God’s Remedy for Sin
What is it? How can we benefit by it?
WHAT is the trouble with this world? It has an affliction called sin. Like the sting of a venomous serpent, the effect of sin is death: “The sting producing death is sin.” (1 Cor. 15:56) What is the antidote or remedy for “the sting producing death”? Is this remedy available for all kinds of sin?
Before a doctor prescribes a remedy for an affliction, he diagnoses the trouble. He must know just what the affliction is. What, then, is this affliction called sin?
The Greek word for sin originally meant to miss, as to miss one’s road. Later it came to mean to fail of doing or to miss one’s point. The Hebrew word originally meant to miss, hence to fail. Because of sin, man misses the mark, he goes wrong, he falls short of the righteous and perfect requirements of Almighty God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”—Rom. 3:23.
So today there are not some persons on the earth who are perfect and sinless, whereas others are imperfect and sinful. All human creatures, descendants of Adam, have inherited sin and the consequences of sin: “The wages sin pays is death.” If a man were without sin, he would not be faced with the certainty of death. Adam, in his perfection, was under no sentence of death. By obedience to God’s laws Adam could have lived on this earth forever. Only by an act of willful disobedience could Adam come under the sentence of death. Declared Adam’s Creator: “As for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.”—Rom. 6:23; Gen. 2:17.
It was right for God to demand this obedience. Adam owed his very existence to his grand Creator. When the first couple, in sheer willfulness, violated God’s law, they sinned; and sin brought the death penalty. Since no children were born to Adam and Eve until after they had sinned, none of their offspring were born perfect. All inherited the evil consequences of sin—death. Thus the apostle Paul wrote: “Through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.”—Rom. 5:12.
Man’s Creator, then, is not responsible for sin. God’s works are perfect. He cannot be charged with blame for sin: “Perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice; righteous and upright is he. They have acted ruinously on their own part; they are not his children, the defect is their own.”—Deut. 32:4, 5.
THE REMEDY
Chiefly to blame for the start of human sin is Satan the Devil. This spirit creature turned himself into a devil through covetousness and pride and then induced the first human couple to sin. So God’s remedy for sin must embrace the destruction of the one chiefly to blame for human sin. “He who practices sin originates with the Devil,” writes the apostle John, “because the Devil has been sinning from when he began. For this purpose the Son of God was made manifest, namely, to break up the works of the Devil.” (1 John 3:8) God has appointed Jesus Christ to “break up the works of the Devil”; he will do this by means of God’s kingdom. This kingdom in the hands of Jesus Christ will destroy this sin-filled world and ultimately bring an end to inherited sin itself. As the apostle says: “He must rule as king until God has put all enemies under his feet. As the last enemy, death is to be destroyed.”(1 Cor. 15:25, 26) Since the effect of sin is death, death’s destruction means the end of sin.
What must individuals do who long to survive the destruction of this sin-filled world to enter the blessedness of a sinless new world? They must learn of God’s promised new world soon to replace this world: “There are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.” (2 Pet. 3:13) They must learn that the basis for surviving the end of this world and for gaining everlasting life in the new world is the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
It was necessary for the perfect Son of God to come to earth and to surrender his sinless human life in behalf of Adam’s descendants. As the only perfect or sinless man born of a woman, Jesus could have lived on the earth forever. But it was the will of God that Jesus sacrifice his right to live forever on this earth. Any of Adam’s descendants can benefit from Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, as John wrote: “He is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole world’s.”—1 John 2:2.
God’s remedy for sin, then, includes the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God by means of which the benefits of that sacrifice will be dispensed to all obedient men of good will.
NO ROOM FOR WILLFUL SIN
Does this mean that, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, one is guiltless before God if he continues to practice sin? Answers the apostle: “Shall we continue in sin, that undeserved kindness may abound? Never may that happen! . . . do not let sin continue to rule as king in your mortal bodies that you should obey their desires.”—Rom. 6:1, 2, 12.
So the Christian wishing to benefit from God’s remedy for sin cannot willfully practice doing what God condemns. To benefit from God’s remedy for sin, one must be thoroughly devoted in heart and mind to the doing of the divine will. Despite heart-deep love for God’s laws a Christian will sin because of his Adamic inheritance. Concerning inherited sin the apostle wrote: “I find, then, this law in my case: that when I wish to do what is right, what is bad is present with me. I really delight in the law of God according to the man I am within, but I behold in my members another law warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to sin’s law that is in my members. Miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from the body undergoing this death? Thanks to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, then, with my mind I myself am a slave to God’s law, but with my flesh to sin’s law.”—Rom. 7:21-25.
Though God has provided a remedy for inherited sin, there is none for the practice of willful sin. The Bible differentiates between inherited sin and willful sin: “If anyone catches sight of his brother sinning a sin that does not incur death, he will ask, and he will give life to him, yes, to those not sinning so as to incur death. There is a sin that does incur death. It is concerning that sin that I do not tell him to make request.” (1 John 5:16) What is this sin that incurs death and for which there is no remedy?
Jesus Christ spoke of a sin for which God’s remedy does not apply. Said Jesus: “Whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit has no forgiveness forever, but is guilty of everlasting sin.” And the inspired apostle Paul also wrote: “If we practice sin willfully after having received the accurate knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice for sins left.” One who learns of God’s will, knows God’s commandments and then continues willfully, deliberately to practice sin disqualifies himself from receiving the benefits of God’s remedy for sin.—Mark 3:29; Heb. 10:26.
So there is a difference between an act of sin caused by inheritance of sin and the willful practice of sin. If one commits a sin, how may he know whether he can receive forgiveness? How can one be certain he has not committed sin that is unforgivable?
DIFFERENT HEART CONDITIONS
The one who practices sin for which there is no remedy or forgiveness makes sin a regular course in his life. He consciously and deliberately practices that which violates the law of God. He knows what he is doing; he sins with his eyes wide open. He makes a deliberate practice of wickedness. He is not repentant. He does not crave forgiveness, nor does he earnestly pray for God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ. He does not turn away from his evil course of action.
On the other hand, one who commits “a sin that does not incur death” has a different heart condition. He feels cut to the heart at his course of action. He repents for what he has done. He prays earnestly and perseveringly to God for forgiveness. He does not give up in doing what is right. He does not repeat willful sins, making sin a regular practice in his life. He has mature members of the Christian congregation pray for him: “Is there anyone sick among you? Let him call the older men of the congregation to him, and let them pray over him, rubbing him with oil in the name of Jehovah. And the prayer of faith will make the indisposed one well, and Jehovah will raise him up. Also if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.” He shows by his future course of action that he is not a willful, deliberate sinner “guilty of everlasting sin.” So the heart condition of those who commit unforgivable sin is entirely different from that of those who commit forgivable sin.—Jas. 5:14, 15.
The Christian loving God’s law will do all he can to safeguard himself from the “sin that does incur death.” He guards against small acts of sin, knowing that unfaithfulness in small things, if unchecked, could lead into gross sin of unfaithfulness to God. He studies the commandments of God; he embeds them deeply in his heart and mind. He trains his conscience by the law of God. His love for God and the divine law causes him to flee from temptations, even as God’s faithful servant Joseph did.—Gen. 39:10-12.
Benefit from God’s remedy for sin. Exercise faith in the sin-removing ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ and fix your hope on God’s kingdom. Place yourself in line to gain everlasting life in God’s sinless new world by doing the divine will now. To Jehovah’s unfading glory, no death-producing inherited sin will be left to corrupt that new world, for then will be fulfilled the inspired words: “He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be any more. The former things have passed away.”—Rev. 21:4.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Once Saved, are we Always Saved?
The Bible’s View
“Once Saved, Always Saved”—How Certain?
THE “Son of Sam” killer terrorized New York city residents for more than a year, killing six random victims and wounding several others. Yet the person accused of the crime reportedly had been “saved” at a church meeting about four years before his reign of terror began.
A former army friend of the suspect who had invited him to the church meeting relates that the new convert “came up to me grinning and laughing and saying, ‘Man, I’m saved.’ Then we came back that same day for the evening service and he went forward again at the invitation [to accept Christ]. He told me afterward that he just wanted to make sure it [being “saved”] took.”
Upon hearing the charges against this former member of her church, another member told the Associated Press: “I’m just thankful he was saved.” Why? She declared: “The Bible says, once saved, always saved.”—New York Post, August 25, 1977, p. 2.
Does the Bible actually say, “Once saved, always saved”? No, it does not use those words in any specific text, but many sincere people believe that this is what the Bible teaches. And it is true that a number of Bible texts indicate that the basis for salvation is not one’s works, but, rather, faith in Jesus Christ, together with God’s “grace” and mercy. (Eph. 2:8, 9; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:4, 5) Additionally, Jesus himself said that “he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.”—John 3:36, Authorized Version (AV); 1 John 5:13.
From such references it is often reasoned that if one ‘has everlasting life,’ he actually possesses it permanently; it cannot be lost, or, as many would have it: “Once saved, always saved.” However, does this understanding fully express the Scriptural view of gaining everlasting life?
Well, Christians concerned about their salvation may also wish to consider Jesus’ declaration that “he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” (Matt. 10:22; 24:12, 13; Mark 13:13, AV) And the apostle Paul comments similarly: “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.”—Heb. 3:14, AV.
How are we to reconcile these seeming disparities? Surely these servants of God were not contradicting themselves. Rather, were they not merely expressing the same understanding from different viewpoints? The apostle Paul provides the key to harmonizing these viewpoints.
Time and again Paul likens the Christian’s course to a “race” that must be run to the finish. “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” he urged the Hebrews. (12:1, AV) To enter the race, sinners must take the steps necessary for salvation: hearing and accepting the Word of God, believing in Jesus Christ and his ransom sacrifice, repenting of their sins and being baptized. In this way, they get saved “from this crooked generation,” as Peter exhorted those gathered at Pentecost. Unbelievers are outside the race, having failed to enter by getting “saved.”—Acts 2:37-40, Revised Standard Version (RSV); 16:31-33; Rom. 10:13, 14.
Once entered in the race by being “saved,” a Christian takes “hold of the life which is life indeed.” But is it possible to lose that grip on life? Paul answers with this question: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize?” In the Christian race, Paul indicates the “one” who receives the prize is anyone who finishes the race. Therefore, Paul urges, “So run that you may obtain it.” Then, using himself as an example to make the point of his illustration, he continues: “I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”—1 Tim. 6:19; 1 Cor. 9:24-27, RSV.
Evidently the apostle, who surely was a “saved” Christian, believed that even he could be “disqualified” from the race. Yet as long as he continued to ‘run that he might obtain’ the prize, thus remaining in the race, salvation was assured. This is why Christians who remain in the race can be said to ‘have everlasting life.’ But if they should ever quit the race, they are “disqualified,” losing their hold on everlasting life.
Hence, Paul follows up his remarks on the Christian’s race by cautioning about the danger of overconfidence. Using the example of the Israelites who were saved through the Red Sea, yet fell to wrongdoing in the wilderness, he warned: “We [“saved” Christians] must not put the Lord to the test.” Then, driving his point home, he declared: “Let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” Yes, it could happen, even to “saved” ones!—1 Cor. 10:1-12, RSV.
This is why, throughout his writings, Paul consistently emphasized his own need to stay in the race. For example, of his hoped-for reward of the resurrection, he said: “I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” It was only after Paul neared the end of his life that he wrote: “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” At this point in his life, he could finally say with confidence: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that Day.”—Phil. 3:11-14; 2 Tim. 4:6-8, RSV.
Paul’s view of his own salvation, then, is consistent with Jesus’ comments mentioned earlier about ‘enduring to the end’ to be saved.—See also Revelation 2:10; 3:11, 12, AV.
The foregoing helps us to see why Paul repeatedly entreated “saved” Christians to be on guard. Their everlasting salvation was still at stake. Addressing the obviously “saved” Hebrew Christians who had been “illuminated” and who had “endured a great fight of afflictions,” he warns: “If we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” The sacrificial benefits that “saved” such persons, then, can be lost. Why? Because such a person “hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto [outraged, RSV] the Spirit of grace.”—Heb. 10:26-32, AV.
Yes, Christians who truly appreciate the salvation provided through Christ and God’s grace will not be overconfident. They will strive to remain in the race like Paul and the other early Christians, whom he encouraged to “work out [their] own salvation with fear and trembling.”—Phil. 2:12, AV.
“Once Saved, Always Saved”—How Certain?
THE “Son of Sam” killer terrorized New York city residents for more than a year, killing six random victims and wounding several others. Yet the person accused of the crime reportedly had been “saved” at a church meeting about four years before his reign of terror began.
A former army friend of the suspect who had invited him to the church meeting relates that the new convert “came up to me grinning and laughing and saying, ‘Man, I’m saved.’ Then we came back that same day for the evening service and he went forward again at the invitation [to accept Christ]. He told me afterward that he just wanted to make sure it [being “saved”] took.”
Upon hearing the charges against this former member of her church, another member told the Associated Press: “I’m just thankful he was saved.” Why? She declared: “The Bible says, once saved, always saved.”—New York Post, August 25, 1977, p. 2.
Does the Bible actually say, “Once saved, always saved”? No, it does not use those words in any specific text, but many sincere people believe that this is what the Bible teaches. And it is true that a number of Bible texts indicate that the basis for salvation is not one’s works, but, rather, faith in Jesus Christ, together with God’s “grace” and mercy. (Eph. 2:8, 9; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:4, 5) Additionally, Jesus himself said that “he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.”—John 3:36, Authorized Version (AV); 1 John 5:13.
From such references it is often reasoned that if one ‘has everlasting life,’ he actually possesses it permanently; it cannot be lost, or, as many would have it: “Once saved, always saved.” However, does this understanding fully express the Scriptural view of gaining everlasting life?
Well, Christians concerned about their salvation may also wish to consider Jesus’ declaration that “he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” (Matt. 10:22; 24:12, 13; Mark 13:13, AV) And the apostle Paul comments similarly: “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.”—Heb. 3:14, AV.
How are we to reconcile these seeming disparities? Surely these servants of God were not contradicting themselves. Rather, were they not merely expressing the same understanding from different viewpoints? The apostle Paul provides the key to harmonizing these viewpoints.
Time and again Paul likens the Christian’s course to a “race” that must be run to the finish. “Let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” he urged the Hebrews. (12:1, AV) To enter the race, sinners must take the steps necessary for salvation: hearing and accepting the Word of God, believing in Jesus Christ and his ransom sacrifice, repenting of their sins and being baptized. In this way, they get saved “from this crooked generation,” as Peter exhorted those gathered at Pentecost. Unbelievers are outside the race, having failed to enter by getting “saved.”—Acts 2:37-40, Revised Standard Version (RSV); 16:31-33; Rom. 10:13, 14.
Once entered in the race by being “saved,” a Christian takes “hold of the life which is life indeed.” But is it possible to lose that grip on life? Paul answers with this question: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize?” In the Christian race, Paul indicates the “one” who receives the prize is anyone who finishes the race. Therefore, Paul urges, “So run that you may obtain it.” Then, using himself as an example to make the point of his illustration, he continues: “I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”—1 Tim. 6:19; 1 Cor. 9:24-27, RSV.
Evidently the apostle, who surely was a “saved” Christian, believed that even he could be “disqualified” from the race. Yet as long as he continued to ‘run that he might obtain’ the prize, thus remaining in the race, salvation was assured. This is why Christians who remain in the race can be said to ‘have everlasting life.’ But if they should ever quit the race, they are “disqualified,” losing their hold on everlasting life.
Hence, Paul follows up his remarks on the Christian’s race by cautioning about the danger of overconfidence. Using the example of the Israelites who were saved through the Red Sea, yet fell to wrongdoing in the wilderness, he warned: “We [“saved” Christians] must not put the Lord to the test.” Then, driving his point home, he declared: “Let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” Yes, it could happen, even to “saved” ones!—1 Cor. 10:1-12, RSV.
This is why, throughout his writings, Paul consistently emphasized his own need to stay in the race. For example, of his hoped-for reward of the resurrection, he said: “I do not consider that I have made it my own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” It was only after Paul neared the end of his life that he wrote: “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” At this point in his life, he could finally say with confidence: “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on that Day.”—Phil. 3:11-14; 2 Tim. 4:6-8, RSV.
Paul’s view of his own salvation, then, is consistent with Jesus’ comments mentioned earlier about ‘enduring to the end’ to be saved.—See also Revelation 2:10; 3:11, 12, AV.
The foregoing helps us to see why Paul repeatedly entreated “saved” Christians to be on guard. Their everlasting salvation was still at stake. Addressing the obviously “saved” Hebrew Christians who had been “illuminated” and who had “endured a great fight of afflictions,” he warns: “If we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” The sacrificial benefits that “saved” such persons, then, can be lost. Why? Because such a person “hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto [outraged, RSV] the Spirit of grace.”—Heb. 10:26-32, AV.
Yes, Christians who truly appreciate the salvation provided through Christ and God’s grace will not be overconfident. They will strive to remain in the race like Paul and the other early Christians, whom he encouraged to “work out [their] own salvation with fear and trembling.”—Phil. 2:12, AV.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Armageddon— What It Is Not
*** w85 1/1 pp. 4-7 Armageddon—What It Is Not ***
Armageddon—What It Is Not
Your destination is only a short ride from Haifa. Under the blaze of the Middle Eastern sun, your car speeds along south of the meandering Kishon River until the valley tapers. Through the narrow gap between the towering Carmel range and the Galilee hills you go, until suddenly the valley opens out before you like a wide, flat saucer—the Plain of Esdraelon. You are motoring on the south side of the plain when your eye catches sight of one hill with an unnaturally level plateaulike top. This is what you are looking for! The tell, or mound, of Megiddo, the source of the word Armageddon.
ARMAGEDDON is shrouded in mystery and misconceptions. Ideas as to its meaning abound. The word Armageddon, though, is derived from Har–Magedon, or Mountain of Megiddo. It is a Bible word found at Revelation 16:16, which states: “And they gathered them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Har–Magedon [or, Armageddon].”
Who are gathered to Armageddon and why? Revelation 16:14 answers: “The kings of the entire inhabited earth” muster “to the war of the great day of God the Almighty.”
Those answers raise a host of other questions. With whom do “the kings” battle, and over what issue? Where will they fight? Will they use nuclear weapons? Can the war be prevented? Really, what is Armageddon?
Not a Geographic Spot
Armageddon could not be a geographic location. No mountain by that name actually exists—though a mound called Megiddo remains to this day. The real meaning of Armageddon casts its shadow back in history to warfare that centered in that area of Megiddo.
Megiddo has been the site of some of the most fierce and decisive battles in Middle Eastern history. It all began during the second millennium B.C.E. with Egyptian ruler Thutmose III’s smashing victory over Palestinian and Syrian rulers, and stretched through the centuries to the year 1918 when British field marshal Viscount Allenby inflicted a stinging defeat on the Turks.
But more important to Bible students, Megiddo witnessed the magnificent victory of the Israelite forces under the command of Judge Barak over King Jabin’s mighty Canaanite army led by war chief Sisera. Jehovah God intervened and provided the Israelites with a resounding triumph.—Judges 4:7, 12-16, 23; 5:19-21.
Therefore, Armageddon begins to take the form of a crucial battle, with only one clear victor.
Not a War Between Earthly Nations
The issue surrounding the battle of Armageddon—world rulership—is the great issue of today. But, although two opposing superpowers are now grappling for world domination, Armageddon will not be a world war, pitting one of these against the other. True, the world is in the most expensive and frenzied arms race in all history, prompting this comment from India Today: “All this is pushing the planet grimly to the edge of Armageddon—the ultimate war among nations.” But Revelation 16:14 indicates that “the kings of the entire inhabited earth” mobilize a united front at “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.”
Therefore, Armageddon is not man’s war. It is God’s war. Armageddon will find all earthly nations united in battling ‘the armies of heaven’ under the military command of the “King of kings and Lord of lords,” Christ Jesus. He is the rightful ruler of the world because God also “subjected all things under his [Christ’s] feet.”—Revelation 19:14, 16; Ephesians 1:22.
Not a Nuclear Holocaust
For many people, nuclear war is too chilling to think about. A 1983 joint study by 40 scientists estimates that in an all-out nuclear war one third to one half of the total world population would suffer immediate death. Their report, published in Science magazine, predicts a grim future for the survivors. It warns: “In any large-scale nuclear exchange between the superpowers, global environmental changes sufficient to cause the extinction of a major fraction of the plant and animal species on the Earth are likely. In that event, the possibility of the extinction of Homo sapiens cannot be excluded.”
Would Almighty God Jehovah allow such a horror? No! He did not create the earth “simply for nothing,” but as he reassures us, he “formed it even to be inhabited.” (Isaiah 45:18) At Armageddon God will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth,” not scorch it in a nuclear holocaust.—Revelation 11:18.
Not a Continuous Battle Between Good and Evil
Some religious leaders believe Armageddon to be a running struggle between the forces of good and evil, whether worldwide or in the mind. “Armageddon is occurring in some part of the world every day,” notes one Bible commentary. How could this be when the Bible promises that Armageddon will bring swift doom for all evil nations and people? Christ, as God’s anointed King at Armageddon, “will break them with an iron scepter, as though a potter’s vessel [he] will dash them to pieces.”—Psalm 2:9; see also Proverbs 2:21, 22; Revelation 19:11-21.
Not a World Economic Collapse
The world’s most powerful governments fear that a Third World default on debt would propel the global economic situation into what Business Life magazine calls an “Economic Armageddon.” A collapse of the world’s banking institutions would truly be tragic, but it would not be Armageddon. The Bible Armageddon is a worldwide situation involving war, not economics. The prophet Jeremiah describes it in these graphic terms: “There is a controversy that Jehovah has with the nations. He must personally put himself in judgment with all flesh. As regards the wicked ones, he must give them to the sword.”—Jeremiah 25:31.
Not a War in the Middle East
“Somewhere in time, the last conflagration will take place in the Middle East,” preaches world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham. On this matter, he echoes the views of many of his religious colleagues. Graham also believes that Armageddon can be delayed. “I think that the world is heading right now toward Armageddon,” he says, “and that unless there is a spiritual awakening and we turn to God, the world may face its Armageddon in this decade.”
The region of Megiddo could not begin to hold all “the kings of the earth and their armies.” (Revelation 19:19) Therefore, would this not rule out any fundamentalist teaching that Armageddon will be a world war squeezed into the literal plain of Megiddo? The prophet Jeremiah indicates that Armageddon will encompass “the remotest parts of the earth” and that the casualties will be seen “from one end of the earth clear to the other end of the earth.”—Jeremiah 25:32, 33.
And since Armageddon means “the war of the great day of God the Almighty,” no one can prevent it. There is nothing that humans can do that will delay it. Jehovah has set an “appointed time” for the battle to start. “It will not be late.”—Revelation 16:14; 11:18; Habakkuk 2:3.
Basis for Hope
Armageddon is not to be feared by people who love righteousness. To the contrary, it can be a basis for hope. The Bible says: “And I saw the heaven opened, and, look! a white horse. And the one seated upon it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness.” (Revelation 19:11) The battle of Armageddon will wipe the earth clean of all wickedness and pave the way for the restoration of righteous conditions.—Isaiah 11:4, 5.
For more than a hundred years, the voice of Jehovah’s Witnesses has been heard proclaiming God’s future victory over the corrupt, unyielding rulers of this system. Especially since the year 1925 the Witnesses have had a clear view of what Armageddon is and they refuse to keep silent about it. Their desire is to help people to become Armageddon survivors, not casualties. So they urge all who listen to follow the advice of Joel 2:31, 32, which speaks of “the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah,” and adds: “Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will get away safe.”
Some, though, may still wonder: Although Armageddon is global in scope, will it start in the Middle East? How could a God of love allow an Armageddon? Will true peace follow Armageddon? Read the next three issues of The Watchtower, for they will address those questions.
What Is Armageddon?
Armageddon IS NOT. . .
◆ a geographic location
◆ a battle between nations
◆ a nuclear holocaust
◆ a global economic collapse
◆ a struggle between good and evil
◆ a Middle Eastern conflict
Armageddon IS. . .
◆ the worldwide situation where all earthly nations will battle against God’s Son, Christ Jesus, and his angelic army in “the war of the great day of God the Almighty”
[Footnotes]
Kittel, also McClintock and Strong, Biblical language scholars, are uncertain as to the meaning of the word “Megiddo,” but make reference to the fact that the word could mean “assembly” or “place of troops.”
Armageddon—What It Is Not
Your destination is only a short ride from Haifa. Under the blaze of the Middle Eastern sun, your car speeds along south of the meandering Kishon River until the valley tapers. Through the narrow gap between the towering Carmel range and the Galilee hills you go, until suddenly the valley opens out before you like a wide, flat saucer—the Plain of Esdraelon. You are motoring on the south side of the plain when your eye catches sight of one hill with an unnaturally level plateaulike top. This is what you are looking for! The tell, or mound, of Megiddo, the source of the word Armageddon.
ARMAGEDDON is shrouded in mystery and misconceptions. Ideas as to its meaning abound. The word Armageddon, though, is derived from Har–Magedon, or Mountain of Megiddo. It is a Bible word found at Revelation 16:16, which states: “And they gathered them together to the place that is called in Hebrew Har–Magedon [or, Armageddon].”
Who are gathered to Armageddon and why? Revelation 16:14 answers: “The kings of the entire inhabited earth” muster “to the war of the great day of God the Almighty.”
Those answers raise a host of other questions. With whom do “the kings” battle, and over what issue? Where will they fight? Will they use nuclear weapons? Can the war be prevented? Really, what is Armageddon?
Not a Geographic Spot
Armageddon could not be a geographic location. No mountain by that name actually exists—though a mound called Megiddo remains to this day. The real meaning of Armageddon casts its shadow back in history to warfare that centered in that area of Megiddo.
Megiddo has been the site of some of the most fierce and decisive battles in Middle Eastern history. It all began during the second millennium B.C.E. with Egyptian ruler Thutmose III’s smashing victory over Palestinian and Syrian rulers, and stretched through the centuries to the year 1918 when British field marshal Viscount Allenby inflicted a stinging defeat on the Turks.
But more important to Bible students, Megiddo witnessed the magnificent victory of the Israelite forces under the command of Judge Barak over King Jabin’s mighty Canaanite army led by war chief Sisera. Jehovah God intervened and provided the Israelites with a resounding triumph.—Judges 4:7, 12-16, 23; 5:19-21.
Therefore, Armageddon begins to take the form of a crucial battle, with only one clear victor.
Not a War Between Earthly Nations
The issue surrounding the battle of Armageddon—world rulership—is the great issue of today. But, although two opposing superpowers are now grappling for world domination, Armageddon will not be a world war, pitting one of these against the other. True, the world is in the most expensive and frenzied arms race in all history, prompting this comment from India Today: “All this is pushing the planet grimly to the edge of Armageddon—the ultimate war among nations.” But Revelation 16:14 indicates that “the kings of the entire inhabited earth” mobilize a united front at “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.”
Therefore, Armageddon is not man’s war. It is God’s war. Armageddon will find all earthly nations united in battling ‘the armies of heaven’ under the military command of the “King of kings and Lord of lords,” Christ Jesus. He is the rightful ruler of the world because God also “subjected all things under his [Christ’s] feet.”—Revelation 19:14, 16; Ephesians 1:22.
Not a Nuclear Holocaust
For many people, nuclear war is too chilling to think about. A 1983 joint study by 40 scientists estimates that in an all-out nuclear war one third to one half of the total world population would suffer immediate death. Their report, published in Science magazine, predicts a grim future for the survivors. It warns: “In any large-scale nuclear exchange between the superpowers, global environmental changes sufficient to cause the extinction of a major fraction of the plant and animal species on the Earth are likely. In that event, the possibility of the extinction of Homo sapiens cannot be excluded.”
Would Almighty God Jehovah allow such a horror? No! He did not create the earth “simply for nothing,” but as he reassures us, he “formed it even to be inhabited.” (Isaiah 45:18) At Armageddon God will “bring to ruin those ruining the earth,” not scorch it in a nuclear holocaust.—Revelation 11:18.
Not a Continuous Battle Between Good and Evil
Some religious leaders believe Armageddon to be a running struggle between the forces of good and evil, whether worldwide or in the mind. “Armageddon is occurring in some part of the world every day,” notes one Bible commentary. How could this be when the Bible promises that Armageddon will bring swift doom for all evil nations and people? Christ, as God’s anointed King at Armageddon, “will break them with an iron scepter, as though a potter’s vessel [he] will dash them to pieces.”—Psalm 2:9; see also Proverbs 2:21, 22; Revelation 19:11-21.
Not a World Economic Collapse
The world’s most powerful governments fear that a Third World default on debt would propel the global economic situation into what Business Life magazine calls an “Economic Armageddon.” A collapse of the world’s banking institutions would truly be tragic, but it would not be Armageddon. The Bible Armageddon is a worldwide situation involving war, not economics. The prophet Jeremiah describes it in these graphic terms: “There is a controversy that Jehovah has with the nations. He must personally put himself in judgment with all flesh. As regards the wicked ones, he must give them to the sword.”—Jeremiah 25:31.
Not a War in the Middle East
“Somewhere in time, the last conflagration will take place in the Middle East,” preaches world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham. On this matter, he echoes the views of many of his religious colleagues. Graham also believes that Armageddon can be delayed. “I think that the world is heading right now toward Armageddon,” he says, “and that unless there is a spiritual awakening and we turn to God, the world may face its Armageddon in this decade.”
The region of Megiddo could not begin to hold all “the kings of the earth and their armies.” (Revelation 19:19) Therefore, would this not rule out any fundamentalist teaching that Armageddon will be a world war squeezed into the literal plain of Megiddo? The prophet Jeremiah indicates that Armageddon will encompass “the remotest parts of the earth” and that the casualties will be seen “from one end of the earth clear to the other end of the earth.”—Jeremiah 25:32, 33.
And since Armageddon means “the war of the great day of God the Almighty,” no one can prevent it. There is nothing that humans can do that will delay it. Jehovah has set an “appointed time” for the battle to start. “It will not be late.”—Revelation 16:14; 11:18; Habakkuk 2:3.
Basis for Hope
Armageddon is not to be feared by people who love righteousness. To the contrary, it can be a basis for hope. The Bible says: “And I saw the heaven opened, and, look! a white horse. And the one seated upon it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and carries on war in righteousness.” (Revelation 19:11) The battle of Armageddon will wipe the earth clean of all wickedness and pave the way for the restoration of righteous conditions.—Isaiah 11:4, 5.
For more than a hundred years, the voice of Jehovah’s Witnesses has been heard proclaiming God’s future victory over the corrupt, unyielding rulers of this system. Especially since the year 1925 the Witnesses have had a clear view of what Armageddon is and they refuse to keep silent about it. Their desire is to help people to become Armageddon survivors, not casualties. So they urge all who listen to follow the advice of Joel 2:31, 32, which speaks of “the coming of the great and fear-inspiring day of Jehovah,” and adds: “Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will get away safe.”
Some, though, may still wonder: Although Armageddon is global in scope, will it start in the Middle East? How could a God of love allow an Armageddon? Will true peace follow Armageddon? Read the next three issues of The Watchtower, for they will address those questions.
What Is Armageddon?
Armageddon IS NOT. . .
◆ a geographic location
◆ a battle between nations
◆ a nuclear holocaust
◆ a global economic collapse
◆ a struggle between good and evil
◆ a Middle Eastern conflict
Armageddon IS. . .
◆ the worldwide situation where all earthly nations will battle against God’s Son, Christ Jesus, and his angelic army in “the war of the great day of God the Almighty”
[Footnotes]
Kittel, also McClintock and Strong, Biblical language scholars, are uncertain as to the meaning of the word “Megiddo,” but make reference to the fact that the word could mean “assembly” or “place of troops.”
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Three Wise Men???
Our Readers Ask
Did Three Wise Men Really Visit Baby Jesus?
Christmastime lore from South America to Eastern Europe to Asia depicts a Nativity scene with three kings, or wise men, bearing precious gifts for the babe Jesus. Is this story true? Does it line up with the facts? Let us see.
Two Gospels, Matthew and Luke, chronicle the birth of Jesus. These accounts show that only lowly shepherds from nearby fields visited Jesus at his birth. The so-called kings, or wise men, were in reality astrologers, not royalty, and they are not numbered. The astrologers did not journey to the side of a newborn in a manger but arrived when Jesus was a child and was living in a house. Their presence even jeopardized the life of Jesus!
Look closely at the account of Jesus’ birth by Bible writer Luke, and you will find that it says: “There were . . . shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks. And suddenly Jehovah’s angel stood by them, and . . . said to them: ‘. . . You will find an infant bound in cloth bands and lying in a manger.’ . . . And they went with haste and found Mary as well as Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.”—Luke 2:8-16.
Only Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds were present with baby Jesus. No one else is listed in Luke’s report.
Now examine the account at Matthew 2:1-11 from the King James Bible: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem . . . And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother.”
Notice that the account states just “wise men,” not “three wise men,” and that they first traveled from the east to Jerusalem, not to the birth city of Jesus, Bethlehem. By the time they finally reached Bethlehem, Jesus was a “young child”—no longer a baby—and no longer in a stable but in a house.
Also, while the King James Bible uses the words “wise men” in describing these visitors, other translations use “Magi” or “astrologers.” According to A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, the expression “wise men” translates “a Greek noun which originally referred to Persian priests who were experts in astrology.” And The Expanded Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines the word as “a wizard, sorcerer, a pretender to magic powers, a professor of the arts of witchcraft.”
Although astrology and witchcraft are still popular today, the Bible warns against their use. (Isaiah 47:13-15) They are forms of spiritism and are practices that Jehovah God abhors. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) That is why no angel of God announced the birth of Jesus to the astrologers. However, by means of divine intervention in a dream, they were warned not to report back to wicked King Herod, since he sought to kill Jesus. So “they withdrew to their country by another way.”—Matthew 2:11-16.
Would true Christians want to perpetuate a fabled Nativity that distorts the truth surrounding the birth of Jesus?
Surely the answer is no.
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Did Three Wise Men Really Visit Baby Jesus?
Christmastime lore from South America to Eastern Europe to Asia depicts a Nativity scene with three kings, or wise men, bearing precious gifts for the babe Jesus. Is this story true? Does it line up with the facts? Let us see.
Two Gospels, Matthew and Luke, chronicle the birth of Jesus. These accounts show that only lowly shepherds from nearby fields visited Jesus at his birth. The so-called kings, or wise men, were in reality astrologers, not royalty, and they are not numbered. The astrologers did not journey to the side of a newborn in a manger but arrived when Jesus was a child and was living in a house. Their presence even jeopardized the life of Jesus!
Look closely at the account of Jesus’ birth by Bible writer Luke, and you will find that it says: “There were . . . shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks. And suddenly Jehovah’s angel stood by them, and . . . said to them: ‘. . . You will find an infant bound in cloth bands and lying in a manger.’ . . . And they went with haste and found Mary as well as Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.”—Luke 2:8-16.
Only Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds were present with baby Jesus. No one else is listed in Luke’s report.
Now examine the account at Matthew 2:1-11 from the King James Bible: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem . . . And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother.”
Notice that the account states just “wise men,” not “three wise men,” and that they first traveled from the east to Jerusalem, not to the birth city of Jesus, Bethlehem. By the time they finally reached Bethlehem, Jesus was a “young child”—no longer a baby—and no longer in a stable but in a house.
Also, while the King James Bible uses the words “wise men” in describing these visitors, other translations use “Magi” or “astrologers.” According to A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew, the expression “wise men” translates “a Greek noun which originally referred to Persian priests who were experts in astrology.” And The Expanded Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines the word as “a wizard, sorcerer, a pretender to magic powers, a professor of the arts of witchcraft.”
Although astrology and witchcraft are still popular today, the Bible warns against their use. (Isaiah 47:13-15) They are forms of spiritism and are practices that Jehovah God abhors. (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) That is why no angel of God announced the birth of Jesus to the astrologers. However, by means of divine intervention in a dream, they were warned not to report back to wicked King Herod, since he sought to kill Jesus. So “they withdrew to their country by another way.”—Matthew 2:11-16.
Would true Christians want to perpetuate a fabled Nativity that distorts the truth surrounding the birth of Jesus?
Surely the answer is no.
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The Bibles Viewpoint: When Was Jesus Born???
The Bible’s Viewpoint
When Was Jesus Born?
“THE exact date of Christ’s birth is not known,” says the Encyclopedia of Early Christianity. Still, millions of professed Christians around the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. This date, however, appears nowhere in the Bible. Was Jesus really born in December?
Although the Bible does not give a specific date for Jesus’ birth, it does provide evidence that he was not born in December. Also, from secular evidence we can learn why December 25 was adopted as the date for celebrating his birth.
Why Not a December Birth?
Jesus was born in the Judean city of Bethlehem. Luke’s Gospel reports: “There were also in that same country shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks.” (Luke 2:4-8) This was not unusual. “The flocks had to spend the greater part of the year in the open air,” says the book Daily Life in the Time of Jesus. But would the shepherds be outside with their flocks on a cold December night? The book says: “They passed the winter under cover; and from this alone it may be seen that the traditional date for Christmas, in the winter, is unlikely to be right, since the Gospel says that the shepherds were in the fields.”
This conclusion is corroborated by another detail in Luke’s Gospel account: “In those days a decree went forth from Caesar Augustus for all the inhabited earth to be registered; (this first registration took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria;) and all people went traveling to be registered, each one to his own city.”—Luke 2:1-3.
Augustus probably ordered this registration as a census in order to gather information for use in connection with taxation and military conscription. To comply with the order, Mary, despite being heavy with child, accompanied her husband, Joseph, on the journey of some 90 miles [150 km] from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Now think about it. Does it seem likely that Augustus—a ruler who rarely interfered with local government—would require a people who were already inclined to revolt to make such a long trip in winter?
Significantly, most historians and Bible scholars reject December 25 as Jesus’ date of birth. No doubt you will find such information in an encyclopedia to which you have access. Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia states: “There is general agreement that Jesus was not born on December 25.”
Why December 25 Was Chosen
Hundreds of years after Jesus’ death, December 25 was chosen as the date of his birth. Why? Numerous historians believe that the time of year that became the Christmas season was actually a period when pagan festivities were celebrated.
For instance, Encyclopædia Britannica states: “One widespread explanation of the origin of this date is that December 25 was the Christianizing of the dies solis invicti nati (‘day of the birth of the unconquered sun’), a popular holiday in the Roman Empire that celebrated the winter solstice as a symbol of the resurgence of the sun, the casting away of winter and the heralding of the rebirth of spring and summer.”
The Encyclopedia Americana informs us: “The reason for establishing December 25 as Christmas is somewhat obscure, but it is usually held that the day was chosen to correspond to pagan festivals that took place around the time of the winter solstice, when the days begin to lengthen, to celebrate the ‘rebirth of the sun.’ . . . The Roman Saturnalia (a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture, and to the renewed power of the sun), also took place at this time.” Such festivals usually included licentious behavior by their participants, who engaged in unbridled and riotous merrymaking. Significantly, that behavior has been characteristic of many Christmas celebrations today.
How to Honor Christ
Some feel that regardless of what the actual date is, Christians should still commemorate Jesus’ birth. In their minds such a celebration, when observed in a dignified manner, is an appropriate way to honor Christ.
The birth of Jesus is indeed an important event in the Bible account. The Bible says that when Jesus was born, a multitude of angels appeared suddenly and erupted in joyful praise to God, saying: “Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill.” (Luke 2:13, 14) However, it is noteworthy that nowhere in the Bible is there even a suggestion that Jesus’ birthday should be celebrated. In contrast, there is a specific command to commemorate his death, which Jehovah’s Witnesses do once a year. (Luke 22:19) That is one way to honor Jesus.
On the last night of his human life, Jesus said: “You are my friends if you do what I am commanding you.” (John 15:14) He also said: “If you love me, you will observe my commandments.” (John 14:15) Clearly, there is no better way to honor Jesus Christ than to learn and follow his teachings.
HAVE YOU WONDERED?
▪ Why could Jesus not have been born in December?—Luke 2:1-8.
▪ What is more important than the day of one’s birth?—Ecclesiastes 7:1.
▪ What is the best way to honor Jesus?—John 14:15.
When Was Jesus Born?
“THE exact date of Christ’s birth is not known,” says the Encyclopedia of Early Christianity. Still, millions of professed Christians around the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. This date, however, appears nowhere in the Bible. Was Jesus really born in December?
Although the Bible does not give a specific date for Jesus’ birth, it does provide evidence that he was not born in December. Also, from secular evidence we can learn why December 25 was adopted as the date for celebrating his birth.
Why Not a December Birth?
Jesus was born in the Judean city of Bethlehem. Luke’s Gospel reports: “There were also in that same country shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks.” (Luke 2:4-8) This was not unusual. “The flocks had to spend the greater part of the year in the open air,” says the book Daily Life in the Time of Jesus. But would the shepherds be outside with their flocks on a cold December night? The book says: “They passed the winter under cover; and from this alone it may be seen that the traditional date for Christmas, in the winter, is unlikely to be right, since the Gospel says that the shepherds were in the fields.”
This conclusion is corroborated by another detail in Luke’s Gospel account: “In those days a decree went forth from Caesar Augustus for all the inhabited earth to be registered; (this first registration took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria;) and all people went traveling to be registered, each one to his own city.”—Luke 2:1-3.
Augustus probably ordered this registration as a census in order to gather information for use in connection with taxation and military conscription. To comply with the order, Mary, despite being heavy with child, accompanied her husband, Joseph, on the journey of some 90 miles [150 km] from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Now think about it. Does it seem likely that Augustus—a ruler who rarely interfered with local government—would require a people who were already inclined to revolt to make such a long trip in winter?
Significantly, most historians and Bible scholars reject December 25 as Jesus’ date of birth. No doubt you will find such information in an encyclopedia to which you have access. Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia states: “There is general agreement that Jesus was not born on December 25.”
Why December 25 Was Chosen
Hundreds of years after Jesus’ death, December 25 was chosen as the date of his birth. Why? Numerous historians believe that the time of year that became the Christmas season was actually a period when pagan festivities were celebrated.
For instance, Encyclopædia Britannica states: “One widespread explanation of the origin of this date is that December 25 was the Christianizing of the dies solis invicti nati (‘day of the birth of the unconquered sun’), a popular holiday in the Roman Empire that celebrated the winter solstice as a symbol of the resurgence of the sun, the casting away of winter and the heralding of the rebirth of spring and summer.”
The Encyclopedia Americana informs us: “The reason for establishing December 25 as Christmas is somewhat obscure, but it is usually held that the day was chosen to correspond to pagan festivals that took place around the time of the winter solstice, when the days begin to lengthen, to celebrate the ‘rebirth of the sun.’ . . . The Roman Saturnalia (a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture, and to the renewed power of the sun), also took place at this time.” Such festivals usually included licentious behavior by their participants, who engaged in unbridled and riotous merrymaking. Significantly, that behavior has been characteristic of many Christmas celebrations today.
How to Honor Christ
Some feel that regardless of what the actual date is, Christians should still commemorate Jesus’ birth. In their minds such a celebration, when observed in a dignified manner, is an appropriate way to honor Christ.
The birth of Jesus is indeed an important event in the Bible account. The Bible says that when Jesus was born, a multitude of angels appeared suddenly and erupted in joyful praise to God, saying: “Glory in the heights above to God, and upon earth peace among men of goodwill.” (Luke 2:13, 14) However, it is noteworthy that nowhere in the Bible is there even a suggestion that Jesus’ birthday should be celebrated. In contrast, there is a specific command to commemorate his death, which Jehovah’s Witnesses do once a year. (Luke 22:19) That is one way to honor Jesus.
On the last night of his human life, Jesus said: “You are my friends if you do what I am commanding you.” (John 15:14) He also said: “If you love me, you will observe my commandments.” (John 14:15) Clearly, there is no better way to honor Jesus Christ than to learn and follow his teachings.
HAVE YOU WONDERED?
▪ Why could Jesus not have been born in December?—Luke 2:1-8.
▪ What is more important than the day of one’s birth?—Ecclesiastes 7:1.
▪ What is the best way to honor Jesus?—John 14:15.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Salvation -- What it Really Means
*** w97 8/15 pp. 4-7 Salvation—What It Really Means ***
Salvation—What It Really Means
‘ARE you saved?’ Oftentimes, those who ask this question feel that they are saved because they have ‘accepted Jesus as their personal Savior.’ Yet others feel that there are various paths to salvation and that as long as ‘Jesus is in your heart,’ it does not matter what you believe or even what church you belong to.
The Bible says that it is God’s will that “all sorts of men should be saved.” (1 Timothy 2:3, 4) Salvation is thus available to all who will accept it. But just what does it mean to be saved? Is it really something that simply happens to you with little or no effort on your part?
The word “salvation” means “deliverance from danger or destruction.” True salvation thus involves more than a serene mental state. It means being saved from the destruction of this present wicked system of things and finally from death itself! But just who is it that God will save? In answer, let us examine what Jesus Christ taught on this subject. The results of our investigation may surprise you.
Salvation—Found in All Religions?
On one occasion, Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman. Although she was not a Jew, she quite correctly believed that the Messiah would come “who is called Christ.” (John 4:25) Was such belief sufficient for her to be saved? No, for Jesus boldly told the woman: “You worship what you do not know.” Jesus knew that if this woman were to gain salvation, she would have to adjust her way of worship. Jesus therefore explained: “Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him.”—John 4:22, 23.
Another occasion on which Jesus revealed his view of salvation involved the Pharisees, a prominent religious sect of Judaism. The Pharisees had built up a system of worship and believed that it had God’s approval. But listen to Jesus’ words to the Pharisees: “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”—Matthew 15:7-9, New International Version.
What about the many religious groups today that claim to believe in Christ? Would Jesus endorse them all as legitimate ways to gain salvation? We do not have to guess in this regard, for Jesus clearly said: “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.”—Matthew 7:21-23.
Accurate Knowledge of Jesus Vital to Salvation
These words of Jesus have sobering implications. They indicate that many devout people are failing to ‘do the will of the Father.’ How, then, can one gain true salvation? First Timothy 2:3, 4 answers: “[God’s] will is that all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.”—Compare Colossians 1:9, 10.
Such knowledge is critical to gaining salvation. When a Roman jailer asked the apostle Paul and his companion, Silas, “What must I do to get saved?” they replied: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will get saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:30, 31) Did that mean that all the jailer and his family needed to do was to have a certain feeling in their hearts? No, for one thing, they could not truly “believe on the Lord Jesus” unless they had some understanding of who Jesus was, what he did, and what he taught.
For example, Jesus taught the establishment of a heavenly government—“the kingdom of God.” (Luke 4:43) He also set forth principles on Christian morality and behavior. (Matthew, chapters 5-7) He outlined the position his disciples would take when it came to political matters. (John 15:19) He established a global teaching program and commissioned his followers to share in it. (Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8) Yes, to ‘believe on Jesus’ meant understanding many things! No wonder, then, that Paul and Silas “spoke the word of Jehovah to [the jailer] together with all those in his house” before these new believers were baptized.—Acts 16:32, 33.
Accurate Knowledge of God Also Vital
A necessary part of truly believing in Jesus involves worshiping the God that Jesus himself worships. Jesus prayed: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”—John 17:3.
During his earthly ministry, the Son of God always directed attention to his Father and not to himself. He never claimed to be God Almighty. (John 12:49, 50) On numerous occasions Jesus made his position in God’s arrangement clear by stating that he was subordinate to his Father. (Luke 22:41, 42; John 5:19) Why, Jesus declared: “The Father is greater than I am.” (John 14:28) Has your church taught you the true relationship between God and Christ? Or have you been led to believe that Jesus himself is Almighty God? Your salvation depends upon having the correct understanding.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus urged his disciples to pray: “Let your name be sanctified.” (Matthew 6:9) Most translations of the Bible have obscured God’s name, rendering it “Lord.” But in ancient copies of the “Old Testament,” God’s name appeared over six thousand times! Psalm 83:18 thus reads: “That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” Have you been taught to use God’s name, Jehovah? If not, your salvation is in jeopardy, for “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved”!—Acts 2:21; compare Joel 2:32.
With Spirit and Truth
Jesus Christ also directed attention to God’s Word, the Bible. When expounding God’s view of certain matters, he would often say: “It is written.” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10; 11:10; 21:13) The night before he died, Jesus prayed regarding his disciples: “Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth.”—John 17:17.
Having an understanding of the teachings of God’s Word, the Bible, is thus another requisite for salvation. (2 Timothy 3:16) Only the Bible answers such questions as: What is the meaning of life? Why has God allowed wickedness to continue for so long? What happens to a person when he dies? Does God really torture people in a fiery hell? What is God’s purpose for the earth? One cannot worship God properly without the correct understanding of those issues, for Jesus said: “True worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth.”—John 4:23.
Faith Moves to Action
Salvation involves more than simply acquiring information. In a responsive heart, accurate knowledge of God produces faith. (Romans 10:10, 17; Hebrews 11:6) Such faith moves one to action. For example, the Bible admonishes: “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the person of Jehovah.”—Acts 3:19.
Yes, salvation also involves conforming oneself to God’s standards of conduct and morality. Under the transforming influence of God’s Word, lifelong habits of lying and deception give way to honesty and truthfulness. (Titus 2:10) Immoral practices, such as homosexuality, adultery, and fornication, are abandoned and replaced by chaste moral conduct. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) This is not a temporary abstinence based on emotion but a permanent change resulting from careful study and application of God’s Word.—Ephesians 4:22-24.
In time, love and appreciation for God moves an honesthearted person to make a full dedication to God and to symbolize it by water baptism. (Matthew 28:19, 20; Romans 12:1) Baptized Christians are saved in the eyes of God. (1 Peter 3:21) During the coming destruction of this wicked world, God will save them completely by preserving them through that tribulation.—Revelation 7:9, 14.
What Salvation Can Mean to You
It is clear from this brief discussion that gaining salvation involves more than ‘having the Lord Jesus in your heart.’ It means taking in accurate knowledge of Jehovah God and Jesus Christ and making needed changes in one’s life. Doing this may sound formidable, but Jehovah’s Witnesses are willing to help you in this endeavor. By means of a free home Bible study, they can help you to begin walking on the path to true salvation.
In view of the nearness of God’s coming day of judgment, doing so is more urgent than ever before! Now is the time to heed the prophet’s words: “Before there comes upon you the day of Jehovah’s anger, seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. Probably you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah’s anger.”—Zephaniah 2:2, 3.
Salvation Results From . . .
□ Gaining accurate knowledge of God and Jesus.—John 17:3.
□ Exercising faith.—Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:6.
□ Repenting and turning around.—Acts 3:19; Ephesians 4:22-24.
□ Dedication and baptism.—Matthew 16:24; 28:19, 20.
□ Continuing to make public declaration.—Matthew 24:14; Romans 10:10.
Salvation—What It Really Means
‘ARE you saved?’ Oftentimes, those who ask this question feel that they are saved because they have ‘accepted Jesus as their personal Savior.’ Yet others feel that there are various paths to salvation and that as long as ‘Jesus is in your heart,’ it does not matter what you believe or even what church you belong to.
The Bible says that it is God’s will that “all sorts of men should be saved.” (1 Timothy 2:3, 4) Salvation is thus available to all who will accept it. But just what does it mean to be saved? Is it really something that simply happens to you with little or no effort on your part?
The word “salvation” means “deliverance from danger or destruction.” True salvation thus involves more than a serene mental state. It means being saved from the destruction of this present wicked system of things and finally from death itself! But just who is it that God will save? In answer, let us examine what Jesus Christ taught on this subject. The results of our investigation may surprise you.
Salvation—Found in All Religions?
On one occasion, Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman. Although she was not a Jew, she quite correctly believed that the Messiah would come “who is called Christ.” (John 4:25) Was such belief sufficient for her to be saved? No, for Jesus boldly told the woman: “You worship what you do not know.” Jesus knew that if this woman were to gain salvation, she would have to adjust her way of worship. Jesus therefore explained: “Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him.”—John 4:22, 23.
Another occasion on which Jesus revealed his view of salvation involved the Pharisees, a prominent religious sect of Judaism. The Pharisees had built up a system of worship and believed that it had God’s approval. But listen to Jesus’ words to the Pharisees: “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”—Matthew 15:7-9, New International Version.
What about the many religious groups today that claim to believe in Christ? Would Jesus endorse them all as legitimate ways to gain salvation? We do not have to guess in this regard, for Jesus clearly said: “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness.”—Matthew 7:21-23.
Accurate Knowledge of Jesus Vital to Salvation
These words of Jesus have sobering implications. They indicate that many devout people are failing to ‘do the will of the Father.’ How, then, can one gain true salvation? First Timothy 2:3, 4 answers: “[God’s] will is that all sorts of men should be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of truth.”—Compare Colossians 1:9, 10.
Such knowledge is critical to gaining salvation. When a Roman jailer asked the apostle Paul and his companion, Silas, “What must I do to get saved?” they replied: “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will get saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:30, 31) Did that mean that all the jailer and his family needed to do was to have a certain feeling in their hearts? No, for one thing, they could not truly “believe on the Lord Jesus” unless they had some understanding of who Jesus was, what he did, and what he taught.
For example, Jesus taught the establishment of a heavenly government—“the kingdom of God.” (Luke 4:43) He also set forth principles on Christian morality and behavior. (Matthew, chapters 5-7) He outlined the position his disciples would take when it came to political matters. (John 15:19) He established a global teaching program and commissioned his followers to share in it. (Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8) Yes, to ‘believe on Jesus’ meant understanding many things! No wonder, then, that Paul and Silas “spoke the word of Jehovah to [the jailer] together with all those in his house” before these new believers were baptized.—Acts 16:32, 33.
Accurate Knowledge of God Also Vital
A necessary part of truly believing in Jesus involves worshiping the God that Jesus himself worships. Jesus prayed: “This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ.”—John 17:3.
During his earthly ministry, the Son of God always directed attention to his Father and not to himself. He never claimed to be God Almighty. (John 12:49, 50) On numerous occasions Jesus made his position in God’s arrangement clear by stating that he was subordinate to his Father. (Luke 22:41, 42; John 5:19) Why, Jesus declared: “The Father is greater than I am.” (John 14:28) Has your church taught you the true relationship between God and Christ? Or have you been led to believe that Jesus himself is Almighty God? Your salvation depends upon having the correct understanding.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus urged his disciples to pray: “Let your name be sanctified.” (Matthew 6:9) Most translations of the Bible have obscured God’s name, rendering it “Lord.” But in ancient copies of the “Old Testament,” God’s name appeared over six thousand times! Psalm 83:18 thus reads: “That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.” Have you been taught to use God’s name, Jehovah? If not, your salvation is in jeopardy, for “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved”!—Acts 2:21; compare Joel 2:32.
With Spirit and Truth
Jesus Christ also directed attention to God’s Word, the Bible. When expounding God’s view of certain matters, he would often say: “It is written.” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10; 11:10; 21:13) The night before he died, Jesus prayed regarding his disciples: “Sanctify them by means of the truth; your word is truth.”—John 17:17.
Having an understanding of the teachings of God’s Word, the Bible, is thus another requisite for salvation. (2 Timothy 3:16) Only the Bible answers such questions as: What is the meaning of life? Why has God allowed wickedness to continue for so long? What happens to a person when he dies? Does God really torture people in a fiery hell? What is God’s purpose for the earth? One cannot worship God properly without the correct understanding of those issues, for Jesus said: “True worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth.”—John 4:23.
Faith Moves to Action
Salvation involves more than simply acquiring information. In a responsive heart, accurate knowledge of God produces faith. (Romans 10:10, 17; Hebrews 11:6) Such faith moves one to action. For example, the Bible admonishes: “Repent, therefore, and turn around so as to get your sins blotted out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the person of Jehovah.”—Acts 3:19.
Yes, salvation also involves conforming oneself to God’s standards of conduct and morality. Under the transforming influence of God’s Word, lifelong habits of lying and deception give way to honesty and truthfulness. (Titus 2:10) Immoral practices, such as homosexuality, adultery, and fornication, are abandoned and replaced by chaste moral conduct. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) This is not a temporary abstinence based on emotion but a permanent change resulting from careful study and application of God’s Word.—Ephesians 4:22-24.
In time, love and appreciation for God moves an honesthearted person to make a full dedication to God and to symbolize it by water baptism. (Matthew 28:19, 20; Romans 12:1) Baptized Christians are saved in the eyes of God. (1 Peter 3:21) During the coming destruction of this wicked world, God will save them completely by preserving them through that tribulation.—Revelation 7:9, 14.
What Salvation Can Mean to You
It is clear from this brief discussion that gaining salvation involves more than ‘having the Lord Jesus in your heart.’ It means taking in accurate knowledge of Jehovah God and Jesus Christ and making needed changes in one’s life. Doing this may sound formidable, but Jehovah’s Witnesses are willing to help you in this endeavor. By means of a free home Bible study, they can help you to begin walking on the path to true salvation.
In view of the nearness of God’s coming day of judgment, doing so is more urgent than ever before! Now is the time to heed the prophet’s words: “Before there comes upon you the day of Jehovah’s anger, seek Jehovah, all you meek ones of the earth, who have practiced His own judicial decision. Seek righteousness, seek meekness. Probably you may be concealed in the day of Jehovah’s anger.”—Zephaniah 2:2, 3.
Salvation Results From . . .
□ Gaining accurate knowledge of God and Jesus.—John 17:3.
□ Exercising faith.—Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:6.
□ Repenting and turning around.—Acts 3:19; Ephesians 4:22-24.
□ Dedication and baptism.—Matthew 16:24; 28:19, 20.
□ Continuing to make public declaration.—Matthew 24:14; Romans 10:10.
What Must We Do To Get Saved?
Have You Been Saved?
JOHNNY was ten years old when a man stopped him at a fair and asked: “Young man, do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” That sounded like a rather strange question to Johnny, since he had always believed in Jesus. So he answered, “Of course I do.” “Praise the Lord!” the man shouted for all to hear. “Another soul saved for Christ!”
Is salvation really that simple? Was Johnny “saved” from the moment he said those words, regardless of what he would do for the rest of his life? Many sincere people would answer yes. Some religious tracts say to write down the date you were “saved” so that you can remember it.
A clergyman wrote that at “the moment of simple faith in Christ . . . one’s destiny is permanently settled.” He claimed that the Bible says that salvation depends on a single, one-time “act of faith, not on the continuity of faith.” Another religion writer wrote: “This is a finished work. It has already been accomplished for you . . . Your ‘warfare has ended.’ Your ‘iniquity has been removed.’” But even people who are firmly convinced that this is true may see a problem here. It is obvious that many people who have been told that they are “saved” do not live the way the Bible says they should. A common explanation is that perhaps they had not really “accepted” Christ.
So, what does “accepting” Jesus really mean? Is it a one-time act of faith, or is it a continuing way of life? Must our belief be strong enough to motivate us to action? Can we really accept the benefits of Jesus’ sacrifice without the responsibility of following him?
Many people want the blessings but not the responsibility of following and obeying Jesus. In fact, the word “obey” often disturbs them. Yet Jesus said: “Come be my follower.” (Luke 18:18-23) And the Bible states: “Those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus . . . will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction.”—2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9; Matthew 10:38; 16:24.
The Bible says many things that raise serious questions about what has been taught about salvation. If you would like to verify what the Bible actually says on this subject, you will find the following pages to be particularly interesting. Open your Bible, and read the cited texts to see what Jesus and his apostles taught about this vital matter.
*** w96 2/1 pp. 4-8 What Must We Do to Be Saved? ***
What Must We Do to Be Saved?
A MAN once asked Jesus: “Lord, are those who are being saved few?” How did Jesus reply? Did he say: ‘Just accept me as your Lord and Savior, and you will be saved’? No! Jesus said: “Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will seek to get in but will not be able.”—Luke 13:23, 24.
Did Jesus fail to answer the man’s question? No, the man did not ask how hard it would be to be saved; he asked if the number would be few. So Jesus merely indicated that fewer people than one might expect would exert themselves vigorously to receive this marvelous blessing.
‘That’s not what I was told,’ some readers may protest. These may quote John 3:16, which says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (King James Version) However, we reply: ‘What, then, must we believe? That Jesus actually lived? Of course. That he is the Son of God? By all means! And since the Bible calls Jesus “Teacher” and “Lord,” must we not also believe what he taught, obey him, and follow him?’—John 13:13; Matthew 16:16.
Following Jesus
Ah, here the problem arises! Many people who have been told that they are “saved” seem to have little intention of either following or obeying Jesus. In fact, a Protestant clergyman wrote: “Of course, our faith in Christ should continue. But the claim that it absolutely must, or necessarily does, has no support at all in the Bible.”
On the contrary, the Bible lists immoral practices that are common among some people who think that they are “saved.” Regarding one who continued in such ways, it instructed Christians: “Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” Surely God would not want wicked people contaminating his Christian congregation!—1 Corinthians 5:11-13.
What does it mean, then, to follow Jesus, and how can we do that? Well, what did Jesus do? Was he immoral? a fornicator? a drunkard? a liar? Was he dishonest in business? Of course not! ‘But,’ you may ask, ‘do I have to clean all those things out of my life?’ For the answer, consider Ephesians 4:17 through 5:5. It does not say that God will accept us no matter what we do. Instead, it tells us to be different from the worldly nations who have “come to be past all moral sense, . . . but you did not learn the Christ to be so . . . Put away the old personality which conforms to your former course of conduct . . . Let the stealer steal no more . . . Let fornication and uncleanness of every sort or greediness not even be mentioned among you, just as it befits holy people . . . For you know this, recognizing it for yourselves, that no fornicator or unclean person or greedy person—which means being an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and of God.”
Are we following Jesus if we do not at least try to live in harmony with his example? Do we not have to work on making our lives more Christlike? That vital question is rarely, if ever, considered by people who say, as one religious tract does: “Come to Christ now—just as you are.”
One of Jesus’ disciples warned that ungodly men were “turning the undeserved kindness of our God into an excuse for loose conduct and proving false to our only Owner and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4) How might we, in fact, turn God’s mercy “into an excuse for loose conduct”? We could do so by assuming that Christ’s sacrifice covers deliberate sins that we intend to keep on committing rather than sins of human imperfection that we are trying to put behind us. Surely we would not want to agree with one of America’s best-known evangelists, who said that you do not have to “clean up, give up, or turn around.”—Contrast Acts 17:30; Romans 3:25; James 5:19, 20.
Belief Prompts Action
Many people have been told that “believing on Jesus” is a single act and that our faith does not have to be strong enough to prompt obedience. But the Bible disagrees. Jesus did not say that people who begin the Christian course are saved. Instead, he said: “He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) The Bible likens our Christian course to a race, with salvation being the prize at its end. And it urges: “Run in such a way that you may attain it.”—1 Corinthians 9:24.
Thus, “accepting Christ” involves far more than just accepting the blessings that Jesus’ superlative sacrifice offers. Obedience is required. The apostle Peter says that judgment starts “with the house of God,” and adds: “Now if it starts first with us, what will the end be of those who are not obedient to the good news of God?” (1 Peter 4:17) So we must do more than simply hear and believe. The Bible says that we must “become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving [ourselves] with false reasoning.”—James 1:22.
Jesus’ Own Messages
The Bible book of Revelation contains messages from Jesus, transmitted through John to seven early Christian congregations. (Revelation 1:1, 4) Did Jesus say that since the people in these congregations had already “accepted” him, that was sufficient? No. He praised their deeds, their labor and their endurance and spoke of their love, faith, and ministry. But he said that the Devil would put them to the test and that they would be rewarded “individually according to [their] deeds.”—Revelation 2:2, 10, 19, 23.
Thus Jesus described a far greater commitment than most people have understood when they were told that their salvation was a “finished work” as soon as they “accepted” him at a religious meeting. Jesus said: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and continually follow me. For whoever wants to save his soul will lose it; but whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it.”—Matthew 16:24, 25.
Disown ourselves? Follow Jesus continually? That would require effort. It would change our lives. Yet, did Jesus really say that some of us might even have to ‘lose our souls’—to die for him? Yes, that kind of faith comes only with knowledge of the magnificent things you can learn from studying God’s Word. It was evident on the day Stephen was stoned by religious fanatics who “could not hold their own against the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking.” (Acts 6:8-12; 7:57-60) And such faith has been demonstrated in our time by the hundreds of Jehovah’s Witnesses who died in Nazi concentration camps rather than violate their Bible-trained consciences.
Christian Zeal
We must hold firmly to our Christian faith because, unlike what you may hear in some churches or on religious television programs, the Bible says we can fall away. It tells of Christians who abandoned “the straight path.” (2 Peter 2:1, 15) We thus need to ‘keep working out our own salvation with fear and trembling.’—Philippians 2:12; 2 Peter 2:20.
Is this how first-century Christians, the people who actually heard Jesus and his apostles teach, understood the matter? Yes. They knew that they had to do something. Jesus said: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, . . . teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you.”—Matthew 28:19, 20.
Some weeks after Jesus said that, 3,000 people were baptized in just one day. The number of believers quickly grew to 5,000. Those who believed taught others. When persecution scattered them, it only served to spread their message. The Bible says that not just a few leaders but “those who had been scattered went through the land declaring the good news of the word.” Some 30 years later, the apostle Paul could therefore write that the good news had been “preached in all creation that is under heaven.”—Acts 2:41; 4:4; 8:4; Colossians 1:23.
Paul did not make converts, as some TV evangelists do, by saying: ‘Accept Jesus right now, and you will forever be saved.’ Nor did he have the confidence of the American clergyman who wrote: “As a teenage boy, . . . I was already saved.” More than 20 years after Jesus personally chose Paul to carry the Christian message to people of the nations, this hardworking apostle wrote: “I pummel my body and lead it as a slave, that, after I have preached to others, I myself should not become disapproved somehow.”—1 Corinthians 9:27; Acts 9:5, 6, 15.
Salvation is a free gift from God. It cannot be earned. Yet it does require effort on our part. If someone offered you a very valuable gift and you did not show enough appreciation to pick it up and take it with you, your lack of gratitude might prompt the giver to present it to someone else. Well, how valuable is the lifeblood of Jesus Christ? It is a free gift, but we must demonstrate deep appreciation for it.
True Christians are in a saved condition in that they are in an approved position before God. As a group, their salvation is sure. Individually, they must meet God’s requirements. However, we can fail, for Jesus said: “If anyone does not remain in union with me, he is cast out as a branch and is dried up.”—John 15:6.
‘God’s Word Is Alive’
The conversation mentioned at the beginning of the preceding article occurred nearly 60 years ago. Johnny still believes that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ, but he realizes that we have to reach out for it. He remains convinced that the Bible points to the only real source of hope for mankind and that we must study that marvelous book, be moved by it, and let it motivate us to acts of love, faith, kindness, obedience, and endurance. He has reared his children to believe the same things, and now he is delighted to see them in turn rearing their children the same way. He wishes that everyone had that kind of faith, and he does whatever he can to instill it in the hearts and minds of others.
The apostle Paul was inspired to write that “the word of God is alive and exerts power.” (Hebrews 4:12) It can change lives. It can motivate you to heartfelt acts of love, faith, and obedience. But you must do more than just “accept” mentally what the Bible says. Study it and let your heart be motivated by it. Let its wisdom guide you. Some 5,000,000 willing Witnesses of Jehovah in more than 230 lands offer free home Bible studies. To see what you can learn from such a study, write to the publishers of this magazine. The faith and spiritual strength you gain will delight you!
[Footnote]
In her book The Nazi State and the New Religions: Five Case Studies in Non-Conformity, Dr. Christine E. King reported: “One out of every two German [Jehovah’s] Witnesses was imprisoned, one in four lost their lives.”
Why “Put Up a Hard Fight for the Faith”?
The Bible book of Jude is addressed to “called ones . . . , preserved for Jesus Christ.” Does it say that because they had ‘accepted Jesus,’ their salvation was sure? No, Jude told such Christians to “put up a hard fight for the faith.” He gave them three reasons for doing so. First, God “saved a people out of the land of Egypt,” but many of them later fell away. Second, even angels rebelled and became demons. Third, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of the gross sexual immorality practiced in those cities. Jude presents these Biblical accounts “as a warning example.” Yes, even believers “preserved for Jesus Christ” have to exercise care not to fall away from the true faith.—Jude 1-7.
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Which is Right?
The Bible says: “A man is declared righteous by faith apart from works of law.” It also says: “A man is to be declared righteous by works, and not by faith alone.” Which is right? Are we declared righteous by faith or by works?—Romans 3:28; James 2:24.
The harmonious answer from the Bible is that both are correct.
For centuries the Law that God gave through Moses had required Jewish worshipers to make specific sacrifices and offerings, to observe festival days, and to conform to dietary and other requirements. Such “works of law,” or simply “works,” were no longer necessary after Jesus provided the ultimate sacrifice.—Romans 10:4.
But the fact that these works performed under the Mosaic Law were replaced by Jesus’ superlative sacrifice did not mean that we can ignore the Bible’s instructions. It says: “How much more will the blood of the Christ . . . cleanse our consciences from [the older] dead works that we may render sacred service to the living God?”—Hebrews 9:14.
How do we “render sacred service to the living God”? Among other things, the Bible tells us to combat the works of the flesh, to resist the world’s immorality, and to avoid its snares. It says: “Fight the fine fight of the faith,” put off “the sin that easily entangles us,” and “run with endurance the race that is set before us, as we look intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus.” And the Bible urges us not to ‘get tired and give out in our souls.’—1 Timothy 6:12; Hebrews 12:1-3; Galatians 5:19-21.
We do not earn salvation by doing these things, for no human could ever do enough to merit such an astounding blessing. We are not worthy of this magnificent gift, though, if we fail to demonstrate our love and obedience by doing the things that the Bible says God and Christ want us to do. Without works to demonstrate our faith, our claim to follow Jesus would fall far short, for the Bible clearly states: “Faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.”—James 2:17.
JOHNNY was ten years old when a man stopped him at a fair and asked: “Young man, do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” That sounded like a rather strange question to Johnny, since he had always believed in Jesus. So he answered, “Of course I do.” “Praise the Lord!” the man shouted for all to hear. “Another soul saved for Christ!”
Is salvation really that simple? Was Johnny “saved” from the moment he said those words, regardless of what he would do for the rest of his life? Many sincere people would answer yes. Some religious tracts say to write down the date you were “saved” so that you can remember it.
A clergyman wrote that at “the moment of simple faith in Christ . . . one’s destiny is permanently settled.” He claimed that the Bible says that salvation depends on a single, one-time “act of faith, not on the continuity of faith.” Another religion writer wrote: “This is a finished work. It has already been accomplished for you . . . Your ‘warfare has ended.’ Your ‘iniquity has been removed.’” But even people who are firmly convinced that this is true may see a problem here. It is obvious that many people who have been told that they are “saved” do not live the way the Bible says they should. A common explanation is that perhaps they had not really “accepted” Christ.
So, what does “accepting” Jesus really mean? Is it a one-time act of faith, or is it a continuing way of life? Must our belief be strong enough to motivate us to action? Can we really accept the benefits of Jesus’ sacrifice without the responsibility of following him?
Many people want the blessings but not the responsibility of following and obeying Jesus. In fact, the word “obey” often disturbs them. Yet Jesus said: “Come be my follower.” (Luke 18:18-23) And the Bible states: “Those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus . . . will undergo the judicial punishment of everlasting destruction.”—2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9; Matthew 10:38; 16:24.
The Bible says many things that raise serious questions about what has been taught about salvation. If you would like to verify what the Bible actually says on this subject, you will find the following pages to be particularly interesting. Open your Bible, and read the cited texts to see what Jesus and his apostles taught about this vital matter.
*** w96 2/1 pp. 4-8 What Must We Do to Be Saved? ***
What Must We Do to Be Saved?
A MAN once asked Jesus: “Lord, are those who are being saved few?” How did Jesus reply? Did he say: ‘Just accept me as your Lord and Savior, and you will be saved’? No! Jesus said: “Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will seek to get in but will not be able.”—Luke 13:23, 24.
Did Jesus fail to answer the man’s question? No, the man did not ask how hard it would be to be saved; he asked if the number would be few. So Jesus merely indicated that fewer people than one might expect would exert themselves vigorously to receive this marvelous blessing.
‘That’s not what I was told,’ some readers may protest. These may quote John 3:16, which says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (King James Version) However, we reply: ‘What, then, must we believe? That Jesus actually lived? Of course. That he is the Son of God? By all means! And since the Bible calls Jesus “Teacher” and “Lord,” must we not also believe what he taught, obey him, and follow him?’—John 13:13; Matthew 16:16.
Following Jesus
Ah, here the problem arises! Many people who have been told that they are “saved” seem to have little intention of either following or obeying Jesus. In fact, a Protestant clergyman wrote: “Of course, our faith in Christ should continue. But the claim that it absolutely must, or necessarily does, has no support at all in the Bible.”
On the contrary, the Bible lists immoral practices that are common among some people who think that they are “saved.” Regarding one who continued in such ways, it instructed Christians: “Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” Surely God would not want wicked people contaminating his Christian congregation!—1 Corinthians 5:11-13.
What does it mean, then, to follow Jesus, and how can we do that? Well, what did Jesus do? Was he immoral? a fornicator? a drunkard? a liar? Was he dishonest in business? Of course not! ‘But,’ you may ask, ‘do I have to clean all those things out of my life?’ For the answer, consider Ephesians 4:17 through 5:5. It does not say that God will accept us no matter what we do. Instead, it tells us to be different from the worldly nations who have “come to be past all moral sense, . . . but you did not learn the Christ to be so . . . Put away the old personality which conforms to your former course of conduct . . . Let the stealer steal no more . . . Let fornication and uncleanness of every sort or greediness not even be mentioned among you, just as it befits holy people . . . For you know this, recognizing it for yourselves, that no fornicator or unclean person or greedy person—which means being an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of the Christ and of God.”
Are we following Jesus if we do not at least try to live in harmony with his example? Do we not have to work on making our lives more Christlike? That vital question is rarely, if ever, considered by people who say, as one religious tract does: “Come to Christ now—just as you are.”
One of Jesus’ disciples warned that ungodly men were “turning the undeserved kindness of our God into an excuse for loose conduct and proving false to our only Owner and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4) How might we, in fact, turn God’s mercy “into an excuse for loose conduct”? We could do so by assuming that Christ’s sacrifice covers deliberate sins that we intend to keep on committing rather than sins of human imperfection that we are trying to put behind us. Surely we would not want to agree with one of America’s best-known evangelists, who said that you do not have to “clean up, give up, or turn around.”—Contrast Acts 17:30; Romans 3:25; James 5:19, 20.
Belief Prompts Action
Many people have been told that “believing on Jesus” is a single act and that our faith does not have to be strong enough to prompt obedience. But the Bible disagrees. Jesus did not say that people who begin the Christian course are saved. Instead, he said: “He that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.” (Matthew 10:22) The Bible likens our Christian course to a race, with salvation being the prize at its end. And it urges: “Run in such a way that you may attain it.”—1 Corinthians 9:24.
Thus, “accepting Christ” involves far more than just accepting the blessings that Jesus’ superlative sacrifice offers. Obedience is required. The apostle Peter says that judgment starts “with the house of God,” and adds: “Now if it starts first with us, what will the end be of those who are not obedient to the good news of God?” (1 Peter 4:17) So we must do more than simply hear and believe. The Bible says that we must “become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving [ourselves] with false reasoning.”—James 1:22.
Jesus’ Own Messages
The Bible book of Revelation contains messages from Jesus, transmitted through John to seven early Christian congregations. (Revelation 1:1, 4) Did Jesus say that since the people in these congregations had already “accepted” him, that was sufficient? No. He praised their deeds, their labor and their endurance and spoke of their love, faith, and ministry. But he said that the Devil would put them to the test and that they would be rewarded “individually according to [their] deeds.”—Revelation 2:2, 10, 19, 23.
Thus Jesus described a far greater commitment than most people have understood when they were told that their salvation was a “finished work” as soon as they “accepted” him at a religious meeting. Jesus said: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him disown himself and pick up his torture stake and continually follow me. For whoever wants to save his soul will lose it; but whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it.”—Matthew 16:24, 25.
Disown ourselves? Follow Jesus continually? That would require effort. It would change our lives. Yet, did Jesus really say that some of us might even have to ‘lose our souls’—to die for him? Yes, that kind of faith comes only with knowledge of the magnificent things you can learn from studying God’s Word. It was evident on the day Stephen was stoned by religious fanatics who “could not hold their own against the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking.” (Acts 6:8-12; 7:57-60) And such faith has been demonstrated in our time by the hundreds of Jehovah’s Witnesses who died in Nazi concentration camps rather than violate their Bible-trained consciences.
Christian Zeal
We must hold firmly to our Christian faith because, unlike what you may hear in some churches or on religious television programs, the Bible says we can fall away. It tells of Christians who abandoned “the straight path.” (2 Peter 2:1, 15) We thus need to ‘keep working out our own salvation with fear and trembling.’—Philippians 2:12; 2 Peter 2:20.
Is this how first-century Christians, the people who actually heard Jesus and his apostles teach, understood the matter? Yes. They knew that they had to do something. Jesus said: “Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, . . . teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you.”—Matthew 28:19, 20.
Some weeks after Jesus said that, 3,000 people were baptized in just one day. The number of believers quickly grew to 5,000. Those who believed taught others. When persecution scattered them, it only served to spread their message. The Bible says that not just a few leaders but “those who had been scattered went through the land declaring the good news of the word.” Some 30 years later, the apostle Paul could therefore write that the good news had been “preached in all creation that is under heaven.”—Acts 2:41; 4:4; 8:4; Colossians 1:23.
Paul did not make converts, as some TV evangelists do, by saying: ‘Accept Jesus right now, and you will forever be saved.’ Nor did he have the confidence of the American clergyman who wrote: “As a teenage boy, . . . I was already saved.” More than 20 years after Jesus personally chose Paul to carry the Christian message to people of the nations, this hardworking apostle wrote: “I pummel my body and lead it as a slave, that, after I have preached to others, I myself should not become disapproved somehow.”—1 Corinthians 9:27; Acts 9:5, 6, 15.
Salvation is a free gift from God. It cannot be earned. Yet it does require effort on our part. If someone offered you a very valuable gift and you did not show enough appreciation to pick it up and take it with you, your lack of gratitude might prompt the giver to present it to someone else. Well, how valuable is the lifeblood of Jesus Christ? It is a free gift, but we must demonstrate deep appreciation for it.
True Christians are in a saved condition in that they are in an approved position before God. As a group, their salvation is sure. Individually, they must meet God’s requirements. However, we can fail, for Jesus said: “If anyone does not remain in union with me, he is cast out as a branch and is dried up.”—John 15:6.
‘God’s Word Is Alive’
The conversation mentioned at the beginning of the preceding article occurred nearly 60 years ago. Johnny still believes that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ, but he realizes that we have to reach out for it. He remains convinced that the Bible points to the only real source of hope for mankind and that we must study that marvelous book, be moved by it, and let it motivate us to acts of love, faith, kindness, obedience, and endurance. He has reared his children to believe the same things, and now he is delighted to see them in turn rearing their children the same way. He wishes that everyone had that kind of faith, and he does whatever he can to instill it in the hearts and minds of others.
The apostle Paul was inspired to write that “the word of God is alive and exerts power.” (Hebrews 4:12) It can change lives. It can motivate you to heartfelt acts of love, faith, and obedience. But you must do more than just “accept” mentally what the Bible says. Study it and let your heart be motivated by it. Let its wisdom guide you. Some 5,000,000 willing Witnesses of Jehovah in more than 230 lands offer free home Bible studies. To see what you can learn from such a study, write to the publishers of this magazine. The faith and spiritual strength you gain will delight you!
[Footnote]
In her book The Nazi State and the New Religions: Five Case Studies in Non-Conformity, Dr. Christine E. King reported: “One out of every two German [Jehovah’s] Witnesses was imprisoned, one in four lost their lives.”
Why “Put Up a Hard Fight for the Faith”?
The Bible book of Jude is addressed to “called ones . . . , preserved for Jesus Christ.” Does it say that because they had ‘accepted Jesus,’ their salvation was sure? No, Jude told such Christians to “put up a hard fight for the faith.” He gave them three reasons for doing so. First, God “saved a people out of the land of Egypt,” but many of them later fell away. Second, even angels rebelled and became demons. Third, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of the gross sexual immorality practiced in those cities. Jude presents these Biblical accounts “as a warning example.” Yes, even believers “preserved for Jesus Christ” have to exercise care not to fall away from the true faith.—Jude 1-7.
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Which is Right?
The Bible says: “A man is declared righteous by faith apart from works of law.” It also says: “A man is to be declared righteous by works, and not by faith alone.” Which is right? Are we declared righteous by faith or by works?—Romans 3:28; James 2:24.
The harmonious answer from the Bible is that both are correct.
For centuries the Law that God gave through Moses had required Jewish worshipers to make specific sacrifices and offerings, to observe festival days, and to conform to dietary and other requirements. Such “works of law,” or simply “works,” were no longer necessary after Jesus provided the ultimate sacrifice.—Romans 10:4.
But the fact that these works performed under the Mosaic Law were replaced by Jesus’ superlative sacrifice did not mean that we can ignore the Bible’s instructions. It says: “How much more will the blood of the Christ . . . cleanse our consciences from [the older] dead works that we may render sacred service to the living God?”—Hebrews 9:14.
How do we “render sacred service to the living God”? Among other things, the Bible tells us to combat the works of the flesh, to resist the world’s immorality, and to avoid its snares. It says: “Fight the fine fight of the faith,” put off “the sin that easily entangles us,” and “run with endurance the race that is set before us, as we look intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus.” And the Bible urges us not to ‘get tired and give out in our souls.’—1 Timothy 6:12; Hebrews 12:1-3; Galatians 5:19-21.
We do not earn salvation by doing these things, for no human could ever do enough to merit such an astounding blessing. We are not worthy of this magnificent gift, though, if we fail to demonstrate our love and obedience by doing the things that the Bible says God and Christ want us to do. Without works to demonstrate our faith, our claim to follow Jesus would fall far short, for the Bible clearly states: “Faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself.”—James 2:17.
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