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Young Ones—Are You Ready to Get Baptized?The Watchtower (Study)—2016 | March
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Young Ones—Are You Ready to Get Baptized?
“Who of you wanting to build a tower does not first sit down and calculate the expense to see if he has enough to complete it?”—LUKE 14:28.
The following two articles are addressed to young people who are considering baptism
1, 2. (a) What gives God’s people joy today? (b) How can Christian parents and elders help young ones to understand the meaning of baptism?
“I HAVE known you since you were born,” said a Christian elder to 12-year-old Christopher, “and I’m happy to hear that you want to get baptized. I would like to ask you, ‘Why do you want to take that step?’” The elder’s question was valid. Of course, it gives all of us much joy to see that every year thousands of young people around the world get baptized. (Eccl. 12:1) At the same time, Christian parents and elders in the congregation want to make sure that such young ones make a decision that is not only voluntary but also well-founded.
2 God’s Word indicates that the steps of dedication and baptism are the start of a life during which Christians will experience blessings from Jehovah but also opposition from Satan. (Prov. 10:22; 1 Pet. 5:8) Therefore, Christian parents take time to teach their children what is involved in being a disciple of Christ. In the case of young ones who have no Christian parents, the elders in the congregation will lovingly help them to count the cost of discipleship. (Read Luke 14:27-30.) Just as it takes planning to complete a building project successfully, so it requires preparation to serve Jehovah faithfully “to the end.” (Matt. 24:13) But what can young ones themselves do to become determined to serve Jehovah for the rest of their life? Let us see.
3. (a) What do the words of Jesus and Peter teach us about the importance of baptism? (Matt. 28:19, 20; 1 Pet. 3:21) (b) What questions will we consider, and why?
3 Are you a young person who is considering baptism? If so, you are to be commended! It is a great privilege to get baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Moreover, baptism is a requirement for Christians, and it is a vital step toward gaining salvation. (Matt. 28:19, 20; 1 Pet. 3:21) Because it is your heartfelt desire to keep the promise you will make to Jehovah, you want to be prepared for this important step. You do well, therefore, to consider three questions that may help you to see if you are ready for baptism. The questions are as follows: (1) Am I mature enough to make the decision? (2) Do I have a personal desire to do so? (3) Do I understand what it means to be dedicated to Jehovah? Let us examine those questions.
WHEN YOU ARE MATURE ENOUGH
4, 5. (a) Why is baptism not for older people only? (b) What does it mean for a Christian to be mature?
4 The Bible does not suggest that baptism is a step to be taken only by those who are older or who have reached at least an age at which certain legal rights may be granted. We read at Proverbs 20:11: “Even a child is known by his actions, whether his behavior is pure and right.” One who is somewhat younger can realize what it means to do what is right and to be dedicated to his Creator. Thus, baptism is an important and appropriate step for a young person who has manifested considerable maturity and has made a dedication to Jehovah.—Prov. 20:7.
5 What does it mean to be mature? Maturity involves more than physical growth. The Bible says that mature people “have their powers of discernment trained to distinguish both right and wrong.” (Heb. 5:14) Thus, mature people know what is right in Jehovah’s eyes and are resolved in their heart to stick to it. As a result, they are not easily swayed to do what is wrong; nor do they always have to be prodded to do what is right. Really, it is only reasonable to expect that a young person who gets baptized will uphold God’s standards even when parents or other adults are not present.—Compare Philippians 2:12.
6, 7. (a) Describe the challenges Daniel had when he was in Babylon. (b) How did Daniel prove to be mature?
6 Can young people really demonstrate such maturity? Well, consider the Bible example of Daniel. He may have been in his early teens when he was forcibly taken from his parents into exile in Babylon. Suddenly, Daniel found himself living among a people who had a completely different concept of right and wrong. In addition, there was another challenge to Daniel’s situation: He was treated as someone special in Babylon. In fact, Daniel was one of a number of young people carefully chosen to stand before the king! (Dan. 1:3-5, 13) Daniel seemingly had opportunities in Babylon that he might never have had in Israel.
7 How did young Daniel react to all of this? Was he seduced by the glitter and glamour of Babylon? Did he allow his new surroundings to change his identity or sabotage his faith? Not at all! The Bible says that while in Babylon, Daniel “resolved in his heart that he would not defile himself” with anything associated with false worship. (Dan. 1:8) Daniel showed remarkable maturity!
8. What can you learn from Daniel’s example?
8 What can you learn from Daniel’s example? For one thing, a mature young person is stable in his convictions. He is not like a chameleon, which changes colors to fit its surroundings. He does not act like a friend of God at the Kingdom Hall but a friend of the world at school. Rather than getting tossed about, he remains unmovable even during tests of faith.—Read Ephesians 4:14, 15.
9, 10. (a) How might a young person benefit from thinking about how he or she has reacted to recent tests of faith? (b) What does baptism mean?
9 Of course, no one is perfect; young people as well as adults make mistakes from time to time. (Eccl. 7:20) Still, as you are considering baptism, it would be wise to analyze to what extent you are resolved in your heart to stick to Jehovah’s standards. How could you measure the strength of your resolve? Ask yourself, ‘What is my track record of adhering to God’s standards?’ Give thought to the way you have reacted to recent tests of faith. Have you demonstrated that you have the discernment needed to distinguish right from wrong? What if, like Daniel, you are treated as special by someone in Satan’s world? Are you able to “keep perceiving what the will of Jehovah is” even when God’s will conflicts with what you are tempted to do?—Eph. 5:17.
10 Why do we raise these frank questions? They are meant to help you put baptism in the right perspective. As mentioned earlier, baptism symbolizes that you made a solemn promise to Jehovah himself. You promise that you will love him and serve him forever with your whole heart. (Mark 12:30) Everyone who gets baptized should be determined to follow through on his promise.—Read Ecclesiastes 5:4, 5.
IS IT YOUR PERSONAL DESIRE?
11, 12. (a) A person who is thinking about getting baptized needs to be sure of what? (b) What will help you to keep the right view of Jehovah’s arrangement of baptism?
11 The Bible says that Jehovah’s people, including young ones, “will offer themselves willingly” for his service. (Ps. 110:3) So a person who is contemplating baptism needs to be sure that this is his or her personal desire. That might call for self-scrutiny on your part. Why? Because your circumstance as a youth may be somewhat special. For example, you may have been raised in the truth.
12 Over the years, you have likely seen many people get baptized—including some of your peers and perhaps even your siblings. If that is indeed your situation, what should you be careful about? Be alert that you do not come to view baptism as little more than a coming-of-age custom that all young people follow sooner or later. What can you do to make sure that you will keep the right view of Jehovah’s arrangement of baptism? Take time often to stop and think about the reasons why getting baptized is so important. In fact, you can find several good reasons in this article and in the next.
13. How can you tell whether the decision to get baptized comes from your heart?
13 There are ways in which you will be able to discern whether your decision to get baptized comes from your heart. For example, your heartfelt desire to serve Jehovah will be reflected in your prayers. How often you pray and how specific your prayers are may well reveal how close your relationship with Jehovah is. (Ps. 25:4) An important way that Jehovah answers our prayers is by directing our attention to his Word. Thus, our effort to study the Bible is yet another indication that we really want to draw closer to Jehovah and serve him from the heart. (Josh. 1:8) So ask yourself: ‘How specific are my prayers? How regular is my personal study of the Bible?’ And if your Christian family has a Family Worship evening, ask yourself: ‘Do I willingly share in that family arrangement?’ Your answers to these questions will help you to see whether your decision to get baptized is your personal desire.
THE MEANING OF DEDICATION
14. Describe the difference between dedication and baptism.
14 Some might be confused about the difference between dedication and baptism. For example, some young people say that they have made a dedication to Jehovah but are not ready to get baptized. Does that make sense? Making a dedication means telling Jehovah that you will serve him forever. At baptism, a person shows others that he is dedicated. Therefore, baptism is a public expression of a private dedication that you have already made in prayer to Jehovah. Before you get baptized, you need to be sure that you understand what dedication means.
15. What does dedication mean?
15 Simply stated, when you dedicate your life to Jehovah, you give up ownership of yourself. You promise Jehovah that you will put the doing of his will ahead of everything else in your life. (Read Matthew 16:24.) Any promise should be taken seriously, but how much more so a promise made to Jehovah God! (Matt. 5:33) How, though, can you demonstrate that you have really disowned yourself and that you now belong to Jehovah?—Rom. 14:8.
16, 17. (a) Illustrate what it means to disown yourself. (b) What is a person who makes a dedication really saying?
16 To illustrate, imagine that a friend gives you a car as a gift. He hands you the title and says: “The car is yours.” But suppose your friend adds: “I will keep the keys. And I will be the one who drives the car, not you.” How would you feel about this “gift”? How would you feel about the giver?
17 Now think about what Jehovah rightfully expects of a person who makes a dedication to him, a person who tells him: “I am giving you my life. I belong to you.” What if that person were to start living a double life, perhaps secretly dating an unbeliever? What if he were to accept employment that crippled his whole-souled service in the ministry or attendance at Christian meetings? Would that not be like keeping the keys to the car? A person who dedicates himself to Jehovah is, in effect, saying: “My life belongs to you more than to me. If there is ever a conflict between what you want and what I am inclined to want, what you want will win—every time.” That would reflect the thinking of Jesus, who while on earth stated: “I have come down from heaven to do, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.”—John 6:38.
18, 19. (a) How do the expressions of Rose and Christopher illustrate that being baptized is a privilege that leads to blessings? (b) How do you feel about the privilege of baptism?
18 Clearly, baptism is a sobering step that neither you nor anyone else should take lightly. At the same time, it is a great privilege to be dedicated and baptized. Young ones who love Jehovah and who understand what dedication means do not hold back from getting baptized; nor do they at any time regret their decision. “I love Jehovah, and I couldn’t be happier doing anything but serving him,” says a baptized teenager named Rose. “I have never been more sure about anything in my life than my decision to get baptized.”
19 And what about Christopher, mentioned at the outset of this article? Did his decision to get baptized at age 12 prove to be well-founded? Christopher looks back on his dedication and baptism with fond appreciation. He began serving as a regular pioneer at age 17 and was appointed as a ministerial servant at 18. Today he is serving at Bethel. He says: “Baptism was the right decision. My life is filled with satisfying work for Jehovah and his organization.” If you are considering baptism, how can you prepare for it? The following article will address that question.
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Young Ones—How Can You Prepare for Baptism?The Watchtower (Study)—2016 | March
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Young Ones—How Can You Prepare for Baptism?
“To do your will, O my God, is my delight.”—PS. 40:8.
1, 2. (a) Explain why baptism is a serious step. (b) What should a person be sure of before getting baptized, and why?
ARE you a young person who is considering baptism? If so, what lies before you is the greatest privilege any human could have. As the preceding article pointed out, however, baptism is a serious step. It symbolizes your dedication—a solemn promise you make to Jehovah that you will serve him forever by putting his will above everything else in your life. Understandably, you should get baptized only when you are qualified to make that decision, you have a personal desire to do so, and you understand the meaning of dedication.
2 What if you are not sure that you are ready for baptism? Or what if you want to get baptized but your parents feel that you should wait, perhaps until you gain more experience in Christian living? In either case, do not be discouraged. Instead, use this opportunity to make progress so that, before long, you can get baptized. With that objective in mind, consider how you can set goals regarding (1) your convictions, (2) your actions, and (3) your appreciation.
YOUR CONVICTIONS
3, 4. What lesson can young ones learn from the example of Timothy?
3 Think about how you would respond to these questions: Why do I believe that God exists? What convinces me that the Bible is God’s inspired Word? Why do I feel that living by God’s moral standards is better than adopting the lifestyle of the world? Those questions are not designed to create doubts in your mind. Rather, they can help you to follow the apostle Paul’s admonition: “Prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom. 12:2) But why did Christians in Rome need to prove to themselves something that they had already accepted?
4 Consider a Bible example. Timothy knew the Scriptures well. He had been taught “from infancy” by his mother and grandmother. Nevertheless, Paul urged Timothy: “Continue in the things that you learned and were persuaded to believe.” (2 Tim. 3:14, 15) According to one reference work, the original-language word for “persuaded” has the sense “to be convinced and certain of the truth of something.” Timothy had made the truth his own. He accepted it, not because his mother and grandmother told him to do so, but because he had reasoned on it for himself and had been persuaded.—Read Romans 12:1.
5, 6. Why is it important for you to learn to use the “power of reason” early in life?
5 What about you? Perhaps you have known Bible truths for a long time. If so, why not make it a goal to examine more closely the reasons for your beliefs? That will strengthen your conviction and will help you to avoid being driven by the winds of peer pressure, the world’s propaganda, or even your own feelings.
6 Learning to use your “power of reason” early in life will prepare you to give reasonable answers to your peers when they raise such questions as: ‘How do you know for sure that there is a God? Why does a loving God permit evil? How can it be that God has always existed?’ When you are prepared, such questions will not weaken your faith but will spur you on to do additional personal study.
7-9. Describe how the online series of study guides, “What Does the Bible Really Teach?,” can help you strengthen your conviction.
7 Diligent personal study can help you answer questions, resolve any doubts, and strengthen your convictions. (Acts 17:11) We have been provided with a number of tools that can help you to do that. Many have found it helpful to consider the brochure The Origin of Life—Five Questions Worth Asking and the book Is There a Creator Who Cares About You? In addition, many youths have enjoyed and benefited from the online feature “What Does the Bible Really Teach?” This series of study guides can be found on jw.org. Look under BIBLE TEACHINGS. Each study guide in this series is designed to help you strengthen your conviction about a Bible topic.
8 You are already familiar with the Bible, so you might quickly respond to some of the questions presented on those study guides. But why are you sure of your answers? The study guides invite you to reason on a number of scriptures and then to write down your thoughts about them. They can help you plan how you would explain your Bible-based belief to others. The online feature “What Does the Bible Really Teach?” is helping many young ones strengthen their convictions. If you have access to it, why not make this series a part of your personal study program?
9 By strengthening your convictions, you take an important step toward baptism. One teenage sister said: “Before I decided to get baptized, I studied the Bible and saw that this is the true religion. And each day that I live, that conviction gets stronger.”
YOUR ACTIONS
10. Why is it reasonable to expect that a baptized Christian would have actions in line with his faith?
10 The Bible says: “Faith by itself, without works, is dead.” (Jas. 2:17) If you have strong conviction, it is reasonable to expect that you will show it by your actions. What kind of actions? The Bible speaks of “holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion.”—Read 2 Peter 3:11.
11. Explain the expression “holy acts of conduct.”
11 To manifest “holy acts of conduct,” you must be morally clean. How are you doing in that regard? For example, think about the past six months. How have you demonstrated that your “powers of discernment” have been trained to distinguish right from wrong? (Heb. 5:14) Can you think of specific occasions when you resisted temptation or peer pressure? Does your conduct at school speak well of your faith? Do you stand up for your faith rather than try to blend in with your classmates just to avoid ridicule? (1 Pet. 4:3, 4) Admittedly, no one is perfect. Even longtime servants of Jehovah may at times feel timid about taking a public stand for their faith. However, a person who is dedicated to Jehovah will rightly be proud to bear God’s name, and he shows this by his conduct.
12. What are some “deeds of godly devotion,” and how should you view them?
12 What about “deeds of godly devotion”? These include your activities in the congregation, such as your meeting attendance and participation in the ministry. Also included are spiritual activities that others do not see, such as your private prayers and your personal study. A person who has dedicated his life to Jehovah will not consider these deeds to be chores. Rather, he will reflect the attitude of King David, who said: “To do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is deep within me.”—Ps. 40:8.
13, 14. What provision can help you to perform “deeds of godly devotion,” and how have some young ones benefited from this provision?
13 To help you set goals, we have a worksheet on pages 308 and 309 of the book Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work, Volume 2. This worksheet invites you to write your responses to such questions as “How specific are your prayers, and what do they reveal about your love for Jehovah?” “What do you include in your personal study?” “Do you engage in the ministry even if your parents do not?” The worksheet also provides space for you to write down any goals you would like to set regarding your prayers, personal study, and ministry.
14 Many young ones contemplating baptism have found this worksheet to be a valuable tool. A young sister named Tilda said: “I used the worksheet to set goals. One by one I reached those goals, and I was ready for baptism about a year later.” A young brother named Patrick benefited in a similar way. “I already knew what my goals were,” he noted, “but writing them down made me work harder to reach them.”
15. Explain why dedication should be a personal decision.
15 One of the most thought-provoking questions on the worksheet is this: “Would you serve Jehovah even if your parents and friends stopped doing so?” Remember, as a dedicated and baptized Christian, you will stand before Jehovah on your own. Your service to him should not depend on others—not even your parents. Your holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion give evidence that you have made the truth your own and that you are progressing toward baptism.
YOUR APPRECIATION
16, 17. (a) What should motivate a person to become a Christian? (b) How can appreciation for the ransom be illustrated?
16 A man well-versed in the Mosaic Law asked Jesus: “Which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus answered: “You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.” (Matt. 22:35-37) Jesus there identified what should be the motive behind Christian works, including baptism—wholehearted love for Jehovah. One of the best ways that you can grow in your love for Jehovah is to meditate on the greatest gift Jehovah has provided—the ransom sacrifice of his Son. (Read 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15; 1 John 4:9, 19.) Thinking about the ransom and what it means for you will motivate you to respond appreciatively.
17 Your response to the ransom might be illustrated this way: Imagine that someone rescued you from drowning. Would you simply go home, dry yourself off, and forget about what was done for you? Of course not! You would certainly feel indebted to the person who rescued you. The fact is, you would owe that person your life! We owe Jehovah God and Jesus Christ much more. Without the ransom, each of us would, in a sense, drown in sin and death. But because of this great act of love, we now have the incomparable prospect of living forever on a paradise earth!
18, 19. (a) Why should you not fear belonging to Jehovah? (b) How does serving Jehovah make your life better?
18 Do you appreciate what Jehovah has done for you? Then it would be fitting to dedicate your life to Jehovah and get baptized. Remember, dedication involves a solemn promise to Jehovah to do his will forever, no matter what happens. Should you be afraid to make such a commitment? Not at all! Bear in mind that Jehovah has your best interests at heart, and he is “the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.” (Heb. 11:6) Dedicating yourself to Jehovah and getting baptized do not make your life worse. On the contrary, serving Jehovah will make your life better. A 24-year-old brother who got baptized before he was a teenager says: “I may have had a deeper understanding if I had been older, but making the decision to dedicate myself to Jehovah protected me from worldly pursuits.”
19 How different Jehovah is from Satan, whose interest in you is only selfish! Satan offers no lasting reward to those who side with him. And really, how could he? Satan himself has no good news to contemplate, no bright hope on the horizon. How can he give you something that he does not possess? Satan can offer you nothing more than a dismal future, like the future that is ahead for him!—Rev. 20:10.
20. What can a young person do in order to progress toward dedication and baptism? (See also the box “To Help You Grow Spiritually.”)
20 Clearly, dedicating your life to Jehovah is the right thing to do. Are you ready to take that step? If so, do not hold back. On the other hand, if you need more time, use the suggestions in this article to keep moving forward. Paul wrote to the Philippians: “To the extent we have made progress, let us go on walking orderly in this same course.” (Phil. 3:16) If you follow that advice, you will soon want to dedicate your life to Jehovah and get baptized.
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