1912 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

hate his course and think it foolish. They say, "YouChristians raise the standard too high. We are willingto live up to the standard of the majority in our community,but not to yours. You have such peculiar views."The Lord's people gauge their views, not by whatothers think, but by what the Word of God teaches.They say, "To my Lord I must be true." To everythingelse they decline to conform. Thus they are led by theHoly Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Love,which actuates them. But if this Spirit be extinguished,a mind once under its control will be in a worse conditionthan that of a worldly mind; for the latter, not havingthe special direction of the Lord's Spirit, has for itsstandard the opinion of others. The Lord's people havelost the fear of man, and if they lose also the mind ofthe Lord, they have no fixed principle to govern theircourse. Then their natural disposition will assert itself;and the light in them having become darkness, "how greatis that darkness!"St. Paul tells us (Heb. 6:4-6), that "It is impossible...to renew again to repentance" any who arewilful sinners against full light and knowledge. Thesehave committed the "sin unto death"--the Second Death--from which there will be no recovery.--I John 5:16.Let us then, while rejoicing in Divine favor, see toit that we act circumspectly. Our walk in life is not tobe "after the flesh," which leads more or less directly todeath, but "after the Spirit," which leads to everlastinglife with our Great Redeemer. "This is the will of God,even your sanctification."--I Thess. 4:3.====================R5101 : page 291THE NEW CREATURE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DIVINE LAWPART II--EXPERIENCE OF THE NEW CREATURE EDUCATIONALTHE NEW CREATURE is represented by thewill, the mind; but there can be no NewCreature without a body. God does notgive the New Creature its own body in thepresent life, but permits it to practise on theold body. And according to the New Creature'sfaithfulness in the old body will beits reward--either as a member of the LittleFlock or of the Great Company or--for unfaithfulness,its punishment, Second Death.The New Creature owns the mortal body, possessesthat body. The body is not the New Creature's body exceptin a possessive sense. If one were living in a cabintemporarily while his house is being built, and someoneelse were to ask, "Is that your house?" he would say,"No; I am staying here merely until my house is built."So the New Creature occupies the old body. That body