‘Jehovah’s forgiveness is always based onhis complete knowledge of a situation.’
In the June 2022 Watchtower Study Edition, study article 24 talks about God as the greatest forgiver. Unpacking what this means they write at one point:
'Unlike human judges, Jehovah always has a perfect grasp of all the facts of any case that comes before him. (Gen. 18:20, 21; Ps. 90:8) He is not limited by what humans see or hear. He completely understands how a person’s actions are influenced by his genetic makeup, upbringing, and environment as well as by his emotional and mental condition. Jehovah also reads the heart. He fully perceives the motivations, intentions, and desires of each person. Nothing can be hidden from Jehovah. (Heb. 4:13) Thus, Jehovah’s forgiveness is always based on his complete knowledge of a situation.'
Is this true? Does God judge according to extenuating circumstances? Is 'I couldn't help myself' a fair defence before the judge of all mankind, as they seem to suggest?
Jehovah, a God who Forgives
They acknowledge Jehovah is ready to forgive – Ps. 86:5
They admit we all need forgiveness – Eccl. 7:20
They recognise we are all sinners – 1 John 1:8
They know, ‘Jehovah is a warm and merciful God who is always ready to forgive repentant sinners.’— Neh. 9:17; Ps. 86:15.
They teach, ‘God’s Word assures us that Jehovah is ready to forgive. When Jehovah revealed himself to Moses at Mount Sinai, He said through an angelic spokesman: “Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love and truth, showing loyal love to thousands, pardoning error and transgression and sin.” (Ex. 34:6,7)’
They even say, ‘As John 3:16 reveals, Jehovah sent his only-begotten Son to die in our behalf. (Matt. 20:28; Rom. 5:19) Jesus took our place—suffering the penalty of death—to set free any who exercise faith in him. (Heb. 2:9)’
What are we to do, then, with, ‘Jehovah’s forgiveness is always based on his complete knowledge of a situation.'?
They say, 'Unlike human judges, Jehovah always has a perfect grasp of all the facts of any case that comes before him. (Gen. 18:20, 21; Ps. 90:8)’ Yet they go on to describe a very human judgement, based on the facts laid before the judge. They go on the say Jehovah considers:
‘...genetic makeup, upbringing, and environment as well as by his emotional and mental condition. Jehovah also reads the heart. He fully perceives the motivations, intentions, and desires of each person.’
Human judges today will often call for pre-sentence reports from social services and other experts to help them arrive at the most appropriate sentence, taking into account the extenuating circumstances of the offender: medical considerations, upbringing, environment, mental condition, motivations, intentions, etc. Is that how God judges? You get to benefit from Christ’s sacrifice depending on a social report?
The Commandments of Men
Mark tells us in his gospel of a time when the Pharisees criticised the disciples for sitting down to a meal unwashed, defiled, meaning ceremonially unclean. Jesus replied:
‘You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition.’ (Mk.7:9)
The Pharisees were scrupulous with regard to the law, so much so they established their own traditions to fence about the law and protect it. However, in doing this, they substituted their own tradition for the law. This Watch Tower teaching is a modern example of what the Pharisees were doing.
JW leaders have discussed among themselves how they believe God judges and have ended up presenting the way man judges. ‘Well, he is bound to take into account extenuating circumstances. After all, he is fair.’ It is a ‘seems good to me’ gospel that is no gospel at all, anchored in man’s thinking and not God’s Word.
The New Testament is littered with such messages, from legalism, through Judaism, to antinomianism and Gnosticism, and New Testament writers were constantly having to bring correctives. I sometimes wonder if the Society even meant to say many of the things they end up saying, but they do say them, and are responsible for leading many astray.
The Commandments of God
The Bible is not the only authority in the Christian’s life. We are meant to reason things through, grow in our understanding, and we have many helps to that end. JC Ryle famously said:
‘Evangelical religion does not despise learning, research, or the wisdom of days gone by. It is not true to say that we do. In thorough appreciation of anything that throws light on God’s Word, we give place to none...But while we do not despise learning, we steadfastly refuse to place any uninspired writings on a level with revelation.’ (JC Ryle, Knots Untied, 9,10. Quoted in Gospel People, 34,35, Michael Reeves, Crossway, 2022)
Jehovah’s Witnesses would have us think, the Watch Tower gives this level of respect to the Bible. If this were so there is no room for anything else with regard a subject so fundamental to the Christian faith, and on which the Bible speaks so clearly.
‘So They are Without Excuse’
Paul, writing to Rome clearly taught, ‘both Jews and Greeks are under sin...None are righteous, no, not one.’ (Ro.3:9,10)Earlier, Paul declared, ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.’ (Ro.1:16) All are under sin, the gospel is for all who believe. He goes on to insist:
‘For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.’ (Ro.1:18-20)
Men are ungodly, unrighteous, and suppress the truth, that can be known, that is plain, because God has revealed himself in the very creation. We are not saved through general revelation, but general revelation clearly points to the God who saves, the God who promised he may be found by those who seek him wholeheartedly (Deut.4:29;Jer.29:13; John 6:37).
There are no extenuating circumstances here. Paul doesn’t write, None are righteous, no, not one, but to be fair, some have had a difficult upbringing, and then there are the genetics. We all have stories to tell but the only genetics the Bible takes into account is the inheritance of the sin nature from Adam.
‘For as by Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.’ (1 Cor.15:22) Are you in Adam? Then you are a sinner, bound for a lost eternity. Do you see the evidences for God all around you, in creation, the things that are made; more, in your own conscience? Then call on him. CS Lewis observed:
‘God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.’ (The Problem of Pain)
In so many ways God speaks to us and we are, indeed, left without excuse. We can rest sure in the knowledge, ‘the king of all the earth will do what is right,’ (Gen.18:25) The problem is not that God doesn’t speak, but that the world is wilfully deaf! Are we listening?
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