. We want him to make out of us what he wants, and not what this world thinks we ought to be. After more than four thousand years of existence this world has proved itself a dismal failure, showing that it has no life of freedom, of tranquillity and of joy to offer. All the schools it has established till now have failed to teach its students how to gain such a life. And so the glowing plans that this world wants to map out for us according to its idea of success are doomed to end up in bitter disillusionment for us, in this modern electronic age the same as in all previous ages. The days of this world are numbered, and all those who are studying and aiming for success in this world will pass out with it in destruction.

But Jehovah God wants his students to find a permanent place in the free new world which he creates and which will never pass away. That is his desire for us who enter his school. His beloved Son Jesus said: “Likewise it is not a desirable thing with my Father who is in heaven for one of these little ones to perish.” (Matt. 18:14, NW) He wants to have us attain to eternal life in the world to come, and he knows just the course of study, training and activity that we need for us to succeed. It is, therefore, essential that we obey his will as Teacher.

This rule for success he emphasized long ago. The prophet Moses was soon to climb Mount Nebo for a look at the Promised Land of milk and honey and die and, before parting, he led the Israelites into a covenant of faithfulness toward Jehovah God and said: “Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.” (Deut. 29:1-9) Through Moses Jehovah God gave the Book of the Law to the Israelites. He appointed Moses’ faithful servant Joshua to be his successor to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua’s success as the one taking Moses’ place would be measured by his leading the people of God’s covenant triumphantly across the Jordan river and subduing and clearing out the enemies that then occupied the land. When Joshua comes back in the resurrection from the dead and you ask him what worked for his success, he will tell you it was obedience to these words of Jehovah God to him: “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”—Josh. 1:7, 8.

That settles it for us: The way to good success lies in loyal obedience to our divine Teacher, Jehovah. But to obey we have to familiarize ourselves with his will. He has given us his written Word, but we have to meditate on it day and night that we may make out what his will is for us, what work he wants us to do. That Word must not depart from our mouths, but we must keep it on our tongue and discuss it with others and must declare it to others for their guidance to success. Our loving Teacher is ever ready to help us to learn his will and know the truth. He watches our line of action in trying to do his will and is always there to guide us. Assuringly he says to us: “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will counsel thee with mine eye upon thee. Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding; whose trappings must be bit and bridle to hold them in, else they will not come near unto thee.” (Ps. 32:8, 9, AS) If we have better sense than a horse and a mule we will come willingly to our great Master Jehovah God and will look to him for instruction and teaching, and will always try to carry these out, knowing that his eye is upon us to watch how we do and correct us when we make mistakes. So he keeps us from going the wrong way, which ends up in failure. We could not have a more devoted teacher than he is, one who is sincerely and lovingly interested in the lasting welfare of his pupils and concerned for their ultimate success.

Jehovah’s beloved Son Jesus Christ was his greatest pupil, and if we copy his example we shall be certain to succeed as he did. Jesus was completely resigned to doing what his Father and Teacher showed to be his will and speaking what He taught him to say in this world. For doing his Father’s will to the limit, he was lifted up with his hands and feet nailed to a torture stake. Not a success in this world’s eyes, of course. But it proved the Devil a liar in saying no man could be completely faithful to God in this world, and it showed Jesus’ perfect integrity and obedience to God as Sovereign Ruler over all. Therefore Jesus said to the Jews: “When once you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing of my own initiative, but just as the Father taught me I speak these things.” (John 8:28, NW) Jesus admitted to being taught by his