MEETINGS
Strip off the old personality with its practices.—Col. 3:9.
What was your life like before you began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses? Many of us would be frightened to think about it. Our outlook and personality were likely shaped by the world’s standards of right and wrong. If so, we “had no hope and were without God in the world.” (Eph. 2:12) But, as you studied the Bible, you discovered that you have a heavenly Father who loves you very much. You realized that if you wanted to please Jehovah and become part of his family of worshippers, you would have to make significant changes in your lifestyle, outlook, and thinking. You would have to learn to live by his high standards. (Eph. 5:3-5) Our Creator and heavenly Father, Jehovah, has the right to determine how members of his family should behave. And he requires that before we get baptized, we put forth effort to “strip off the old personality with its practices.” w22.03 2 ¶1-3
(Colossians 3:9) Do not lie to one another. Strip off the old personality with its practices,
(Ephesians 2:12) At that time you were without Christ, alienated from the state of Israel, strangers to the covenants of the promise; you had no hope and were without God in the world.
(Ephesians 5:3-5) Let sexual immorality and every sort of uncleanness or greediness not even be mentioned among you, just as is proper for holy people; 4 neither shameful conduct nor foolish talking nor obscene jesting—things that are not befitting—but rather the giving of thanks. 5 For you know this, recognizing it for yourselves, that no sexually immoral person or unclean person or greedy person, which means being an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of the Christ and of God.
1. What was your life like before you began studying the Bible?
WHAT was your life like before you began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses? Many of us would be frightened to think about it. Our outlook and personality were likely shaped by the values of this system of things—by the world’s standards of right and wrong. If so, we “had no hope and were without God in the world.” (Eph. 2:12) A Bible study changed all of that!
2. What did you discover as you studied the Bible?
2 As you studied the Bible, you discovered that you have a heavenly Father who loves you very much. You realized that if you wanted to please Jehovah and become part of his family of worshippers, you would have to make significant changes in your lifestyle, outlook, and thinking. You would have to learn to live by his high standards.—Eph. 5:3-5.
3. According to Colossians 3:9, 10, what does Jehovah want us to do, and what will we discuss in this article?
3 Our Creator and heavenly Father, Jehovah, has the right to determine how members of his family should behave. And he requires that before we get baptized, we put forth effort to “strip off the old personality with its practices.”b (Read Colossians 3:9, 10.) This article will help those who want to get baptized to answer three questions: (1) What is “the old personality”? (2) Why does Jehovah urge us to strip it off? (3) How can we do so? For those of us who are already baptized, this study will help us to prevent characteristics of the old personality from reappearing.
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