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Telling the Good News from Day to DayThe Watchtower—1956 | December 15
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thousands of people of good will regardless of their nationality and language. Its composer is the happy God Jehovah, who inspired it by his holy spirit. His Song Director for us is his royal Son, Jesus Christ. Do not withhold your voice, then. Under him join the swelling chorus all over the earth. Sing, sing for joy, in entrancing harmony with all the New World society. Unitedly, unceasingly, tell out the good news of salvation by Jehovah God from day to day.
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Guard Your Associations!The Watchtower—1956 | December 15
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Guard Your Associations!
ALL God’s commands bear testimony to his love, wisdom and justice. What he commands is for our best, our highest and our most enduring welfare. He commands our doing certain things and forbids us certain pleasures only because he loves us and wants to see us happy. As he exclaimed regarding his ancient people Israel: “If only they would develop this heart of theirs to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, in order that it might go well with them and their sons to time indefinite!”—Deut. 5:29, NW.
Among the laws that God gave his ancient people for their own good were those relating to the guarding of their association. They were not to intermarry with pagans nor even to intermingle with them: “You must form no marriage alliance with them,” for they will surely cause you to “serve other gods, and Jehovah’s anger will indeed blaze against you and he will certainly annihilate you in a hurry.” And again, “They should not dwell in your land, that they may not cause you to sin against me.”—Deut. 7:3, 4; Ex. 23:33, NW.
But lacking faith in God and love for him the nation of Israel time and again violated these commands with disastrous results. Even their wisest king came to grief on this very score. In his old age he allowed his pagan wives to turn his heart away from his God Jehovah, so that he died unfaithful, an apostate.
The same holds true with Christians today. For our own good Jehovah commands that we guard our association. We are living in perilous times, likened unto the days of Noah and Lot. Being imperfect, weak and having an inherited bent toward sin, we are prone to succumb to the world’s flattery or to compromise because of fear of its opinion. That is why the apostle Paul warns: “Do not be misled. Bad associations spoil useful habits.”—1 Cor. 15:33, NW.
As Christians we are counseled to renew our minds and to put on a new, Christlike personality. To the extent that we can we must, therefore, avoid associating with those who object to our having this change take place in us. “For the time that has passed by is sufficient for you to have worked out the will of the nations when you proceeded in deeds of loose conduct.” And, “because you do not continue running with them in this course to the same low sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and go on speaking abusively of you”; behind your back, if not in your presence.—1 Pet. 4:3, 4, NW.
For our spiritual welfare Jehovah explicitly commands us to marry “only in the Lord,” not to “become unevenly yoked with unbelievers.” Why? “For what partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? . . . Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols?” Absolutely none whatever! Loyalty to our God and his organization will cause us to respect these commands.—
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