Evangelism with the Jehovah’s Witnesses at My Door

On Monday morning a Jehovah’s Witness (JW) team knocked on my door. I always tell the cult groups that Jesus was God citing John 1:1, 10:30; Col. 2:9; Hebrews 1:8.

“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I Am,” (John 8:58).

To those passages the JW’s replied, “we believe Jesus was a God.” Did you catch that?  Just “a god.” That of course comes from their corrupted New World Translation of John 1:1.

I told them as long as they reject that Jesus Christ is one and the same as the Father, the Bible says they are dead in their sins and on the way to Hell. They maintained that Jesus was “a god,” but NOT equal with the Father. I sent them on their way with another admonition that as long as the reject the Lord’s deity they are dead in their sins and on the way to Hell.

“Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins...,” (John 8:21).

“I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I AM He, ye shall die in your sins,” (John 8:24).

The tragedy here is what happens when these unsaved JW's come to the door of a Grace Evangelical Society (GES) Crossless Gospel advocate. The JW’s open rejection of the Lord’s deity would have been an acceptable misconception for the GES Crossless gospel advocates. The JW’s “misconception” would have been put on the “back burner” and left there in that evangelistic setting I just had.

I can hear the GES gospel advocates say, “Let us for the time being put this issue on the back-burner.” Why does the GES camp do that in their evangelism? Because they do not believe the lost need to be aware of, understand or believe in the Lord’s deity or finished work to be justified and receive the gift of eternal life.

The passages from John’s Gospel are clear: NO lost man can be born again who does not believe in the deity of Christ that, as I explained to the JW’s from the Bible, Jesus and the Father are one and the same. As we have seen, however, Crossless gospel advocates insist a lost man’s conscious rejection of the Lord’s deity does not hinder him from being born again. The Crossless gospel advocates, “...would consider such a one saved, REGARDLESS of their varied misconcetions [sic] and beliefs about Jesus.”1

Consider this stunning admission, “If someone asks me point blank, do I believe that one must believe that Jesus is God in order to go to heaven, I would say ‘NO!’”2

It is tragic to watch men who claim to believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God take positions that are wholly antithetical to the clear teaching of Scripture.  This is the tragedy of the reductionist errors that originated with Zane Hodges that are being perpetuated by Bob Wilkin and the theological extremists of the GES.

It is beyond any doubt that the Crossless & Deityless gospel that was originated by the late Zane Hodges is the most egregious form of reductionism ever introduced to the New Testament church by one of its own.

Join those of us who have stood in defense of the Gospel against these GES inspired reductionist assaults on the Person and work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


LM

1) Antonio da Rosa: Believe Christ's Promise and You are Saved, No Matter What Misconceptions You Hold.

2) Ibid.

*For additional examples of reductionist heresy against the Gospel, i.e. the content of saving faith from Crossless gospel advocates see the following articles:

Is This Heresy?

Can the Biblical Jesus & Mormon Jesus be “One and the Same?”

Clinching the Deal on the “Crossless” Gospel