I know JW's well, have them in my family. I love them. But they don't believe they are even saved, they are not sure. They somehow have to earn it and maybe sometime after Paradise comes they may receive salvation. They don't believe they are born again - think, I guess, that means the Resurrection. And spiritually, do they have an invisible self, one who communes with the Holy Spirit, Who lives inside them? This does not compute to them. To them, the Holy Spirit is a force. Their spirit is then a force, energy like the wind. Like a person gets motivated, enthusiastic about something - that is their sense of what their spirit is. That is part of our spirit, but it is more than a forceful, willful action. Our mind, will, emotions, the inner self that has been purified is our spirit, a person. We died to our old self and are made a new creature - NOW.
The JW, when they die, believe they go in the ground and sort of out of existence, a soul sleep if you will and their energy/force goes back to God. What goes back to God, a memory of who we were in God's mind? Still, we have to ask, is their uncertainty of their salvation true faith. Heb. 11:1 says faith is a sure thing, a substance, a confidence. Do you believe in Jesus' promise or not?
Oh now it becomes clear......however, by what you have said here, you really haven't truly listened to them though, have you?
We do believe that we are saved, but only if we obey the teachings of Jesus to the letter. If we fail to obey our Lord and King, by not “doing the will” of his Father, then he will disown us. (Matthew 7:21-23) We have to "endure to the end", obedient in the faith to be saved. (Matthew 24:13) it’s not over till it’s over. Conditions apply.
Earn salvation? No way!.....it is a priceless gift granted by the Father because of faith in the blood of his son....but it is conditional, just as continuing life was in the garden of Eden....they had to obey Jehovah's command. There was only one...a simple one, but they let a deceiver rob them of it.
James wrote...
"But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”. . . .But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless?. . . . You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. . . . For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." (James 2:18-26 NASB)
Use it or lose it....Faith is active, not passive.
If we fail to obey the teachings of Jesus Christ to the letter...that means no excuses for why we don't follow all of them, then no one should be surprised at the judgment if Jesus says "I never knew you"...(Matthew 7:21-23)
Since those who are anointed with God's spirit as a token of their choosing, "know" that they are part of that heavenly class, and they also know exactly what they will be doing in heaven, we who are not of the "elect" have no envy at all. Since it is God who chooses them, we trust that he has better knowledge of individuals than we do. They will make the best rulers the world of mankind has ever had. They did not volunteer for that position....God chose them for it.
They alone will be "born again" as spirit beings in order to leave this earth and be resurrected to continue life in heaven. There is no other reason to be "born again" except as a new creation. It is not something that happens in the flesh.
God's spirit is his power, directed to whom and to where he wants it exercised. It empowers people, helps people, comforts people, fills people, and it was used by God to create the universe.
The word "spirit" in the Bible has many meanings....not just one. This is where a good concordance is your friend.
Strongs has this explanation.....”Spirit”...
"πνεῦμα pneûma, pnyoo'-mah; from G4154; a current of air, i.e. breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit, i.e. (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, demon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit:—ghost, life, spirit(-ual, -ually), mind."
So not one word with one meaning....
Other scriptures that render "spirit" as follows...
"Blessed are the poor in spirit G4151, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 5:3)
"Now when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits G4151 with a word, and healed all who were ill." (Matt 8:16)
"Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits G4151 more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; and the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first." (Matt 12:45)
"He said to them, Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit G4151 is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matt 26:41)
"but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit G4151 never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3:29)
"Sighing deeply in His spirit G4151, He said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? (Mark 8:12)
Are you getting the range of meanings.....? It’s the same word.
We have no belief in an immortal soul because the Bible simply does not teach that there is an invisible 'self' that just inhabits our body.
Only those who will become rulers in heaven with Christ will have their bodies transformed in order to exist there.
A "soul" is not a disembodied spirit....it is a living breathing creature.....both animals and man are called souls. Both breathe the same air and die the same death. (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20)
The Bible teaches that we die and return to the dust, as God told Adam. (Genesis 3:19) There is no mention of an afterlife of any sort. The ancient Jews did not believe in an afterlife...they believed in resurrection....a return to life...i.e. a restoration of a person's life. Jesus demonstrated that resurrection to the family of his friend Lazarus.....
John 11:11-14....
"This He said, and after this He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him from sleep.” 12 The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will come out of it.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about actual sleep. 14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus died".
So Christ himself said that Lazarus was "sleeping"...he hadn't gone anywhere because he was still in his tomb. Jesus called him out of there and gave him back to his family and friends. This is what he promises to do in the future...(John 5:28-29)
Lazarus' sisters believed in the resurrection too as it says in the following verses...
"So then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise from the dead.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”
What resurrection was Martha talking about.....? When was "the last day" according to Jewish understanding?