Lesson 46
Why Make a Dedication and Get Baptized?
You dedicate yourself to Jehovah by promising him in a prayer that you will worship only him and put his will first in your life.
Afterward, you get baptized. By doing so, you show others that you have made a dedication. The decision to dedicate ourselves to Jehovah is the most important one we will ever make. What may motivate you to make such a serious and life-changing decision?
1. What motivates someone to make a dedication?
Our dedication to Jehovah is motivated by love.
The Bible urges us: “Love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind and with your whole strength.”
We show that we love God not only by what we say but also by what we do. Just as a couple who truly love each other get married, so our love for Jehovah motivates us to dedicate ourselves to him and get baptized.
2. What blessings does Jehovah offer to his baptized Witnesses?
When you get baptized, you will become a member of Jehovah’s happy family. You will then experience his love for you in many ways, and you will draw even closer to him than you are today.
Read Malachi 3.16-18: At that time those who fear Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance was written before him for those fearing Jehovah and for those meditating on his name. “And they will be mine,” says Jehovah of armies, “in the day when I produce a special property. I will show them compassion, just as a man shows compassion to his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between a righteous person and a wicked person, between one serving God and one not serving him.”
In addition to having Jehovah as your Father, you will have a spiritual family of brothers and sisters around the world who love him and love you.
Read Mark 10.29, 30: Jesus said: “Truly I say to you, no one has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the good news who will not get 100 times more now in this period of time—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the coming system of things, everlasting life.
Of course, you must take certain steps before you get baptized. You need to learn about Jehovah, to love him, and to put faith in his Son. Finally, you must dedicate your life to Jehovah. If you take those steps and then get baptized, you will be on the path to enjoying life forever. God’s Word says: “Baptism... is also now saving you.”
DIG DEEPER
Examine why it is important for you to make a dedication to Jehovah and get baptized.
3. We all must choose whom we will serve
In ancient Israel, some people thought that they could worship both Jehovah and the false god Baal. But Jehovah sent his prophet Elijah to correct this wrong idea.
Read 1 Kings 18.21: Then Elijah approached all the people and said: “How long will you be limping between two different opinions? If Jehovah is the true God, follow him; but if Baal is, follow him!” But the people did not say a word in answer to him.
Discuss this question:
What choice did the Israelites have to make?
Like the Israelites, we too must choose whom we will serve.
Read Luke 16.13: No servant can be a slave to two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stick to the one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves to God and to Riches.”
Discuss these questions:
Why can we not worship both Jehovah and someone or something else?
How do we show Jehovah that we choose to worship him?
4. Meditate on Jehovah’s love for you
Jehovah has given us many precious gifts. What can we give to him? Play the VIDEO.
AD))) Video Title: Presenting Your Gifts to God (with Audio Description and Transcript) (Duration: 3:04).
What are some ways in which Jehovah has shown love to you?
Read Psalm 104.14, 15: He is making grass grow for the cattle And vegetation for mankind’s use, To grow food from the land And wine that makes man’s heart rejoice, Oil that makes the face shine, And bread that sustains the heart of mortal man.
Read 1 John 4.9, 10: By this the love of God was revealed in our case, that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might gain life through him. The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins.
Discuss these questions:
What gifts from Jehovah are you especially grateful for?
How do those gifts make you feel about him?
When we receive a gift that we really like, we want to show appreciation to the one who gave it to us.
Read Deuteronomy 16.17: The gift that each one brings should be in proportion to the blessing that Jehovah your God has given you.
Discuss this question:
When you consider everything that Jehovah has done for you, what are you moved to give to him?
5. Dedication brings many blessings
Many people believe that fame, a good career, or money will make them happy. Is that true? Play the VIDEO, and then discuss the questions that follow.
AD))) Video Title: Soccer Was My Reason for Living (with Audio Description and Transcript) (Duration: 5:45).
Although the athlete in the video loved playing soccer, why did he leave that career?
He decided to dedicate himself, not to soccer, but to Jehovah. Do you think he made the right decision? Why?
Before the apostle Paul became a Christian, he was pursuing a prominent career. He had studied Jewish law with a famous teacher. But he left that behind in order to become a Christian. Did Paul have any regrets?
Read Philippians 3.8: What is more, I do indeed also consider all things to be loss on account of the excelling value of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have taken the loss of all things and I consider them as a lot of refuse, that I may gain Christ
Discuss these questions:
Why did Paul say that what he did before he became a Christian was “a lot of refuse,” or garbage?
What did he gain instead?
How would you compare serving Jehovah to any other way you could use your life?
SOME PEOPLE SAY: “It’s unreasonable to devote your life to God.”
Why do you think it makes sense to dedicate yourself to Jehovah?
SUMMARY
Love moves us to dedicate ourselves to Jehovah and get baptized.
Review
Why does Jehovah deserve our wholehearted love and worship?
How does Jehovah reward his baptized Witnesses?
Would you like to dedicate yourself to Jehovah?
Lesson completed on:
Goal
As you prepare the next lesson, consider what obstacles might be holding you back from making a dedication.
Other: Memorizing Bible scriptures is vital for blind individuals to defend the truth using the Bible, build faith, provide comfort during difficult times, and keep God’s principles firm in heart and mind.
From lesson 46, memorize Mark 12:30: and you must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind and with your whole strength.’
EXPLORE
1. See why a musician and an athlete chose to dedicate themselves to Jehovah.
Young People Ask—What Will I Do With My Life?—Looking Back (6:54) Open explore 1 in new page
2. Consider additional reasons to make a dedication.
“Why Dedicate Yourself to Jehovah?” (The Watchtower, January 15, 2010) Open explore 2 in new page
3. In this music video, observe the joy of those who dedicate themselves to Jehovah.
I Give My Life to You (4:30) Open explore 3 in new page
4. In the story “For Years I Wondered, ‘Why Are We Here?’” notice what motivated a woman to analyze her priorities.
“The Bible Changes Lives” (The Watchtower, November 1, 2012) Open explore 4 in new page
[End of lesson 46.]