It is not a biblical hope Scotty, at least the way we used to view it. JW’s have
little concept of a personal Judgment for their sins. This is partly due to
their heretical views on soul-sleep and partly due to the fact that they are
taught that at death, all of their sins
are wiped away just by them dying. They base this on their translation of
Romans 6: 7 which reads:
For the
one who has died has been acquitted from
his sin. - NWT
Most bibles more accurately
translate this word acquitted as freed instead of acquitted. This entire chapter and the next is
talking about being born again, which Jesus told Nicodemus 3 times that he must
do in order to see the Kingdom of God. Looking at the context:
4 So we were
buried with him through our baptism into his death, in order that just
as Christ was raised up from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we
also should walk in a newness of life. 5 If we have become united with him in
the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united with him in the
likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we
know that our old personality was nailed to the stake along with him in
order for our sinful body to be made powerless, so that we should no longer go
on being slaves to sin. 7 For the one who has died has been acquitted from his sin. - NWT
The preceding verse 6 makes it clear
that it is our old personality that dies when we are born again, thus freeing
us from slavery to sin. Vs. 4 says that we are buried with Christ in baptism so
that we would walk in the newness of life. The claim that we are acquitted of
our sins just by dying a physical death is a lie from the pit of hell. It is
every bit as evil as the lie Satan told Eve. JW’s should be confronted on this.
Even more grievous, is the fact that
JW’s have been taught to personally reject the New Covenant, which is the legal
instrument that deals with salvation and resurrection unto life.
Matthew
26: 27, 28 And taking a cup, he offered thanks and gave it to them,
saying: “Drink out of it, all of you, for this means my ‘blood of the
covenant,’ which is to be poured out in behalf of many for forgiveness
of sins. - NWT
The reason this scripture is so critical for JW’s to read
from their own bible is because they are not taught that the purpose of the New
Covenant is for the forgiveness of sins as Jesus here clearly says that it is.
They have been taught that the New Covenant is only for government positions in God’s Kingdom. They use :
Luke 22: 29 and I
make a covenant with you, just as my
Father has made a covenant with me, for a kingdom – NWT
Vs.
Luke 22: 29
And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me -
KJV
Here the verb appoint in the KJ is accurately
translated. The NWT uses the noun form of the word which is not in the Greek.
Jesus isn’t making a new covenant different that the one offered at the Lord’s
Supper. He is simply appointing positions of authority to members of that New
Covenant. The New Covenant is what gives him the legal authority to appoint. Mt. 26: 27 & 28 clearly states that the
purpose of the new covenant is for the
forgiveness of sins. That fact has almost never
been pointed out to JW’s. They will not try to refute this when they read the
words of Jesus from their own bible.