Friday, September 23
Maintain your conduct fine among the nations, so that . . . they may be eyewitnesses of your fine works and, as a result, glorify God.
We need to cultivate spiritual qualities that will help us to pass through “the great tribulation” into God’s righteous new world. Are we able to get along with people, including those whom we consider to be temperamental or overly sensitive? We do well to heed the words of the apostle Peter, who urged fellow believers: “Honor men of all sorts, have love for the whole association of brothers.” Whether we are at home, at work, at school, at play, or in the ministry, we make every effort to bring glory to Jehovah through our fine conduct. True, as imperfect humans, we all make mistakes. But by continuing to “fight the fine fight of the faith,” we can successfully win the battle against our imperfect flesh.
COMMENTARY
It is understood that the point of the daily text is brevity; but sometimes important details may be overlooked or glossed over. That happens to be the case in this instance. The full verse indicates that there is a “day of his inspection” —a day of judgment; not in reference to unbelievers, but believers. In context the verse reads: “Maintain your conduct fine among the nations, so that when they accuse you of being wrongdoers, they may be eyewitnesses of your fine works and, as a result, glorify God in the day of his inspection.”
Naturally we may wonder, when is the day of his inspection? The October 15, 2010, Watchtower answers:
Christ was enthroned as King of Jehovah’s Messianic Kingdom in 1914… Christ’s first kingly action after his enthronement was his victory over “the dragon and its angels.” … Then, in his role as Jehovah’s “messenger of the covenant,” Jesus came with his Father to carry out an inspection of the spiritual temple. He judged Christendom, the most reprehensible part of “Babylon the Great,” finding her guilty of bloodshed and of spiritual adultery with the political system of this world.
If Christ carried out the inspection back in the 1914-1918 period, then what is the purpose of our maintaining fine conduct among the nations now if the day of his inspection has already occurred? Obviously, the final inspection is the end of the matter —the conclusion —not the start of another generations-long period.
This is just one more instance of all the Watchtower perpetuates the grand delusion.
In the same epistle the apostle Peter wrote more concerning the day of his inspection, saying: “For it is the appointed time for the judgment to start with the house of God. Now if it starts first with us, what will the outcome be for those who are not obedient to the good news of God?”
Of course, the Watchtower teaches that the judgment of the house of God also took place back during the First World War. But, again, if that is true, what dreadful outcome has befallen those who have not been obedient to the good news? Obviously, nothing.
Ironically, the Watchtower’s 1914 delusion has made one thing an absolute certainty: Christ’s coming to initiate the inspection will be at a time his disciples think unlikely.
“But know this, if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also, keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely, the Son of man is coming.”
