Watchtower Study, Week 13-19 May 2024, “Constantly Follow” Jesus after Baptism, Underlined Answers.

Watchtower Study, May 13-19, 2024, “Constantly Follow” Jesus after Baptism, Underlined Responses.

Yellow: Direct Response.

Dark Yellow: Additional Response.

Light Blue: Additional Points.

“If anyone wants to be my follower, let him renounce himself and take up his torture stake day after day and follow me constantly” (LUK. 9:23).

1, 2. How does someone's life improve when they are baptized?

WHEN someone is baptized, they become part of Jehovah's family. What a joy! Those who enjoy this special relationship with Jehovah surely agree with these words of the psalmist David: “Happy is the man whom you [Jehovah] choose and bring with you to live in your courts” (Ps. 65:4).

2 Now Jehovah does not allow anyone to enter his courts. As we saw in the previous article, he has decided to approach those who show that they want to be his friends (James 4: 8). When you dedicate yourself to Jehovah and are baptized, you form a special relationship with him. Jehovah promises them: “You will see that I… pour out blessings on you until you lack nothing” (Mal. 3:10; Jer. 17:7, 8).

3. What serious responsibility do all dedicated and baptized Christians have? (Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5).

3 Of course, baptism is just the beginning. All Christians want to live up to our dedication , even when we face temptations and tests of faith (read Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5). We must also faithfully follow Jesus' example and his commands (Matt. 28:19, 20; 1 Pet. 2:21). This article will help us achieve this.

“CONSTANTLY FOLLOW” JESUS ​​DESPITE PROBLEMS AND TEMPTATIONS

4. In what sense do we disciples of Jesus carry a “torture stake”? (Luke 9:23).

4 Do not think that, after being baptized, your life will be a bed of roses. In fact, Jesus said that each of his disciples would have to bear his own “torture stake day after day” (read Luke 9:23). Was Jesus saying that his followers would always be suffering? Not at all. What he meant was that, apart from the blessings they would receive, they would face difficulties, some of them painful (2 Tim. 3:12).

5. What blessings did Jesus promise to those who make sacrifices for the Kingdom?

5 You may have already faced family opposition or made some material sacrifice to put the Kingdom first (Matt. 6:33). If this is your case, you can rest assured that Jehovah knows everything he has done for you.​—Heb. 6:10. You have probably seen how true these words of Jesus are: “There is no one who has left home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or fields for me and for the good news that he does not receive now, in this time, 100 times more—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, although with persecutions—and, in the system to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29, 30). The blessings you have received certainly far outweigh the sacrifices you have had to make (Ps. 37:4).

6. Why will you have to continue fighting against “the lust of the flesh” after you are baptized?

6 After you are baptized, you will have to continue fighting against “the lust of the flesh” (1 John 2:16). At the end of the day, it will still be imperfect . You may sometimes feel like the apostle Paul, who said, “The man that I am on the inside really likes the law of God, but in my body I see another law that fights against the law of my mind and makes me a prisoner.” from the law of sin that is in my body” (Rom. 7:22, 23). He may feel frustrated by having to fight evil desires. But thinking about the promise he made to Jehovah when he dedicated his life to her will give him the strength to resist temptations. The truth is that the vow of dedication will make your life easier when temptation presents itself. Why do we say it?

7. How will being dedicated to Jehovah help us be loyal?

7 When a person dedicates his life to Jehovah, he renounces himself. This means that he says no to personal desires and ambitions that displease Jehovah (Matt. 16:24). So, when we face a test, we won't have to think about what we are going to do. For us, there will only be one possible option: to be loyal to Jehovah. We will be totally determined to please you. When we dedicated our lives to Jehovah, we said no to all other options. We will be like Job, who although he went through terrible difficulties stated with absolute conviction: “I will not give up my integrity” (Job 27:5).

8. Why will meditating on our vow of dedication help us resist temptations?

8 Meditating on the fact that we have promised to do the will of Jehovah will give us strength to resist any temptation. For example, are we going to flirt with someone who is married? Of course not! By dedicating ourselves to Jehovah, we already close the door to that option. Since from the beginning we do not allow bad desires to take root in our hearts, we will not have to go through the hard time of fighting to uproot them later. We will completely turn away from “the path of the wicked” (Prov. 4:14, 15).

9. Why will meditating on our vow of dedication help us keep spiritual activities first?

9 What if they offer us a job that will prevent us from attending all the meetings ? The answer is very clear. Long before they made us that offer we had already made the decision to reject it. Therefore, we will not make the mistake of accepting the job and then looking for a way to continue putting Jehovah first. The example of Jesus can help us. Just as he was determined to please his Father, we too will immediately and firmly reject everything we know is displeasing to the God to whom we are dedicated (Matt. 4:10; John 8:29).

10. How will Jehovah help us to consistently follow Jesus after we are baptized?

10 In reality, problems and temptations allow us to demonstrate that we are determined to constantly follow Jesus. And we know that Jehovah will help us achieve this , because the Bible says: “God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear, but when temptation comes, he will also give you a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13).

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO CONSTANTLY FOLLOW JESUS

11. What is one of the best ways to consistently follow Jesus? (See also images).

11 Jesus served Jehovah wholeheartedly, and through prayer he remained close to him (Luke 6:12). One of the best ways to consistently follow Jesus after you are baptized is to develop and maintain the habit of doing things that bring you closer to Jehovah. The Bible says, “No matter how far we have progressed, let us continue to walk rightly along the same path” (Philipp. 3:16). From time to time, you will hear about the experiences of brothers who decided to do more for Jehovah. Perhaps they went to Kingdom Evangelizer School or moved to a place where help was needed to preach. Do you have the circumstances to do the same? Well go ahead! Jehovah’s servants are always looking for ways to expand their ministry.​—Acts 16:9. But what if at the moment you can't do it? Don't think that you are worth less than those who can. The most important thing in the Christian race is endurance (Matt. 10:22). Don't forget that Jehovah is very happy if you give him the best based on his circumstances and abilities. That way he will be able to constantly follow Jesus after being baptized (Ps. 26:1).

ILLUSTRATION

A young woman who has just been baptized in a pool looks very happy. Featured images: 1. she Goes out to preach. 2. Attend the School for Kingdom Evangelizers. 3. Install electrical wiring in a construction project. After you are baptized, set a goal to do things that will bring you closer to Jehovah. (See paragraph 11).

12, 13. What can you do if you see that you are starting to lose enthusiasm? (1 Corinthians 9:16, 17; see also the box “What to do to keep running the race.”)

12 What if you find that your prayers have become mechanical, or if you feel stuck in a routine and don't enjoy preaching and reading the Bible as much as you used to? If this happens to you after being baptized, do not think that you have lost the spirit of Jehovah. Since we are imperfect, it is normal to have ups and downs from time to time. If you see that he is beginning to lose enthusiasm, meditate on the example of the apostle Paul. Although he strove to imitate Jesus, he knew that at times he would lack the motivation to do what was right (read 1 Corinthians 9:16, 17). He said, “Even if I do it against my will, it is still the responsibility entrusted to me.” In other words, Paul was determined to fulfill his ministry regardless of how he felt at times.

13 Similarly, don't let your imperfect feelings influence your decisions. Rather, be determined to do the right thing even when you have no desire to do so. Over time, your actions will influence how you feel for the better. If you maintain a good program of spiritual activities, you will be able to consistently follow Jesus after baptism. Furthermore, seeing your perseverance, the brothers in the congregation will feel encouraged (1 Thes. 5:11).

ILLUSTRATION

Series of images: 1. An athlete eating a very nutritious dish; In a circle you see a brother reading the Bible. 2. The athlete stretching; In a circle the brother is seen commenting at a meeting. 3. The athlete running; In a circle you see the brother preaching in the cart. An athlete must stay in shape to continue running. Similarly, a Christian must remain spiritually strong to continue serving Jehovah after baptism.

“KEEP EXAMINING YOURSELF”

14. What is good for you to examine from time to time, and why? (2 Corinthians 13:5).

14 After you are baptized, it is important to examine your life and habits from time to time (read 2 Corinthians 13:5). For example, notice if you are praying every day, reading and studying the Bible, attending meetings, and preaching. Find ways to get more out of those activities and bring them to life. You might ask yourself, “Do I know how to explain the basic teachings of the Bible? Is there anything I can do to enjoy ministry more? Are my prayers specific and do they reflect my complete trust in Jehovah? Do I make an effort not to miss any meetings? What can I do to be more focused in meetings and give better feedback?”

15, 16. What does Robert's experience teach you?

15 It is also good to examine yourself to see what your weaknesses are. Let's look at an experience that shows the importance of doing this. A brother named Robert says: “When he was about 20 years old, he worked part time. One day after work a colleague invited me to her house. She said that since we would be alone, we could 'have a good time.' At first I made some cheap excuses, but in the end I said no and explained why.” Robert resisted the temptation, and that's fine. But then he thought about what happened and recognized that he could have handled the situation better. He says, “I was not as quick or as firm as Joseph was with Potiphar's wife (Gen. 39:7-9). In fact, I didn't expect it to be so hard for me to say no. What happened helped me see that I had to strengthen my friendship with Jehovah.”

16 Suppose you are presented with a temptation and you reject it. Still, why doesn't he do the same as Robert? Ask yourself, “Did it take me a long time to say no?” If you see that there is something you need to improve on, don't be discouraged. On the contrary, think that it is good that you have realized that weakness. Talk to Jehovah about it and get to work to strengthen your resolve to obey him. (Ps. 139:23, 24)

17. As seen in Robert's experience, what effect does our loyalty have on Jehovah's name?

17 But Robert's story does not end there. He goes on to say: “When I rejected my classmate 's invitation , she told me 'Passed the test.' I asked her what she meant. She explained to me that a friend—who had been a Witness—had told her that all young Witnesses lead a double life and that if they get the opportunity to do something bad, they will take it without a second thought. So she told her friend that she would do the test with me. How glad I am that I have not tarnished the name of Jehovah !”

18. What are you determined to do after you are baptized? (See also the box “Two very useful articles”).

18 When you dedicate your life to Jehovah and are baptized, you show that you want to sanctify his name no matter what . And he can be sure that Jehovah is aware of the problems you have and the temptations he resists. He sees that he strives to remain faithful and will bless him for it. Do not doubt it: with his holy spirit, he will give you strength to do what is right (Luke 11: 11-13). With Jehovah's help, you will be able to consistently follow Jesus after you are baptized.

Two very useful articles

If your parents are teaching you the truth, it will help you to read the two articles in the “What Should I Do After I am Baptized?” series in the “Young People Ask” section of jw.org. Part 1 will help you maintain your friendship with Jehovah, and Part 2 will help you maintain integrity in the face of problems and temptations.

WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?

In what sense do Christians carry a “torture stake day after day”?

In the sense that every day we have the opportunity to decide what we will do, on Our path there will be roses but also Thorns, Jesus said it, apart from the blessings that His followers would receive, they would face difficulties, some of them painful as mentioned in 2 Timothy 3 :12.

What can you do to consistently follow Jesus after you are baptized?

What we can do to constantly follow Jesus after being baptized is by being loyal to Jehovah in the face of offers that arise and that will test our loyalty and worship of God.

We must also resist temptations instead of falling into them, quickly and firmly, we will avoid playing with temptation.

Why will meditating on your vow of dedication help you be faithful?

Because as the days go by, we could lose enthusiasm, and feel that we no longer want to continue in the congregation, that we feel discouraged or even disappointed, that it was not what we expected, that is when meditation will help us move forward instead of surrender.