With the title: Keep Making Progress Toward Baptism
The theme: Now is the time to develop a strong friendship with Jehovah and get baptized.
Y con el texto temático, 2 Corintios 6:2: “¡Ahora es el tiempo especialmente favorable!”
- a) What are some of the blessings of getting baptized? b) What will we cover in this article?
Answer 1:
Getting baptized brings wonderful blessings. One of them is that a person appeals to God for a good conscience. In addition, baptism publicly demonstrates that we want to belong to Jehovah and do his will, and that places us in a very special position before him.
Answer 2:
Another blessing is that we set an excellent example for those who have not yet been baptized. Our step can encourage others to take their spiritual progress more seriously. We also know that baptism is essential for obtaining forgiveness of sins and God’s approval.
Answer 3:
In this article we will cover three things: why some people cannot bring themselves to get baptized, why it is important to keep in mind that the end is near, and what the benefits are of making every effort without delay to reach that goal.
- Why do some people not dare to get baptized?
Answer 1:
Some do not dare because of fear. For example, they may think they will never be good enough to please Jehovah. But that is not what God expects. He does not demand perfection; he wants us to give him our best with a sincere heart.
Answer 2:
Others fear opposition. Perhaps they think about the reaction of family members, friends, or workmates, and that holds them back. In those cases, it helps greatly to ask Jehovah for courage and to remember that if he is on our side, no human being can prevent us from doing what is right.
Answer 3:
So the problem is often not a lack of love for Jehovah, but fear. But that fear can be overcome. If we review texts that remind us of God’s compassion and trust in his support, we will be able to keep moving forward toward baptism.
- Why do some people postpone the decision to get baptized?
Answer 1:
Some postpone it because they feel they do not yet have enough Bible knowledge. They think they need to know much more before taking that step. But the example of the jailer of Philippi shows that what is essential is not knowing everything, but knowing Jehovah, loving him, and being determined to obey him.
Answer 2:
That man and his family learned important truths in a very short time and were baptized immediately. This teaches that baptism does not require perfect or complete knowledge, but basic understanding, sincere repentance, and a genuine desire to serve Jehovah.
Answer 3:
Therefore, if a person already knows Jehovah, loves him from the heart, understands the basic teachings, has repented of his sins, and wants to obey him, he is truly ready to get baptized. He should not let himself be held back by thinking he still has too much to learn.
- What is another reason why some people do not dare to get baptized?
Answer 1:
Another reason is that they focus too much on the price they will have to pay. They know that serving Jehovah involves changes, sacrifices, and self-discipline, and that can frighten them. Instead of thinking about what they will gain, they focus only on what they will have to give up.
Answer 2:
Some find themselves in a situation like the one mentioned in the article: they know what they need to do to please God, but part of them is still drawn to the life they are living. And others are afraid they will not be able to live up to Jehovah’s standards after being baptized.
Answer 3:
That fear may be real, but it should not paralyze us. Rather, it should lead us to strengthen our relationship with Jehovah and to trust that he will help us live up to our dedication. Baptism is not taken because one is already strong on his own, but because he wants to rely on God.
- What should we keep in mind when thinking about getting baptized? (Matthew 13:44-46).
Answer 1:
We must think not only about the price, but also about the value. When a person buys something valuable, they do not just look at the cost but at what they gain. The same is true of baptism: yes, changes need to be made, but what we obtain is far greater.
Answer 2:
What we gain is a good friendship with Jehovah. And that has no equal. Jesus illustrated this with examples of people who found something so valuable that they were willing to give everything to obtain it. That is how we should view the privilege of serving God.
Answer 3:
If we focus more on the value than on the price, baptism stops feeling like a burden and begins to look like an extraordinary opportunity. We are not losing something good; we are gaining the best thing there is: Jehovah’s friendship and the hope of eternal life.
- What can help us to have a receptive heart?
Answer 1:
It can help us to examine what kind of heart we have. Jesus explained that the seeds of the Kingdom message do not fall the same way on everyone. Some people have a divided or hardened heart, and that prevents them from making progress, even though deep down they love the truth.
Answer 2:
The good news is that no one is condemned to remain that way. If a person feels that his heart is divided, he does not have to give up. With God’s help, he can come to have a new heart, one that responds well to Jehovah’s guidance and to Bible truth.
Answer 3:
That is why it is good to ask Jehovah to help us soften our heart. If we let him work in us, the seed of the Kingdom can grow and bear fruit. And that will make it much easier to keep making progress toward baptism.
7, 8. Why do some young people not make progress toward baptism?
Answer 1:
Some young people do not make progress because of the influence of other people. Sometimes at school or in their environment they are encouraged to accept any lifestyle and any morality, even those that go against Jehovah’s standards. That pressure can greatly hinder their spiritual progress.
Answer 2:
It may also happen that some Witness parents do not encourage them as much as they should. Perhaps they focus too much on school, future work, or other goals, and do not encourage them clearly enough to set spiritual goals such as baptism.
Answer 3:
But the young person does not have to remain stuck because of that. He can talk with his parents, express his desire to make progress, and remember that age is not a barrier to being a good friend of Jehovah. What matters is taking the truth seriously and not letting others decide for you.
- Why do some people delay baptism?
Answer 1:
Some delay it because of peer pressure. For example, a friend or family member may ask them to wait so they can be baptized together. Although being baptized on the same day as a loved one can be a beautiful thing, it should not become a reason to postpone such an important decision.
Answer 2:
Dedication is a personal promise between each of us and Jehovah. It does not depend on anyone else’s spiritual pace. Each person will answer to God individually, so it would not be wise to delay baptism just to please someone or to wait for company.
Answer 3:
In this matter we must act with personal conviction. If we have already met the requirements and are ready, there is no compelling reason to postpone it. We must not let others, even with good intentions, determine the moment of our dedication to Jehovah.
- Why do some people not make all the necessary changes to get baptized?
Answer 1:
Because they believe they still have plenty of time. They think they can continue as they are now and make the changes later, when the end is closer. But that way of thinking is not wise, because Jesus said that we must always be ready.
Answer 2:
The problem with postponing important changes is that the decisive moment may come sooner than one imagines. No one knows exactly how much time they have or when the end will come. That is why we should not live with the idea that there will always be another opportunity.
Answer 3:
Moreover, the longer something is postponed, the harder it can become. The wise course is not to leave obedience for later, but to begin now to make all the necessary changes to please Jehovah and make progress toward baptism.
- According to Psalm 119:60, what do we feel about Jehovah’s standards the more we get to know him?
Answer 1:
The more we get to know Jehovah, the more we love his standards. We stop seeing them as heavy restrictions and begin to see them as an expression of his love and wisdom. We understand that they are for our good.
Answer 2:
That is why, when a person truly comes to love Jehovah, he wants to obey him right away. He does not look for excuses or delays. Love makes obedience more natural, more prompt, and more sincere.
Answer 3:
There is also another reason not to delay obedience: we do not know what our life will bring tomorrow. So if we already know what Jehovah wants from us, the best course is to act now and not put off what we already understand to be right.
- What do we learn from the parable of the vineyard?
Answer 1:
We learn that when Jesus calls us, we must respond immediately. In the parable, the men who started working at the end of the day were not lazy; it was simply that no one had hired them before. As soon as they received the call, they went without delay.
Answer 2:
This teaches us that we should not use that parable to justify delays. It does not mean that a person can let time pass and then respond calmly at the end. The point is that when the opportunity comes, it must be seized immediately.
Answer 3:
Today Jesus calls us to be his followers and share in the preaching work. So if we are already hearing that call and know what Jehovah expects of us, we must respond as soon as possible and keep making progress toward baptism.
- What do we learn from Lot’s wife?
Answer 1:
We learn that making changes at the last moment can be much harder than it seems. Lot’s wife knew that destruction was very near, but her heart was still too attached to what she was leaving behind. And that ended up costing her dearly.
Answer 2:
That example shows that it is not enough to know that the end is coming. Action is required. A person can understand the urgency of the moment and yet remain too attached to certain things in their current life. That is why changes need to begin as soon as possible.
Answer 3:
We also learn that the door of salvation will not remain open forever. A moment will come when Jehovah will close it definitively. So it is not wise to play with time or to think that there will always be one more opportunity to respond.
- What effect should seeing the fulfillment of the prophecies about the end have on you?
Answer 1:
It should motivate us to make the necessary changes to get baptized as soon as possible. Even if some signs of the end are not being fulfilled right where we live, seeing how they are being fulfilled in other parts of the world should make our conviction stronger.
Answer 2:
That is what happened with first-century Christians. Some lived far from Jerusalem, so they would not be directly affected by its destruction. But seeing how the prophecies were being fulfilled strengthened their confidence that Jehovah would fulfill everything else he had promised.
Answer 3:
The same is true today. Seeing the fulfillment of the prophecies should not leave us unmoved or merely informed; it should drive us to be watchful, alert, and determined to keep taking important spiritual steps, including baptism.
- With what attitude should we await Jehovah’s day? (2 Peter 3:10-13).
Answer 1:
We should await it with keen awareness of it. Not as something distant or theoretical, but as a reality that truly affects the way we live today. Keeping it in mind helps us maintain clear priorities.
Answer 2:
Furthermore, we should earnestly desire it. Not merely accepting that it will come, but actually wanting it to come. That attitude shows that we love God’s Kingdom and deeply desire this unjust system to end and Jehovah’s promises to be fulfilled.
Answer 3:
And while we wait for that day, we should make every effort to live in a holy manner and with true devotion to God. That is the best way to show that we do not just talk about the end, but that we truly believe it is near and want to be ready.
- What is the best time to make progress toward baptism? (2 Corinthians 6:1, 2; see also the pictures).
Answer 1:
The best time is now. That is the clear message of the article. Not tomorrow, not later, not when circumstances are ideal. If we already understand the truth and are making progress, now is the especially favorable time to keep moving forward.
Answer 2:
The example of the Ethiopian eunuch illustrates this very well. As soon as he understood the good news and had the opportunity to get baptized, he did not postpone the decision. He did not start looking for excuses or thinking about later. He immediately asked what prevented him from being baptized.
Answer 3:
That example teaches us not to unnecessarily complicate things. If we are already on the right path, the wise course is to keep moving forward without delay. The best time to take steps toward baptism is not when everything seems perfect, but now.
- What can we be sure of?
Answer 1:
We can be sure that Jehovah wants to help us develop a strong friendship with him. If something is holding us back, Jehovah does not just watch from a distance; he wants to support us so that we can overcome that fear, that anxiety, or that negative influence.
Answer 2:
We can also be sure that with his support, we will be able to overcome any obstacle that is preventing us from making progress. Jehovah does not ask us to advance on our own. He gives us strength, draws us to him, and helps us keep moving forward.
Answer 3:
Y podemos estar seguros de que, cuando nos bauticemos, nos sentiremos muy felices al tener una buena conciencia ante Dios. Entonces “las cosas que quedan atrás” perderán importancia y podremos mirar con ilusión “las cosas por venir”, es decir, las promesas que Jehová cumple para quienes se dedican a él.
HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER?
Why do some people not decide to get baptized?
Answer 1:
Because some people are afraid. They fear they are not good enough for Jehovah or they are afraid of opposition from other people. That fear can hold them back even though they love God and want to do his will.
Answer 2:
Others do not decide because they think they do not yet know enough or because they are too worried about the sacrifices and changes they will have to make. They focus more on the price than on the enormous value of getting baptized.
Answer 3:
And some young people or students are held back by the influence of other people, by peer pressure, or because their environment does not encourage them enough. In every case, they need to strengthen their trust in Jehovah and their desire to please him.
Why would it not be wise to postpone baptism?
Answer 1:
Because no one knows how much time they have. We do not know what will happen tomorrow or when the end will come. So it is not wise to think that obeying Jehovah or making the necessary changes will be easier later.
Answer 2:
Moreover, postponing spiritual decisions can make certain attachments grow stronger. The example of Lot’s wife shows that leaving changes for the last moment can turn out to be much harder than one had imagined.
Answer 3:
And it would not be wise either because Jehovah and Jesus are calling us right now. Just as in the parable of the vineyard, when the time comes to respond, we must do so immediately. The favorable time to act is now, not later.
What is the best time to make progress toward baptism?
Answer 1:
The best time is now. That is exactly what the example of the Ethiopian eunuch teaches. As soon as he understood the truth and the opportunity arose, he did not postpone the decision.
Answer 2:
Now is the especially favorable time because Jehovah is helping people draw close to him today. There is no need to wait until you feel perfect or until all circumstances are ideal in order to keep making spiritual progress.
Answer 3:
Furthermore, acting now brings peace and joy. When a person stops putting off baptism and keeps moving forward with determination, they draw closer to Jehovah, strengthen their conscience, and begin to look forward with excitement to the blessings that lie ahead.
