God’s people in Zion gather at churches throughout the world to keep the Sabbath and receive God’s blessings. God Himself came to this earth and kept the Sabbath, and He taught us to keep it, promising us His blessing. Because we are God’s children, we are doing what God did.
God said that He set us an example through what He did on this earth so that we would do as He had done for us (Jn 13:15). If we do not listen to God’s word, we cannot truly call ourselves His children. When we follow God’s example and do as He taught us, we show that we are indeed His children. As God’s children, we are citizens of the kingdom of heaven. When we keep God’s laws and follow His example as citizens of heaven, God will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body (Jn 8:37–39; 18:36; Php 3:18–21).
God is light, and God is love. As His children who have received the light of His love, let us walk in love and receive our inheritance in the kingdom of God. We must put off our old selves and turn away from worldly desires, envy, jealousy, and evil deeds. Even when disagreements arise, we should not let the sun go down while we are still angry, but make peace with one another before the day ends. We should always speak words that encourage and build others up (Ro 12:1–2; Eph 4:22–5:5). When we do so, we benefit not only ourselves but also many of our brothers and sisters, helping them find renewed spiritual strength. If we grumble, others may follow our example and ultimately face destruction. But when we give thanks to God, others may be inspired to do the same, and their souls can be revived. As children of the heavenly royal family, we must set our minds on things above. We must nourish ourselves with spiritual food from heaven and live as children of heaven, so that we may receive blessings and enter the kingdom of heaven in glory (Col 3:1–4).
God came to this earth to give us eternal life and blessings, willingly enduring the agony of being nailed to the cross and shedding His blood. He came a second time in the flesh and endured mockery and ridicule from the very people He created. He shivered in the cold, sweated in the heat, went hungry, and walked until His feet were blistered as He searched for His children. Yet through all these hardships, He never lost His smile, rejoicing in the thought of leading His children from eternal hell to eternal heaven. For 37 years, He walked this path of suffering to preach the gospel and save His children. Let us remember our Father, who was willing to endure any suffering to save His children who had sinned. We, too, should humble ourselves and cultivate the beautiful character befitting children who will one day live with God in glory in the kingdom of heaven.
God, who is love, has entrusted us with the mission of sharing the love of the Passover, through which we receive eternal life. As children carrying out our Father’s work, we should reflect His love in all that we do. When God’s children live uprightly, even those who do not believe in God will come to acknowledge Him. Children who follow God’s love are patient, do not boast, and do not act rudely. Just as God gave up everything for the sake of saving sinners, they do not seek their own interests. They do not give way to anger, vanity, jealousy, or greed, nor do they lie or harbor evil thoughts (1 Co 13:1–13).
Let us fill our hearts with love and save souls who are perishing. When we preach the gospel, we must not do so with a sinful mindset. Instead, we must have the mind of Christ, willing to sacrifice ourselves if it means saving even one soul. This is what it means to do what God did. Although Christ was God, He humbled Himself and took the position of a servant to save many people. Only when we have this same mind of Christ can we lead many souls to salvation through preaching (Php 2:5–9; 1 Co 9:19). The apostle Paul crucified his sinful nature and filled his heart with the love of Christ. He preached the gospel with humility and sacrifice. Just as Paul received abundant blessings by faithfully obeying God’s word, we too will bear much fruit if we put God’s teachings into practice (Jn 15:1–8).
God Himself has become our spiritual physician, healing us of our sinful ways and shortcomings through His word. He teaches us to follow the ways of heaven and leads us into the kingdom of heaven. As God’s children, let us follow His example by faithfully keeping His word and putting it into practice (Mt 4:4; 9:12–13). May we all proclaim the message of salvation, lead many souls to Zion, and become children who shine like the stars forever in heaven.
