HOW TO GET Jehovah's Witnesses TO LISTEN

by ex-JW David A. Reed

Are JWs at the bottom of your street, heading your way?

Read through Romans ch. 8 with them.

* Tell them it's one of your favorite passages.
* Ask to hear it read in THEIR Bible.

Only a few comments are needed, as suggested here:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, [ SAY: "Many people feel condemned." (Many JWs feel condemned, though they won't admit it. Their organization teaches only "the anointed remnant" -- approx. 8000 elderly JWs -- are "in [union with] Christ" in the sense Romans chapter 8 describes.) ] because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.

Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. [ SAY: "Imagine being in a situation where you cannot please God no matter how hard you try. Everyone is in that situation until they receive Christ:" ]

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. [ SAY: "So, people CAN please God only when the Spirit comes to live in them." ]

But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. [ SAY: "What a blessing it is that God adopts us as his children by sending his Spirit to live in our hearts!" (JWs believe only the 8000+ of "the anointed remnant" experience this, while 14,000,000 others follow their "spirit-directed organization.") ]

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. [ Unfamiliar with verses 1-14, many JWs will recognize 15-17 as quoted in their publications concerning "the anointed remnant." Millions of JWs learn to respond to such New Testament promises by saying "That does not apply to me, for I am one of the 'other sheep' and not begotten of God's spirit." - Life Everlasting-In Freedom of the Sons of God (1966) page 153 ] SAY: "So, we are all condemned, unable to please God no matter how hard we try, until God sends the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, adopting us as His children."

They will try to hide their reaction, but Romans 8:1-17 proves devastating to JWs who grasp its meaning.


Vs.8-9 shows we either "belong to Christ" or "cannot please God." It does not allow for a secondary class of 'other sheep' sanctified by an organization.

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