Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

The Boomerang of Self-righteousness

John 7:24 Don't judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

Righteous judgments! What comes to our mind? For Christian’s and Jew alike it would be the commandments of God. Which thinking puts us in company with those Christ was speaking to at his time by the words above.

Christ was sent to the world, and that world was the nation of God’s people the Jews. So lets be reminded, Christ was sent to no other nation but to God’s people Israel. No! Christ did not go to what Christian’s call the world today, Christ went to the world, a specific group of God’s people Israel; Christ obeyed his Fathers will YHWH perfectly.

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn't recognize him.

John 8:23 He said to them, "You are from beneath. I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world.

God calling his people the world was not a glowing recommendation, something Christian's should think about, because God does not lie!
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Matthew 15:24 But he answered, "I wasn't sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

John 3:19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.

Judgments based on God’s righteous laws was the very air that that worldly nation breathed like air to operated every segment of their society.

The law of God did not look into a person heart, it did not give those enforcing the law a secret power to know the intention of our heart. It was disobeying God’s law that revealed a sinner heart condition and not what was on their face!

And this is why Christian’s today find the story of Ananias and Sapphira so disturbing! (found in the book of Acts)

Acts.5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession,
5:2 and kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
5:3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
5:4 While you kept it, didn't it remain your own? After it was sold, wasn't it in your power? How is it that you have conceived this thing in your heart? You haven't lied to men, but to God."
5:5 Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and died. Great fear came on all who heard these things.
5:6 The young men arose and wrapped him up, and they carried him out and buried him.
5:7 About three hours later, his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in.
5:8 Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much." She said, "Yes, for so much."
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5:9 But Peter asked her, "How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out."

5:10 She fell down immediately at his feet, and died. The young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her by her husband.
5:11 Great fear came on the whole assembly, and on all who heard these things.

However, Christ had the power of God by Holy Spirit to know what was in a person heart, the law didn’t have that power! So the basic question for all of us and particularly Christian’s while reading Christ statement above?

What are righteous judgment according to God, if it not appearance than how could the Jews make righteous judgments from laws that only judged outward appearance?

John 5:30 I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous; because I don't seek my own will, but the will of my Father who sent me.

Stopping there at that question one should come up with the obvious conclusion which is the law did not perfect anything in mankind, it only condemned all of us as sinners. Yes, like it or not, it was not the finish mystery of God, nor was the law the end all and be all most religions teach it is today!

John 7:24 Don't judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

Hebrews 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.

The law was just one step moving mankind forward, and in particular the Jews in accepting righteous judgments from God in his Son Jesus Christ. The law would end at God’s time table, but Christ would go on for all eternity, Christ would be the everlasting covenant God spoke about prior to Christ to his prophets those that lead up and prefigured Christ. Thus Christ in the final last step in restoring human to God’s righteousness.

Hebrews 7:28 For the law appoints men as high priests who have weakness, but the word of the oath which came after the law appoints a Son forever who has been perfected.

Hebrews 7:19 (for the law made nothing perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

Righteous is not a mystery until mixed into religion and politics by the power of worldly laws. Righteousness means to be right with God, and nothing more (not right with men, for men killed the righteous one, Christ). Thus, to be a righteous person one must be right with whom? God! Not government, not religion, not commercialism, not even with our neighbor, but only with God!

Luke 12:5 But I will warn you whom you should fear. Fear him, who after he has killed, has power to cast into Gehenna.{or, Hell} Yes, I tell you, fear him.

Galatians 1:10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn't be a servant of Christ.

Matthew 6:1 "Be careful that you don't do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
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Righteous is not a great mystery accept to those in Babylon the Great, where the wine of fornication dulls their mind into a drugged state of thinking mankind can do something to make themselves righteous, which is the power of the Devil and the first lie every told to a perfect world without sin!

John 5:41 I don't receive glory from men.

God is righteous, God is the only one who creates righteousness in human and spirit sons of God. God creates them without sin, God creates moral sons of God to live forever. Without God there is no righteousness, because righteousness mean being right with God.

Titus 3:5 not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Philippians 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

If all us fall short of God’s glory, than, all are sinners! Hence, all must be made righteous, by a righteous God. Now, if the Devil steals that certain absolute truth, and says, and teaches that human can be righteous by human efforts, that is, by human will power than we see only the outward appearance rather than God who see the inward appearance. Hence, Satan power has blinded us to the living truth of Christ Jesus which is true righteousness having nothing to do with mankind's works on this earth!

The Jews were not declared righteous by God righteous law, how much less religious laws and laws of nations? Righteousness, did not come from obeying laws, it came as a gift from God by his great mercy!

Rom.10:2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
10:3 For being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn't subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:

2 Corinthians 5:21 For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 2:21 I don't make void the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!"

God gave Israel a righteous law, he did not give a righteous law to Adam, Christ, or his spirit son’s in heaven, now did he? How could a sinner under God’s righteous law be made right with God? Abraham did not have the law, or any of those faithful men or woman prior to God giving the law to Moses.

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Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness."

Galatians 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been of the law

Yet, we know without doubt those faithful men and woman were righteous with God, why? Because God’s own mouth spoke it, recorded it for us in his word the bible. Subsequently, if righteousness was through the law, than all those before Christ and after Christ are condemned to eternal death!

The law was an instrument leading to restoration of God’s creation before sin entered into our world. Righteousness, is not a mystery, but when done by works of law, by sinners it becomes a blindness where the light of God cannot shine threw.

Ephesians 4:24 and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth.

Philippians 1:11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Righteousness in false religion is like a boomerang that keeps coming back to one point! How can sinner judge what is righteous, if God says that righteous judgment must come from the inward, not outward appearance?

John 12:40 "He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them."{Isaiah 6:10}
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2 Corinthians 4:4 in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them.

1 John 2:11 But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and doesn't know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

You see, only a spirit person could know the inward person of our heart, not the law, the law was created and made for sinners! The law states we are all sinners, and thus, we must spill the blood of an innocent life God created as precious to atone for our sins. That is God standards of redemption under his righteous law.

Hebrews 9:22 According to the law, nearly everything is cleansed with blood, and apart from shedding of blood there is no remission.

Hebrews 13:12 Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside of the gate.

Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus,

The Boomerang

That is the boomerang that keeps coming back and hitting us in our head, until we get it, the harder we throw the thing the harder we get hit with it! The more law we throw at others the greater our own judgment becomes.
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Matthew 7:1 "Don't judge, so that you won't be judged. 7:2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.

Luke 12:57 Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right?

Certainly we don’t like those standards, so what is the point? The point is we are not God, we never were to be gods’ that judges one another, and that’s the reason God sent us his Son, so we could come under a superior judgment with life in view and not the condemning law that acts like a boomerang.

Life in View

Rom.8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.{NU omits "who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit"}
8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.
8:3 For what the law couldn't do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;
8:4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
8:6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace;
8:7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God's law, neither indeed can it be.
8:8 Those who are in the flesh can't please God.
8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn't have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.
8:10 If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

1Cor. 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it.
3:11 For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.
3:12 But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble;
3:13 each man's work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man's work is.
3:14 If any man's work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward.
3:15 If any man's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire.

The power of the law is sin, not righteousness, did you get that point? The power of law is sin, not God’s righteousness. The law did not perfect anyone from sin. Don’t get confused here, its very simple without sin there is no power of the law, hence, without power the law does not exist.

1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Now once again the power of the law was not God, it was sin that gave the law its power over us. A power that like a boomerang, that is, the more we judged by it the more judgment we get from the law. Yes, that's right the more sin we judge the more power the law has.

Luke 6:37 Don't judge, and you won't be judged. Don't condemn, and you won't be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.

Now how can we get out of that? How can any person a sinner get past more judgment of the law? It never ends, if only ends when we died in our sins, because the wages of sin is death that is what the law says! So lets be clear here for those lovers of judging the flesh that have huge massive institutions boasting in judgments of the flesh called religion.

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Rom. 7:4 Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit to God.
7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit to death.
7:6 But now we have been discharged from the law, having died to that in which we were held; so that we serve in newness of the spirit, and not in oldness of the letter.
7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn't have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn't have known coveting, unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."{Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21}
7:8 But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.
7:9 I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
7:10 The commandment, which was for life, this I found to be for death;
7:11 for sin, finding occasion through the commandment, deceived me, and through it killed me.
7:12 Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.
7:13 Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.
7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin.
7:15 For I don't know what I am doing. For I don't practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.
7:16 But if what I don't desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good.
7:17 So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
7:18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don't find it doing that which is good.
7:19 For the good which I desire, I don't do; but the evil which I don't desire, that I practice.
7:20 But if what I don't desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
7:21 I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present.
7:22 For I delight in God's law after the inward man,
7:23 but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.
7:24 What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?
7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God's law, but with the flesh, the sin's law.
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The law says we are sinner, OK? But how do we not be sinners, if the law say all fall short of God’s glory, thus, all of us are sinners, how does more law help in that matter when God tells us the power of his righteous law is sin?

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

How indeed do we kill the law, put it do death, if we live in our outward appearance, that is, our flesh? We don’t! God must act, for he is righteous, none of us our righteous aside from God righteousness. Stop throwing the boomerang, “please God how do we stop judging in this good for nothing flesh?”

Rom.7:24 What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?
7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God's law, but with the flesh, the sin's law.

Here is the critical point of no return. We can’t do something to earn God’s unmerited kindness, that is, grace, and/or undeserved kindness. The boomerang stops when we rest in Christ that is right, we rest in Christ righteousness, because we don’t have any righteousness.

Hebrews 4:10 For he who has entered into his rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from his.

Hebrews 4:11 Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience.

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Romans 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.

Romans 4:4 Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as debt.

Romans 4:15 For the law works wrath, for where there is no law, neither is there disobedience.

Romans 9:11 For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,

Romans 9:32 Why? Because they didn't seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;

Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

We never had any righteousness, not even the law is our righteousness it was God’s righteousness, it could never be our righteousness, so how has Christ become our righteousness?

Ephesians 1:7 in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

Christ life blood redeemed us, his blood purchased us, we are dead in our sin in Christ without the righteous blood of Christ. We have been made a part of Christ life, he is the source of our life like a vine is the source of life for all the fruit on the vine. Nothing of our old self is part of Christ the new creation of God. Nothing in our old flesh, or bodies can make us righteous.

Acts 20:28 Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and{TR, NU omit "the Lord and"} God which he purchased with his own blood.

We are part of Christ righteousness, we are part of his body, we are members belonging to one another in the body of Christ. We don’t have a separate righteousness, and certainly not a self-righteousness that is dead and hated by God!

1 Corinthians 6:20 for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

1 Corinthians 7:23 You were bought with a price. Don't become bondservants of men.

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2 Peter 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.

Revelation 5:9 They sang a new song, saying, "You are worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for you were killed, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,

The law is dead in Christ, it was finished hung on the torture stake with him. No more were God’s people under the law that judged the sins of flesh by apperance, now they were the body of Christ, not judging anything by the flesh, no! They were in Christ the high priest that judges true righteousness not of the flesh, but of the spirit, by the power of his life, which is the truth!

Romans 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 6:63 It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.

John 8:15 You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one.

Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
4:13 There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
4:14 Having then a great high priest, who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold tightly to our confession.
4:15 For we don't have a high priest who can't be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.
4:16 Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need.

No one stops sinning in their flesh unless it is put to death in Christ our life. It is faith in that one name given among men that we are saved, and no other!

2 Corinthians 12:5 On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

2 Corinthians 10:17 But "he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord."{Jeremiah 9:24}

1 Corinthians 4:7 For who makes you different? And what do you have that you didn't receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

1 Peter 3:21 This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you--not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

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It is faith in God as our good judge of all thing good and evil we have been restored to in Christ, that which Adam and Eve lost for us. We subject ourselves to our head, as a submissive wife does to her owner.

Isaiah 1:3 The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib; but Israel doesn't know, my people don't consider.

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, and Christ also is the head of the assembly, being himself the savior of the body.

Ephesians 5:33 Nevertheless each of you must also love his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

We listen to what the Spirit says to congregation, not what the flesh says to its followers in false religion, Babylon the Great. We rest from our works being done in our flesh, works to justify our own (rightness) righteousness before others.

1 Peter 4:19 Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.

John 2:25 and because he didn't need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.

James.1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.
1:14 But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.
1:15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.
1:16 Don't be deceived, my beloved brothers.
1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.
1:18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

We belong to Christ, we are his works done by God’s Spirit which is our teacher. We trust that God is good that he does not try us with evil. We know nothing good dwells in our flesh but sin that tricks us into deception of dead works. Christ is our work, he is our body, and in his works he will finishes what he started in us! Now we are judging righteously not by the appearance and that is why Christ came to save us from our sins!

John 15:5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Romans 1:6 among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ;

1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they didn't belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us.

Rom.8:26 In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don't know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can't be uttered.
8:27 He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit's mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.
8:28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
8:29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.{The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."}
8:30 Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.

Completed: June 11, 2021

by: Daniel a slave in Christ Jesus