What Sort of Persons Ought You to Be?
1 A time of accounting draws near for all mankind. The Bible calls it “the day of Jehovah.” It is the time when divine judgment will be executed against the wicked; it is also a time of deliverance for the righteous. All persons then alive will be called to account for the way they have used their lives. With that in mind, Peter raises a probing question: “What sort of persons ought you to be”? He stresses the importance of ‘holy acts of conduct, deeds of godly devotion, and keeping close in mind Jehovah’s day,’ as well as the need to be ‘spotless, unblemished, and in peace.’—2 Pet. 3:11-14.
2 Holy Acts of Conduct and Deeds of Godly Devotion: Holy conduct includes exemplary works that show respect for Bible principles. (Titus 2:7, 8) A Christian must avoid worldly conduct that is motivated by selfish, fleshly desires.—Rom. 13:11, 14.
3 “Godly devotion” is described as “a personal attachment to God, springing from a heart stirred by a deep appreciation for his appealing qualities.” Our zeal in the ministry is an outstanding way that we manifest this quality. Our motive in preaching goes beyond a mere sense of duty; it springs from a deep-seated love for Jehovah. (Mark 12:29, 30) Being motivated by such love, we view our ministry as a meaningful expression of our godly devotion. Since our devotion must be constant, our share in the preaching work should be consistent. It should be an integral part of our weekly schedule of activity.—Heb. 13:15.
4 Keeping Jehovah’s day “close in mind” means keeping it foremost in our daily thoughts, never relegating it to a place of insignificance in the background. It means keeping Kingdom interests first in our lives.—Matt. 6:33.
5 Spotless, Unblemished, and in Peace: As part of the great crowd, we have ‘washed our robes and made them white in the Lamb’s blood.’ (Rev. 7:14) Being “spotless” means, then, that we must steadfastly guard against our clean, dedicated lives being sprinkled with impurities from the world. We keep ourselves “unblemished” by refusing to let ungodly, materialistic pursuits disfigure our Christian personality. (Jas. 1:27; 1 John 2:15-17) We demonstrate that we are living “in peace” by reflecting “the peace of God” in all our dealings with others.—Phil. 4:7; Rom. 12:18; 14:19.
6 If we successfully guard against worldly contamination, we will never be “fashioned after this system of things,” which has been condemned by Jehovah. Rather, our fine works will help others see the distinction “between one serving God and one who has not served him.”—Rom. 12:2; Mal. 3:18.
7 Most of us have attended the “Joyful Praisers” District Convention, and the refreshing spiritual food has undoubtedly intensified our desire to demonstrate our godly devotion. Many new ones share this desire. We can be a blessing by helping them to participate in field service during August.
8 Jehovah’s name is magnified, the congregation is strengthened, and others are benefited when we conscientiously maintain “fine works.” (1 Pet. 2:12) May we always be that sort of person.