Are you sending her the comments from here?
Jez
Please Please PLEASE post some words of encouragement to my JW friend......
by PAJA 39 Replies latest jw friends
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MerryMagdalene
Dear Cynthia,
I hope you will trust your own relationship with the true God enough to consider the positive way in which he is reaching out to you right now----both through your beloved and through those who are free to cultivate the kind of love that throws fear outside ("There is no fear in love, but perfect love throws fear outside, because fear exercises a restraint."--1 John 4:18).
I was raised as a 4th generation Witness but, I have to say, for all the good intentions of my friends and family within the Organization, I have found far more love, kindness, peace, integrity, and spiritual awareness among those who left for love and for reasons of conscience than I ever found among those who stayed out of fear (and, in my experience, all who stay do so out of fear and try to call it love).
So, if I may offer you anything at all, it is the encouragement to sort through your motivations, seperating fear from love, and then go with LOVE.
~Merry
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jaffacake
URGENT
I think what you need is a copy of the post on thread page 2733 entitled : An open letter to JWs.
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jaffacake
Extract from a letter I sent a loved one still a JW:
You were right, the Bible says faith without works is dead
You reminded me that good works too, are important. I agree. James, in his letter, urged people not only to be hearers of the word but also doers. James says faith without works is dead. The relevant Scriptures are James 2:14 ? 26. It is a lot to type, so I suggest you look it up.
When I go on, and on, about salvation is by faith, and not works, that is only because the Apostle Paul goes on about it so much. He must have had a very good reason for such repetition. He clearly doesn?t mean that a Christian should not do good works, but what good works are described in by Jesus and his Apostles?
The Bible has such a lot to say on the matter of faith and works of the law, because this is a central message. It is also a simple and unambiguous one, not like some portions of Scripture. It is not me who repeatedly says that salvation is through faith and not works, it is what I keep reading in Paul?s letters. These don?t say that salvation is dependent on both faith and works, although this may be what you and I might have expected. This seems therefore to teach that if a Christian has genuine faith, and repents, he is saved, which would result in good works automatically following. The point I clumsily tried to make was all about the key question about how to attain salvation. This is not for me to answer, as the Bible has so much to say on this all important question:
Titus 3:4-7
?But when the goodness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but by according to his own mercy??
2 Tim 1: 8-10
??for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but by his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Jesus Christ before the ages began??
Ephesians 2:8
?for by grace you have been saved, through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.?
You have often told me that witnesses must not read critical literature in case they may be stumbled, but what did the Apostle Paul say was the stumbling stone? Was he telling them not to listen to critics lest they stumble? Paul has already answered this one. The stumbling that Paul was specifically warning against was those people who taught that it was possible to attain salvation through works?. Please see below:
Romans 9:30-32
?What shall we say then? That gentiles that did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is a righteousness that is by faith; but that
So who might cause you to stumble? Is it those true Christians who say salvation should be pursued by faith, not works, or is it religious organisations who seem to suggest you have to earn salvation by good works? This is what Jesus taught was self righteousness.
Romans1:6
?But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works ; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Galatians 2:16
?Yet we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law, no one will be justified.
Ephesians 2:5
?Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ ? by grace you have been saved.?
We could also read Acts 16:30-31 or Luke 7:48 or many others to see what the Bible teaches, in the New Testament, the true good news of the gospel. The Bible doesn?t really get much clearer than this, unless we have blind guides. The New Testament goes on and on and on about the way to salvation being through faith and God?s undeserved kindness, a free gift, and not through works, not to be earned. Since when did anyone have to work to earn a free gift? The Apostle warned about anyone preaching a different gospel to this.
So why is there so much emphasis in the Bible on the fact that salvation is only attained by faith and the undeserved kindness, and not by works? Because this is the essential and central good news message. And how does this fit in with James? words about faith without works being dead? Is this a contradiction? Taking the New Testament as a whole, regarding salvation, ? what is the overwhelming teaching on this all important issue of salvation?
There seems a determination to ignore the New Covenant emphasis in preference for the Old Covenant emphasis, however strong the Scriptural evidence. Due to the apparent confusion, even among the Apostles, on this very point of the ?good news? message that Christians should be spreading, I have sought guidance, not from men but from the Apostles writings - unadulterated.
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Mary
HOW THE HECK DO I RESPOND TO THESE?
I would tell respond in part by reminding her that the scriptures she quoted are from the Old Testament, and that Jehovah's Witnesses openly say that Christians are not under these laws any more, so this doesn't apply to you.
I would also make mention of the fact that Moses married a Midianite woman, Zippora----she was not an Israelite, yet Jehovah never held that against him.
Joseph married an Egyptian woman when he was made second in line to Pharaoh---Jehovah never held that against him.
However, the main problem here is trying to make her see that this religion is NOT "the Truth". If she's already having doubts, you need to print off all the information you can about the UN Scandal, the truth about Jerusalem being destroyed in 586 BCE, NOT 607 BCE (this is a biggy for Witnesses) or buy her the Crisis of Conscience book----that's the key. Or sit her down and tell her that if she can prove that this religion is "the Truth", then you'll listen to her. When she tries to do this, you have to be well prepared and be able to show her proof that what she's been told by the Organization isn't true. A simpler subject---Did Jesus Die On a Cross---is a good point too. Someone did a post here not too long ago showing the quote that the Organization uses in their literature and how they leave out all the important parts that show Jesus did die on a Cross.
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jaffacake
Stay calm, don't push too hard.
Exchanging verses proves little & she's better trained. Perhaps you could ask her to read ane of the Gospels (John?) or one of Paul's letters, Galatians, Romans? in whole chapters, in context.
None of them suggest the need for membership of a human religion or organisation to meet the Christian requirements. The opposite is what the Bible teaches:
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?" And he answered and said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." And He said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." (Luke 10:25-28, NASB)
"Do this and you will live." Keep God's law perfectly, never sin, and always obey Him in everything with all of yourself. Your heart, soul, strength, and mind must be perfectly expended in obedient love to God and to your neighbor. No losing heart in time of trial. No weakness in work. No wandering thoughts leading to sin. Every fiber of your being expended in love for God and this perfectly. "Do this and you will live." This is the perfect and holy law of the perfect and holy God. But is this good news? Did the lawyer who answered the Lord rejoice in this? Did he go away feeling self-righteous, thinking that he certainly had a good standing before God? After all, he was trying his very best to obey these two great commandments.
Note the next verse. (But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "and who is my neighbor?" John 10:29, NASB) Self-righteousness raises it's ugly head here. "Wishing to justify himself." But note, God's law is not based on "our best efforts" or "our good intentions" to keep it. You really, truly have to keep it! Perfectly! "Do this, and you will live." Not "Try to do this." Not "Give it your best shot." No, one single failure, one disobedient act, one sinful thought, one omission of any kind, one failure is fatal. Yet this expert in the law was "wishing to justify himself."
In case you remain unconvinced let's look at another man "wishing to justify himself" in his own self-righteousness.
And as He [Jesus] was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. "You know the commandments, 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'" And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up." And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But at these words his face fell, and he went away grieved, for he was one who owned much property. (Mark 10:17-22, NASB)
The Lord of the universe rehearsed with this man the requirements of the Law. What is his answer? "I have kept all these things from my youth up." Wrong! He missed it. He didn't get it. His eyes were blind, his heart was cold. He did not hear the Lord that day, but wishing to justify himself, he condemned himself by his own words.
Now I wonder, do you hear the Lord right now? "Do not murder (or be angry with your brother without cause). Do not commit adultery (or look lustfully on another). Do not steal (or envy another). Do not bear false witness (or lie)." Can you even meet the first requirement of the law mentioned here, let alone law upon law upon law?
Don't think that Jesus was giving the man an opportunity to justify himself before God through obeying these laws. The Lord here was not implying that the man had actually followed these nor could he follow them. Jesus was using the law to demonstrate to the rich man his utter sinfulness; his total, complete poverty of any righteousness, and thus His need of a savior. He had broken every one of these commandments (as we all have - either in thought or in deed). But did the man hear? Did he really hear what the Lord said? No, even though he had physical ears and heard Jesus' words, God had not yet given him "eyes to see and ears to hear". No, he thought he had kept these commandments of God. He remained in darkness. Instead of answering "I have broken each of these countless times. How can I find righteousness before God? God, be merciful to me the sinner!" Instead of that kind of answer, he broadcasts his spiritual blindness. "Teacher, I have kept all these from my youth up."
I expect that some of the people reading this are like these men. You wish to justify yourself in the sight of God. Your answer to the Lord would run along the same lines and that answer would miss the mark of God's righteousness to your damnation. Instead of justifying yourself, you condemn yourself by your own words.
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Crumpet
Mary i just wanted to commend you on such brilliantand true points. A precedent was set in biblical times for marriage with unbelievers. I love that some people on here on so familiar with their bibles - it is so helpful to me. I am learning so much every day from you bunch!
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jaffacake
To be read after the end of my previous post:
God's righteousness! Not ours, God's!
But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; (Romans 3:21-24, NASB)
The righteousness of God! How? Through faith in Jesus Christ. Why? It is a gift by God's grace! Good news, good news! The demand of God's law for perfect righteousness has been met in Jesus Christ, the Lord our Righteousness!
For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4, NASB)
What the Law could not do, God did! What we cannot do for ourselves, God has done for us. "The Lord our Righteousness." The Lord himself has undertaken to provide the qualifications necessary to meet His own just judgment.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:4, NASB)
?Justification means more than mere pardon for sin; it means that the justified person is regarded as having kept all God's laws perfectly." (James Buchanan, Not Guilty, p.25)
The Lord our righteousness. Who is this Lord and what does it mean to say he is our righteousness? The Lord is clearly Jesus Christ. How does His righteousness become ours? By God's grace through faith.
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PAJA
I have a question, I'm trying to find the verse's about adding things to God's word (the bible).
I know there were at least 2 places that SPECIFICALLY talked about NOT doing this but cannot remember where....... -
jaffacake
I am aware of at least one such reference. I'm searching.......