I had a couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses come to my door last weekend, looking to pass out to me handouts of their doctrines. I greeted them with a smile, in love, and explained to them that we were already saved, and believed and trusted in God, and in his Son the Lord Jesus (Yeshua).
I am not sure they even heard that, and they continued to try to pass me the information. I shared with them that it is important that we we realize that it is not by works (going all day long door to door), but by grace (God’s undeserved favor) that we are saved, or acceptable in His sight. That “by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified”. It is only by grace, through faith in the finished work of God on the cross through the sacrifice of His one and only Son, that we are justified and made right with God.
Since these were JWs, I said absolutely in truth I love the one God, our Father, the Creator of all things. And we thank Him that He – our YHVH – became flesh, and dwelt among us, as Yeshua (Jesus) our Messiah. That by accepting and trusting in the Lord Jesus one can be born anew, filled with the very Spirit of God, and be in a right relationship with God.
I further explained that out of this right relationship comes the “fruit of the Spirit” – working in your life – that these are the natural products of your faith – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, giving, sharing your faith, serving others, as the Lord leads. I explained that faith and a relationship with the Lord, and good fruit, are like two side of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other. To roughly paraphrase Jesus, a bad tree produces bad fruit, and a good tree good fruit.
Psalm 1 puts it like this – having Christ in your heart is like being planted firmly on the ground, next to a running river, that brings forth its fruit in its season. Your leaves do not wither, and what ever you do – because you put God first in your life – will prosper, and He will bless.
In sum, its not about religion, its about a relationship with our Creator through Jesus Christ our Lord. God wants our hearts, and out of those committed hearts, and an abiding relationship in the Lord Jesus Christ, will naturally come all sorts of good works. At least that is what I believe, and was what I shared with them. I am pretty sure the gal in the back listened. Hopefully the gal in front at my doorstep listened as well.
Evidence To Believe 