Reasoning with Jehovah's Witnesses

17. Salvation

 

 
Introduction 
Preface 
Part 1: The Nature of God 
1. The Deity of Christ 
2. The Personality of the Holy Spirit 
3. The Trinity 
Part 2: The Nature of Man 
4. The Spirit of Man 
5. The Soul of Man 
6. The Nature of Death 
7. Resurrection 
8. The Nature of Hell 
Part 3: God's People 
9. Israel 
10. The 144,000 
11. God's Organization 
12. The Great Crowd 
13. The Faithful and Discreet Slave 
14. Persecution 
Part 4: Man's Salvation 
15. The Gospel 
16. Being Born Again 
17. Salvation 
18. Justification 
19. Sufficiency of Christ's Redemption 
20. Relationship with Christ 
21. Christian Freedom 
22. Witnessing 
Part 5: The Last Days 
23. The Return of Christ 
24. Watchtower Chronology -- The Year 1914 
25. The Rapture 
26. The Kingdom 
27. The New Heaven and New Earth 
Bibliography 
Appendix A: Disassociation Letter 
Appendix B: The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures 
Scripture Index 
Subject Index 

17. Salvation

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that:

a. To be saved a person must:

1. Take in knowledge.9

2. Believe in Jesus Christ.10

3. Repent.11

4. Dedicate himself to Jehovah.12

5. Turn around.13

6. Recognize the Watchtower Society as "God's organization." 14

7. Conduct his life in harmony with the teachings and activities of the Watchtower Society.15

8. Maintain integrity to Jehovah and to his earthly organization.16

9. Endure faithfully to the end.17

b. One need not be born again to be saved.18

c. It is presumptuous for a Christian to say that he has been saved.19

d. A Christian awaits future salvation.20

e. A Christian has no assurance of salvation. 21

 

* * *

 

Q1. What is the condition before God of the unsaved?

Matt 8:22-But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me; and allow the dead to bury their own dead."

Matt 10:6-"but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Luke 13:1-5-Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, and He answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were [greater] sinners than all [other] Galileans, because they suffered this [fate]? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who lived in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but, unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

Luke 15:24-"for this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found."

Luke 19:10-"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

John 3:16-"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."

John 3:18-"he who does not believe has been judged already"

John 3:36-"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Rom 5:10-For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Gal 4:9-But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God...[The unsaved are unknown by God.]

Eph 2:3-Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Col 2:13-And when you were dead in your transgressions...

2 Thess 1:7-9-and [to give] relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.

Rev 20:15-And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

 

Q2. How can one be saved?

Matt 19:26-And when the disciples heard [this], they were very astonished and said, "Then who can be saved?" And looking upon [them] Jesus said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

1 Pet 2:24-and He [Jesus] Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

 

Q3. To whom must one turn for salvation?

See RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST, Q3

 

Q4. What must a person do to be saved?

John 3:14-16-"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."

John 3:36-"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

John 6:47-"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life."

Acts 13:38-39-"Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses."

Acts 13:48-And when the Gentiles heard this, they [began] rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

Acts 16:29-31-The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household."

Rom 10:9-10-if you confess with you mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Rom 10:13-"Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord [Jesus] will be saved."

Rev 3:20-"Behold, I [Jesus] stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me."

 

Q5. Must one be born again to be saved?

See BEING BORN AGAIN, Q2

 

Q6. Is it proper for a Christian to say that he has been saved?

John 3:36-"He who believes in the Son HAS eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

John 5:24-"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word, and believes Him who sent Me, HAS eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but HAS passed out of death into life."

John 6:47-"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes HAS eternal life."

Rom 5:11-Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation

Rom 8:1-2-There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit HAS set you free from the law of sin and of death.

Eph 2:5-...when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you HAVE BEEN saved)...

Eph 4:32-God in Christ also HAS forgiven you.

Phil 4:3-and the rest of my fellow-workers, whose names ARE in the book of life.

2 Ti 1:8-9-God, who HAS saved us, and called us with a holy calling

Heb 10:19-Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus...

1 Pet 1:23-For you HAVE BEEN born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

1 John 3:14-We know that we HAVE passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.

1 John 5:11-And the witness is this, that God HAS given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

1 John 5:13-These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you HAVE eternal life.

 

Q7. How does a Christian know that he has been saved?

Rom 8:16-The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God

Eph 1:13-In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.

1 John 5:13-These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.

 

Q8. Can one test himself to see whether or not he has been saved?

2 Cor 13:5-Test yourselves [to see] if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that JESUS CHRIST IS IN YOU-unless indeed you fail the test?

 

Q9. Does a Christian await future, bodily salvation?

Rom 5:9-10-Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Rom 8:11-But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.

Eph 4:30-And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

1 Pet 1:4-5-you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

 

Q10. Does a Christian have assurance of salvation?

John 5:24-"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

John 10:28-"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."

Rom 8:1-2-Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Rom 8:11-But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.

Eph 1:13-14-In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of [God's own] possession, to the praise of His glory.

Eph 4:30-And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Phil 4:3-and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Col 3:3-4For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Heb 10:35-Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

1 John 5:13-I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may KNOW that you HAVE eternal life.

 

* * *

 

Summary:

a. To be saved one must:

1. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

b. One must be born again to be saved.

c. One can test himself to see whether or not he has been saved. If Jesus Christ is in him, he has been saved. If He is not in him, he has not been saved.

d. The indwelling Holy Spirit gives the Christian assurance of salvation.

e. It is proper for a Christian to say that he has been saved.

f. A Christian awaits future, bodily salvation.

 

* * *

 

Scriptures commonly used by Jehovah's Witnesses:

Phil 2:12-13-...work out [not FOR] your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for [His] good pleasure.

 

Endnotes:

9. Watchtower, 6/15/68, p. 359

10. Watchtower 12/1/85, p. 9

11. Aid to Bible Understanding, p. 1386

12. The Truth that Leads to Eternal Life, p. 182

13. Aid to Bible Understanding, p. 1388

14. Watchtower, 6/15/68, p. 359

15. Ibid.

16. Watchtower, 12/1/85, p. 18

17. Ibid.

18. Watchtower, 2/15/86, p. 14

19. Reasoning from the Scriptures, p. 360

20. Ibid., p. 358

21. Ibid.

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