a. That faith in Jesus is central to being a JW I doubt anyone would argue against. The problem here would be two-fold however. 1 – Who Jesus actually is – the eternal Son of God, the second member of the Trinity from all eternity, and 2. That faith must be in His SUBSTITUTIONARY atonement – His meeting the Law’s demands both in obedience and suffering its penalties FOR us, and in our place – NOT so as to simply make it acceptable if WE now do well. Jesus IS God. And JW’s unfortunately deny Him as God. They own Him in name only and not as He truly is. He is another Jesus. Part of Paul’s condemnation of the Corinthians in 2 Cor. 11:4 is that they accepted preaching about “another Jesus.”

Your last statement though deals specifically with the crux of the Gospel message. You write: “Jw’s are not perfect. No human is. They just try their best to serve God and follow Jesus’ example the best they can.”

While those thoughts are truly laudable, and I know many dear and sincere JW’s would express exactly the same thing you did here – nevertheless, such does not end in salvation.

Once again, the Bible states that salvation is NOT a result of works. Christians do not argue the point that we are saved “unto” good works – that true salvation manifests itself in a life lived in pleasing God – but deny catagorically that works can in any way contribute to our justification, because that is the teaching of the Bible (albeit not the Watchtower) – “knowing as we do that a man is declared righteous, not due to works of law, but only through faith toward Christ Jesus, even we have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be declared righteous due to faith toward Christ, and not due to works of law, because due to works of law no flesh will be declared righteous. Gal. 2:16 NWT “By this undeserved kindness, indeed, you have been saved through faith; and this is not owing to you, it is God’s gift. No, it is not owing to works, in order that no man should have ground for boasting.” (Eph. 2:8-9 NWT) “God set him forth as an offering for propitiation through faith in his blood…so as to exhibit his own righteousness in this present season, that he might be righteous even when declaring righteous the man that has faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3:25-26 NWT)

It is the Bible alone which has the authority to answer the question of how a man may become right with God. And that answer is that it by faith, and not by works – so that all human boasting is utterly and completely obliterated.

Thank about it TJ – note that you sent me once again to read the latest Watchtower. Perhaps your own belief and trust in Christ exceeds the teaching of the Watchtower Society. I hope so. But please my friend – here me – to place any hope whatsoever in your obedience to God’s Law as a means or as a part of your salvation, is to deny the Gospel itself. Cast your whole hope upon Him – for if He does not save you – and He by His shed blood and imputed righteousness alone – you are (we all are) indeed without any hope at all.