In last week’s post, I asked the question, “How exactly can a sinner who has never been indwelt by the Holy Spirit through the new birth possibly live the righteous kind of life modeled by Jesus?”

That’s a rhetorical question—it’s impossible.

But the Watchtower’s answer seems to be that by striving non-stop, you can do it—that is, by striving diligently, you can change your personality to make yourself into the righteous person God wants you to be.

We can see the difference by looking at how Christians and Jehovah’s Witnesses deal with two key passages of scripture— Colossians 3:9-10 and Ephesians 2:22-24.

Even the translation of those verses varies significantly.

Colossians 3:9-10: Christianity

Colossians 3:9-10 in the English Standard Version reads: “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (emphasis added)

Notice:

• The focus is reliance on what Christ already did for us when we were saved.
• Because Christians became a new creation at salvation, we already have new identities (a “new self” to replace the “old self”).
• At salvation, Christians have already put off the old identity and put on the new one.
• Now we need to believe this and live by faith in reliance on it.

Pastor Warren Wiersbe comments:

Now that we have new life in Christ, we must walk “in newness of life” by putting off the old deeds and desires (Rom. 6:4). We do this by practicing our position in Christ, by reckoning ourselves to be dead to the old and alive to the new… The Greek verbs translated put off and put on… indicate a once-for-all action. When we trust Christ, we put off the old life and put on the new. The old man has been buried, and the new man is now in control. But the verb translated “renewed” is a present participle— “who is constantly being renewed.” The crisis of salvation leads to the process of sanctification, becoming more like Jesus Christ… The believer has once and for all put on the “new man”… and, as a consequence, he is being renewed… There is a change in quality, for he is becoming like Jesus Christ. The “new Man” is Jesus Christ, the last Adam ( 1 Cor. 15:45), the Head of the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17)…” (The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Volume 2, pp. 135-136)

 In other words, we are to reckon ourselves dead to the old self and alive to the new self. Why? Because that reflects reality.

 God has already given us these new identities when we were saved.

 We need to believe that and live in reliance on it.

Colossians 3:9-10: Watchtower

But Colossians 3:9-10 in the Watchtower translation reads as follows: “Do not lie to one another. Strip off the old personality with its practices, and clothe yourselves with the new personality, which through accurate knowledge is being made new according to the image of the One who created it…” (emphasis added)

Remember that in the Watchtower view:

• The focus is on us and on what we need to do to change ourselves.
• We have yet to obtain salvation.
• The vast majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses will never be born again.
• The new birth doesn’t involve an inner transformation by the Holy Spirit.
• Therefore, by our obedience we need to develop new personalities in order to please God.

Accordingly, the Watchtower teaches:

It is not easy for imperfect humans to pursue righteousness. We must strip off the old personality with its sinful practices and put on the new one. The Bible says that the new personality is “being made new” through accurate knowledge. (Colossians 3:9, 10) The words “being made new” indicate that putting on the new personality is a continuing process, one that requires diligent effort. (Draw Close to Jehovah, Chapter 16, paragraph 6)

Ephesians 4:22-24: Christianity

Ephesians 4:22-24 in the English Standard Version reads: “…[you were taught] to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (emphasis added)

Notice that the new self has already been “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

 Who created it?

 God did, when we trusted Christ as Savior.

 Warren Wiersbe comments:

 It [the salvation experience]… has resulted in a whole new position before God. The old man (the former life) has been put away, and we can now walk in newness of life through Christ. Ephesians 4:22-24 is a summary of Romans 5-8, where Paul explained the believer’s identification with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection. He also dealt with this in Ephesians 2:4-6, as well as in Colossians 3. As Christians, we have not simply changed our minds. We have totally changed our citizenship. We belong to God’s “new creation” in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), and therefore, the ideas and desires of the old creation no longer should control our lives… Through Christ, once and for all, we have been given a new position in his new creation, but day by day, we must by faith appropriate what he has given us. (The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Volume 2, p. 40)

 Christian author Neil Anderson puts it this way:

 Why do you need the nature of Christ within you? So you can be like Christ, not just act like Him. God has not given us the power to imitate Him. He has made us partakers of His nature so that we can actually be like Him. You don’t become a Christian by acting like one. We are not on a performance basis with God. He doesn’t say, “Here are My standards, now you measure up.” He knows you can’t solve the problem of an old sinful self by simply improving your behavior. He must change your nature, give you an entirely new self—the life of Christ in you—which is the grace you need to measure up to His standards. (Daily in Christ: A Devotional, February 4)

Ephesians 4:22-24: Watchtower

Ephesians 4:22-24 in the Watchtower translation reads: “You were taught to put away the old personality that conforms to your former course of conduct and that is being corrupted according to its deceptive desires. And you should continue to be made new in your dominant mental attitude, and should put on the new personality that was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loyalty.” (emphasis added)

The Watchtower’s focus isn’t on Christ and on reliance on what his salvation has already given us.

Rather, we must obey him in order to obtain salvation.

Thus, the Watchtower states:

Jehovah expects us to live by his standards of right and wrong. Since his standards are just and righteous, we are pursuing justice and righteousness when we conform to them. “Learn to do good, seek justice,” says Isaiah 1:17. God’s Word exhorts us to “seek righteousness.” (Zephaniah 2:3) It also urges us to “put on the new personality that was created according to God’s will in true righteousness. (Ephesians 4:24 )” (Draw Close to Jehovah, Chapter 16, paragraph 4)

The burden is on us to satisfy God’s righteous demands.

The Watchtower says, “The millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide are endeavoring to apply what they have learned from the Bible. They are making tireless efforts to ‘put on the new personality that was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loyalty. (Ephesians 4:24)’” (The Watchtower, “Hypocrisy! Will It Ever End?” 12/1/2015, p. 10)

How does it believe this “new personality” comes about?

By our own diligent efforts to learn God’s standards and obey them.

“If you are sincere in your desire to be a good person from God’s viewpoint, then make every effort to follow his direction.” (Awake!, “Is ‘Being Good’ All That Matters?”, 7/7/2007, p. 21)

Conclusion

As human beings we have a choice.

When it comes to righteousness, we can rely on ourselves or we can rely on Christ.

That is, we can try to become righteous by striving to develop a new personality (the Watchtower’s method) or we can give up on ourselves and receive a “new self” as a gift when we are born again (the Bible’s method).

The difference is perhaps best summed up in Romans 10:1-3: “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.” (ESV)