5 Minute Lessons on the Kingdom of God
The Greatest Act of Love
Jehovah giving His Son as a Ransom
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I have always had the utmost respect for Jehovah's Witnesses. Their pursuit for righteousness is commendable.
Seeking first God's rule and reign and His ways of doing things is the way to live.
They certainly understand that the message of Jesus was God's Kingdom (Luke 4:43). I had a Jehovah's Witness ask me one time, "Who is preaching the message of the Kingdom? Is it the Baptists? Is it the Presbyterians? Is it the Assembly of God? Who is preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and bringing it to every individual on the earth (Matthew 24:14)? I said, "You got me! You got me!" I knew that the churches do not bring a witness of Jesus Christ to every individual in the world. I commend the Jehovah's Witnesses for their evangelistic outreach. I also commend them for their discipleship efforts and home Bible studies. No one disciples like they do. Everyone is a minister. They have wonderful training programs and they are honest, hard working people.
I invited some Jehovah's Witnesses to have lunch with me at a local café. There were several of them there and I turned to one and asked, "Do you ever sin? "Oh, yes!" he said. "When you do sin what do you do about it?" "I ask Jehovah to forgive me, based on the ransom of Jesus Christ." "Does He forgive you?" "Oh yes!" "Can't you see then that Jehovah saves by His grace (His undeserved kindness)?" (Ephesians 2:5, 8) That was the end of the conversation.
In the January Watchtower of 2022, it states, "The greatest act of love is the love that Jehovah showed us by giving his Son as a ransom." How does this work? In Romans 3:23, the New World Translation says,
In the Greek this is in the present tense, meaning something is continuously and repeatedly going on. What do you think that is? We as fallen creatures, with a law of sin dwelling in us (Romans 7:21), even after a prayer of dedication and baptism, still find ourselves sinning and falling short of God's standards.
Now listen to this good news! "And it is as a free gift that they" (who is the "they" —it is those mentioned in the previous verse that have sinned and come short of the glory of God) "are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:24 NWT) At this point you should shout!
What does Jesus' death mean to you? In the January 2022 Watchtower it states, "Because of their faith in Christ's sacrifice, Jehovah has declared them righteous and has adopted them as his children. (Romans 5:1; 8:15‑17, 23) The other sheep too are thankful for the ransom. On the basis of their faith in Christ's shed blood, they have a clean standing before God..."
In the book "Enjoy Life Forever," (March 2021) it states, "This publication does not replace the Bible. Rather, it encourages you to examine the Bible for yourself. Therefore, we urge you to read the scriptures..."
In the letter of 1 John it is stating something similar to what we have looked at in Romans 3:23‑24.
Paul tells us in Romans 7:21, that even when we want to do good that evil is present with us. He did not say, when we want to do evil, evil is present with us. But when we want to do good.
1 John 1:8 says,
It also says in 1 John 1:10,
But here is the good news: If we walk in the light, the light defeats the darkness (the law of sin) because the blood of Jesus is cleansing us from all sin. The Apostle John is using the present tense in the Greek, which means that the blood of Jesus is cleansing and continually cleansing you from all sin as you are walking in the light. Perfection no, direction yes. Perfection in our own self, no, but perfection through the blood of Jesus, yes! (Romans 3:24 NWT)
If we do stumble and sin (1 John 2:1), we can confess our sins and Jehovah is,
Isn't it wonderful that we can be declared righteous and continue to be declared righteous through faith in His ransom provision, provided by God's undeserved kindness (Romans 3:24 NWT)?
I said this before, there will never be a time in my life that I will not need Jesus' ransom provision. Even if the devil is bound during the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the new earth. If the law of sin is still with you (although the devil is not) you will need the blood of Christ and His saving work. You can never be perfect without Him (John 15:5 NWT).
"Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you." (Matthew 6:33 NWT)
Seeking first God's rule and reign and His ways of doing things is the way to live.
They certainly understand that the message of Jesus was God's Kingdom (Luke 4:43). I had a Jehovah's Witness ask me one time, "Who is preaching the message of the Kingdom? Is it the Baptists? Is it the Presbyterians? Is it the Assembly of God? Who is preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and bringing it to every individual on the earth (Matthew 24:14)? I said, "You got me! You got me!" I knew that the churches do not bring a witness of Jesus Christ to every individual in the world. I commend the Jehovah's Witnesses for their evangelistic outreach. I also commend them for their discipleship efforts and home Bible studies. No one disciples like they do. Everyone is a minister. They have wonderful training programs and they are honest, hard working people.
I invited some Jehovah's Witnesses to have lunch with me at a local café. There were several of them there and I turned to one and asked, "Do you ever sin? "Oh, yes!" he said. "When you do sin what do you do about it?" "I ask Jehovah to forgive me, based on the ransom of Jesus Christ." "Does He forgive you?" "Oh yes!" "Can't you see then that Jehovah saves by His grace (His undeserved kindness)?" (Ephesians 2:5, 8) That was the end of the conversation.
In the January Watchtower of 2022, it states, "The greatest act of love is the love that Jehovah showed us by giving his Son as a ransom." How does this work? In Romans 3:23, the New World Translation says,
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
In the Greek this is in the present tense, meaning something is continuously and repeatedly going on. What do you think that is? We as fallen creatures, with a law of sin dwelling in us (Romans 7:21), even after a prayer of dedication and baptism, still find ourselves sinning and falling short of God's standards.
Now listen to this good news! "And it is as a free gift that they" (who is the "they" —it is those mentioned in the previous verse that have sinned and come short of the glory of God) "are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:24 NWT) At this point you should shout!
What does Jesus' death mean to you? In the January 2022 Watchtower it states, "Because of their faith in Christ's sacrifice, Jehovah has declared them righteous and has adopted them as his children. (Romans 5:1; 8:15‑17, 23) The other sheep too are thankful for the ransom. On the basis of their faith in Christ's shed blood, they have a clean standing before God..."
In the book "Enjoy Life Forever," (March 2021) it states, "This publication does not replace the Bible. Rather, it encourages you to examine the Bible for yourself. Therefore, we urge you to read the scriptures..."
In the letter of 1 John it is stating something similar to what we have looked at in Romans 3:23‑24.
Paul tells us in Romans 7:21, that even when we want to do good that evil is present with us. He did not say, when we want to do evil, evil is present with us. But when we want to do good.
1 John 1:8 says,
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
It also says in 1 John 1:10,
"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
But here is the good news: If we walk in the light, the light defeats the darkness (the law of sin) because the blood of Jesus is cleansing us from all sin. The Apostle John is using the present tense in the Greek, which means that the blood of Jesus is cleansing and continually cleansing you from all sin as you are walking in the light. Perfection no, direction yes. Perfection in our own self, no, but perfection through the blood of Jesus, yes! (Romans 3:24 NWT)
If we do stumble and sin (1 John 2:1), we can confess our sins and Jehovah is,
"faithful and righteous so as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9; Acts 8:22 NWT)
Isn't it wonderful that we can be declared righteous and continue to be declared righteous through faith in His ransom provision, provided by God's undeserved kindness (Romans 3:24 NWT)?
I said this before, there will never be a time in my life that I will not need Jesus' ransom provision. Even if the devil is bound during the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the new earth. If the law of sin is still with you (although the devil is not) you will need the blood of Christ and His saving work. You can never be perfect without Him (John 15:5 NWT).
"30But it is due to him that you are in union with Christ Jesus, who has become to us wisdom from God, also righteousness and sanctification and release by ransom. 31so that it may be just as it is written: 'The one who boasts, let him boast in Jehovah.'" (1 Corinthians 1:30‑31 New World Translation)
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God's Grace Is My Strength