in preaching the good news in these last days of this wicked system of things.

23. What are those claiming to be Christians encouraged to do now?

²³ Do you claim to be a Christian? Do you love the good news of God’s kingdom? Then why not associate with Jehovah’s witnesses in doing the simple work the apostles did, going from house to house, making back-calls, conducting Bible studies and preaching the good news under all kinds of adverse conditions? Paul outlined how you can show your Christian courage when he said: “Become imitators of me, even as I am of Christ.”—1 Cor. 11:1.

Building to the Future According to Requirements

ONLY such building as is in harmony with the purposes of the Creator, Jehovah God, will endure. Why? Because he is almighty and his purposes will be fulfilled. He is the One who constructed the universe, and he is now building an enduring new world of righteousness.—Heb. 3:4; Isa. 65:17.

If we would not come to grief but be truly building with the future in mind, we must build in harmony with Jehovah’s purposes. Furthermore, we must be blameless in the way we go about it, building according to God’s righteous requirements, even as David shows, in our text for the month of January: “Watch the blameless one and keep the upright one in sight, for the future of that man will be peaceful.”—Ps. 37:37.a

Today Jehovah God is having more than one kind of building done. There are both individual building and organizational building, and all dedicated Christians have the privilege of sharing in these. Individual building and organizational building cannot be severed from each other, for that which builds up the individual also builds up the New World society and vice versa.

Building to the future is done by bearing public witness concerning Jehovah’s name and kingdom and making disciples of people of all the nations. In this way one builds up a record of faithful service to God, which He will remember with approval, and he builds up in others strong faith in Jehovah’s promises so that they too reach out for life in God’s new world. This also results in a building up of the size and the maturity of the organization.

For our building to be truly to the future we must do it according to God’s requirements. Jesus emphasized this principle in contrasting the one that built upon a rock-mass with the one that built upon the sand. Paul, the apostle to the nations, likewise stressed the need of our building according to God’s requirements, showing that some would build with gold, silver and precious stones, whereas others would use wood materials, hay and stubble.—Matt. 7:24-27; 1 Cor. 3:12, 13.

Among the things included in God’s requirements is personal study of his Word so that we will be able to give an answer to all that demand of us a reason for our hope as well as that we may come to spiritual maturity. Also, by gathering at meetings with those in God’s congregation now we prove the sincerity of our desire for the future, namely, to be included in the association of his people in the new world.—Ps. 119:2; 84:10.

In particular must we watch our conduct. As noted in Psalm 37:37, we must keep blameless and be upright if our future is to be peaceable. That includes bringing forth the various fruits of the spirit mentioned at Galatians 5:22, 23:

We must cultivate love, for it is basic, active and unselfish; joy, because it gives us strength; peace, because it means good relations with all; long-suffering, which we need to be truly helpful to others; kindness, which means being considerate to all irrespective of who they may be; goodness, which means uprightness; faith, which serves as a shield and ‘spurs love to action’; mildness, by which we recommend the truth to others; and self-control, without which we would undo all the good accomplished by the other fruits of the spirit.

So during the month of January share in building to the future according to requirements, to Jehovah’s praise and to your lasting happiness.