Salvation consisted of being found "righteous" by Jehovah.
@ Sea Breeze
I just wanted to clarify that I have "righteous" in quotes exactly because of their lack of knowledge regarding true justification through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Perhaps I should have worded it: Salvation consisted of being considered worthy by Jehovah. No, they do not teach the truth you have pointed out here so well. You raise many good points:
Salvation does not somehow transfer to another by being a friend of God's friends, i.e. the "little flock" of 144,000, nor being a "friend" of God, i.e. an obedient JW:
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," [Romans 3:23]
If everyone has sinned, they are enemies of God:
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 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. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." [Romans 5:8-11]
Note through who and what Paul states reconciliation comes: the death and resurrection (life) of His Son, not some friend. And if we are enemies of God before salvation (justification) actually occurs, how could we ever claim to be a friend of God?
There are not two tiers of salvation, one for an especially privileged group and one for the "other sheep." Paul, speaking of the Gentiles and the Jews, states:
"...remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity." [Ephesians 2:12-16]
Here we see that Gentiles (including us in our sinful state!) have no hope are are without God in the world, but we are brought near by the "blood of Christ," not friends of God's friends nor the JW organization. Christ Jesus reconciles both Jews and Gentiles through the cross and only the cross!
As Sea Breeze said, the "alternate method of salvation" through obedience to the WBTS creates "a false Christ." Jesus plainly says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." [John 14:6] NOT through the JW organization. They are putting themselves in the place of savior, when God's Word succinctly states, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." [Acts 4:12]
I will stop here for now and respond to other folks soon who have made some excellent points as well.
