World Religions in a Nutshell (8 page)

Witnessing to a Jehovah’s Witness

(Knock-knock.)

You:
Hello.

[There are two people at your door, carrying magazines, books, and cases. They are obviously JWs so make sure you are very friendly right from the beginning. They normally get a cold response. So be very warm.]

John:
Hello, I’m John and this is Bob. We are in the area talking to people about spiritual things.

You:
Interesting. My name is [your name here]. Pleased to meet you.

John:
Good to meet you too.

You:
Are you Jehovah’s Witnesses?

John:
Yes, we are.

You:
I have a question for you. I have a knife in my back and I have only three minutes to live. How can I enter the Kingdom? 

John:
Three minutes! Wow. Well, you have to live a good life, learn of Jehovah, go door to door, help people, pray, etc.

You:
I can’t
do
anything. I have a knife in my back. And I can’t live a good life. I have lied, stolen, I’m a fornicator and a blasphemer. I now have two minutes. Help me!

John:
Um...

You:
One minute to live. Can you help me? How can I enter the Kingdom?

John:
Sorry. We can’t help you.

You:
John, think of the thief on the cross. He said that he was justly condemned. I don’t think he was thinking that Roman law was just in executing him. Justice for a thief is normally a few months in prison, not capital punishment. I think he was speaking of
God’s
Law. It justly condemned him. He couldn’t
do
anything to be saved. He couldn’t go anywhere; his hands and his feet were pinned to the cross. Let me ask you a question: Do you think that you are a good person?

[Even though Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus died on a torture stake, we should still preach the cross. This is because it is part of the truth of the gospel. We should also preach sin and Hell to those who believe in neither. If they object and say that it was a stake, don’t let it become a point of contention.]

John:
Yes, I do.

You:
Do you think you have kept the Ten Commandments?

John:
I think I have. I try to.

You:
Let’s go through a few of the Commandments to see how you do. How many lies do you think you have told in your whole life? I mean real lies, not just “white” lies.

[Remember to make a distinction between what he perceives as permissible lies and deceitfulness.]

John:
I’ve probably told many lies in my life.

You:
How many do you think? Five? Ten?

John:
Maybe twenty or thirty.

You:
What do you call someone who tells lies?

John:
A liar. But it was in the past. I’ve repented and changed
my life.

[Don’t be concerned that the Jehovah’s Witness believes he has reformed his ways and is living a good life. He is still trusting in his own goodness to save him, and you have to show him that his righteous deeds are filthy and putrid in the sight of a holy God: “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6).]

You:
We often think lightly of lying, calling lies fibs or “white lies,” but the Bible tells us that “lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” That means lies are “extremely detestable” to Him. Have you ever stolen anything, in your whole life?

John:
Yes, I have, but that was years ago. Like I said, I’ve changed.

You:
Stay with me, John. What do you call someone who steals things?

John:
A thief.

You:
Have you ever used God’s name in vain?

John:
Yes. I used to do that.

You:
Think about that. Jehovah gave you life. He gave you eyes to see the beauty of this creation. He gave you ears to enjoy good music, taste buds to enjoy good food. He lavished His goodness upon you, and then you used His holy name as a cuss word to express disgust. That’s a very serious sin—one that is called “blasphemy.”

John:
You’re right.

You:
Jesus said, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Have you ever looked with lust?

John:
Yes, sir, I have.

You:
Then you have committed adultery in God’s eyes. So, John, here’s a summary of what we have found. You are not the “good” person you thought you were. By your own admission (I’m not judging you), you are a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart. And you have to face God on Judgment Day. If He judges you by the Ten Commandments, will you be innocent or guilty?

John:
If it’s by the Ten Commandments, I will be guilty.

You:
Will you go to Heaven or Hell?

John:
I think I would go to Hell, if they are the only two choices.

[The introduction of the Law of God often deals with the falsehood that “Hell” is merely the grave. The moral Law makes a literal Hell reasonable.]

You:
You and I are criminals in God’s sight, and any good works we do can’t save us. Our “good works” are in essence an attempt to bribe God. We are in exactly the same predicament as the thief on the cross. Remember, he couldn’t go anywhere or “do” anything—he was nailed to a cross. We too are guilty criminals who have broken the Ten Commandments, and God’s Law nails us also. That leaves us with the only alternative the thief had—to be saved by grace
through faith alone in Jesus. He “turned” to Jesus. That’s what we must do through repentance. Then he said, “Lord, remember me...” He therefore believed that Jesus was Lord, and that He was going to rise from the dead, which are the requirements for salvation (see Romans 10:9,10). We must do the same. Jesus suffered and died on the cross, taking the punishment for our sins. We broke the Law, and Jesus paid our fine in His life’s blood. That means, because of the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God can now dismiss our case. He can commute our death sentence and allow us to live. What we must do is repent, and trust in Him
alone
(not in our works) for our eternal salvation. Hey, John, thanks for listening to me.

John:
You’re welcome.

[Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see any visible results. Sometimes the person to whom you are
 
witnessing may even agree with you by saying, “Yes, we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus.” If you don’t keep in mind that he is speaking a different language from you, it may take the wind out of your sails. Remember, his definition of “grace” and “saved” are completely different from the biblical definitions, so make sure you explain the difference between their “gospel” and the one taught by the Bible.

Charles Spurgeon said, “I have heard it said that if there is a crooked stick, and you want to show how crooked it is, you need not waste words in description. Place a straight one by the side of it, and the thing is done directly.” That’s what you are doing by preaching the truth. Again, go straight to the conscience. Do what Jesus did. Open up the Commandments and help him see sin in its true light. He must see that God is angry with him, that he’s in terrible danger, and that he cannot save himself. Don’t worry if you’re not an “expert” in the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. If you have planted the seed of the true gospel into their hearts, you have succeeded. The rest is up to God.]

Islam

With approximately 1.5 billion adherents, Islam is the world’s second largest religion. It is also both the youngest of the major world religions, and the fastest growing religion today. It’s amazing to think about, but one of every five people in the world is a Muslim. Christianity is currently the largest religion, followed by one-third of the world’s population. But if current trends continue, Islam will become the most popular world religion sometime in the mid-21st century.

Despite the Middle East being the birthplace of Islam, the majority of Muslims (about 75%) are non-Arabs. Although we hear a lot about Muslims in the news, most of us don’t know much about their beliefs or how to reach them with the gospel. As with most religions, Islam has some similarities with Christianity, but it’s the differences that we want to consider.