A: You say that since you discovered the NGO and Silentlambs issues, plus certain “bogus” doctrinal issues like 1914, the New Covenant as taught by the Wt, etc. you can no longer “conscientiously continue to attend meetings with the Jehovah's Witnesses organization.”
You are not the only one who has discovered these issues. It is all over the internet. It has become an issue in the lives of many of our brothers. It has become a test for those who have gained this insight. Where we stand on this and what we decide to do reveals much about us and what we are at heart. What do I mean by that? Let me explain.
The apostle Paul foretold that there will be a day of judgment, "Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead." (Acts 17:30,31; Holman Christian Standard Bible)
This judging of the world will include God’s own people, for the judgment will start with them. “For the time has come for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17; Holman Christian Standard Bible)
What does this judgment include? First of all, like in any court of law, evidence has to be presented. In Isaiah 3:13 it tells us, “The LORD takes his place in court. He is the great prosecuting attorney, presenting his case against his people!” (New Living Translation) Therefore, before Jehovah can pass judgment against his people he first presents his case by providing the evidence. This he is doing at the present time. The evidence of our wrongdoing and errors, that Jehovah is now revealing, can be plainly seen by all and will prove that, when he passes sentence, it will be righteous and deserved. (Mark 4:22) Of course, those on trial would like to suppress any incriminating evidence, as if they can thus escape the coming just punishment.
Now, the question is, how do we respond to the evidence that Jehovah is presenting? How are you responding? Are we stumbled by what we see? Are you? Should we desert what we once believed to be the truth and leave God’s household? That would be the decision of some people, as the prophet Daniel was inspired to foretell:
”And some of those who are wise, prudent, and understanding shall be weakened and fall, [thus, then, the insincere among the people will lose courage and become deserters. It will be a test] to refine, to purify, and to make those among [God's people] white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for the time [God] appointed.” (Daniel 11:35; Amplified Bible)
While some among the people would lose courage and become “deserters,” others would be refined and purified, to “make those among God’s people white.” Where do you see yourself in this?
You say that you are now “spiritually strong - like never before. Jah has taken very good care of [you]. [You] feel energized like never before. [You] study relentelesley, pray, meditate. [You] truly feel that the Spirit is upon [you]. . . [You] feel completely "in the groove" spiritually.”
I am happy for you! But does that prove that Jah’s Spirit is upon you? Many in other religions profess the same. Like them, the Jews of Paul’s day, who were once God’s people, felt the same zeal but it was not according to accurate knowledge. They were seeking to establish their own righteousness and thus did not subject themselves to God’s. (Romans 10:2,3) Let’s consider how some of us, including you, could be in danger of doing the same.
You say: “I feel that Christ's true Church is ONLY of a spiritual nature, that its actually impossible to have an "organization" here on earth that isn't corrupted by Satan. Thus to look for "the true religion" as any single organization is not only futile but unscriptural.”
Is Christ’s true Church only of a “spiritual nature?” The apostle Paul wrote concerning the true church, “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” (1 Tim. 3:14,15; New American Standard Bible)
Jehovah himself established this “household of God” at Pentecost when he poured out his holy spirit upon 120 chosen disciples of Christ. To them he gave the responsibility to “keep giving [his body of attendants] their measure of food supplies at the proper time.” (Luke 12:42) Immediately upon their appointment he brought to them about 3,000 new disciples who needed to be fed. (Acts 2:41) From among the newly baptized disciples Jehovah chose yet others to help in the feeding as the congregations continued to grow. (Acts 2:47; 5:14; 11:21,24; Col. 4:7-17) Jesus indicated that he would have such chosen servants, who would be doing the feeding of God’s household, at the time when he returned to settle accounts with them. If they proved faithful in their responsibility they would receive their reward, but if they were found by him to be abusing their authority, such as by beating their fellow slaves, they would be punished along with the unbelievers. (Matt. 24:45-51; Luke 12:42-46)
As you can see, Paul refers to the congregations as God’s household, his church, which he helped to establish and visited. Within this household came to be all sorts of different individuals; many zealous and faithful, others false and wicked. (Acts 5:1-11) Paul himself was in danger of false brothers and superfine apostles, some of them even wanting to rule over their fellow brothers. (1 Cor. 4:8; 2 Cor. 11:5,13,26) Paul warned, “I know full well that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. Even some of you will distort the truth in order to draw a following.” (Acts 20:29,30; New Living Translation) But did that invalidate what God had established at Pentecost? Did the problems within the congregations mean that God no longer had a household, that it became one of a “spiritual nature”?
In the book of Revelation Jesus wrote letters to seven congregations in Asia Minor, and they show that he accepted them as belonging to him, in spite of all the problems that he charged against them. (Rev. 1:10,11,16,20) Let us look at one example, the congregation in Sardis. To them he writes:
1 AND TO the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Sardis write: These are the words of Him Who has the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] and the seven stars: I know your record and what you are doing; you are supposed to be alive, but [in reality] you are dead.
2 Rouse yourselves and keep awake, and strengthen and invigorate what remains and is on the point of dying; for I have not found a thing that you have done [any work of yours] meeting the requirements of My God or perfect in His sight.
3 So call to mind the lessons you received and heard; continually lay them to heart and obey them, and repent. In case you will not rouse yourselves and keep awake and watch, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not know or suspect at what hour I will come.
4 Yet you still have a few [persons'] names in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes, and they shall walk with Me in white, because they are worthy and deserving.
5 Thus shall he who conquers (is victorious) be clad in white garments, and I will not erase or blot out his name from the Book of Life; I will acknowledge him [as Mine] and I will confess his name openly before My Father and before His angels. —Rev. 3:1-5; Amplified Bible.
Notice that Jesus acknowledges the congregation of Sardis as belonging to him and God by what he tells them. He is also aware of their poor spiritual condition, in contrast to their own view of themselves. He tells them what they must do to regain God’s favor, for he will return to judge them at a time they will not expect. He gives them time to act upon his counsel.
But, please note also how he is cognizant of those few individuals who have proved faithful. He is not telling them that unless they abandon their congregation they will be "guilty by association" before God and Christ, is he? Rather, he is commending them for their faithfulness. In fact, were they to separate themselves from the congregation would they then be able to walk with him in white garments? Would he acknowledge and confess anyone openly before his Father and before His angels if they were no longer members of the congregation, God’s household? (2 Tim. 4:10) Concerning those who have left the household of God the scripture tells us, “They left us, but they were never really with us. If they had been, they would have stuck it out with us, loyal to the end. In leaving, they showed their true colors, showed they never did belong.” (1 John 2:19; The Message)
It is up to each of us how we respond to “the hour of test” that is coming upon us all. (Rev. 3:10) By how we react to the evidence of our sins that Jehovah is now laying bare before us we get to prove what we are really like at heart. Are there sins that we need to repent of, or are we like the majority in the Sardis congregation, believing that we are doing just wonderful, when in reality God might view us as spiritually dead? (compare Rev. 3:17-19; Daniel 9:4-16) Will we be among “the insincere” who “will lose courage and become deserters,” as Daniel prophesied (according to the Amplified Bible)? Or will we be among those who “endured to the end” and conquered, and thus get to walk in white robes, as the great crowd is seen whom Jehovah protects through the coming great tribulation? (Matt. 24:13; Rev. 3:4,5; 7:14)
Where you stand on all of this and what you decide to do is of course up to you.