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Are You Worshipping Jehovah?

 

            Many people today claim to be Christians and claim to love God. They would assume that they worship Jehovah. In fact, a majority of people would likely respond to this question, “Yes, I worship God; I worship Jehovah!”

It is one thing to say you worship Jehovah, but it is an entirely different thing to actually do so. Jesus said in Matthew 15:7-8, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” We may claim to love, worship, and follow Jehovah. We may think that we worship Him because we always use the name Jehovah to refer to God Almighty. But just using Jehovah’s name, or even claiming to defend the honor of Jehovah’s name, in no way proves that one truly worships Him.

The Bible tells us that someone may think he is worshipping Jehovah and yet be entirely mistaken. Jesus said that “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven . . . Many will say . . . Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then I will profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Mt 7:21-23). If we had asked these people, “Are you worshipping Jehovah?” they certainly would have claimed they were; but they were really working iniquity.

In light of these facts, let us go to the Scriptures to determine whether we are worshipping Jehovah or simply “deceiving [our] own selves” (James 1:22).

 What is Worship?

“Worship” can be defined as “homage rendered to God which it is sinful (idolatry) to render to any created being” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary). No god besides Jehovah can be worshipped without committing idolatry (Ex 34:14; Mt 4:10).

Just understanding what worship is does not mean we are actually worshipping. Scripture gives some necessary qualities in order for worship to be accepted.

How does one Worship?

Two key texts help us know how to worship Jehovah. The first is John 4:23-24: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”  Worshipping in spirit means worshipping with your whole being. God is not pleased without true heart-felt worship. Many perform the rituals or routine practices of their religious organizations yet are not worshipping God from their heart.

Worship must also be done “in truth.” This means that it matters to Jehovah what we believe and even in what form we worship Him—it must be in agreement with His explicit commandment (Lev 10:1). Everything must be done “in truth.” The Bible, the Word of God, is truth (Jn 17:17). If we do not practice Biblical worship, we cannot be acceptable to Jehovah.

The second key text telling us how to worship is 1 Chronicles 16:29-30: “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Fear before him, all the earth.” Worship includes giving. Bringing offerings and giving glory, honor, and strength to Jehovah accompanies true worship. Some of the offerings which please God are mentioned in Heb 13:15-16: “By him (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Praising and thanking Jehovah, doing good, helping others, prayer (Ps 141:2)—these are “spiritual sacrifices” (1 Pet 2:5) pleasing to God. These are ways to worship Jehovah.

The phrase “worship . . . in the beauty of holiness” encompasses all of the spirit, which must permeate true worship. A holy life in and of itself is worship. One who Jehovah sees as sinful cannot offer Him acceptable worship (Is 29:13ff.). Worship not according to truth also cannot be considered holy. Worship is not merely a feeling, but an action of service to God accompanied by the attitudes of humility, reverence, love, and fear. Jehovah wants our lives as individuals to be living sacrifices to Him (Rom 12:1-2) and He wants us to worship with other believers in a corporate way (Heb 10:25). We should therefore consider . . .

Is The Watchtower Society Jehovah’s Prophet and The Only True Religion?

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (WTS) says, “Make haste to identify the visible theocratic organization of God that represents his king, Jesus Christ. It is essential for life. Doing so, be complete in accepting its every aspect.” (The Watchtower, October 1, 1967). It claims that salvation is found only in its organization, and requires absolute obedience to everything it teaches. The WTS also states, “we cannot find the Scriptural guidance we need outside the ‘faithful and discreet slave’ organization” (The Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981), by which it means itself. Furthermore, it affirms that it is God’s “prophet”: “This ‘prophet’ was not one man, but was a body of men and women. It was the small group of footstep followers of Jesus Christ, known at that time as International Bible Students. Today they are known as Jehovah’s Christian witnesses.” (The Watchtower magazine, April 1, 1972). Let us test this claim, keeping in mind that Jehovah said that a true prophet will be 100% accurate; one false prophecy makes one a false prophet and worthy of death (Deut 18:15-22). The WTS predicted that “full end of the times of the gentiles, i.e., the full end of their lease of dominion, will be reached in A.D. 1914; and that the date will be the farthest limit of the rule of imperfect men” (The Time Is At Hand, 1888, p. 76, 77) and “In view of this strong Bible evidence concerning the Times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the kingdom of God, will be accomplished by the end of A.D. 1914” (The Time Is At Hand, 1902 edition, p. 99). When 1914 came and went, the WTS predicted that “In view of this strong Bible evidence concerning the Times of the Gentiles, we consider it an established truth that the final end of the kingdoms of this world, and the full establishment of the kingdom of God, will be accomplished near the end of A.D. 1915” (The Time Is At Hand, 1915 edition, p. 99). When 1915 came and went, the WTS predicted that “There will be no chance of escaping from destruction, through the nations. . . . The trouble is due to the dawning of the Day of Christ, the Millennium. It is the Day of Vengeance . . . which will break like a furious morning storm in 1918” (The Finished Mystery, 1917, p. 404), and “in the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by million, it shall be that any that escape shall come to the works of Pastor Russell to learn the meaning of the downfall of Christianity.” (The Finished Mystery, 1917 edition, p. 485). 1918 came and went. The WTS also predicted that “And the mountains were not found. Even the republics will disappear in the fall of 1920. Every kingdom of earth will pass away, be swallowed up in anarchy.” (The Finished Mystery, 1917 edition, p. 258). When that did not happen, the WTS predicted that “we may expect 1925 to witness the return of these faithful men of Israel from the condition of death, being resurrected” (Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1920, p. 88). 1925 came and went. The WTS hoped that they were just a little behind schedule, so in 1930 a “house at San Diego, California . . . was built . . . and named ‘Beth Sarim,’ meaning, ‘House of the Princes.’ It is now held in trust for the occupancy of those princes [Abraham, Isaac, David, etc.] on their return” (The New World, p. 104). The house was for “the visible representatives on the earth who will have charge of the affairs of the . . . among those who will thus be the faithful representatives and visible governors of the world will be David, Israel; and Gideon, and Barak, and Samson, and Jepthae, and Joseph, formerly the ruler of Egypt, and Samuel the prophet and other faithful men who were named with approval in the Bible at Hebrews the eleventh chapter. The condition herein is that the said Watchtower Bible and Tract Society shall hold said title perpetually in trust for the use of any or all of the men above named as representatives of God’s kingdom on earth and that such men shall have possession and use of said property hereinabove described as they may deem for the best interest for the work in which they are engaged. . . . the said Joseph F. Rutherford [the president of the WTS] in such lease or other paper writing shall have the right and privilege of residing on said premises until the same be taken possession of by David or some of the other men herein named and this property and premises being dedicated to Jehovah and the use of his kingdom it shall be used as such for ever” (deed of Beth Sarim, dated 24 December 1929). While this prediction got the WTS president a beautiful mansion to live in while his followers suffered in poverty during the Great Depression, Abraham, David, etc. never showed up to claim the property (although a homeless man tried one time, saying he was David). Although the WTS was going to hold it “perpetually” and “for ever,” they sold it and dropped the idea about the resurrection of the people in Hebrews 11 in the 1940’s. Undismayed, the WTS predicted that “Universal war is absolutely certain to come and that soon, and no power can stop it. . . . during the few remaining months until the breaking of that universal cataclysm the powers that rule the nations of the earth will continue to make treaties and tell the people that by such means they will keep that world peace and bring about prosperity.” (Universal War Near, 1935, p. 3, 26-27). The world did not end “a few months” after 1935, so the WTS then stated that the end would come so soon that nobody should get married: “Those . . . who now contemplate marriage, it would seem, would do better if they wait a few years, until the fiery storm of Armageddon is gone” (Face the Facts, 1938, p. 46, 47, 50). Indeed, in 1941 there were only “remaining months before Armageddon” (Watchtower Sept. 15, 1941, p. 288). When that one failed, the WTS predicted that the world was going to end in 1975: “Eight years from the Autumn of 1967 would bring us to the Autumn of 1975, fully 6,000 years into God’s seventh day, his rest day” (Watchtower May 1, 1968 p. 271). “The immediate future is certain to be filled with climatic events, for this old system is nearing its complete end. Within a few years at most the final parts of Bible prophecy relative to these last days will undergo fulfilment resulting in the liberation of surviving mankind into Christ’s glorious 1000 year reign!” (Watchtower, 1/5/1968). The world failed to end in 1975, so now the WTS predicts that the world will end before the 1914 generation passes away: “Today, a small percentage of mankind can still recall the dramatic events of 1914. Will that elderly generation pass away before God saves the earth from ruin? Not according to Bible prophecy. ‘When you see all these things,’ Jesus PROMISED, ‘know that he is near at the doors. Truly I say to you that THIS generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur.’ – Matthew 24:33, 34″ (Watchtower May 1, 1992 page 3: The Year That Shocked The World). Now their literature is starting to drop the 1914 generation date, for there are just about nobody from that generation still around. Are these the predictions of a true prophet? Why is the WTS wrong so many, many, times? Why does the Bible say a true prophet is never wrong, but the WTS predictions are never right? If they have been wrong so many times, could they be in error today as well? The WTS tries to prove that it is Jehovah’s “faithful and discreet slave” by referencing Mt 24:45-46. The problem is that this passage is speaking about every true believer. It has nothing whatsoever to do with any organization. Where does Scripture say that Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the WTS, would introduce the true religion in 1872, it would be centered in Brooklyn, New York, and be governed by a Governing Body, a group of men who claim the same sort of Divine guidance as the Pope of Rome? Did Jehovah have no followers before 1872? Following Brooklyn, NY “is essential for life”? Where does Scripture say that salvation is only found in the WTS, or any other organization?  We need to test everything using the Bible, and only the Bible—on its own, Scripture is able to make the believer perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:16-17). No “prophet” organization is needed to understand God’s Word. The WTS states, “From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah’s people those, who . . . say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such ‘Bible reading,’ they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom’s clergy were teaching 100 years ago.” (Watchtower Magazine, August 15, 1981). In other words, if you start only believing God’s Word, instead of the WTS, you soon find out that they are not teaching what Jehovah says in the Bible! But who is it better to believe—Jehovah and the Bible, or an organization that, based on Deut 18:15-22, is a false prophet? The question then arises . . .

Which Bible?

Any doctrinal study must be based in the Bible.  The traditional English Bible for the last 400 years has been the King James Version (KJV). It is based on the New Testament (NT) Greek text known as the Received Text, which represents the overwhelming majority of Greek manuscripts (MSS). The KJV has been used by everyone in the English speaking world who wishes to have an accurate version of Scripture. The Watchtower society, and nobody else, uses the New World Translation (NWT). Why such a difference?

The King James Bible was translated by nearly fifty incredibly scholarly men, such as Lancelot Andrews, who had mastered fifteen languages, and John Bois, who had read the entire Old Testament in Hebrew when he was five years old.  Information about them is available to the public and published in many books (i. e., The Translators Revived, Alexander McClure).  The NWT was made by an anonymous “New World Bible Translation Committee.” The six men on the committee were Fred Franz, Nathan Knorr, Milton Henschel, Albert Schroeder, Karl Klein, and George Gangas. The majority of them were high school drop-outs, none had ever graduated from college, only one of them, Fred Franz, had taken any courses in Greek in his life. He had taken one 2 credit hour course in New Testament Greek and studied non-Biblical, classical Greek. None of the “translators” had ever taken any courses in Hebrew (or Aramaic) in their lives. They knew just about as much Hebrew as a Hebrew national hot dog. No wonder the Watchtower tries to hide the identity of the WTS “translators.” (Proof for the claims in this last sentence can be found on pg. 50, Crisis of Conscience, Raymond Franz, and pg. 64, Kingdom of the Cults, Walter Martin (1977 ed.); contact the church at the end of this pamphlet for free photocopied documentation. Note that Raymond Franz was a member of the WTS Governing Body for years and believed WTS doctrine; he was not a born-again Christian or someone trying to make stuff up to attack the WTS). Nobody in the world uses the NWT besides the Watchtower society because it is not a translation at all—the “translation” committee did not know the Biblical languages.  It is a corruption that mutilates God’s Word when it contradicts Watchtower doctrine.

Examples of the many corruptions in the NWT include:

1.) Mark 9:44, 46, where God wrote “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”  These verses are in thousands of Greek MSS, in 99%+ of the evidence, as well as in ancient translations (see Textual and Translation Notes on the Gospels, Jay P. Green, Sr). The NWT rejects the evidence and takes these verses out—it does not believe that people go to a place where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched.

2.) In Zech 12:10, Jehovah is speaking, and He says, “they [the Jews] shall look upon me [Heb. ‘elay] whom they have pierced.” Since this verse teaches that Jehovah was pierced by the Jews, and Jn 19:37 shows that this verse refers to the death of Christ, proving that Jesus is Jehovah, the NWT changes Zech 12:10 to the One whom they pierced,” although this is impossible in Hebrew.

3.) The NWT adds the words “other” or “others” to Acts 10:36, Phil 2:9; Col 1:16, 17, 20, despite the fact that the word is not in any Greek MSS in the entire world, because without the addition Jesus Christ is “Lord of all,” has a Name “above every name,” and He created “all things” and is “before all things,” and so is Jehovah the Creator. God’s Word contradicts their doctrine, so they change His Word, instead of repenting of their doctrine.

4.) In Lu 23:43 Christ there promises the thief dying with Him, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” The WTS does not believe that Christ and the thief were together in Paradise that day, so it moves the comma from after “thee” to after “today,” despite the fact that every single time the Greek construction representing “Verily I say unto thee” appears in the NT, it is always followed by a comma (cf. Matt. 5:26; 26:34; Mr 14:30; John 3:5, 11, 13:38, etc.)

5.) 1 Tim 4:1 reads, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,” but the WTS does not believe that the Spirit is a personal Being who can speak, so it replaces “Spirit” with “inspired utterance.” Similarly, in Genesis 1:2, God’s Word reads “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters,” showing that the Spirit was involved in creation, but the Watchtower denies that the Holy Spirit is the Creator, so it changes “Spirit” to “active force.”

The WTS claims that the NWT is the true Bible because it has the name Jehovah in it more times than the KJV. The KJV does use the name Jehovah in various verses (Ex 6:3; Is 12:2, etc.), but usually it renders the Hebrew Tetragrammaton as LORD instead in the Old Testament (OT). Rather than being motivated by any sinister plot to malign Jehovah’s name, the KJV translators were simply following the practice of Christ and the apostles. Jesus Christ in Mt. 23:39 quoted Ps. 118:26 “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of [Jehovah]” with the Greek word Kurios (Lord). He did the same thing in many other places, such as Mt 22:44 when quoting Ps 110:1. The apostles also quoted the OT name Jehovah as Lord: Peter did it in Ac 2:34 (cf. Ps 110:1), Paul did it in Rom 10:13 (cf. Joel 2:32), James did it in Ac 15:16-17 (cf. Am 9:11-12), etc. The KJV generally translates the OT name Jehovah as LORD because that is what the Son of God and His disciples did.

While it would not necessarily be wrong to render the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the OT every time instead of following the practice of Christ and the apostles and using LORD instead, the NWT corrupts Scripture by adding the name Jehovah to the New Testament, although it is not found in any of the 5,000+ Greek NT MSS in existence. The Greek says Kurios or Lord every time the NWT alters the Bible to put the word Jehovah in the NT. However, the NWT is inconsistent. When the Father is called Lord, the NWT changes the word to Jehovah, but when the identical Greek word is used for Jesus Christ, as it is hundreds of times in the NT, or the Holy Spirit is called Kurios, the NWT leaves it as Lord instead of changing it to Jehovah. The WTS does this because it does not want to say Jehovah-Jesus Christ every time the NT says “the Lord Jesus Christ,” or have people say to Jesus, “Have mercy on me, O Jehovah, thou Son of David” (Mt 15:22), or have the Bible say of the Holy Spirit, “Jehovah is that Spirit” (2 Cor 3:17). The NWT and the WTS that made it fall under the curse of Rev 22:18-19: “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

On account of these facts, as we move on in our study, we will use God’s Word, the KJV. All of us are obligated to test all things with the Bible.  Truth does not fear investigation, but error shuns the light. If we want to worship correctly, we must consider . . .

Who are we to Worship?

This may seem like a strange question. In light of the fact that Jehovah must be worshipped in truth, however, nothing could be more important. When Satan tried to get Jesus to worship him, Jesus responded by saying, “it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Mt 4:10) Jesus was referencing Deut 6:13, which shows us that Jehovah alone is to receive worship. Certainly, if any god, any person (even self), or any thing is worshipped besides Jehovah, false worship, and consequently terrible sin, is occurring.  In fact Jehovah’s servants are very careful not to receive worship, but to direct all worship to Him alone.  Peter and Paul both refused worship (Ac 10:26; 14:14-15). Angels do not receive worship (Rev 22:8-9). We must only worship Jehovah.

But what about Jesus?  Some people worship and even pray to Jesus.  Are they practicing false worship and thereby sinning against Jehovah? To answer this question we must first honestly acknowledge that the Bible says . . .

 

Jesus received worship

If you will recall, Jesus taught we must only worship Jehovah.  However, Hebrews 1:6 says, “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.” Here God the Father commands all the angels, including the archangel Michael, to worship the “firstbegotten”—Jesus Christ! The apostles also “came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God” (Mt 14:33). Jehovah’s people worshipped Jesus in Lk 24:52: “And they worshipped him (Jesus), and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” Jesus Christ is also worshipped in Mt 2:2, 8, 11; 8:2; 9:18; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9; 17; Mr 5:6; Jn 9:38; etc. In fact, worship is directed to the Lord Jesus more often in the New Testament than it is directed explicitly to the Father!

The NWT tries to hide this fact by mistranslating Heb 1:6, “And let all God’s angels do obeisance to him.” However, even the 1961 edition of the NWT (as used in the 1969 Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures says, “And let all God’s angels worship him.” Every time the standard Greek word for “worship,” proskuneo, is used in reference to God the Father, the NWT translates it as “worship” (cf. Rev 5:14; 7:11; 11:16; 19:4; Jn 4:20). Yet every time the same word is used in reference to Jesus Christ (as in the earlier examples) the NWT mistranslates it “do obeisance.” The KJV is simply consistent, translating proskuneo as worship every time the word appears in Scripture.

If Jesus receives worship, which is only to be offered to Jehovah, what does that imply? Jesus is not Jehovah, right? Well…

What about the Bible?

The Watchtower society is right when it says, “So our entire future hinges on our knowing the true nature of God, and that means getting to the root of the Trinity controversy. Therefore, why not examine it for yourself?” (Should You Believe in the Trinity?” 1989 ed, pg. 3. Italics added). The Bible itself says in 2 Jn 9, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.” It is vitally important to be correct about the doctrine (teaching) of Christ. If you are wrong, you cannot worship Jehovah in truth, and you are no follower of His.

Many people say they believe the Bible, yet they do not obey it, or they explain parts of it away. A real belief in the Word results in the attitude, “The Bible says it. That settles it.” Since the Bible is the perfect Word of God, it is our only authority in determining Jehovah’s truth.

Some things the Bible tells us must be believed even though they are hard for us to understand. Can anyone really comprehend the fact that God never had a beginning? No! We believe it because the Bible says it. Can we understand why humans can be redeemed but angels cannot? Again, we just believe the Bible. When it comes to the identity of Jesus Christ, we must let God’s Word speak for itself.

1 Thessalonians 4:21 says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” This means we are commanded to test all things according to the Bible, and accept that which is proven good. Are you willing to have your beliefs tested by Scripture? If not, why not?

Since the Bible tells us Jesus was worshipped, and it also tells us only Jehovah is to be worshipped, we must look closer at what the Bible teaches concerning Jesus’ identity. This will help us understand why Jesus could receive worship. But, first . . .

Who is Jehovah?

Psalm 83:18 helps us understand the essence of Jehovah: “That men may know that thou whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” From this verse we understand that Jehovah is the ultimate Sovereign over all. He is the One in charge. In short, Jehovah is God. What attributes, actions and descriptions are ascribed to Jehovah that differentiate Him from all created beings?

Attributes

ETERNALITY.  Jehovah has always existed.  He is truly eternal, without beginning or end.  Ps 90:2 and Hab 1:12 teach this truth concerning Jehovah.

OMNIPOTENCE.  Jehovah is “all powerful.” God’s boundless and infinite power is taught in Is 40:26, 28-29 and Jer 32:17. He is Almighty (Rev 11:17).

OMNISCIENCE.  Jehovah is “all knowing.”  The Bible clearly teaches that God is all wise and absolute in His knowledge.  Is 40:28; Ps 147:4-5; and Ps 139:1-6 teach this.

OMNIPRESENCE.  Jehovah is “everywhere present.” God infinitely permeates space, filling the entire universe.  Prov 15:3; Jer 23:23-24 and Ps 139:7-10 clearly teach this mind-boggling truth.

IMMUTABILITY.  Jehovah is “unchangeable.” He does not deteriorate and He cannot improve, for He is already perfect. His nature and will are constant. Mal 3:6 and Ps 102:26-27 teach this.

These are some of the chief attributes of Jehovah. These are not mere facts about Him; rather they define His nature—who He is. We have seen what Jehovah is like. Now let us see what kinds of things He does—His actions. For the purpose of this study, just a few of Jehovah’s actions will be discussed.

Actions

  1. 1.     He created all things.  Gen 1:1; Is 44:24.
  2. 2.     He sustains the world.  Neh 9:6.
  3. 3.     He will judge mankind.  Ps 98:9; Joel 3:12.
  4. 4.     He can forgive sins.  Jer 31:34; Is 43:25
  5. 5.     He can give eternal life.  Is 26:19ff; Dan 12:2; 1 Sam 2:6.
  6. 6.     He will raise all the dead.  Eze 37:12-14.
  7. 7.     He receives worship.  Ex 34:8; Ps 96:9; Is 45:23.

Descriptions

We have learned much about Jehovah from studying His nature. The many descriptions, names, and titles of Jehovah add an extra dimension to our study. They provide us with an excellent picture of who Jehovah is. Since whole books are devoted to this subject (and since this is not a book), the following list cannot be exhaustive.

  1. 1.     I AM.  Ex 3:13-14.
  2. 2.     Holy One.  Is 45:11; Ps 71:22
  3. 3.     The Only Savior.  Is 43:11; Is 45:21.
  4. 4.     The First and Last.  Is 44:6; Is 41:4.
  5. 5.     King of Kings.  1 Tim 6:15; Ps 95:3.
  6. 6.     Mighty God.  Is 10:21; Hab 1:12.
  7. 7.     The Rock.  Deut 32:3-4, 30-31.
  8. 8.     The Stone of Stumbling.  Is 8:13-15.
  9. 9.     The Great God. Dan 2:45; Ps 95:3
  10. 10.  The One above all.  Ps. 97:9.
  11. 11.  Lord over All.  1 Chr 29:11-12.
  12. 12.  Lord of Lords.  Deut 10:17.
  13. 13.  King of Glory.  Ps 24:7.
  14. 14.  The Judge.  Gen 18:25; Joel 3:12.
  15. 15.  The Shepherd. Is 40:10-11; Ps 23:1.
  16. 16.  The Light.  Ps 27:1.
  17. 17.  Alpha and Omega.  Rev 21:6-7
  18. 18.  The Light & Glory of Israel.  Is 60:19.
  19. 19.  The Redeemer.  Ps 130:7-8; Hos 13:14.
  20. 20.  Lord of Glory.  Is 42:8.
  21. 21.  The One who searches the hearts.  Jer 17:10; 11:20.
  22. 22.  The One who created all things for Himself.  Prov 16:4.
  23. 23.  The Almighty.  Gen 17:1; Ex 6:3
  24. 24.  God.  Is 43:12; Is 45:21.

The evidence is in; we know who Jehovah is. God the Father clearly claims the right to possess the name Jehovah, since the attributes, actions, and descriptions mentioned above apply to Him. But do they apply to Him alone? Can anyone else claim the right to have the name Jehovah? To answer this question, let us consider . . .

Who is Jesus?

To discuss Jesus’ nature, it must first be declared that Jesus became a man. Yes, He was born a human in Bethlehem; He human nature was identical to ours (1 Tim 2:5; Rev 1:13). As man, He was limited and dependent upon the Father (Jn 14:28; Mr 13:32; 1 Cor 15:28; Lu 2:52). Yet Scripture teaches that Jesus did not originate in Bethlehem—He is more than a mere man. As we go through this study this will become more apparent. Thus, when studying Jesus Christ, one must remember that there is a human side to Jesus, and there is also that other side. To study this other dimension of Jesus’ nature, let us examine His attributes, actions, and descriptions.

Attributes

ETERNALITY.  The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ has always existed—He never had a beginning. Mic 5:2 declares, “(his) goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Is 9:6 says Jesus is “the everlasting Father,” for He has from eternity past had fatherly attributes (Heb 2:13), although, of course, He is not the Person of God the Father. Nonetheless, Is 9:6 shows He is “everlasting.” Col 1:17 declares “He is before all things.” Jn 1:1 teaches that Jesus existed before the “beginning,” before creation began (Prov 8:23), while Jn 17:5 teaches that Jesus was with Jehovah “before the world was.”

OMNIPOTENCE.  The Bible teaches that the Son has the same power the Father possesses.  Jn 5:19 states, “what things soever [the Father] doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” Is 9:6 calls Jesus “the Mighty God,” the same title being given to Jehovah (see name #6 for Jehovah). Heb. 1:3 says “He upholdeth all things by the word of his power.” He has “all power” in Mt 28:18. He is “Almighty” (Rev 22:12-13+1:8).

OMNISCIENCE.  Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus has all knowledge. “He knew what was in man,” and, in His Divine nature He“(knew) all things” (Jn 2:25; 16:30; 21:17). Col. 2:3 affirms, “In whom (Christ-v. 2) are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

OMNIPRESENCE.  Scripture also affirms that Jesus is not bound by the limits of space but is everywhere present.  When he came as a man, he chose to be found in a body in one physical location. Yet even then He was not limited, for He declared Himself to be “in heaven” even while talking to Nicodemus (Jn 3:13). He is in the midst of two or three gathered in His name everywhere in the world at the same time (Mt 18:20). He dwells in the hearts of all His people everywhere (Eph 3:17; Jn 14:23; 17:23; Gal 2:20). Jesus “filleth all in all” (Eph 1:23).

IMMUTABILITY.  The quality of being unchangeable is also ascribed to the Son of God in Scripture. While even the heavens change, Jesus Christ does not. Heb 1:10-12 states, “They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.” This passage is spoken of Jehovah in Ps 102:25-27, but here it is spoken of Jesus Christ. Heb 13:8 likewise says “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Jesus Christ possesses the same attributes as Jehovah. But what about His actions?

Actions

            The actions of Jehovah that were discussed earlier were those only the one true God can do—but every one of these exclusively Divine actions is attributed to Jesus Christ.

  1. 1.     Jesus created all things.  Col 1:16; Jn 1:3.
  2. 2.     Jesus sustains the world.  Heb 1:3, Col 1:17.
  3. 3.     Jesus will judge mankind. Jn 5:22-23; 2 Tim 4:1; Rev 20:11-15.
  4. 4.     Jesus can forgive sins.  Mk 2:5-10.
  5. 5.     Jesus can give eternal life. Jn 10:28.
  6. 6.     Jesus will raise all the dead.  Jn 5:21; Jn 6:39-40; Jn 11:25.
  7. 7.     Jesus receives worship.  Mt. 28:9; Phil. 2:9-11; Rom 14:10-12; Heb 1:6.

Jesus has the attributes, does the actions of Jehovah. Does He have the same descriptions?

Descriptions

Each of these descriptions of Jehovah is specifically attributed to Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

  1. 1.     I AM.  Jn 8:58.

Jesus’ use of this title (ego eimi) to refer to Himself resulted in an attempt by the hearers to stone Him.  This proves that the Jews understood these Greek words to be a title of God.  See also Jn 6:20; 9:9; 8:24, 28; 13:19; 18:6.

  1. 2.     Holy One.  Acts 3:14.
  2. 3.     (The Only) Savior.  2 Tim. 1:10; Php 3:20; Ac 4:12.
  3. 4.     The First and Last.  Rev 1:17; 22:12-13.
  4. 5.     King of Kings.  Rev 19:16
  5. 6.     Mighty God.  Is 9:6.
  6. 7.     The Rock.  1 Cor 10:4.
  7. 8.     The Stone of Stumbling.  1 Pet 2:6-8.
  8. 9.     The Great God.  Tit 2:13.
  9. 10.  The One above all.  Jn 3:31.
  10. 11.  Lord over All.  Acts 10:36; Rom 10:12.
  11. 12.  Lord of Lords.  Rev 17:14.
  12. 13.  King of Glory. Mt 25:31-34; 1 Cor  2:8.
  13. 14.  The Judge.  Mt 25:31-46;  2 Tim 4:1; 2 Cor 5:10; Rom 14:10-12.
  14. 15.  The Shepherd.  Jn 10:11; Heb 13:20; 1 Pet 2:25.
  15. 16.  The Light.  Jn 8:12; 1:4-9.
  16. 17.  Alpha and Omega.  Rev 22:12-13.
  17. 18.  The Light & Glory of Israel.  Lu 2:32.
  18. 19.  The Redeemer. Rev 5:9; Tit 2:13-14.
  19. 20.  Lord of Glory.  2 Pet 3:18; 1 Cor 2:8; Heb 1:3.
  20. 21.  The One who searches the hearts. Rev 2:23.
  21. 22.  The One who created all things for Himself.  Col 1:16.
  22. 23.  The Almighty.  Rev 1:8, 11; 22:12-13.
  23. 24.  God.  Jn 1:1; Jn 20:28; Acts 20:28; Rom 9:5; 1 Tim 3:16; Tit 2:13; Heb 1:8; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 Jn 5:20; Jude 4.

            Now, it must be obvious to anyone that two cannot both be “The First and the Last,” or “the Savior.” In fact, both of these titles are shown to be Divine titles applicable only to Jehovah in Is 44:6, Is 45:21, and Is 43:11. Yet here we have 24 names, not just 2! If Jesus has the same attributes, actions, and descriptions as Jehovah, then he must also BE Jehovah!  He must be able to claim the right to possess that name.

This is also shown to be the case through the NT’s quoting (or clearly alluding to) OT passages which refer specifically to Jehovah and applying them specifically to Jesus Christ. Notice the following . . .

OT Passages Quoted in the NT which EQUATE JESUS & JEHOVAH

  • · Num 21:4-7 relays the story of God’s judgment on Israel (with fiery serpents) because they had “spoken against the LORD (Jehovah).” 1 Cor 10:9 however, says “Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.”  Speaking against Jehovah is the same as tempting Christ! Jesus is Jehovah!
  • Ps 68 is addressed to God (v. 7, 9, 10, 24, 28, 35), whose name is “JAH” (v. 4, a shortened form of Jehovah).  Verse 18a says, “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men…”  But Eph 4:7-8 says “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” The apostle Paul says Jesus did what Psalm 68 said Jehovah was to do!
  • Ps 102:25-27 is addressed to God (vs. 24), and to Jehovah (vs. 1) and describes Jehovah’s creation and immutability. Heb 1:10-12 states this passage is about the Son. Indeed, Paul in Hebrews 1:10 begins his quote of Ps 102:25-27 with “Thou, Lord,” reaching back to Ps 102:12, “thou O LORD [Jehovah],” deliberately stating Jesus is Jehovah.

·  In John 1:23 (cf. Mark 1:1-3), John the Baptist said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” He had quoted from Is. 40:3 where “Lord” is “LORD (Jehovah).” But whom did John prepare the way for? Jesus Christ, obviously! The following verses in John 1 make that abundantly clear. John was also said to be the promised forerunner who would go before Jehovah. His father, Zacharias, prophesied this in Lu 1:76, where he applies Mal 3:1 to John. John went before Jesus Christ, and yet that fulfilled the prophecy that John would go before Jehovah.

  • Joel 2:32 makes the wonderful promise that all who call upon the name of Jehovah will saved.  Paul quotes this verse in Rom 10:13 to prove that all who call on the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved (cf. 1 Cor 1:2).  So the name of Jesus must be equivalent to the name of Jehovah. In fact, Acts 4:12 says that only in Jesus’ name can anyone be saved.
  • Rom 14:10-12 says, “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Isa 45:22-23 is being quoted and it is clear that Jehovah is speaking (see 45:21). Yet Romans takes this prophecy concerning Jehovah and cites it as proof that we will all stand before Jesus Christ’s judgment seat.  Also, “Christ” at the end of v. 10 is clearly parallel with “God” at the end of v. 12! This prophecy is also in view when Phil 2:9-11 describes the scene of every knee bowing and every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. So bowing and confessing to Jesus is equivalent to bowing and confessing to Jehovah.
  • · Zech 12:10 describes the day when Jehovah brings judgment on all the earth.  Jehovah Himself is speaking (v. 1, 4), and He says, “they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn.”  When was Jehovah pierced? John 19:37 tells us it was when He was on the cross. Rev 1:7 also states, speaking of Jesus (v. 5 and 6), “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.” Jesus will fulfill this prophecy concerning Jehovah, because He is Jehovah.
  • · Zech 14:2-9 describes the time when Jehovah will fight against all nations (v. 2-3) and establish His kingdom over all the earth (v. 9). Rev 19:11-20:4 describes the same events, but Jesus is doing the fighting (v. 13-15, 21). (Note that Zech 14:4 mentions Jehovah’s “feet.” He must have become flesh to have feet). Jehovah establishing His kingdom over all the earth becomes Jesus doing the same (19:15b, 20:4). Is 40:10 also mentions that Jehovah “will come…(and) his reward is with him.”  Jesus applied this prophecy to himself when He said, “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me” (Rev. 22:12).
  • · Jn 12:37-41 reads, “But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:  That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?  Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.  These things spake Esaias, when he saw his glory and spake of him.”  Isaiah spoke the words in vs. 40 when he saw “his glory, and spake of him.”  Whose glory?  Jn 12:35, 36, and 42 make it extremely clear that it was Jesus’ glory. The “him” of v. 42 has to be the same as the “him” of v. 41, and the “he” of v. 37 must be “Jesus” in v. 36. This becomes very important when you realize that the words in Jn 12:40 are recorded in Isaiah 6:10 during the very vision in which Isaiah exclaimed, “mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Is. 6:5; see 6:1-10). So the book of Isaiah says Isaiah saw Jehovah, but the book of John says Isaiah saw Jesus. Jesus must be Jehovah!

We have just completed a thorough study comparing Jesus with Jehovah, which leads us to conclude that Jesus is Jehovah. Jer 23:5-6,Behold, the days come saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.  In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”  Jehovah says that the Messiah will be called Jehovah our Righteousness! These verses leave no room for doubt—Jesus is Jehovah.

 

Further Consideration

Since Jesus rightfully bears the name Jehovah, it must be concluded that Jesus is God. Further, this truth provides a solid basis for believing and understanding the doctrine of the Trinity. This conclusion, however, flies in the face of the teaching of the WTS.  Since the Deity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity are greatly attacked by the WTS, further consideration must be given to these two points.

More PROOF of the Deity of JESUS

It hardly seems necessary to further prove the Deity of Christ after it has been established that He is Jehovah.  Yet, a few more points will bring the doctrine of Christ into greater clarity.  Due to limitations of space, however, this elaboration must be brief and will center on the Incarnation, Sonship, and claims of Christ.

INCARNATION—Jesus, who has eternally existed as Jehovah, became a man. This is mysterious, yet wonderful. Since Jehovah said He would seek that which was lost in Eze 34:16, Jesus became man through the virgin birth, in order “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk 19:10). 1 Tim. 3:16 states, “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” Phil. 2:5-8 teaches that Jesus was “in the form of God” yet emptied Himself and “took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.” Understanding that Jesus willingly limited Himself helps one understand how Jesus’ humanity relates to His Deity. He was one Person with two natures—a fully human nature which was just as human as we are, and a fully Divine nature which was just as much God as His Father. In his humanity He was inferior to God the Father, but in His Deity He was equal in nature to the Father.

SONSHIP—Jesus is called “the Son of God” over and over again in the New Testament. “Son of God” in and of itself is a title of Divinity. When the chief priests heard Christ confess He was the Son of God, they condemned Him for blasphemy, for claiming to be God (Mr 14:61-64; see also Jn 19:7; 5:31-32). In Matt 14:33, when Christ’s disciples become fully convinced that Jesus is the Son of God, they worship Him.

Since God the Father, by nature, is unchanging, His very essence and identity have and will always remain constant. If there was a time when Jesus was not the Son of God (i.e. did not exist), then there was a time when God was not the Father.

Sonship does not convey inferiority in nature. You and your father are both equally human, both are made in the image of God, both pay taxes, and both are equally responsible to obey the law. You have different roles, but are equal in nature.

CLAIMS—In Jn 5:17-18, Jesus was “making himself equal with God.” (Note that this was the declaration of the apostle John, not of the Jews alone, although they understood it; Jn 10:30-33). Jesus said He and the Father deserved equal honor (Jn 5:23), knowing that Jehovah said He would not give His glory to any other (Is 42:8; 48:11). Jn 1:1 states, “the Word was God.” It is grammatically impossible for this to state that Jesus was only “a god”—and, besides, this would affirm that there were two gods, instead of only one God. (There are many false gods, 1 Cor 8:5, but only one true God, Is 44:6). The WTS argues that Jn 1:1 should read “a god” because Theos does not have an article—supposedly the Father is Ho Theos, “the God,” but Jesus is Theos. However, in Jn 1:6, 12, 13, 18, and hundreds of other verses in the NT, the Father is called Theos without the article. Furthermore, Jesus is called Ho Theos, “the God,” in Jn 20:28 and Heb 1:8—so even if the WTS argument in Jn 1:1 were possible, the NT elsewhere calls Christ both Theos and Ho Theos, just as it does the Father.

Before leaving the Deity of Christ, it is interesting to note that in the NT, both Jesus and God the Father are called “the true God” (Jn 17:3; 1 Jn 5:20).

The DOCTRINE of the TRINITY

Although the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible, the teaching clearly does. Scripture affirms that God is one in essence with three distinct personalities.  Since Jesus is God, and the Father is God, and (as we shall see) the Holy Spirit is God, this understanding must follow.  But be careful not to misunderstand this doctrine. It does not say that the Father is the same Person as the Son and as the Holy Spirit (If that were the case a simple text showing Jesus speaking to the Father would refute the whole doctrine). A Trinitarian recognizes that there is only one God, yet the Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct personalities.  The WTS likes to misrepresent Trinitarianism as if it taught the Father was the Son was the Spirit, for such an unBiblical notion is easy to refute, while Trinitarianism cannot be refuted, since it is what the Bible teaches. God thus has fellowship with Himself (Matt. 3:17, Jn. 17:5, 21), much like we discuss things with ourselves and approve or disapprove of ourselves. Yet this analogy, like all analogies, falls short. God is infinitely above us and beyond our comprehension; He says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Is 55:8-9; cf. Is 40:12-26; Rm 11:33-34). The question is not if our weak minds can fully comprehend how the tri-unity of God, but if the Word of God teaches it. Having dealt with the Father and the Son already, we will here consider the Deity of the Holy Spirit, and some proofs for the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit is a personal Being, possessing intellect, will, and emotion, not an impersonal force: Is 63:10; 1 Cor 2:10-13; Acts 13:2 (here the Holy Spirit refers to Himself as “me” and “I”). Speech and actions the OT ascribes to Jehovah are, the NT tells us, the words and deeds of the Spirit, so the Holy Spirit is Jehovah (Heb 3:7-12/Ps 95:6-11; Is 6:9-10/Ac 28:25-27; Jer 31:33-34/Heb 10:15-17; Dt 6:16/Acts 5:9). The Spirit was involved in the creation of the world (Gen 1:2; Job 33:4). The “Spirit of the LORD” is “the God of Israel” (2 Sam 23:2-3). To “lie to the Holy Ghost” is to lie “unto God” (Ac 5:3-4). Blasphemy is “impious, and irreverent speech against God” (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) but the Holy Spirit, unlike any created being, can be blasphemed (Mr 3:29), since 2 Cor. 3:17 declares “the Lord is that Spirit” (2 Cor 3:17). These are just a few of many proofs of the Deity of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture refers to a plurality within the unity of God (Gen 1:26; Is 6:8). This plurality in unity is that of “the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Mt 28:19; cf. 1 Cor 12:4-6; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph. 2:18). There “are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one” (1 Jn 5:7).

What about Worship?

We started this pamphlet with the question, “Are you worshipping Jehovah?” Just because we say we are does not make it so. We explained what worship must be for Jehovah to accept it. Then we talked about who we are to worship. We saw that the Bible says Jesus was worshipped. We have now concluded that the Bible affirms that Jesus is Jehovah—He is God.

Are you worshipping Jehovah—are you worshipping Jesus? All those who are “saints” and “sanctified” “call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor 1:2). Saved people call upon the name of the Lord Jesus—they pray to and worship Him (Rom 10:12-14).

For worship to be acceptable to God, it must be according to truth (Jn 4:24). If you do not abide in the Biblical teaching of Jesus Christ, you do not have either the Father or the Son (2 Jn 9), but are guilty of idolatry.

Having concluded this study, what are its . . .

Ramifications

1.  The WTS does not worship Jehovah, but is a false prophet, and must be rejected.

The WTS is teaching “another Jesus” and “another gospel” (2 Cor 11:4), and as such is “accursed” (Gal 1:6-9). “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (2 Jn 9-11). Since the WTS has a false doctrine of Christ, it does not know God. We must therefore not receive or support it, but, out of love for Jehovah, separate from it.

2. Jesus Christ is God, Lord, and Savior, and demands your worship.

You cannot worship Jehovah unless your sins are removed. The central theme of Scripture concerns Jesus Christ’s coming to reconcile sinners with God. Man was created to worship Jehovah, but he rebelled against Him.  By “one man’s [Adam’s] disobedience many were made sinners” (Rom 5:19); when Adam sinned, we all sinned in him. Even when conceived, you were sinful (Ps 51:5; 58:3). You have a terrible sinful nature: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer 17:9). This sinful nature is so bad that, apart from God’s grace, “there is none that seeketh after God” (Rom 3:11). There is none righteous, no, not one . . . They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Rom 3:10, 12). The standard is, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Mt 5:48)—how miserably short have you fallen!

The “wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). Death in Scripture refers to separation; spiritual death is the separation of the sinner from God (Eph 2:1), physical death is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body (Gen 35:18; Ac 7:59-60), and the second death is separation from God in everlasting fiery torment (Rev 20:14-15; Rev 21:8). Because of your sin, you are at this moment spiritually “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1), and are headed for physical death, when you will not be annihilated, but will “dwell with the devouring fire . . . with everlasting burnings” (Is 33:14; Mt 25:41; 3:12; Jude 7), and you“shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night” (Rev 14:10-11).

Jesus Christ, however, “came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim 1:15). When He died on the cross (not on a pole; His hands had “nails” in them, Jn 20:25), God the Father “made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus suffered and died to pay in full for all your sins. He then rose in the same (though transformed) flesh and bones body from the dead. He did not rise only as some immaterial spirit being (Jn 2:18-22; Lu 24:39), but He has a real, glorified human body even now (Phil 3:21). God’s Law demands perfect righteousness for entry into heaven, but Christ died as your Substitute so that His death and shed blood could pay for your sin. You can have His righteousness put to your account, and so be counted righteous in God’s sight for the Savior’s sake. You can be saved, not through your own works, but through His work; not by your attempts to obey the law, but His perfect obedience to it and death to satisfy it. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Gal 3:13). “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but [made alive] by the Spirit” (1 Pet 3:18). Since by “one offering he hath perfected for ever” those that are washed in His blood (Heb 10:14), there are no good works that you can do to save yourself, or to keep yourself saved. This is why Scripture teaches, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Tit 3:5), “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:8-9), “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified [declared righteous] by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom 3:28). “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Tim 1:9), “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom 4:5).

Jehovah commands, “repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mr 1:15). Agree with God that your “damnation is just” (Rom 3:8), and turn from your sins and self-righteous confidence in your works to trust in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life. Rely on His promise, “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (Jn 6:47). All who trust Christ are immediately and eternally saved—and once one is saved he is always saved, for “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:38-39; Jn 10:27-30). Only when you receive the gospel will you be able to truly worship Jehovah.

3. If you deny that Jesus is God, you will be lost eternally.

            Jesus said, “If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (Jn 8:24). Eternal life is knowing the true God (Jn 17:3). Only Jehovah can save—if you reject the Deity of Christ (2 Jn 9) and of the Holy Spirit (Ac 19:2) you follow a false god.

For more information, a free Bible study (in-home or by-mail), answers to any questions you might have on Biblical truths, or to fellowship with a congregation of believers who love and serve Jehovah, contact or visit:

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