Post by Radrook Admin on Jul 21, 2024 8:07:20 GMT -5
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Earning Salvation is a JWS Doctrine
Of course, in order for a person to feel that he must earn salvation, he needs to feel threatened that salvation is not guaranteed. This is exactly what they teach. That in order avoid God's impending wrath, you must be constantly preaching, attending their meetings, and being obedient to their so-called and self-appointed Faithful and Discreet Slave Class.
They seek to justify such view by quoting the following three scriptures.
They seek to justify such view by quoting the following three scriptures.
Matthew 24:13
But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Revelation 22:12
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
Zephaniah 2:3
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Revelation 22:12
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
Zephaniah 2:3
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger.
Constant Indoctrination
The person who was giving me Bible studies constantly repeated those scriptures when we were out in the field service preaching from house to house. Of course, it kept me in a state of constant anxious insecurity about my destiny. He also kept stressing the urgent need to always be doing more in God's service in order avoid displeasing this almighty demanding God who he claimed would mow me down with the rest of the wicked on the day of Armageddon, God's day of retribution, if I didn't.
In short, absolutely nothing, regardless of how I behaved, was ever assured. It was tantamount to having some supernatural predator constantly stalking and ready to pounce at my slightest misbehavior. It felt as if my every single thought was under constant scrutiny, and could prove fatal if it displeased God and I allowed it to fester unopposed. So negative thoughts had to be immediately contradicted and removed for fear of this vindictive God's reprisal.
Those Most Susceptible
Of course, only persons who lack a solid basic doctrinal foundation in Christianity are susceptible to believe such a concept. I, for example, unfortunately, had absolutely no idea why Jesus needed to die for our sins nor about the concept of grace when I began taking Bible studies from JWS. This is not surprising. After all, I had never read nor studied the Bible, nor had I attended any church on a regular basis. In short, my mind was a veritable clean slate.
I had also been gradually prepared to accept such JWS anti-Christian teachings by my cousin George whom I believed to be an exceptionally intelligent person. So when an urgent need to seek God's help arose, they were my choice. A choice that only made matters far worse than they would have been, had I wisely maintained a safe distance.