The March 15, 1998, issue of THE WATCHTOWER contains an article entitled, "Dedication and Freedom of Choice." The article points out that because the people of Israel were unable to obey God's laws, God took away their status as his dedicated people. It goes on to say that God established a new Israel of God, made up of anointed JWs, and is "shared by over five million fellow worshipers throughout the world." These faithful worshipers have dedicated their lives to living forever under the rule of this new Israel of God. And why do they "freely choose" to submit to the leadership of this remnant? Paragraph 17 insists it is because they have chosen to "become a slave of God, in preference to remaining a slave of men."
In the following paragraph, however, we are told that "before a person can qualify to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses, he must meet Scriptural qualifications." These "scriptural qualifications" include elders "determining if a potential Witness truly understands the implications of Christian dedication. Does he really want to be one of Jehovah's Witnesses?" This raises an important question: Where are these qualifications listed in Scripture? The truth is that scripture says quite the opposite.
John 6:40 says, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." 1 John 5:11-12 says, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." Scripture never says eternal life depends on approval of the elders. Nor does it say that eternal life is dependent upon being a Witness. In the end, true slaves of Christ desire approval from God, not from men. (Galatians 1:10)