03-08-2008, 07:50 AM
Adopted as His sons and daughters, (the children of God).
Whether you are thinking of leaving the Watchtower organization, or whether you have recently left them. Perhaps you are thinking of getting more information about them, because of wanting a better relationship with Jesus Christ. You can pray to make a first time commitment or a recommitment. If you do, you have made the right decision. God will forgive you if you mean it. Know that your relationship with Jesus Christ will bring radical and dramatic changes in your life. Describing this, the Bible says, "Those who become Christians become new persons! They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" (II Corinthians 5:17) Now that is good news! But more important, God has changed your eternal destiny. Instead of fearing eternal punishment in a Christ less eternity, you will spend peaceful eternity with Christ.
WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU
What actually happens when Jesus Christ comes into your life? First, He saves you from your sins and the punishment you deserve as a result of them. This is called salvation, or regeneration, and has to do with what takes place in your heart: God gives you new life. This means you are now justified, which means: “Just as if you had never sinned.” “Right with God.” You are now the righteousness of God through Christ. Not for what you or I have done, but by our faith in what Jesus has already done for us. This is the only condition that causes us to be at peace with God, (Romans 5:1). Just like the blood on the door post in the first Passover, God sees us through Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 13:12, and Acts 26:18. 1 Jn. 1:9 keeps us sanctified.
The WT would shudder if it taught it’s followers were reading what justifies and sanctifies each believer,(Romans 5:9).
So justification has to do with your standing before God and includes the complete removal and forgiveness of your sins, (Ish. 1:18, 1 Jn.1:9). Think about it. When you receive Jesus Christ into your life, you are completely forgiven. God's Word tells us, "Brothers, listen! In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins! Everyone who believes in Him is freed from all guilt and declared right with God [justified] - something the Jewish law could never do." (Acts 13:38-39) You see, In Romans 4:8,10, Paul was reasoning with the New Jewish believers there who thought the Gentiles must be ‘circumcised like them, to be saved.
Speaking of our sins, God says, "I will never again remember [your] sins and lawless deeds." (Hebrews 10:17) What a wonderful promise! This promise is to each believer, not to just 144000 believing Jews! Friends if that were true, then 1 John 1:9 would also be for only 144000 believing Jews. But that wouldn’t make sense now would it?
Justification however is more than just the forgiveness and removal of the guilt and condemnation that accompany sin. While God has removed your sins and forgiven you of them, He has also placed the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ "into your account," so to speak. You don't have to earn it or try to achieve it. It is yours as a gracious gift from the God who loves you, (Titus 3:5). To understand justification more fully, read the following Scripture passages and notes below.
1. God Promises Us His Gracious Forgiveness (See I John 1:9, 1Jn. 3:7). The word confess means "to say the same thing as another" or "to agree with." To confess means that we are agreeing with God about our sin. We are seeing it as He does. We know that God hates sin. Therefore, to truly confess our sin means that we essentially feel the same way God feels about what we have done. After committing that sin, we will be determined to put it out of our lives and never do it again. That is true confession in the biblical sense. The reason many believers are not experiencing the forgiveness and joy they desire is because they have not yet truly confessed! Once we have met God's conditions however, we will know His gracious forgiveness, (Ish. 1:18). We may not "feel" forgiven, but we are. We have His word on it. Yet for many, many, years, the majority of Jehovah Witnesses were tricked into thinking they were not justified in the eyes of God. If you are justified, you are sanctified and if you are sanctified, you are a son (child) of the Living God.
Watchtower gave the majority of Jehovah Witnesses the following reason for abstaining from partaking of the Lord’s Table. How sad.
“The Jonadabs are not even justified, because the receiving of life everlasting depends upon their obedience within God’s organization and faithfully abiding there until the wrath of God is passed at Armageddon.” WT April 1, 1938 p. 104
The word “Jonadabs,” was at that time given to the ‘majority’(99%)of JWs within their organization, who were told that they could not partake of the Lord’s Supper because they were not yet justified as righteous in the eyes of God, However 1 Jn. 4:4,15, 1 Jn. 3:7, Rev. 3:20, (‘anyone’) corrects the WT organization. Each believer has received Jesus - Galatians 3:26, Jn. 1:12, 13, Col. 26, Eph. 1:13, ‘received.’) Their unbiblical teaching kept their ‘so called’ “Jonadabs,” (at bay) from partaking at their communion. This teaching was strange indeed, and this teaching continued. But if one is sanctified, they are justified, and these, are invited to partake!
In their book: “Life Everlasting In The Sons of God,” 1966. p. 391, “The Great Crowd are taught to believe they don’t receive justification promised in the N. T. The Great Crowd will not be justified or declared righteous either now nor then as the 144000 heavenly heirs have been justified while in the flesh”
2. God Has Balanced Our Moral and Spiritual Budget (See Romans 5:1-2)
When God justifies us. He does so by placing all of the righteousness of Christ to our credit. This balances the moral and spiritual budget for us. We now have sufficient "capital of character" to get on with the business of living. Staying obedient, (1Jn.1:9) ‘does’ assure one of their salvation!
Up to this point, salvation has been God's responsibility. From this point on, it continues to be His responsibility except that we are responsible for the wise investment of our "capital of character" - that is, we are responsible for living as God desires us to. It is as if your checking account were empty, but then someone made a $100,000 deposit. What you do with that money is up to you. We do have choices.
3. God Calls Us His Children (See Luke 15:11-32,)
This incredible story illustrates what happens when a person turns from sin and returns to God. First, notice that the father in the story did not give this prodigal son what he deserved - banishment. In the same way, we do not receive from God what we deserve - punishment for sin. Second, the young man was given what he did not deserve - the rights and privileges of full sonship. Likewise, although we are not worthy to be called children of God, he calls us sons and daughters. In summary, He doesn't give us what we deserve (judgment). He gives us what we don't deserve (forgiveness and justification).
Speaking of sons and daughters, read on to see how God has adopted you into His family.
Adopted and Assured
We have looked at what happens when we are regenerated (when Christ comes into our lives) and when we are justified (when God forgives our sin and puts His righteousness in its place). Now let us look at another incredible thing God has done for us. He has adopted us into His family as His children!
Adoption means "to be given the rights of a son". In essence, you have been given the full rights of sonship in the family of God as though you were born that way. The story of the Prodigal Son illustrates this (Luke 15:11-32). The wayward son thought that after leaving home, he would no longer be considered a son but would instead be treated as a hired servant. Much to his surprise, when he made the long journey home, his father welcomed him and smothered him with kisses. He then gave orders to bring out the best robe and to put a ring on his finger, signifying full rights as a son. That is exactly what God has done for you! Take some time now to examine three Scripture passages that assure you of your adoption into God's family.
1. God Disciplines His Children
The WT deceitfully tells lovers of God that only 144000 of their people can rightfully call Him Abba Father!
A slave was never permitted to address their Master as “Abba” or, Father. So if that is true, then why do you call Him “Father?” It’s because you are a son (daughter) of His!
Who do you see looking back at you when ever you happen to look into a mirror? ‘You only have two choices.’ Hebrews 12:5 (OKJ). And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
To have the Spirit of God in us, ‘to lead us,’ ‘to use us,’ we must repent and accept what He offers to us in John 1:2, (‘son ship). This proves Romans 8:14 is relating to each believer. “ because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Galatians 5:18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Galatians 5:18 closes the case on this subject. It drives the finale nail into the finished product of this subject, that the congregation as a whole, are sons and daughters of His by this same faith we have been talking about.
Recognizing you are now a child of God is not some distant hope but a present reality. One of the ways God will remind you of this is by correcting you and bringing you back into line like a loving father when you stray away from Him.
Before we were believers, we may have felt no sense of guilt for certain things we did or did not do, (This is what is being spoken of when the bible uses the phrase, when we were not “walking in the spirit” but walking in the flesh.”). We were walking in the “old personality” we once had, “in the flesh.” Paul helps us understand that we once walked in sin, ( in ‘Adam’) in the flesh and not in the spirit. Romans 8:9 KJV “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.” Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
But now that we are Christians, God's Holy Spirit shows us the way to live, which includes correcting us. The mystery has been revealed to us. The Spirit of Christ is now in each believer, unless of course, we have failed the test, (2 Corinthians 13:5.) This is the mystery that has been hidden from our JW acquaintances; Col. 1:27, 28, Gal. 4:19, We are no longer part of the ‘walking dead that Jesus spoke of. Each was unfairly born in sin (‘Adam’.) Now by his grace He has allowed us to be born again. Not in Adam, (in the flesh), but in the spirit, (Jn 1:12, 13, 1Jn. 4:4, 15). Born into His Church, (Col. 2:18, 24, ) which is his body, he being the head. We are born into His service, (Romans 12:1). He does this not because He hates us, but because He loves us as His own dear children. Understanding this truth should help us in the way we behave.
2. You Have an Approachable Father (See Galatians 4:6)
The Hebrew word translated "dear Father" is Abba, which is a word of affection that a young child would use endearingly toward his or her father….Jesus teaches us how to pray by the way he taught his followers to address Him, “Abba,” (‘Father’).‘Did you ever borrow your father’s car by calling him by his first name??????’ A western equivalent of that phrase would be "papa" or "daddy." God does not want to be viewed as some distant, disinterested father, but as a loving, approachable father to whom you can turn at any time because you are His child. He will empower you with His Holy Spirit, - Luke 11:11-13. Do we dare think for a moment we could overcome our world around us on our own strength?” He knew what it was going to take for us to not be defeated by his enemy, (Eph. 5:18.) Only in this way, can we overcome the unholy world around us. In this way we are “set apart” because we, (each believer) have been sanctified, (Hebrews 10:10, Heb. 13:12, Acts 20:32, Acts 26:18, (as mentioned above). The humble stay that way, (1 John 1:9).
When does the Bible say we are sons of God?"
As soon as we truly repented, (Jn. 1:12,13, Colossians 2:6,).Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
Gal. 3:26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, (see Romans 3:22 again.)
3. His Promises Are Not Based upon Your Feelings (See I John 5:1-5, 11-13)
There will be times as a Christian when you may not "feel" God's presence. You may even be tempted to doubt that He has come into your life. But I John 5:13 does not say, "I write this to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may feel you have eternal life." This is because feelings come and go. They fluctuate. Nor does the Bible say, "I write this so that you may hope - if God is in a really good mood - that you have eternal life." It says, "so that you may know . . . ." Eternal life is yours!” Stand on God's promise to you. You are forgiven, justified, sanctified, in Christ, adopted into His family, and assured of salvation. Titus 3:5 reinforces that our salvation ‘is’ assured. All we need to do is remain faithful, and we all have up to the moment this is posted.. .. “ hope
(Rev. 2:11).Who was the promises written too?”…Acts 13:26, 1Jhon 5:13, Ephesians 3:21. Now that is reason to rejoice! That is good news.
Our WT acquaintances have been betrayed.
God bless you each one of you.
disciple
Whether you are thinking of leaving the Watchtower organization, or whether you have recently left them. Perhaps you are thinking of getting more information about them, because of wanting a better relationship with Jesus Christ. You can pray to make a first time commitment or a recommitment. If you do, you have made the right decision. God will forgive you if you mean it. Know that your relationship with Jesus Christ will bring radical and dramatic changes in your life. Describing this, the Bible says, "Those who become Christians become new persons! They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" (II Corinthians 5:17) Now that is good news! But more important, God has changed your eternal destiny. Instead of fearing eternal punishment in a Christ less eternity, you will spend peaceful eternity with Christ.
WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR YOU
What actually happens when Jesus Christ comes into your life? First, He saves you from your sins and the punishment you deserve as a result of them. This is called salvation, or regeneration, and has to do with what takes place in your heart: God gives you new life. This means you are now justified, which means: “Just as if you had never sinned.” “Right with God.” You are now the righteousness of God through Christ. Not for what you or I have done, but by our faith in what Jesus has already done for us. This is the only condition that causes us to be at peace with God, (Romans 5:1). Just like the blood on the door post in the first Passover, God sees us through Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 13:12, and Acts 26:18. 1 Jn. 1:9 keeps us sanctified.
The WT would shudder if it taught it’s followers were reading what justifies and sanctifies each believer,(Romans 5:9).
So justification has to do with your standing before God and includes the complete removal and forgiveness of your sins, (Ish. 1:18, 1 Jn.1:9). Think about it. When you receive Jesus Christ into your life, you are completely forgiven. God's Word tells us, "Brothers, listen! In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins! Everyone who believes in Him is freed from all guilt and declared right with God [justified] - something the Jewish law could never do." (Acts 13:38-39) You see, In Romans 4:8,10, Paul was reasoning with the New Jewish believers there who thought the Gentiles must be ‘circumcised like them, to be saved.
Speaking of our sins, God says, "I will never again remember [your] sins and lawless deeds." (Hebrews 10:17) What a wonderful promise! This promise is to each believer, not to just 144000 believing Jews! Friends if that were true, then 1 John 1:9 would also be for only 144000 believing Jews. But that wouldn’t make sense now would it?
Justification however is more than just the forgiveness and removal of the guilt and condemnation that accompany sin. While God has removed your sins and forgiven you of them, He has also placed the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ "into your account," so to speak. You don't have to earn it or try to achieve it. It is yours as a gracious gift from the God who loves you, (Titus 3:5). To understand justification more fully, read the following Scripture passages and notes below.
1. God Promises Us His Gracious Forgiveness (See I John 1:9, 1Jn. 3:7). The word confess means "to say the same thing as another" or "to agree with." To confess means that we are agreeing with God about our sin. We are seeing it as He does. We know that God hates sin. Therefore, to truly confess our sin means that we essentially feel the same way God feels about what we have done. After committing that sin, we will be determined to put it out of our lives and never do it again. That is true confession in the biblical sense. The reason many believers are not experiencing the forgiveness and joy they desire is because they have not yet truly confessed! Once we have met God's conditions however, we will know His gracious forgiveness, (Ish. 1:18). We may not "feel" forgiven, but we are. We have His word on it. Yet for many, many, years, the majority of Jehovah Witnesses were tricked into thinking they were not justified in the eyes of God. If you are justified, you are sanctified and if you are sanctified, you are a son (child) of the Living God.
Watchtower gave the majority of Jehovah Witnesses the following reason for abstaining from partaking of the Lord’s Table. How sad.
“The Jonadabs are not even justified, because the receiving of life everlasting depends upon their obedience within God’s organization and faithfully abiding there until the wrath of God is passed at Armageddon.” WT April 1, 1938 p. 104
The word “Jonadabs,” was at that time given to the ‘majority’(99%)of JWs within their organization, who were told that they could not partake of the Lord’s Supper because they were not yet justified as righteous in the eyes of God, However 1 Jn. 4:4,15, 1 Jn. 3:7, Rev. 3:20, (‘anyone’) corrects the WT organization. Each believer has received Jesus - Galatians 3:26, Jn. 1:12, 13, Col. 26, Eph. 1:13, ‘received.’) Their unbiblical teaching kept their ‘so called’ “Jonadabs,” (at bay) from partaking at their communion. This teaching was strange indeed, and this teaching continued. But if one is sanctified, they are justified, and these, are invited to partake!
In their book: “Life Everlasting In The Sons of God,” 1966. p. 391, “The Great Crowd are taught to believe they don’t receive justification promised in the N. T. The Great Crowd will not be justified or declared righteous either now nor then as the 144000 heavenly heirs have been justified while in the flesh”
2. God Has Balanced Our Moral and Spiritual Budget (See Romans 5:1-2)
When God justifies us. He does so by placing all of the righteousness of Christ to our credit. This balances the moral and spiritual budget for us. We now have sufficient "capital of character" to get on with the business of living. Staying obedient, (1Jn.1:9) ‘does’ assure one of their salvation!
Up to this point, salvation has been God's responsibility. From this point on, it continues to be His responsibility except that we are responsible for the wise investment of our "capital of character" - that is, we are responsible for living as God desires us to. It is as if your checking account were empty, but then someone made a $100,000 deposit. What you do with that money is up to you. We do have choices.
3. God Calls Us His Children (See Luke 15:11-32,)
This incredible story illustrates what happens when a person turns from sin and returns to God. First, notice that the father in the story did not give this prodigal son what he deserved - banishment. In the same way, we do not receive from God what we deserve - punishment for sin. Second, the young man was given what he did not deserve - the rights and privileges of full sonship. Likewise, although we are not worthy to be called children of God, he calls us sons and daughters. In summary, He doesn't give us what we deserve (judgment). He gives us what we don't deserve (forgiveness and justification).
Speaking of sons and daughters, read on to see how God has adopted you into His family.
Adopted and Assured
We have looked at what happens when we are regenerated (when Christ comes into our lives) and when we are justified (when God forgives our sin and puts His righteousness in its place). Now let us look at another incredible thing God has done for us. He has adopted us into His family as His children!
Adoption means "to be given the rights of a son". In essence, you have been given the full rights of sonship in the family of God as though you were born that way. The story of the Prodigal Son illustrates this (Luke 15:11-32). The wayward son thought that after leaving home, he would no longer be considered a son but would instead be treated as a hired servant. Much to his surprise, when he made the long journey home, his father welcomed him and smothered him with kisses. He then gave orders to bring out the best robe and to put a ring on his finger, signifying full rights as a son. That is exactly what God has done for you! Take some time now to examine three Scripture passages that assure you of your adoption into God's family.
1. God Disciplines His Children
The WT deceitfully tells lovers of God that only 144000 of their people can rightfully call Him Abba Father!
A slave was never permitted to address their Master as “Abba” or, Father. So if that is true, then why do you call Him “Father?” It’s because you are a son (daughter) of His!
Who do you see looking back at you when ever you happen to look into a mirror? ‘You only have two choices.’ Hebrews 12:5 (OKJ). And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
To have the Spirit of God in us, ‘to lead us,’ ‘to use us,’ we must repent and accept what He offers to us in John 1:2, (‘son ship). This proves Romans 8:14 is relating to each believer. “ because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Galatians 5:18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Galatians 5:18 closes the case on this subject. It drives the finale nail into the finished product of this subject, that the congregation as a whole, are sons and daughters of His by this same faith we have been talking about.
Recognizing you are now a child of God is not some distant hope but a present reality. One of the ways God will remind you of this is by correcting you and bringing you back into line like a loving father when you stray away from Him.
Before we were believers, we may have felt no sense of guilt for certain things we did or did not do, (This is what is being spoken of when the bible uses the phrase, when we were not “walking in the spirit” but walking in the flesh.”). We were walking in the “old personality” we once had, “in the flesh.” Paul helps us understand that we once walked in sin, ( in ‘Adam’) in the flesh and not in the spirit. Romans 8:9 KJV “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.” Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
But now that we are Christians, God's Holy Spirit shows us the way to live, which includes correcting us. The mystery has been revealed to us. The Spirit of Christ is now in each believer, unless of course, we have failed the test, (2 Corinthians 13:5.) This is the mystery that has been hidden from our JW acquaintances; Col. 1:27, 28, Gal. 4:19, We are no longer part of the ‘walking dead that Jesus spoke of. Each was unfairly born in sin (‘Adam’.) Now by his grace He has allowed us to be born again. Not in Adam, (in the flesh), but in the spirit, (Jn 1:12, 13, 1Jn. 4:4, 15). Born into His Church, (Col. 2:18, 24, ) which is his body, he being the head. We are born into His service, (Romans 12:1). He does this not because He hates us, but because He loves us as His own dear children. Understanding this truth should help us in the way we behave.
2. You Have an Approachable Father (See Galatians 4:6)
The Hebrew word translated "dear Father" is Abba, which is a word of affection that a young child would use endearingly toward his or her father….Jesus teaches us how to pray by the way he taught his followers to address Him, “Abba,” (‘Father’).‘Did you ever borrow your father’s car by calling him by his first name??????’ A western equivalent of that phrase would be "papa" or "daddy." God does not want to be viewed as some distant, disinterested father, but as a loving, approachable father to whom you can turn at any time because you are His child. He will empower you with His Holy Spirit, - Luke 11:11-13. Do we dare think for a moment we could overcome our world around us on our own strength?” He knew what it was going to take for us to not be defeated by his enemy, (Eph. 5:18.) Only in this way, can we overcome the unholy world around us. In this way we are “set apart” because we, (each believer) have been sanctified, (Hebrews 10:10, Heb. 13:12, Acts 20:32, Acts 26:18, (as mentioned above). The humble stay that way, (1 John 1:9).
When does the Bible say we are sons of God?"
As soon as we truly repented, (Jn. 1:12,13, Colossians 2:6,).Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
Gal. 3:26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, (see Romans 3:22 again.)
3. His Promises Are Not Based upon Your Feelings (See I John 5:1-5, 11-13)
There will be times as a Christian when you may not "feel" God's presence. You may even be tempted to doubt that He has come into your life. But I John 5:13 does not say, "I write this to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may feel you have eternal life." This is because feelings come and go. They fluctuate. Nor does the Bible say, "I write this so that you may hope - if God is in a really good mood - that you have eternal life." It says, "so that you may know . . . ." Eternal life is yours!” Stand on God's promise to you. You are forgiven, justified, sanctified, in Christ, adopted into His family, and assured of salvation. Titus 3:5 reinforces that our salvation ‘is’ assured. All we need to do is remain faithful, and we all have up to the moment this is posted.. .. “ hope
(Rev. 2:11).Who was the promises written too?”…Acts 13:26, 1Jhon 5:13, Ephesians 3:21. Now that is reason to rejoice! That is good news.Our WT acquaintances have been betrayed.
God bless you each one of you.
disciple
So sorry I missed this great thread first time around - it deserves to be bbttt. Instead of starting another one, I thought it would be good to add to an existing thread, and this is a good one! 
... 
I pasted and hi-lited some extra-relevant(lol, it's all relevant, it's all relative!) verses ---
Truth... ya gotta LOVE it!
