The Salvation and Grace of Christ

The Plans(86 slides)

Creatively compiled by dr. michael farnworth

After All I Can DoSung by Felicia Sorensen

• Anguished heartDesperate soulMy spirit fights to take controlI am holding onBut my strength is goneAnd on my knees, He rescues me After all I can doHis mercy claims my grief and painWhen each test of faith is throughHis grace is sure and trueAfter all I can do

• Broken heartContrite soulI plead for Him to make me wholeWhen in faith I fallAnd surrender allWith arms of love, He lifts me up

• After all I can doHis mercy claims my grief and painWhen each test of faith is throughHis grace is sure and trueAfter all I can do Every blessing from the FatherFlows to earth through Living WaterEver in His debt - I hope that He acceptsWhat I can offer

• After all I can doHis mercy claims my grief and painWhen each test of faith is throughHis grace is sure and trueAfter all I can do

“If I were to ask you about the mission of the Church, I hope you would not say it is to proclaim the gospel and redeem the dead

and perfect the Saints. That is not the mission of the church. The mission of the Church is to invite all to come unto Christ. There is

a perfect alignment between the central message of and the invitation of the Book of Mormon and the overarching mission of

the Church. We perform the work of inviting all to come unto Christ in three major arenas. If we are inviting those who have not yet received the ordinance of baptism to come unto Christ, we are

proclaiming the gospel. If we are inviting those to come unto Christ who have already received the ordinance of baptism, we are

laboring to perfect the Saints. And if we are assisting those who have passed through the veil to come unto Christ, we are

redeeming the dead. There is only one work: inviting all to come unto Christ.”

Elder David A. Bednar

This coming unto Christ is much more than an intellectual apprehending of what Christ did for us… it entails an emotional falling in love with

Him-- who we surrender our hearts to-- because He gave us life by spiritually begetting us and who substituted Himself for the horror of our sins, curses and sufferings of the broken laws

that multiplied in the wake of our living.

This will be a lesson that explores multiple ways of seeing and understanding the atonement of Christ and his suffering that took place in the

Garden of Gethsemane and at Golgotha.

“Just as a man does not really desire food until he is hungry, so he does not desire the salvation

of Christ until he knows why he needs Christ.”

(Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, November 1986, Book of Mormon- Keystone of our Religion, p. 6)

I wish I knew a word that was descriptive of a profound and deep mysterious love that portrayed the complete

trustful surrendering of the heart, mind and soul to Christ.

A word that described an indescribable experience so full of meaning that to comprehend it-- brought an

awakening of unarticulated truth held deep within the body and spirit of the person and that irresistibly created

a union of hearts with Him.

Not an intellectual understanding but an emotional immersion of soul consciousness to fathom the personal

essence of what Christ suffered for me.

C. S. Lewis put it this way:

“God has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. He does not have to deal with us in the

mass. You are as much alone with Him as if you were the only being He had ever created. When

Christ died, He died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only man or

woman in the world.”

(Mere Christianity, p. 131)

Alma describes his spiritual awakening concerning Christ…

“Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart:

O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am

encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.”

(Alma 36:18)

To be amazed (i.e. songs like: I Stand All Amazed, and

Amazing Grace) tends to be an intellectual, cognitive process of the mind and brain that one does not

understand- hence the amazement.

The heart does not concern itself with such things- it responds to the mysterious forces of

love as an embrace and acceptance- not knowing the rationality of it all but reveling in

the profound sweetness and beauty of the experience.

Our understanding of Christ’s grace needs to be more profound than a reaction to our

understanding of the protestant mentality…

In fact, we could learn to appreciate the love and heart felt joy they demonstrate towards our

Savior that is much more enlivening than our stoic, doctrinal approach.

We need to move beyond our insecure cognitive reaction formations…

My main thesis in this lesson is:

We need to displace the cognitive, head bound theology and doctrine of the atonement with

one that is grounded in the emotional awakening of the heart.

Too many feel emotionally empty when contemplating the condescension of God- and I believe it is tied up in our intellectualization of

doctrine- (which is a manifestation of the values of the mechanistic

philosophy of modernism).

This lesson will be divided into 2 parts:

Part 1. IntroductionPart 2. The Plans

Part 1:

The Introduction

‘The spiritual journey needs to be more than the acceptance of dogma’.

Amit Goswami, Quantum YogaIons Review, #56, 2001

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth

alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that

hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

(John 12: 24-25)

In other words, we have to die to experience life. We too, are subjected to a physical death

so that we can be raised to new life.This is true of our of body and also true of our spirit- we need to experience a death of our

natural self- so that we can be begotten from above into a new creation- a ‘child’ in and of

Christ. This death process will involve suffering… and

even that will be a blessing.

“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance

of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

(Romans 5:17)

Because of Adam and Eve’s transgression we are spiritually dead…

“Wherefore, I, the Lord God, caused that he should be cast out from the Garden of Eden,

from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the

first death, even that same death which is the last death, which shall be pronounced upon the

wicked when I shall say: depart, ye cursed.”(Doctrine and Covenants 29:41)

Because we are the ‘walking dead’ we have to do much more than imitate Christ in our own

behavior– we have to be born from above and become new creatures in Christ.

We can thus engage our spiritual resurrection from the dead!

The triggering incident…

• I had a student ask me the other day in class about why we act like Eve did such a great thing when she was actually sinning against God.

• Multiple hands went up with explanations of: it being transgression and not sin and another of her living the higher law as in breaking the speed limit in getting a pregnant woman to the hospital…

I found the exchange fascinating and wondered: Why do we soft peddle Eve’s and

Adam’s transgression?

Especially in light of the following slides that define the Hebrew and Greek meanings of the words transgression and sin.…(the other

paradox is how we seem to honor Adam in talking about the same fall…as in “Adam fell that men might

be and men are that they might have joy.” and blame Eve.) (2 Nephi 2:25)

Some definitions…

• The Hebrew meaning of the word sin, ‘chata’ (Strong’s concordance # 2403 and 2398) is to miss or forfeit.

• The Greek meaning of the word sin, ‘hamartia’ (Strong’s concordance # 264 and 266) is to miss the mark.

• Now isn’t that interesting! To sin is to miss the mark, to forfeit or give away the mark!

Sin vs. Transgression Definitions…

• The Hebrew meaning of the word transgression, ‘pesha’ (Strong’s concordance # 6588 and 4604) is rebellion, revolt, trespass, treachery.

• The Greek meaning of the word transgression, ‘parabasis’ (Strong’s concordance # 3847 and 458 is to go contrary, violation, illegal).

• I may be naïve but transgression (rebellion and trespass) sounds much more serious than sin– (missing the mark)…

A type and shadow…

• Wouldn’t it be interesting if the perception we had of Eve’s transgression was a type and shadow of how some of us look at sin in our own life? We want to explain it away, we want to theologically soft pedal it, we want to be excused from the implications of it, we want to shed a better light on it, etc. and in so doing, we minimize the sacrifice and atonement of the Lamb of God that was put into motion by that transgression.

Here is Eve’s account of her behaviors….

• “We’re it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy or our redemption and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” (Moses 5:11)

Because of Eve and Adam’s behaviors the fall of the world was put into motion…

• “Because that Adam fell, we are, and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe. Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him, and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish and are shut out from the presence of God.” (Moses 6:48-49)

Pretty serious stuff…

• The fall of man with it’s accompanying misery, woe, sin, death and disease is pretty serious stuff and even though it was necessary-- why do we pretend (via our rhetoric) that what Adam and Eve did was somehow ok – almost as if we wink at the transgression and shrug at the tragic but necessary consequences of it.

Rationalize all we want… the results of the fall brought about physical and spiritual death

and it was a serious sin/transgression against God.

Why don’t we just accept that-- and glory in the sacrifice and atonement of Christ in his saving role and mission? What would be

wrong with that?

Why is there a seeming need to insulate our first parent’s reputation from the consequence

of their sin and rebellion against God?

Or is it us- that we are protecting?- by idealizing the fall as something other than what it was-- rebellion and disobedience to God (necessary as it

might have been, 2 Nephi 2:22-23).

Aren’t we all sinners- just like our first parents and don’t we demean the atonement of Christ

in some way in explaining away the sinful acts of Adam and Eve?

Maybe the wonderful thing that sinning brought into the world are a type and shadow of what may happen in ‘our world’, when we sin and

wake up to it’s consequences…which can awaken us to the saving atonement of our Lord

and Savior!

I am simply wondering if our resistance to acknowledging our first parents as sinners is but a

type and shadow for our resistance in acknowledging the same in ourselves?

Given the tendencies of the ‘natural man and woman’- it is not too far of a stretch to think that

we perceive our selves in a better state than maybe we actually are.

Maybe that accounts for the emphasis we seem to place on our works- we feel the guilt and

shame of our fallen natures and want to somehow redeem ourselves… prove ourselves

by our good works.

While it may be true that we are judged by our works- to some degree qualifying ourselves for

some heavenly reward in the mansions of Heaven- it remains a basic tenant of each of our

standard works that we are saved by Grace.

Here is a sampling…

• Bible: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

• Book of Mormon: “Ye come unto Christ and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God, ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.” (Moroni 10:32)

The sampling continues…

• Doctrine and Covenants: “And we know that justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true; and we know also that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their might, minds and strength.” (Doctrine and Covenants 20: 30-31)

• Pearl of Great Price: “And Enoch beheld the Son of Man ascend up unto the Father and he called unto the Lord, saying: Wilt thou not come again upon the earth?...thou has made me, and given unto me a right to thy throne, and not of myself, but though thine own grace; wherefore I ask thee if thou wilt not come again on the earth. (Moses 7:59)

It is a ‘pseudo argument’ to debate whether we are saved by grace or works. Our doctrine teaches us we are saved by God’s grace and only by Jesus'

merits, mercy and grace.

The argument put forth by James is one of faith versus works-- of which the answer is: ‘That without faith in Christ, all works are dead.’

It never has been and never will be an argument of salvation, between grace and works.

That is not to say that works are unimportant for they are …

“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purity unto himself a

peculiar people , zealous of good works.”(Titus 2:14)

But we need to understand Christ the true vine produces the fruit (i.e. works) not us- for without

Christ we can do nothing.(John 15:1-5)

Until our hearts are convicted of our true state of spiritual death which:

“by the transgression of these holy laws man became sensual and devilish, and became fallen

man- for the natural man is an enemy to God and will be forever, unless he yields” (D&C 20:20 and

Mosiah 3:19) and is spiritually begotten of Christ—

Until we stand convicted of such in our hearts- not much is going to change, as we can do

nothing by ourselves!

Part 2:

The Plans

Somewhere, and I can’t find where, I read about an Eskimo hunter who asked the local

missionary priest, “If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?” “No”, said the

priest, “Not if you did not know.” “Then why,” asked the Eskimo earnestly, “did you tell me?”

Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, p.121-122

God has provided us with a ‘Plan’ of:

Salvation (Moses 6:62) Deliverance (2 Nephi 11:5) Redemption (Alma17:16) Restoration (Alma 42:2)

Happiness (Alma 42:16)

Mercy (Alma 42:31)

Which are essentially, all the same Plan of the Great Eternal God.

Each one centers in and around Jesus Christ who was foreordained as Savior before the

foundation of the world. And we all rejoiced.

This plan of mercy, redemption, salvation, restoration, deliverance and happiness is

founded upon our faith in Christ, repentance of our sins via offering a broken heart and contrite

spirit, being spiritually begotten of Christ and quickened by the Spirit of God.

I want to establish this basic idea, that is well accepted in the doctrine of the church:

That in the pre-earth life we were presented with the plan of Salvation and that we

acknowledged, understood and gave our sanction and approval of it. We knew the role that Christ was to play and we knew the role

Adam/Eve would play and we all knew who the opposition would be.

“Our understanding of life begins with a council in heaven. There the spirit children of God were taught this eternal plan for their destiny. We had progressed as far

as we could without a physical body and an experience in morality. To realize a fullness of joy, we had to prove our

willingness to keep the commandments of God in a circumstance where we had no memory of what

preceded our mortal birth…All of the myriads of mortals who have been born on this earth chose the Father’s

plan and fought for it.”

(Dallin H. Oaks, The Great Plan of Happiness, Ensign November 1993 p. 72)

And just as God’s mercy made salvation/exaltation possible for children who died before the age of

accountability- God’s mercy is extended to those who died without the law…

“For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of

redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is

under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing– (Moroni 8:22)

No let this sink in…

• “Wherefore, he has given a law and where there is no law given there is no punishment; and where there is no punishment there is no condemnation; and where there is no condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them because of the atonement; for they are delivered by the power of him. For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them…” (2 Nephi 9:25-26)

Speaking of little children and of those who died without the law:

“…it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them for they are alive in

him because of his mercy.”(Moroni 8:19)

“But it is mockery before God, denying the mercies of Christ, and the power of his Holy

Spirit, and putting trust in dead works.”(Moroni 8:23)

For a more thorough treatment of this issue Please Read:

“The Salvation of Little Children”

by Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, April, 1977, p. 3

(If you are interested in reading please e-mail me and I will hyperlink it)

(This article, I believe, came in response to the addition of Section 137 to our standard works and was attempting to respond to the

reaction of this doctrine that never seemed to materialize.)

I would invite you to study further the implications of little children being saved by the grace of God and

ponder the majesty of God’s mercy.It has been estimated that upwards of 35-50% (and higher)

of the world’s population has died before reaching the age of accountability.

Think of the wars, diseases, starvation, abuse, abandonment and the infant mortality rates even in the

underdeveloped countries of today… then think of all those who have died without the law.

It has been estimated that 70-80 billion people have been born on the earth… you do the math.

I believe ‘that’ is the reason the ‘highest level’ in the Celestial Kingdom will have a higher population

than any of the other kingdoms.(Revelations 7:9, Doctrine and Covenants 138:12)

The Father is very successful at what He does… saving His children. (Moses 1:39)

I think the parable of the Laborers (Matthew 20: 1-16) is instructive of God’s grace (which too many of us feel is

unfair) and is insightful about who may be among those who have complained about laboring during

the ‘heat of the day’.

Just as an interesting side note about the preceding article on the Salvation of Little

Children by Elder McConkie…

It is the only time (that I am aware of) since it was first published- that someone other than a

member of the First Presidency has written the opening article in the Ensign.

I think that is significant.

Now, back to the idea that we knew, supported and fought for the plan of the Great Eternal

God…

That being the case- that we knew before hand and approved of the Plan of Salvation- then we are, in part, responsible- knowing ahead of time

what was going to happen and the need we would have for a Savior.

If we consented to our first parents being placed in the Garden- knowing their transgression was

coming- then don’t we share in the approval of it and are thus guilty by association?!?

I don’t know what the legal terminology is for being an ‘accessory to the crime’

(i.e. transgression) by giving our consent to the plan that Adam and Eve enter the Garden and

thereby partake of the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and thus

bring into existence the Plan of Mercy– but give our consent, we did!

I want to ask a question then, that may look easy on the surface, but which may be more profound than at first understanding…

What are all these plans suppose to save, redeem, restore, deliver us from? And why

would that make us happy?

What role does mercy plan in the ‘plan’?

Some common answers for what the ‘plan’ was to save us from:

Sin, Satan, death (physical and spiritual), our selves , evil, transgression, opposition, darkness, a natural condition

of fallen sensualness, carnality and corruptness, the curse of Adam, etc.

I want to suggest one more that is hardly, if ever mentioned…

The ‘Plan’ was to save us from ‘Law’ and ‘Justice’ !

Does this sound a little far fetched-? Please continue the exploration…

First off-- have you ever read in the scriptures about:

‘The wonderful plan of Law’? Or about ‘The wonderful plan of Justice’?

I believe you can read about the curse of the Law– but not much about how wonderful and

joyful it is.

The whole purpose of the law is to convict, accuse, arrest, reveal and establish our sinful

behavior!

The law acts as a mirror of our own sinful and fallen nature, guilty of death and hell… but the

beauty of the law is that it can invite men to Christ.

Christ came to save the oppressed, heal the broken hearted, preach to the poor and

captives… (Luke 4:18)

In fact, I am convinced, that if we truly understood the mission of Christ and to whom he was sent-- we would

gladly announce to the world our sinful and fallen states and rely upon the merits, grace and mercy of

Him of whom his own mother prophesied:

“…he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he that sent

empty away.” (Luke 1: 51-53)

Christ came to save the sinners who would repents…

The self righteous will not need him as they will rely upon their own good works to justify and

redeem themselves.

Do we understand the nature of Law and Justice and that ‘they’ will have their claim upon us- because as

the scriptures teach:

“All are under sin” (Galatians 3:22)

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10)

“…all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents” (2 Nephi 2:21)

“…even so when they begin to grow up, sin conceiveth in their hearts, and they taste the bitter…”

(Moses 6:55)

So…

“…justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed

and God would cease to be God.” (Alma 42:22)

I believe it is important to understand that the law gives birth to sin or as Paul taught us:

“For without the law sin was dead.” (Romans 7:8)

The law teaches us what is sin-- and once we have been exposed and taught the law-- we are then

made subject to its demands.

Lehi taught us the same truth in his wonderful discourse to his son Jacob found in 2 Nephi 2 -“And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also

say there is no sin.” (2 Nephi 2:13)

Law is the necessary condition in attempting to testify, typify, shadow and point to that great

and last sacrifice of the Son of God.

It is law, which gives birth, not only to justice but also to sin that comes from the breaking of that

law.

Justice or mercy will be applied to each of us…

Justice will be required of us- if we have not repented and are not encircled by the loving

arms of Christ..

“For behold, justice exerciseth all his demands…” (Alma 42:24)

This justice will not be denied and it is about this justice- that Christ has said:

“Therefore I command you to repent-repent, lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my anger, and your sufferings be sore- how sore you know not, how exquisite you know not, yea, how hard to bear your know

not.” (Doctrine and Covenants 19:15)

Wasn’t it Christ that said:

“Behold, I am the law…” (3 Nephi 15:9)

and hasn’t Christ taught us all to obey his law and doctrine which is to: have faith, repent and become as little children, be born from above

and be endowed with the Holy Spirit?(3 Nephi 11:32-40)

This plan of Mercy (which is the law and doctrine of Christ) is the only thing that can save us from the justice of the broken law- which will

have its way with each of us unless we repent and come unto the Savior, the Anointed One.

That is why we are taught in 2 Nephi 25:23 that we are saved by the Grace of God after all we

can do… and all we can do is repent!(Alma 24:11)

Ponder the meaning of this next scripture and let it speak to your heart…

the rock we are to build upon is Christ’s doctrine and law- and nothing else will work.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth

upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them and whoso shall declare more or less than this and establish it for my doctrine the same cometh of evil, and is not

built upon my rock but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation and the gates of hell stand open to

receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.”

(3rd Nephi 11:39-40)

The law and doctrine of Christ will save us-- and the law and doctrine of Christ is:

Faith on His Holy name, repentance of our sins, being spiritually begotten (i.e. resurrected) from above and having the Holy Spirit quicken our

souls…(3rd Nephi 11:32-35)

Now carefully read and ponder this one:

• “And if there was no law given, if men sinned what could justice do, or mercy either, for they would have no claim upon the creature? But there is a law given and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed and God would cease to be God. (Alma 42:21-22)

Faith in Christ, repentance, rebirth from above, and God’s Holy Spirit will be the only thing that

will provoke the mercy of God in our lives… if we have heard the Law and have arrived at

the age of accountability.

“And now the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world to bring about the plan of

mercy to appease the demands of justice that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful

God also.” (Alma 42:15)

“…that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah…” (2

Nephi 2:8)

I know this doctrine is simple and straightforward and our minds have no real

problems in apprehending it:

“And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having

perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.”

(2 Nephi 9:23)

But there is ‘another element’ that needs to be addressed besides our intellects…

The hardest thing to learn is something that we think we already ‘know’…

The kind of ‘knowing’ that is cheap and easy is the intellectual kind, where we can be swayed with the

latest new information, research or insight that changes our opinions, knowledge and belief systems-

The kind of ‘knowing’ I am talking about in this lesson-- is the knowing of the heart, the belief and love of surrendering one’s heart over to another and the

somatic feelings that anchor it deep within the soul… regardless of changing opinions and knowledge!

This is the knowledge and knowing of the heart- which I believe is a higher order of knowing than that of the brain… but that is for another lesson.

It is an issue of: Consciousness of heart versus the intellect of

the head.

There is another issue that is paramount, as far as the law goes, of which we have been warned of in the

scriptures.Paul uses the metaphor of adultery and faithfulness in marriage- He compares the law to a husband and if the

husband is dead then the woman is free to marry another- but if he is not dead, and a woman marries

another, she is an adulteress.

The implication is simple: We have been espoused to Christ- the school master, as the law, is dead- if we

remain married to the law we are being unfaithful to Christ who is to be our true and righteous husband.

(Romans 7:1-4)

The law can become the seductress that we lust after in establishing our own sense of

righteousness and purity.

It is as if some of us profess being engaged to Christ but then, having on the side, the law as

our mistress. It is very unseemly.

If we attempt to justify ourselves via the law then we simply separate ourselves from Christ.

Luther (Commentary, p. 325) has written the following:“Wherefore it is impossible that Christ and the law should dwell together in one heart; either

the law or Christ must give place.”

The apostle Paul teaches us:“But before faith came, we were kept under the

law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our

schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” (Galatians 3:23-25)

Faith is of the promise- and shows forth grace and gives new life.

Works is of the law- and shows forth sin and destroys life.

What happens when we see Christ as our ‘Elder Brother’ who we try to emulate and to be like…?

Who did no sin and was perfect… who set the example for us to follow.

Who redeemed us because he paid the price and now has the option of extending salvation to us.

Who we see as one who will forgive us, of our sins, if we are good enough…

What happens to our hearts when we have nothing but contempt for ourselves because we know deep down

inside that we are not good enough!?

“…until our image of Christ is compelling, until we rid ourselves of the images in our heads

which make him a colorless, weak and as one said, ‘vanilla-flavored’ dreamer, we will not

respond to his will.”

(Truman G. Madsen, Christ and the Inner Life, p. 8)

It seems, that if we conceive of Christ as an ‘Elder Brother’ who did his work already and then place him over on a shelf to be thought

about once in a while as we ‘work out our own salvation’–

then we may certainly miss out on the dynamics of what could happen when we are ‘spiritually

resurrected’ and have His imaged burned within our countenances and our hearts continually

turned towards him…

the end