Breaking The Silence and Lunch With the Jehovah's Witnesses

Well my friend Paul reminded me today that I have a blog, something I seem to have forgotten. So Paul, this blog is for you.

I've decided that I will at least try and post something at least once a week; either Friday or Monday. If time permits I'll offer a daily special. So my apologies to all the patrons of Robby's Pancake House who I have left famished for the last several months.

So, Thursday I had lunch with some Jehovah's witnesses; not intentionally though. And I would like to share my thoughts about that with those of you who are followers of Jesus of Nazareth. The rest of you might find the following odd.

So Thursday I was starting to enjoy my Lunch as I sat in my truck at work. When I was approached by two Ladies representing the Jehovah's witnesses. I thought this was a little bold of them and I respect them for their zeal; I wish all Christians were this bold in sharing their faith. Now I had an encounter with some witnesses several days ago, so the topic was fresh on my mind. That conversation didn't go as well has I had planned, so I was rethinking my tactics. When talking with those who are trying to work their way into heaven I take them to Matthew 5:20. But I had taken the conversation to Matthew 7:21. This approach fails because they believe they are the ones doing the will of the Father. And then trying to argue against that takes you away from the cross and the need for a savior. So this time I was going to stick to Matthew 5:20 and open up the law as Christ does in His sermon. But the conversation turned to the deity of Christ and I didn't want to go there because they love to debate this. And I want to show them their true state in the mirror of God's law. Now this is where I think I stumbled in the conversation; not that I can't argue for the deity of Christ. Which is something they agree with only that He is not Jehovah, God himself. But this begs the question; Why must the Christ be God himself and nothing less. This is why I think Matthew 5:20 is helpful but there is somewhere else I would have gone as a follow up, but I'll get to that in a minute. They agreed that Christ had paid our debt. And I agree with that, but that's only half the story. There are two problems I see in their position; First, Can a christ who is not fully God pay that debt fully? and second the payment of the debt only brings the balance to zero. And we need righteousness to get into heaven. And according to Matthew 5:20 we need an amount that no human can acheive, not even the most religious and devout. Which ought to frighten any sober minded individual. So where does one get this kind of righteousness? I did press this point with them, but In hindsight I should have gone to Matthew 19:17 as a follow up and here is why. Matthew 19:17 makes it clear that their is only one who is good, who posses the kind of righteousness we need; God himself. This is why the Christ must be God himself and nothing less as the Jehovah's Witnesses teach. So next time I'll be sure to take them their. Also if you read this passage carefully you will notice that Jesus is making a claim to deity here and not denying it as some would teach.

And just as a side note; Heaven should never be the goal of the Christian, God himself should be. Heaven is only the place where we enjoy the presence of God, forever. So we are saved from God, by God, to God so that God himself my receive all the praise. Change any of those objects and God is robbed of His glory. The Jehovah's Witnesses change the "by God" to "by a lesser deity" People like Joel Stohl change the "from God" to "from a bad life" and most Christians, not all, change the "to God" to "to heaven" So let's examine ourselves to make sure we don't make these errors and the next time you are talking to someone who is religious listen to see who or what they have substituted for God himself as the means and object of all things.

Isaiah 42:8
I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.