Organized to Fight Hard for the Faith

HOW thankful we should be to Jehovah God that his modern witnesses are properly organized to fight hard for the true faith! Organizationally they are well equipped to heed the words of Jude: “Beloved ones, . . . I . . . exhort you to put up a hard fight for the faith that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones.”—Jude 3.a

Today we have mature brothers, appointed by the “faithful and discreet slave” and serving under its direction, that see to it that the organization is kept clean. (Matt. 24:45-47) The district servants, the circuit servants and, in particular, the congregation committees, made up of mature brothers, put up a hard fight to keep the organization clean. They see to it that willfully unclean ones are cast out by disfellowshiping, while those overtaken in sin and sincerely repentant are put on probation.—1 Cor. 5:13; Gal. 6:1.

As we had called to our attention recently, God is long-suffering; he does not desire that any of his little ones should perish. (Matt. 18:14) But let us ever be on guard that we do not receive the undeserved kindness of God and miss its purpose by turning it into an excuse for loose conduct. (2 Cor. 6:1; Jude 4) How easily we could fall we can appreciate when we remember that the human heart is “more treacherous than anything else.”—Jer. 17:9.

How shall we put up this hard fight individually? By staying close to Jehovah’s organization and his Word, in particular making good use of the precious privilege of prayer, for we cannot do it in our own strength. We must discipline our minds and hearts to dwell on lovable, chaste, upbuilding things.—Prov. 4:23; Phil. 4:6-8.

Keeping busy in Christian activities is one of the best ways for us to stay free from the corrupting influences of Satan’s tools. Not only do such activities serve protectively, keeping us from doing what is bad, but they also provide us with many joys, such as the joy of learning new truths, the joy of association and the joys of sowing seed, watering it and then seeing it grow to maturity! Truly, blessed are all they that share in the organized hard fight for the faith!

Missionaries Who Give Free

HOW refreshing in these days when prices are constantly rising to learn of missionaries who will give free of what they have! “You received free, give free” was the theme of the address by President N. H. Knorr to an audience of 2,023 on the occasion of the graduation of the 42nd Class of the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead in New York city, September 11, 1966.

President Knorr illustrated his point by reference to the things of creation. The clouds receive and give water free. So also the earth, the plant life and, finally, humans in a physical way take in nourishment and then give by way of growth, work and thought. In the same way the free gifts of Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere made possible the special missionary training received free by the graduating students, and now it is their turn to give free.

The speaker cautioned the students that, while they were saturated with the truth, they must feed it gradually to truth-thirsty ones, not in a sweeping torrent, but like gentle rain that promotes fruitfulness. He also counseled the student body to keep filling themselves with the truth through regular study, so they may go on speaking the pure truth to those they contact in their missionary assignments. He reminded them that “the lip of truth” is what “will be firmly established forever.”—Prov. 12:19.

Though now the students would be leaving loved ones to go into faraway missionary fields, the speaker reminded them that they were already loved by many who had not yet seen them, persons in remote areas who look confidently to the missionaries for help. The president’s concluding appeal to the students was, ‘You have received free, now give free.’ Then followed the reading of a resolution by the whole class of students, expressing appreciation for the benefits received and determination to give of themselves generously in their missionary assignments.

The Society’s vice-president, F. W. Franz,