The Door Is Still Open!
1 At our recent district assemblies one of the dramas reminded us that, in the days of Noah, Jehovah made it very clear when the opportunity for others to gain salvation in the ark had ended. It was not Noah who shut the door. After Noah and his family, along with specimens of the birds and animals, had gone into the ark at the appointed time, then, as the Bible says, “Jehovah shut the door behind him.”—Gen. 7:16.
2 What about our own day? Now it is the spiritual paradise that is the antitypical ark, Jehovah’s provision for survival. Though there was a time when the anointed class did not realize that there would be gathered into this place of safety a “great crowd” of persons with eternal life on earth in view, such an ingathering is now taking place. (Isa. 55:5) Right down to this time large numbers of such persons are gaining entry into the spiritual paradise. During just the past service year, right here in the United States, 71,300 persons were baptized in symbol of their dedication to Jehovah through Jesus Christ, the Greater Noah. Obviously, the door is still open!
3 How inappropriate it would be for any of us to endeavor in effect to pull that door shut prematurely by letting up in the preaching of the good news! God’s will is that “all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.” (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) The ingathering of recent months is an indication that there is work yet to be done. Blessings come to us when we harmonize our lives with God’s will. And we have opportunity to do that during November by offering in the field service a book that discusses at length the spiritual paradise and how to get into it. The book also points to the delightful prospects for the future that await persons who take the necessary steps now to be numbered among the survivors of the “great tribulation.” This is the new book Man’s Salvation out of World Distress at Hand! Let’s be enthusiastic about offering it to others.
4 Of course, we encourage interested ones to do more than simply peer into the spiritual paradise. True, it is delightful to read about it. It is refreshing to attend meetings at the Kingdom Hall, associating with persons who produce the fruitage that is characteristic of that paradise. But to establish themselves as residents of that spiritual paradise, they must make a commitment, acknowledging, “Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:10; see also Re 7 verses 16, 17.) This involves dedication, publicly symbolized by water immersion. Have you made such a commitment? This is no time to put off making such a dedication to Jehovah God.—Matt. 28:19, 20.
5 Once inside, we need to be sure that we stay there. This includes submitting ourselves to the King of the spiritual paradise, Jesus Christ, and working in genuine harmony with others dwelling there. Harmonizing our lives with God’s purpose requires that we do this. (Eph. 1:9, 10; Ps. 133:1) Genuinely unselfish cooperation should mark all our dealings with one another. This is true, not only within our individual congregations, but in our relations with other congregations. This generous spirit should be evident in working out meeting times between congregations that share the same Kingdom Hall, in caring for expenses involved in maintaining the hall, yes, even in helping another congregation, whether personally or congregationally, to build a new Kingdom Hall that we may not personally use. Unlike the world, our concern should not be to seek advantage for ourselves, but to promote wholeheartedly the building up of the spiritual paradise. (1 Cor. 10:24; Phil. 2:1-4) This. is how we feel when we recognize that we are just one congregation under Jesus Christ.
6 By personally reflecting godly fruitage, also by zeal in preaching and disciple-making, may all of us aid as many as possible to get into the antitypical ark while the opportunity is yet open.
[Blurb on page 1]
Harmonizing Our Lives with God’s Purpose.