Article October 8, 1979 Issue

Choose peace, not war

[Original in German]

GERHARD NEBEL

God, good, governs the universe, and in God's kingdom evil is unknown. Thus a war is never in accordance with God's law. If everyone were obedient to God and His commandments, there would be perpetual peace. But as long as people ignore God's allpower and act according to their own will, they may not be preserved from conflict.

More than three thousand years ago Moses called similar facts to the attention of the children of Israel. After he had given them the Ten Commandments, he made it unmistakably clear that things would go well with them if they were obedient to these Commandments, but that they could expect calamity if they didn't follow them. He said, "I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."^{Deut. 30:19;} He was right, for as history shows, things went well for them whenever they obeyed God; but when they denied Him to serve earthly gods, they lost hold of His blessings and had to suffer a great deal.

It was Christ Jesus who through his works illustrated clearly how the kingdom of heaven could be established on earth. In his Sermon on the Mount he explained love as the key to perfect reflection of the perfect Father (see Matt. 5:43–48). And later he told his disciples, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."^{John 13:34;} Christly love for one's neighbor indeed fulfills the Mosaic commands. If this new commandment of the Master's were followed consistently, we would establish heaven on earth.