The Watchtower, June 1st, 2005 Issue, Pages 14-15:
"Saved, Not by Works Alone, but by Undeserved Kindness" (Study Article)
(Paragraph 1): "Christians [...] realize that in Jehovah's service, right motives are more important than personal accomplishments. Anyone who is eventually given the gift of eternal life will have gained it, not by personal accomplishments, but through faith and by God's undeserved kindness. -- Luke 17:10; John 3:16."
(Paragraph 3): "Even though Paul was outstanding in performing Christian works, he recognized that his achievements were not owing to any particular abilities of his own. With modesty, he noted: "To me, a man less than the least of all holy ones, this undeserved kindness was given, that I should declare to the nations the good news about the unfathomable riches of the Christ." (Ephesians 3:8) No boastful attitude here nor holier-than-thou haughtiness. "God opposes the haughty ones, but he gives undeserved kindness to the humble ones." (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5) Do we follow Paul's example, humbly considering ourselves to be less than the least of our brothers?"
Page 17:
(Paragraph 10): "Our sacred service is pleasing to Jehovah only when it is rendered out of love and devotion, not for the sake of elevating ourselves over others. It is therefore vital to have a balanced view of our activity in support of true worship. [...]"
(Paragraph 11): "If motive is all-important in gaining Jehovah's approval, then to what extent should we be concerned about our works of faith? As long as we perform our ministry with the right motive, is it really necessary to keep account of what we do or how much? These are reasonable questions, since we do not want to put numbers ahead of acts of faith or let having a good report become a major concern regarding our Christian activity ."
(Paragraph 12): "[...] What fine encouragement the news of these increases must have brought to the disciples. For the same reason, Jehovah's Witnesses today endeavor to keep accurate records of what is accomplished worldwide. [...]"
Pages 18-19:
(Paragraph 14): "While our field service report plays its part, helping us to maintain our zeal in preaching and to avoid slacking off, we must keep it in proper perspective. It is not to be viewed as a spiritual license or passport, determining our eligibility for everlasting life."
(Paragraph 15): "Clearly, even though works alone cannot save us, they are necessary. [...] James simply says: "As the body without spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." -- James 2:26."
(Paragraph 16): "Important though the good works themselves may be, the motives for doing them are even more important. It is therefore wise for us to check our motives from time to time. Since no human can accurately know the motives of others, however, we must be aware of judging others. "Who are you to judge the house servant of another?" we are asked, with the obvious answer: "To his own master he stands or falls." (Romans 14:4) Jehovah, the Master of all, and his appointed Judge, Christ Jesus, will judge us, not on the basis of our works alone but also on the basis of our motives, our opportunities, our love, and our devotion. Only Jehovah and Christ Jesus can accurately judge whether we have done what Christians are admonished to do, in the words of the apostle Paul: "Do your utmost to present yourself approved to God, a workman with nothing to be ashamed of, handling the word of the truth aright." -- 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 1:10; 3:14."
(Paragraph 17): "Jehovah is reasonable in what he expects of us. According to James 3:17, "The wisdom from above is," among other things, "reasonable." Would it not be the course of wisdom, as well as a true accomplishment, for us to imitate Jehovah in this regard? Thus, we should not try to set unreasonable and unreachable expectations for ourselves or for our brothers."
(Paragraph 18): "As long as we keep a balanced view of our works of faith and Jehovah's undeserved kindness, we will maintain the joy that is a distinguishing mark of true servants of Jehovah. (Isaiah 65:13, 14) We can rejoice in the blessings that Jehovah is pouring out on his people as a whole, regardless of how much we personally may be able to do. [...] Yes, we can draw comfort and encouragement from knowing that we can be saved, not by works alone, but by Jehovah's undeserved kindness!"
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Interesting article, no?
What are your thoughts on this article?
It looks like the Watchtower Society is trying to shift away from their past ultra-judgmental statements about God destroying everyone who doesn't put in enough hours or attend every meeting.