The Watchtower claims that in order to be saved; members of the earthly class must prove worthy by their works many times.

Ask the Witnesses the stone-in-the-shoe questions:

  • What must I do to prove worthy of everlasting life?
  • What is the process?

Don’t argue with them.

Keep asking stone-in-the-shoe questions to draw them out.The Watchtower teaches that first we must prove worthy to be resurrected or to survive Armageddon in order to enter Christ’s coming millennial kingdom on earth.

If we make it that far, we will have to overcome our sinful nature during those 1000 years, attain perfection, and then prove worthy again by passing a final test by Satan.

If we pass that final test, we will obtain everlasting life and be back to where Adam was before he sinned.

We will still be capable of sinning, though, just as Adam was, so in order to escape annihilation we must continue to prove worthy throughout all of eternity.

Not all Witnesses are aware of these requirements.

If they are aware of them, they may not have put them all together and seen that they are impossible to attain.

Ask:

  • Exactly what do I need to do to become acceptable to God?

If they talk about the importance of faith in Jesus’ ransom sacrifice, you can say:

  • I do have faith in Jesus’ ransom sacrifice. What else do I need to do?

They may tell you about affiliating with the Watchtower Society and preaching the good news of the kingdom door-to-door.

Ask:

  • Suppose I do that. Then what else do I need to do?

They may come up with an even more extensive list of works you supposedly need to perform.

They may talk about the need to vindicate Jehovah’s sovereignty and prove loyal to him and to his organization.

They may mention all sorts of things.

Continue by asking:

  • All right. What else would I need to do to be sure that I will be acceptable to God?

No matter what they say, ask:

  • So how much depends on Jesus and how much depends on me?

You can ask further:

  • Would you say that Jesus’ ransom sacrifice was the down payment but that we need to keep up the installments?

If they say yes, ask:

  • How does this square with Jesus’ promise in Matthew 11:28 that he would give rest to those who are toiling and loaded down?

Request that one of them read Romans 7:14-20 aloud:

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. For I do not understand what I am doing. For I do not practice what I wish, but I do what I hate. However, if I do what I do not wish, I agree that the Law is fine. But now I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that resides in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, there dwells nothing good; for I have the desire to do what is fine but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good that I wish, but the bad that I do not wish is what I practice. If, then, I do what I do not wish, I am no longer the one carrying it out, but it is the sin dwelling in me.

Ask:

  • According to that passage, why do human beings keep sinning?
  • Do I have the capability of making myself worthy of everlasting life?
  • How does this reality factor into God’s arrangement for salvation?

Jehovah’s Witnesses have no answer for that.

They think that given enough time and effort they will somehow be able to prove worthy of everlasting life.

Summary

Jehovah’s Witnesses often don’t examine the details of the Watchtower’s salvation system, so what they tell you may or may not correspond to the Watchtower teachings that I’ve outline for you.

If that happens, don’t contradict their answers.

Don’t tell them directly that their answers make no sense or that they are inconsistent with the Bible or even that the Watchtower has actually said something different.

Just continue by asking more questions.

Express your confusion over what they are telling you and ask more questions for clarification.

In their effort to explain things to you, they will have to think about problems with Watchtower doctrine that they ordinarily would never consider.

The greater the difficulty they have in coming up with satisfactory answers to your questions, the greater the stones will be in their shoes—the better the chance that they will see for themselves the fatal flaws in the Watchtower salvation system.

You want them to see for themselves that they are on an endless treadmill of works.

They will never arrive at their desired destination.

They can never be sure that they have done enough or that what they have done is good enough.

All of their efforts to prove worthy are doomed to failure.

As you lead them to see these deficiencies in the Watchtower system, you will be helping them to see that God’s arrangement for their salvation must be something far better.

Your final stone-in-the-shoe question can be:

  • How can I ever know if I have done enough?