Jehovah's Witnesses And Salvation
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that salvation is possible only through Christ’s ransom sacrifice and that individuals cannot be saved until they repent of their sins and call on the name of Jehovah. Salvation is described as a free gift from God, but is said to be unattainable without good works that are prompted by faith. The works prove faith is genuine. Preaching is said to be one of the works necessary for salvation, both of themselves and those to whom they preach. They believe that people can be "saved" by identifying God's organization and serving God as a part of it.
The Witnesses reject the doctrine of universal salvation, as well as that of predestination or fate. They believe that all intelligent creatures are endowed with free will. They regard salvation to be a result of a person's own decisions, not of fate. They also reject the concept of "once saved, always saved" (or "eternal security"), instead believing that one must remain faithful until the end to be saved.
Regarding whether non-Witnesses will be "saved", the religion's publications have stated: "Only Jehovah's Witnesses, those of the anointed remnant and the 'great crowd,' ... have any Scriptural hope of surviving the impending end of this doomed system" but that God has committed the responsibility of judging such ones to Jesus.
Read more about Jehovah's Witnesses And Salvation: The 'anointed', The 'other Sheep' and The 'great Crowd'
Famous quotes containing the words jehovah, witnesses and/or salvation:
“Then did they to Jehovah cry
When they were in distress:
And therupon he bringeth them
Out of their anguishes.”
—Bible: Hebrew Psalm CVII (Bay Psalm Book)
“The writer isn’t made in a vacuum. Writers are witnesses. The reason we need writers is because we need witnesses to this terrifying century.”
—E.L. (Edgar Lawrence)
“How would it be possible if salvation were ready to our hand, and could without great labor be found, that it should be by almost all men neglected? But all things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.”
—Baruch (Benedict)