When Does A Jehovah’s Witness Actually Get Saved?

Jehovah’s Witnesses know nothing of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

When one decides to become a Jehovah’s Witness, they need to be prepared to get to work immediately. Scripture fragments are used to scare them into the necessary works which MIGHT lead to salvation, IF they are found faithful. An example might be “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). This is quoted by a steely-eyed elder looking straight at the quaking prospect. The next verse which explains this statement—“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good plea­sure”—is just not used.

Jehovah’s Witnesses know nothing of the indwelling of God which empowers one to do good works. They do not realize that we do not work to BE saved, but do good works because we ARE saved, and love for what God has done for us motivates us.

Another favorite scary verse for a prospective Jehovah’s Witness is “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). This is always applied in the Watchtower Organization to working out one’s own salvation. However, the subject of this verse is “faith,” not “salvation.” Of course faith will be dead if we never use it! Salvation is not discussed here.

Anyway, the prospective Jehovah’s Witness begins on a course of working out his own salvation by attending five meetings a week, going door-to-door in the “preaching work” (obtaining donations for the Watchtower Society in exchange for literature), underlining his Watchtower magazine for Sunday meetings, and generally developing “clone” characteris­tics. He learns to listen to the same message over and over again at the Kingdom Hall and other studies. His dreary life as a Watchtower drone becomes one of endless striving to be good enough, to do enough, to meet all the requirements for salvation. Stress levels are deliberately kept high.

It is important that he never slacks off because Armageddon could arrive at any mo­ment and Jehovah God will check his record of field service and meeting attendance (which he must report each week) to see if he is worthy. Jehovah’s Witnesses are warned that if the end of the world should come when one is deliberately “goofing off” (relaxing) or enjoying a weekend with his family rather than working the streets, he could lose it all! Years of faithfulness don’t count—just present activities. This dark thought spoils any carefree time he might carve out for himself. Guilt trips are very big at the Kingdom Hall. Salvation is conditional, and uncertain.

However, let’s suppose for a moment that Armageddon comes, and our earnest Jehovah’s Witness is found faithful and survives the end of the world. Is he saved?

No, he is on to the next part of the long journey towards “salvation” in his Watch­tower world.

If he thought he was overworked before Armageddon, just wait till after! Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that everyone except themselves will be destroyed and left rotting on the earth. They must clean up the extensive rubble of the Church and Government buildings. The Church and Government (being of the Devil in their theology) will not have a stone left on a stone. Then there will be all the corpses of the dead which must be buried.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses will be working very hard during this one thousand year reign of Christ, restoring the world to a paradise. Suppose one day our earnest Jehovah’s Wit­ness has had enough of the stench and the shoveling (no modern equipment left!) and decides he doesn’t want to do it anymore. He reclines under a fig tree. He realizes he’s doomed. It’s only a matter of time until he is found to be rebellious and will be annihilated forever with no hope of resurrection. So, he could get this far just to lose it all. No salvation during the thousand year reign—just conditional life, day to day.

It’s even worse for the Jehovah’s Witness women in the thousand-year reign. Not only do they have to do physical labor, but they must repopulate the new earth by constantly having children during this time. I don’t know about you, dear reader, but I can think of better ways of spending eternity!

Not only that, but during this same one thousand years, the Watchtower God will be recreating all the people who died prior to the time of the founder of Jehovah’s Witnesses, so they can come back to earth and hear the Watchtower gospel. If they accept it, they live. If they deny it, they are zapped into endless annihilation. The exhausted Jehovah’s Wit­nesses must find time to preach to all these ones coming back as well. If they falter, they die. Some salvation!

Anyway, let’s say our earnest Jehovah’s Witness makes it through the thousand-year reign. He’s worked, he’s procreated, he’s preached to the recreated. He’s been faithful. He’s also “perfect” by the end of this time period. The Watchtower Society teaches that a perfect person can work much harder, so the work will become easier and easier.

So, finally, the thousand years have ended and eternity has begun! Is our Jehovah’s Witness saved at last? No—for there is a testing period now when Satan is loosed, and the Watchtower Society teaches that many will fall away. Those who do will be permanently dealt with and will no longer exist. No salvation here!

However, our subject makes it through the final testing, is found faithful and worthy of eternal life. Is he FINALLY SAVED? Nope. If at any time in eternity he disobeys the 144,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses ruling on Mount Zion with Jesus Christ, he will be annihi­lated, never to return. No assurance of salvation here!

In conclusion, it is my prayer that Jehovah’s Witnesses will sit down and think through the important question “What must I do to be saved?”, and then realize that they will NEVER be sure of their salvation in the Watchtower Society. The fear and uncertainty they feel now, trying to serve their organization, will be eternal. Sad, isn’t it?

The Jesus Christ of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is not the Jesus Christ of the Bible. The salvation of the Watchtower Society is not the salvation of the Bible. Even their Bible is altered and corrupt! The Deity of Jesus Christ and His grace have been tampered with.

We all need the right Jesus Christ in order to have the right salvation. Why not turn to the true Jesus Christ, truly God and truly man, and call out to Him (not some organization) for your salvation? He will never turn you away, but will receive you as His child. You will know, once and for all, that you are saved, and no one can take it away from you. Enjoy an eternity filled with blessings.