Yesterday morning someone rang my doorbell. Usually, that might mean a neighbor, the mail carrier or the UPS man. But not so yesterday. When I went to my front door I discovered two tie-wearing, twenty-something young men. My first thought was Mormon missionaries - but I quickly dispelled that when I noticed their shirts were colored and not white (and they lacked the typical name badge that Mormons wear). When I opened the door and said, "Yes???" the one young man immediately showed me a piece literature title, "When a Loved One Dies" (Of course, I immediately saw the words "The WATCHTOWER" spread across the top of the publication ... and so I now knew I was talking with Jehovah Witnesses). It was very apparent that the young man speaking to me was going through a canned talk which he had memorized. I admired his courage ... but not his approach. After a minute or two ... I interrupted. I decided I was going to go for the spiritual jugular with these guys. Since the JW's believe that salvation is by faith AND what you do (see their publication, Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. 1, pp. 150,152) I asked them if they knew with any certainty that when they died they would inherit eternal life - they "hmmed and hahhed" - not able to affirm that they had that assurance. I then proceeded to testify to my own assurance - not based on my works but based on God's grace and Christ's substitutionary death on my behalf. I stressed to them Ephesians 2:8-10 - explaining to them that good works are an EFFECT of salvation -- and not a CAUSE of salvation. We went back and forth on that for about 10-15 minutes. I did my best to proclaim the gospel of grace. Please pray that the Spirit of God would break through to them ... and they would understand the wonderful saving message of Christ and his grace!
Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj
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