Hiddenthings said:
Do you believe there is a degree of truth required to be responsible for salvation? Do you in your body hold key beliefs which you would say are critical for salvation? For instance, within your body would you commonly speak as though only JW's will be saved?
I wanted to address this separately because God has always had his “people”, chosen to represent him in a world ruled by the devil. (1 John 5:19; Luke 4:5-7)
In pre-Israelite times it was the Patriarchs who guided their families in the way of truth and in the worship of the only true God…..when Jacob brought his family to Egypt in search of food in a great famine, little did they know that God had sent Joseph there way ahead of them to ensure that Messiah’s lineage was preserved. Hundreds of years passed and Israel were now enslaved by subsequent Pharaohs and life was hard for them. God heard their cries for help and sent Moses to liberate them.
In Egypt their numbers had swelled into what was now a great nation as God told Abraham they would be.
The time had come to release them and bring them into the Promised Land. They were waylaid however by disobedience and were sentenced to wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, yet God provided for them in miraculous ways, but they were led by God’s appointed representative and they were instructed to build a Tabernacle and to form a priesthood with an appointed High Priest…..they soon experienced God’s displeasure if they questioned Moses’ authority.
Throughout their sad and sorry history God’s chosen people continually let him down, bringing on themselves the punishments that were due for their errors and their failure to obey his laws.
Finally, it was time for their Messiah to make his appearance when Jesus presented himself at the Jordan River to be baptized by John. John’s hesitation was justified because he knew who Jesus was and that he had no sins over which to repent…..but Jesus talked him into it saying it was OK just this one time, to carry out the will of God. This was “the prophet like Moses”, who was to come…..again a man representing God and he chose 12 apostles to assist him in the work that they would carry on in his absence.
He told them that he was going to prepare a place for them, in his Father’s house.….
John 14:2-3…
“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also.” (NASB)
Where was he going? And when he returned, where was he taking them?
John 8:13-18…NASB…
“So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.” Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone. But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone , but I and the Father who sent Me. Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true. I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”
Where did he come from? And where was he going? In God’s law the testimony of two witnesses was necessary to confirm a matter….both Jesus and the Father testified about who he was…..proving that they are two separate persons.
In the congregations there were those appointed to “take the lead” and the flock were told to obey their direction. (Heb 13:17) So God has always had his people, who had men appointed to shepherd them.
Do you think that if God has always dealt with his human servants in this way, that he will change his way of guiding them in the future?