Reasoning with Jehovah's Witnesses |
20. Relationship with Christ |
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20. Relationship with ChristJehovah's Witnesses believe that: a. Jesus should not be honored as God, nor should he be worshiped.25 b. A Christian should not come directly to Jesus, but only to the Father THROUGH Jesus.26 c. Only members of the 144,000 of Revelation chapters 7 and 14, of which approximately 9,000 are presently alive on earth, are under the new covenant by virtue of Christ's blood and may rightly partake of the emblematic bread and wine at the Memorial (Communion).27 The vast majority of true Christians alive today, the "great crowd" of Revelation chapter 7, or 99.7% of Jehovah's Witnesses, are to be merely observers at the Memorial.28
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Q1. To what extent should one honor Jesus? See THE DEITY OF CHRIST, Q14, Q15
Q2. How does one's relationship with Christ affect his position before God? Gal 3:26-For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 1 John 5:12-He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
Q3. Should a Christian come directly to Jesus? Matt 11:28-30-"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." John 5:39-40-"You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life." John 6:35-"I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. John 6:37-"All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me; and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." John 6:44-"No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him" John 6:45-"Every one who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me." John 7:37-38-Now on the last day, the great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water'". John 12:32-"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." John 14:6-Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." Heb 13:13-let us go forth to him [Jesus] outside the camp... 1 Pet 2:25-For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd [Jesus] and Overseer of your souls.
Q4. Can one know Jesus? John 14:21-"I [Jesus] will love him, and will disclose Myself to him." John 17:3-"this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Phil 3:10-that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings...
Q5. How much should a Christian love Jesus? Matt 20:37-"He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Eph 6:24-Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with a love incorruptible. Phil 1:21-For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Q6. What must a Christian be willing to do for Jesus? Matt 16:25-"whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it." Phil 3:8-Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ.
Q7. How close of a personal relationship should a Christian have with Jesus? John 14:23-"We will come to him, and make Our abode with him." John 15:4-5-"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me...apart from me you can do nothing." John 17:23-"I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me." Rom 13:14-But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh... 1 Cor 1:9-you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Cor 6:16,17-"The two will become one flesh." But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit. 2 Cor 12:9-I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Cor 13:5-Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you... Gal 2:20-I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 3:27-For as many of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Gal 4:6-And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Gal 4:19-My little children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you! Eph 3:16-17-that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith... Eph 4:15-we are to grow up in all [aspects] into Him, who is the head, [even] Christ. Phil 4:7-And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Col 2:6-As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith. Col 2:10-in Him you have been made complete... Col 3:11-Christ is all, and in all. 1 Pet 3:15-sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts... 1 John 1:3-our fellowship is with...His son Jesus Christ. Rev 3:20-Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.
Q8. Should all true Christians partake of the emblematic bread and wine at the Memorial (Communion)? John 6:33-"For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world." John 6:51-"I am the living bread which came down out of heaven; if ANY MAN eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John 6:53-"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you." Rev 7:9,14-a great multitude...they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. There is no mention in the Bible of any Christians living before Christ's return who should not partake of the emblems.
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Summary: a. It is proper to honor Jesus as God, and to worship Him. b. A Christian must come directly to Jesus for salvation. c. One who has no relationship with Christ has no relationship with God. d. A Christian must love Jesus more that he loves his own life. e. A Christian has an intimate personal relationship with Jesus. f. All true Christians alive today have been born again, are under the new covenant by virtue of Christ's blood, and rightly partake of the emblematic bread and wine.
Endnotes: 25. Make Sure of All Things, pp. 282-283 26. Aid to Bible Understanding, p. 1329 27. Reasoning from the Scriptures, pp. 268, 324-325; Watchtower, 2/15/86, p. 15 28. Reasoning from the Scriptures, pp. 268, 324-325; Watchtower, 2/15/86, p. 15 |
