David_A_Reed
April 9th 2006, 08:03 AM
The assault on Christian faith is growing everywhere, as the world embraces homosexuality, as new fossils are paraded to "prove" there's no need for God, as heretical writings are headlined to cast doubt on the true Gospel, as the eastern antichrist sits in God's place on Temple Mount and demands control of Jerusalem. So, as the world rushes headlong toward Armageddon, is this a time for Bible believers to be doing battle with Jehovah's Witnesses?
After all, JWs have a better grasp of the nearness of the end than most mainline "Christian" denominations. JWs officially uphold biblical morality (although they have their share of scandals, just like the Catholic church which also officially upholds biblical morality). JWs put more effort into sharing their faith than most other churches. JWs defend the Bible's true history of creation against the evolutionists' clever lies.
So, why do battle here in this form, and elsewhere, with JW teachings?
Because even though 95-percent of what they teach may be correct, the other 5-percent is deadly. And a glass containing 95-percent water and 5-percent poison can prove fatal.
Like the pope, the Watchtower headquarters organization interposes itself between individual JWs and God, claiming to be "God's channel of communication" just as the pope claims to be the vicar of Christ. In this capacity the WT organization usurps Christ's role as Mediator. By demanding complete obedience to its ever-changing decrees, the organization puts itself in Jesus' position as Lord. By teaching that everlasting life can be obtained only through it, the organization makes itself the Savior.
Naturally, then, the Watchtower organization also attempts to put down Jesus, while giving him lip service at the same time. It relegates Jesus to the position of a created being, a mere angel, the first one created by God. It twists the Gospel message, much like those who earlier taught the Galatian church 'another gospel' different from the true Gospel they had heard from the Apostle Paul.
In doing so, the organization steers individual JWs away from the saving personal relationship with Christ that all the Scriptures speak of. Instead of responding to Jesus' invitation to "come to me" the JW is told to 'come to the organization.'
They are forbidden ever to pray, "Lord Jesus...," as Stephen did. They are taught to resist receiving "the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15) even though those without the Spirit "cannot please God." (Rom. 8:8) Instead, the organization claims only 144,000 could be born again, and that the number was filled back in the year 1935 -- so millions of new believers since that time must settle for something less than being children of God and joint heirs with Christ.
By teaching such things, the Watchtower organization's leaders follow in the steps of the Pharisees who shut up the kingdom of heaven before men, so that they themselves would not go in, nor those who listened to them.
Yes, the enemy is attacking Christian faith from all directions, and the end is clearly drawing near, but this is no time to stop refuting the false teachings of those who pretend to follow Christ while perverting his teachings.
David
After all, JWs have a better grasp of the nearness of the end than most mainline "Christian" denominations. JWs officially uphold biblical morality (although they have their share of scandals, just like the Catholic church which also officially upholds biblical morality). JWs put more effort into sharing their faith than most other churches. JWs defend the Bible's true history of creation against the evolutionists' clever lies.
So, why do battle here in this form, and elsewhere, with JW teachings?
Because even though 95-percent of what they teach may be correct, the other 5-percent is deadly. And a glass containing 95-percent water and 5-percent poison can prove fatal.
Like the pope, the Watchtower headquarters organization interposes itself between individual JWs and God, claiming to be "God's channel of communication" just as the pope claims to be the vicar of Christ. In this capacity the WT organization usurps Christ's role as Mediator. By demanding complete obedience to its ever-changing decrees, the organization puts itself in Jesus' position as Lord. By teaching that everlasting life can be obtained only through it, the organization makes itself the Savior.
Naturally, then, the Watchtower organization also attempts to put down Jesus, while giving him lip service at the same time. It relegates Jesus to the position of a created being, a mere angel, the first one created by God. It twists the Gospel message, much like those who earlier taught the Galatian church 'another gospel' different from the true Gospel they had heard from the Apostle Paul.
In doing so, the organization steers individual JWs away from the saving personal relationship with Christ that all the Scriptures speak of. Instead of responding to Jesus' invitation to "come to me" the JW is told to 'come to the organization.'
They are forbidden ever to pray, "Lord Jesus...," as Stephen did. They are taught to resist receiving "the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Rom. 8:15) even though those without the Spirit "cannot please God." (Rom. 8:8) Instead, the organization claims only 144,000 could be born again, and that the number was filled back in the year 1935 -- so millions of new believers since that time must settle for something less than being children of God and joint heirs with Christ.
By teaching such things, the Watchtower organization's leaders follow in the steps of the Pharisees who shut up the kingdom of heaven before men, so that they themselves would not go in, nor those who listened to them.
Yes, the enemy is attacking Christian faith from all directions, and the end is clearly drawing near, but this is no time to stop refuting the false teachings of those who pretend to follow Christ while perverting his teachings.
David