Dear Friends,
When a person receives the awesome calling from God our Father to participate in the new covenant with Him and is given to the Messiah for nurturing and developing after being imbued with the Holy Spirit when baptised, it is critical to understand the depth of the covenant relationship we now have with our God. Our Father places us in the new covenant relationship to be developed to become at one with Him and our Saviour, Yahoshua the Messiah, through the power and action of the Holy Spirit given to us. This is thoroughly explained in the study paper The Covenant of God, (No. 152), that can be accessed (with others) at http://www.ccg.org/_scripts/english/C1n.asp.
It is also critical to understand how the antinomian movement within modern Christianity through their rejection of God's moral Law is a satanic deception to place one in breach of our covenant relationship with our Father. Antinomian theology attacks the very nature of the new covenant and is destructive to the understanding of our Father becoming all in all with His spirit-family. Rejection of God's moral Law is rejection of His covenant.
Recently our General Secretaries received a comment from a person stating that "your beliefs are strikingly similar to Jehovah's Witnesses, except for the sabbath day. Once Jesus worked on the sabbath (and replaced the Mosaic Law with the New Covenant) worship on Sat. or Sun. was acceptable. Please look into J.W. - you will find many like-minded people. And the end is near."
This Sabbath message is in response to the comment and will discuss major areas of disagreement distancing us by a wide chasm from the antinomian Jehovah Witnesses (JW) particularly in the understanding of the new covenant. There are many areas where we disagree with the JW beliefs as we do with any antinomian group who pervert the understanding to observe the moral Law of God either through ignorance or wilfully misrepresenting key elements of Scripture regarding God's Law, including the warnings God gives through His prophets for disobedience and idolatry. Lawlessness is idolatry.
The JW doctrinal position and understanding of the new covenant is absolutely absurd and is very convoluted. It is not biblical in any sense, as we shall see. From their official website, JWs present material that reflect their understanding of the new covenant, and who they believe are participants in it.
First of all, JWs teach that it is their "anointed" ones that are the 144,000 spiritual Israel and bride of Christ, and who are the only participants in the new covenant. JW members not in the category of "anointed" ones are classified as "domestics" and are considered "beneficiaries" of the new covenant through their association with and being students of the "anointed" ones, but "domestics" are not considered participants in the new covenant. Therefore it is only the "anointed" ones who are to partake in the new covenant symbols instituted by Christ at the Lord's Supper, which they call the Lord's Memorial. The "domestics" are allowed to attend the "Lord's Memorial" as observers only, but are forbidden to partake of the symbols of the bread and wine. A member JW would have to progress from being a "domestic" to an "anointed" in order to claim the right to partake of the symbols of the bread and wine at their Lord's Memorial annual service.
To forbid a truly repentant and legitimately baptised person who has been given God's Holy Spirit to partake of bread and wine at the Lord's Supper is against Christ's own words and in clear violation of John 6:53-54
53) So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you;
54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
The "anointed" ones ignore Christ's instruction to wash one another's feet at the Lord's Supper. See John 13:3-16. Obviously the JWs do not have a biblical understanding of repentance and baptism, nor do they understand the biblical requirement for all legitimately baptised persons to fully participate in the Lord's Supper including the foot washing. See the study papers Repentance and Baptism (No 52), and The Lord's Supper, (No. 103) and at http://ccg.org/_scripts/english/C1a.asp.
"Anointed" ones, who consist of the leadership in the JW organization, are the teachers to the "domestics" and to those they proselytise. The following information can be found on the JWs official website at jw.org under the topic of new covenant. Here is what their "anointed" ones teach their "domestics" about the new covenant:
JW: "Would you like to know other distinctive aspects of the new covenant? One major difference between it and the Mosaic Law covenant is what they were written on. (Read Jeremiah 31:33.) The Ten Commandments of the Law covenant were written on stone tablets, which eventually disappeared. In contrast, Jeremiah prophesied that the law of the new covenant would be written in human hearts, and it would endure. Those who are parties to the new covenant, anointed Christians, truly appreciate this law. What of those who are not directly in the new covenant, the “other sheep,” who hope to live forever on earth? (John 10:16) These too delight in God’s law. In a sense, they are like the alien residents in Israel, who accepted and benefited from the Mosaic Law.—Lev. 24:22; Num. 15:15."
"Upon learning that the 144,000 are in the new covenant, some may have thought that only these benefit from it. Perhaps they thought so because only anointed ones are to partake of the emblems at the annual Memorial of Christ’s death, where the wine represents the “blood of the covenant.” (Mark 14:24)" (Emphasis added)
Comment: JWs do not understand that the Law expressed in the Ten Commandments which were given to Israel at Sinai long preceded that activity. See the paper Distinction in the Law (No. 96) at http://ccg.org/_scripts/english/C1a.asp.
JW emphasis on "anointed" Christians being the 144,000 and will be ruling from heaven with Christ, while claiming to delight in God's law is a farce since their "anointed" ignore the Sabbath Commandment. Refusing to obey the Sabbath Commandment not only places one in breach of God's Law, but it also leaves one ignorant of God's plan of salvation for all creation as pictured in His annual Holy Day Sabbaths.
The study paper, The Covenant of God, (No. 152), explains that "it is through Christ’s sacrifice (Passover), the putting away of sin (Unleavened Bread) and the receipt of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost) we are able to be reconciled with God as His first-fruits. On Christ’s return, symbolised by Trumpets, we will be part of the first resurrection. Christ and the elect are reconciled to God from his ascension. The nations are reconciled to God when Satan is put away for the Millennium (symbolised by Atonement). Christ and the elect, using the Holy Spirit, teach all nations how to live within the covenant during the Millennium (Feast of Tabernacles). At the end of the Millennium all those who have not previously had the opportunity will be resurrected (the second resurrection) and in turn be taught the requirements of the covenant and, finally, also receive eternal life (Last Great Day or Great White Throne Judgment (No. 143B))."
For further study into God's commanded Feast days see also the various study papers on the subject including, God's Feast as they relate to Creation, (No. 227), at http://www.ccg.org/_scripts/english/C1a.asp
JW: "How would you reply if asked, ‘What is this law that is inscribed in the heart of anointed Christians?’ Well, this law is also called “the law of the Christ.” It was first given to spiritual Israelites, those in the new covenant. (Gal. 6:2; Rom. 2:28, 29) You could sum up “the law of the Christ” in one word: love. (Matt. 22:36-39) How do those of the anointed get this law written in their heart? Key ways are by their studying God’s Word and approaching Jehovah in prayer. Accordingly, those aspects of true worship should be regular features of the lives of all true Christians, even those who are not in the new covenant but who want to benefit from it." (Emphasis added)
Comment: The shallowness in understanding God's Law reflected in the above paragraph is astounding. This is the same logic used by the antinomian Trinitarians proclaiming that "love" eliminates the requirement to observe God's Moral Law, the Ten Commandments.
Love as stated above is open to anyone's interpretation of it while the apostle John defines Godly love in 1John5:2-3
2) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
It appears impossible for these antinomians to comprehend that God's Moral Law defines His love and that the Law is an extension or part of God's love He gives to His creation.
Israel is now a spiritual nation of people, called out by God and given to Christ, who: have repented; been baptised; are in receipt of the Holy Spirit; worship the One True God; obey His Commandments; and believe that Christ is His son whom He sent (Jn. 17:3). Every baptised true Christian observing God's Law and who has God's Holy Spirit is required to participate in taking of the bread and wine at the Lord's Supper including doing the foot washing.
JW: “The law of the Christ” is referred to as “the perfect law that belongs to freedom” and “the law of a free people.” (Jas. 1:25; 2:12) Many were born under the Mosaic Law, but no one is born into the new covenant or under the law of the Christ. None who become obedient to the law of the Christ are coerced into serving God. Rather, they are delighted to know that God’s law can be written in hearts and that lasting benefits of the covenant that Jeremiah foretold are available to humans today.
Jesus referred to this new covenant on the night before his death when he said: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in your behalf.” (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25) Are all Christians included in this new covenant? No. Some, like the apostles who drank of that cup that evening, are participants in the new covenant. Jesus made another covenant with them to rule together with him in his Kingdom. (Luke 22:28-30) They will share with Jesus in his Kingdom.—Luke 22:15, 16."
"Those in the new covenant “have boldness for the way of entry into the holy place.” (Read Hebrews 10:15-20.) These are the ones who are “to receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken.” (Heb. 12:28) So, then, only those who will be kings and priests in heaven with Jesus Christ should drink from the “cup” that represents the new covenant. These participants in the new covenant are the ones promised in marriage to the Lamb. (2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 21:2, 9) All others who attend the annual Memorial are respectful observers, who do not partake of the emblems." (Emphasis added)
Comment: JWs "domestics" are respectful observers in their annual Memorial while their "anointed" ones compound error upon error by their antinomianism and they shut up God's Kingdom to those who desire to enter. They are as the Pharisees. Matt 23:13 -
13) "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You lock up the kingdom of heaven from people. For you don't go in, and you don't allow those entering to go in.
Repentance from breaking God's Law is a biblical requirement before being baptised. Because of JWs antinomian position and refusal to obey God's Law, their baptism would not and could not be recognized as a valid baptism in the Sabbatarian Churches of God.
God warns His people through His prophet Isaiah in chapter 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
The forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden does not fall far from the tree of the antinomian Trinitarian system as even the name "Jehovah" is of Trinitarian derivation. It is in a sense antinomian in use of language. JWs do not seem to understand that the name "Jehovah" is a perversion of Yahovah and is derived from Trinitarian error in the UK at the Reformation in the KJV and other works. See the detail of this in the Sabbath Message at http://www.ccg.org/Sabbath/Sabbath_Messages.htm dated 08/08/14.
As we see Jacob’s troubles compounding daily on the world scene, work as never before to accomplish the task given us and make solid the foundation on which we stand and our election sure in the new covenant relationship with God our Father and His son, Yahoshua the Messiah. Study and be obedient to the Moral Laws of our Father, as developed from the Ten Commandments.
Tom Schardt, Coordinator Southern California (ed. Wade Cox)