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May you all have peace!
One of the main reasons JWs don't get it when it comes to partaking and Christ... is because they are not taught the truth about him being their mediator. Rather than being taught... TRUTHFULLY... as to their sins... and Christ's death in relation thereto... they are taught that they CAN live life... WITHOUT sin. Because of this, most JWs actually believe they ARE without sin... or with very little sin. Because of this, they are like the Pharisee of Luke 18:9-12, who believed himself to be BETTER than others due to the things he did/didn't do. And so HIS "gratitude" was manifested in words of "thanks" that were:
"‘O God, I thank you that I am not like everyone else—extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give the tenth of all things I acquire.’"
Contrary to the tax collector whose prayer was for mercy:
"... the tax collector, standing at a distance, was not willing even to raise his eyes heavenward but kept beating his chest, saying, ‘O God, be gracious to me, a sinner.’"
The Pharisee's "gratitude" was not only FALSE (what did God DO for HIM... such that he NEEDED to be thankful? Wasn't it HIM that did such and so and not do such and so? So, what was he thanking GOD for? Nothing. Indeed, he had HIMSELF to thank, yes? Hence, the verse states:
"The Pharisee stood and began to pray these things to himself..."
The tax collector, however, KNEW what he was. And what was his "sin"? We know nothing more from the account than that he was a TAX COLLECTOR. Where is the sin in collecting taxes, though?! And that is the point: the man felt remorse... at even something he maybe didn't even NEED to feel remorse FOR. BUT... HE HUMBLED HIMSELF BEFORE GOD.
JWs, however, are not taught to humble themselves before God... but to be proud. Even haughty. Why? Because they are taught they CAN be... and so BELIEVE themselves... to be WITHOUT sin. But there is a BENEFIT in BEING a sinner, dear ones... at least, as far as the blood of CHRIST is concerned. How so? Because Christ did not come to CALL righteous people! He came to CALL... SINNERS. And so, if one believes themselves to be righteous... without sin... then one doesn't NEED Christ. Indeed, one can save ONESELF!
Which is what the WTBTS TEACHES: that they don't NEED Christ... nor even the BLOOD of Christ.... because... THEY HAVE LIFE "WITHIN THEMSELVES." The only way one can have such life, however... is for one to be RIGHTEOUS... IN... and OF... himself/herself! So, they teach people that they CAN be righteous. How? BY RETURNING TO THE OLD LAW.
Which is why neither he, Christ... NOR HIS SACRIFICE... nor the NEW (Law) COVENANT... is of any TRUE importance to them!
What, though, of those who DO have sin? I say to you, that it is BETTER for the sinner.... indeed, the one with MANY sins... and yet, loves Christ... than for the man WITHOUT sin... or with LITTLE sin. Than for the man WITHOUT sin... because that man THINKS he can save himself; however, no such man exists... and only the blood of Christ can save. Than for the man with little sin, though... because of LOVE:
"Now one of the Pharisees kept asking him to dine with him. So he entered the house of the Pharisee and reclined at the table. And look! a woman who was known in the city to be a sinner learned that he was dining in the house of the Pharisee, and she brought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil. Taking a position behind him at his feet, she wept and began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them off with the hair of her head. Also, she tenderly kissed his feet and poured the perfumed oil on them.
"Seeing this, the Pharisee who had invited him said to himself: “If this man were really a prophet, he would know who and what kind of woman it is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.”
"But in reply [Jesus] said to him: “Simon, I have something to say to you.” He said: “Teacher, say it!”
“Two men were debtors to a certain lender; the one was in debt for 500 de·nar′i·i, but the other for 50. When they did not have anything to pay him back with, he freely forgave them both. Therefore, which one of them will love him more?”
""In answer Simon said: “I suppose it is the one whom he forgave more.”
"He said to him: “You judged correctly.”
"With that he turned to the woman and said to Simon:
“Do you see this woman? I entered your house; YOU gave me no water for my feet. But THIS WOMAN wet my feet with her tears and wiped them off with her hair. YOU gave me no kiss, but THIS WOMAN, from the hour that I came in, did not stop tenderly kissing my feet. YOU did not pour oil on my head, but THIS WOMAN poured perfumed oil on my feet. Because of this, I tell you HER sins, MANY though they are, are forgiven because she loved much. But the one who is FORGIVEN little... LOVES LITTLE.”
"Then he said to HER: “YOUR sins are forgiven.”
"Those reclining at the table with him started to say among themselves: “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman: “Your FAITH has SAVED you; go in peace.”
Luke 7:36-50
Because of the FALSE teachings of the WTBTS... that one can be "good", even "perfect" (well, as much as any human who is NOT Christ can be)... the ENTIRE group misses the POINT... as do MOST:
It is NOT ABOUT who's going "where"... and who WILL live (forever) and who WILL rule with Christ. It is ABOUT CHRIST. About HIS love... and the Father's... such that a LIFE was given... in PAYMENT... for OUR sins. Do we APPRECIATE that? Have GRATITUDE for that?
If we have sin... have sinned... and yet sin... then the SIGNIFICANCE of that TRUTH... is what should move us to GRATITUDE. The man DIED, give his LIFE... so that those of us who ARE sinners could, if we WISHED to... LIVE... by MEANS of him and his sacrifice/blood.
If we have not sinned, though... well, if we THINK we have not sinned... or that our sins "aren't as bad" as perhaps another... then we entirely miss the point. And... he didn't die for US.
And JWs, although parroting the thought "I am sinner because all have sinned,"... don't really GET... that they, too, INDIVIDUALLY... have sinned, sinned, and WILL yet sin. Because they have taught the that, DUE TO ADHERENCE TO THE OLD LAW... they are "clean." Thing is... if you transgress ONE... you transgress THEM ALL.
And they just don't get that. They don't get it... because they don't know Christ. They don't KNOW Christ... because they don't LOVE Christ. They don't LOVE Christ... because they don't truly understand... and APPRECIATE... so as to have GRATITUDE... for what he did for THEM. INDIVIDUALLY.
One might receive a gift. If, though, they don't know the giver, or why the giver gave.... or why it WAS a gift... versus something DESERVED... and if one keeps the (Old) Law... one DESERVES life... right?... then one CAN'T appreciate the value of... nor have gratitude FOR... the GIFT.
OR... for the One who gave it.
Peace to you all.
Servant to the Household of God, Israel, and ALL those who go with, and a slave of Christ,
Shellamar
That Christ came... and gave his life... for this:
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