How we appreciate the undeserved kindness from Jehovah through the ransom sacrifice of Christ Jesus! By means of the ransom, we have an approved standing before God. We could never attain this through our own efforts, no matter how diligently we might study the Bible, preach the good news, or perform other good works. Forgiveness of sins and everlasting life are extended to us, not as payment for our efforts, but as gifts reflecting Jehovah’s undeserved kindness through Jesus Christ.—Rom. 11:6.
How do they reconcile this with the passage a little farther down quoting Ezek 3: 17,18? Either you have grace, or you do not. Don't say that this is a gift given freely, then tell me I'll be bloodguilty and NOT receive salvation if I don't sell books, er, I mean, preach.
Paul wrote to fellow believers: “We.. . entreat you not to accept the undeserved kindness of God and miss its purpose.
Exactly. Maybe the GB needs to read what it's staff writers are writing....
Honesthearted people who loved Jehovah were saved spiritually.
No, honest-hearted people who loved JESUS and listened to HIS words were saved.
Those whom Jehovah accepts as his servants and who are being spiritually saved have the prospect of physical salvation through "the great day of Jehovah" now so close at hand. (How close?)—Zeph. 1:14.
Notice how it still leaves that 'doubt' factor in whether or not you'll be saved? Those whom Jehovah accepts o.k...so you've been accepted as a servant of Jehovah, which would seem to indicate that he had deemed you worthy of salvation. Yet you only have the PROSPECT of physical salvation. Does that mean that Jehovah makes mistakes? That even though he's accepted you as his servant that you don't REALLY know whether you've achieved salvation? Oh, I forgot. If you don't go to enough meetings, go out in service enough, and don't do what the GB tells you, then your PROSPECT dries up. So we go back to Romans 11:6 quoted earlier and void that piece of the scripture, I guess.
Oh, and ya gotta love the 'so close at hand'. Maybe that was a quote from an 1879 Watchtower.
"Really, woe is me if I did not declare the good news!" He also expressed how he felt in these words: "Both to wise and to senseless ones I am a debtor: so there is eagerness on my part to declare the good news."-1 Cor. 9:16; Rom. 1:14,15.
I'm surprised that the NWT doesn't read "...on my part to declare the good news by going door to door and preaching."
I guess they overlook the fact that there are many ways to 'declare the good news' other than by selling books door to door.
Jehovah will hold us accountable if we neglect the vital work of warning people. We are aware of what Jehovah said to the prophet Ezekiel: "Son of man, a watchman is what I have made you to the house of Israel, and you must hear from my mouth speech and you must warn them from me. When I say to someone wicked, 'You will positively die/ and you do not actually warn him and speak in order to warn the wicked one from his wicked way to preserve him alive, he being wicked, in his error he will die, but his blood I shall ask back from your own hand."—Ezek. 3:17,18. (OT reasoning as usual)
Good point. OT reasoning - as usual. The problem we have is that JEHOVAH isn't telling us who will positively die. It's a group of 12 men saying "Anyone not like us dies." Also, note that it says "he being wicked". I dare to say that many, many, many non-JW's would be hard to classify as 'wicked'.
In addition, many of you have to deal with sickness, depression, old age, and even opposition.
Sickness (because many of you don't have careers with good health bennies), depression (because you have to shun your friends and family, spend all of your time doing what we tell you, and STILL don't know if you'll be saved), old age (made more difficult because you have no savings, no pension, and no plans, because you were supposed to be this old), and even opposition (by the lying media and apostates.)
"Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you."
I will refresh you by dictating every aspect of your day-to-day life and will punish you harshly if you violate even one rule in this 2,000 page book called "Spying on the Flock", or whatever it's called.
As a result of your zealous preaching and teaching activity and because of Jehovah's blessing, worldwide 4,762 are baptized on average each week.
As a result of the Internet, we lose 5,000 each week and thus have 0% growth.
from the undeserved kindness and the peace from Jehovah during this "day of salvation."
I thought grace was from that guy Jesus who the WBT$$ always forgets about.
Be assured that the Governing Body loves you your monetary contributions.
and that we pray for you , well, in between deciding disfellowshipping offenses and falling asleep at the GB meetings.
We also thank you for your prayers for us. C'mon...as a JW, how many times did you ACTUALLY pray for the GB????
Great post, What-a
