The question is, "Who is God?"
Regardless of what I think or anyone else, God (Elohim) is my Father. He knows me personally. He loves me individually and perfectly.
My personal relationship with Him is through His Son, Jesus the Christ. He also knows me personally, loves me individually and perfectly.
Intellectual study only verifies my personal experiences which I will never deny.
God is my Father and I am His child
(Malachi 2:10) "Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us?"
(Hebrews 12:19) "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"
(Matthew 5:48) Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
(Matthew 6:9) Jesus prayed, "Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."
(1 Corinthians 8:5-6) "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him."
(Hebrews 12:9) "Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?"
Character and Nature of God
God has a body... therefore, if I am in His image, I value and will take care of my body.
(Genesis 1:26) "God said, let us make man in our own image, after our likeness." Later, (Genesis 5:3) "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth." This is the verbage used by the same writer to express a similarity between fathers and their sons.
(Genesis 5:1) "God created man, in the likeness of God made he him."
(Genesis 9:6) "In the image of God made he man."
(Acts 7:56) Stephen saw "the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."
(James 3:9) "men, which are made after the similitude of God."
And many others.
God is Omniscient... therefore, I can trust His judgement and His timing.
(Isaiah 66:18, 88) He "knoweth their works and their thoughts... knoweth the secrets of the heart."
(Matthew 10:29) Jesus said, "Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of."
(Matthew 10:29) Jesus also said, "sparrows … shall not fall on the ground without your Father."
(Acts 15:18) "Known unto God are all his works from the beginning."
(Acts 17:26) He "hath determined the times before appointed."
God is Omnipotent... therefore, He has power to do anything He desires. He has power to help me become like Him.
(Genesis 17:1) "I am the Almighty God"
(Genesis 18:14) "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"
(Jeremiah 51:15) "He hath made the earth by his power."
(Malachi 3:11) "I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes."
(Matthew 19:26) "With God all things are possible."
(Matthew 28:18) The Resurrected Lord states that he now has power given Him directly from the Father. "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
(John 1:3) "All things were made by him."
(Romans 4:17) "God, who quickeneth the dead."
(Revelations 4:8) "Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."
(Revelations 19:6) "Lord God omnipotent reigneth."
God is Love... This is His defining characteristic. His love for me is boundless and in my childlikeness, I love Him with all my heart!
(Deuteronomy 5:10) Mercy is a reward of His love. "Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me."
(Deuteronomy 6:5) We are commanded to feel and act on that feeling. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might."
(Jeremiah 31:3) "I have loved thee with an everlasting love."
(John 3:16) Father was willing to sacrifice His special Son for the rest of us. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son."
(John 14:21) Father rewards those who love Jesus with his love. "He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father."
(John 14:23) Father rewards obedience with love and His presence. "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
(John 15:9) Jesus loves us the same way the Father does. "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you."
(2 Corinthians 13:11) Father grants us His presencense when we live in peace. "Live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you."
(1 John 4:7) Love is something that comes from God. "Let us love one another: for love is of God.
God is Spirit... So am I.
(John 4:24) "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
So am I. I am a spirit being with a mortal body at this time. To say that I am a spiritual being having mortal experiences in no way changes the character of my very being.
Father's body, however, is perfect or complete, glorious, refined, radiant, and eternal.
The early Christians understood this scripture, but it was later used to mean that God is "only" a spirit. That does not change the truth, however.
God is a devouring fire to the wicked, and the fullness of joy for the righteous
(1 Chronacles 16:27) "Glory and honour are in his presence."
(Psalms 16:11) "In thy presence is fulness of joy."
(Psalms 68:2) Disobedient behaviour is punished. "Let the wicked perish at the presence of God."
(Psalms 140:13) God's presence is reward for obedience. "The upright shall dwell in thy presence."
(Matthew 5:8) Jesus said the Father will reward the pure in heart with His presence. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
(Hebrews 3:11) Wickedness is punished by blessings being withheld. "I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest."
(James 4:8) Father rewards some actions with the blessing of His presence. "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you."
I could go on and on!
God is my Father, I am His child. Imagine that! The Glorious God of all is my Father! That makes me daughter to the King of all Kings. That makes me a royal princess!
He has a personal interest in me and wants the best for me. There are so many scriptures that tell me this, but my testimony of His divine love and individual involvement in the details of my life are personal manifestations. Each sacred communication and expression of love fills my soul beyond the boundaries of my mortal body. Additionally, whenever He asks me to be His instrument, and I do it, He imprints part of Himself on me and I become more like Him. I know what I know about Him through these experiences, enhanced by the holy scriptures.
That's who God is.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
His Grace is Sufficient
I have been asked often about my beliefs concerning "Grace" and how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints views the concept. I have always had a difficult time explaining it in a way that satisfied my true feelings about it. Then, I came across a talk given at BYU in 2011 by Brad Wilcox from the Sunday School General Board. A bell went off! He explained it just how I feel. I will use some of his words here when they are more eloquent and precise. I will also quote scriptures and add my own experiences and perception. Hopefully, after reading this, you will gain a better understanding about this topic, my beliefs, and the expressed views of the Lord's Church.
The song, "Amazing Grace" has been one of my favorite all-time songs to sing. It speaks to the feelings of my soul that I have felt while singing in Jerusalem, as well as the quiet moments when I give thanks to my God for miracles in my life and the miracle of forgiveness I have experienced personally.
People have hinted that I belong to a church of works, and that those works make the Atonement impotent. They intimate that somehow my obedience to the Lord's commandments and instruction negates His ability to "save" me completely, or that I somehow believe He cannot do so without my help.
I agree that it is true that some members of the church do not understand this principle very well. There are some who are members of the church for social reasons, or who truly believe, but have not developed the personal relationship with their Savior that He desires. Additionally, the focus is our return to our Heavenly Parents through the Son, Jesus the Christ. This in no way takes away from the amazing grace of the Son.
Brother Wilcox was discussing this concept with a BYU student when he said, “Jesus doesn’t make up the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us.”
I loved that!
Jesus paid the ENTIRE price of our debt! He paid it all! It is finished!
He asks us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. Our obedience is not a payment! How could we pay even the smallest part? It is impossible! Only He can do that. Only He was qualified. We are showing appreciation for what Jesus Christ did by using our agency to choose to follow His example and to obey his commandments.
I love the parable of the piano lessons Brother Wilcox used, so I will quote it here:
Christ’s Grace Is Sufficient to Transform Us
Christ’s arrangement with us is similar to a mom providing music lessons for her child. Mom pays the piano teacher. How many know what I am talking about? Because Mom pays the debt in full, she can turn to her child and ask for something. What is it? Practice! Does the child’s practice pay the piano teacher? no.
Does the child’s practice repay Mom for paying the piano teacher? no. Practicing is how the child shows appreciation for Mom’s incredible gift. It is how he takes advantage of the amazing opportunity Mom is giving him to live his life at a higher level. Mom’s joy is found not in getting repaid but in seeing her gift used—seeing her child improve. And so she continues to call for practice, practice, practice.
If the child sees Mom’s requirement of practice as being too overbearing (“Gosh, mom, why do I need to practice? none of the other kids have to practice! I’m just going to be a professional baseball player anyway!”), perhaps it is because he doesn’t yet see with mom’s eyes. He doesn’t see how much better his life could be if he would choose to live on a higher plane.
In the same way, because Jesus has paid justice, He can now turn to us and say, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19), “Keep my commandments” (John 14:15). If we see his requirements as being way too much to ask (“Gosh! none of the other Christians have to pay tithing! none of the other Christians have to go on missions, serve in callings, and do temple work!”), maybe it is because we do not yet see through Christ’s eyes. We have not yet comprehended what He is trying to make of us.
---
President Kimball explained that "the repenting sinner must suffer for his sins, but this suffering has a different purpose than punishment or payment. Its purpose is change.”
We are not "earning" heaven, we are "learning" heaven. We are practicing for it, we are trying to internalize the characteristics of a changed soul and implementing that change in the way we live our lives.
Brother Wilcox makes this point: "When people ask if I have been saved by grace, my answer is, 'Yes. Absolutely, totally, completely, thankfully—yes!' Then I ask them a question that perhaps they have not fully considered: 'Have you been changed by grace?'”
Christ's suffering gift is not just a huge favor, it is an investment! He expects us to be changed souls, reborn to become new creatures through His grace and through the price He paid. Otherwise it was all for naught! Now, that would be ungrateful!
He asks certain things of us. By our obedience with exactness and honor, we can actually pierce the veil and draw upon the powers of heaven in ways we never thought possible. Through our undeviating course, the Lord is invited to place His hand on our shoulder and whisper amazing truths to us, and bestow blessings upon us and our children forever. If we are not changed, we will not feel comfortable in His presence. It would be hell, not heaven!
Everyone on this planet chose to go along with the Father's plan; we wanted Jesus to be the Christ. Some faught for that plan valiantly. Today, our agency is still intact, and some choose the Lord's plan, while others do not. I will not tell Jesus that He can no longer speak through prophets, as He always has done. I will not tell the Lord what is allowed and what is not! I will not presume to tie His hands, those hands......
Brother Wilcox continued, "When we understand grace, we understand that God is long-suffering, that change is a process, and that repentance is a pattern in our lives. When we understand grace, we understand that the blessings of Christ’s Atonement are continuous and His strength is perfect in our weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:9)."
I testify with all my heart that "Christ is not waiting at the finish line once we have done “all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23), He is with us every step of the way!"
So grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted.
Rather, it is our constant energy source.
It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel.
Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road. It is received right here and right now.
It is not a finishing touch; it is the Finisher’s touch (see Hebrews 12:2).
In the LDS Hymn, “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” the phrase reads, "Grace shall be as your day”—what an interesting phrase. We have all sung it hundreds of times, but have we stopped to consider what it means? “Grace shall be as your day”: grace shall be like a day. As dark as night may become, we can always count on the sun coming up. As dark as our trials, sins, and mistakes may appear, we can always have confidence in the grace of Jesus Christ. Do we earn a sunrise? No. Do we have to be worthy of a chance to begin again? No. We just have to accept these blessings and take advantage of them. As sure as each brand-new day, grace—the enabling power of Jesus Christ—is constant.
Conclusion
The grace of Christ is sufficient—sufficient to cover our debt, sufficient to transform us, and sufficient to help us as long as that transformation process takes. The Book of Mormon teaches us to rely solely on “the merits, and mercy, and grace of the holy messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). as we do, we do not discover—as some Christians believe—that Christ requires nothing of us. Rather, we discover the reason He requires so much and the strength to do all he asks (see Philippians 4:13). Grace is not the absence of God’s high expectations. Grace is the presence of God’s power (see Luke 1:37).
The song, "Amazing Grace" has been one of my favorite all-time songs to sing. It speaks to the feelings of my soul that I have felt while singing in Jerusalem, as well as the quiet moments when I give thanks to my God for miracles in my life and the miracle of forgiveness I have experienced personally.
People have hinted that I belong to a church of works, and that those works make the Atonement impotent. They intimate that somehow my obedience to the Lord's commandments and instruction negates His ability to "save" me completely, or that I somehow believe He cannot do so without my help.
I agree that it is true that some members of the church do not understand this principle very well. There are some who are members of the church for social reasons, or who truly believe, but have not developed the personal relationship with their Savior that He desires. Additionally, the focus is our return to our Heavenly Parents through the Son, Jesus the Christ. This in no way takes away from the amazing grace of the Son.
Brother Wilcox was discussing this concept with a BYU student when he said, “Jesus doesn’t make up the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us.”
I loved that!
Jesus paid the ENTIRE price of our debt! He paid it all! It is finished!
He asks us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep sacred covenants, receive the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. Our obedience is not a payment! How could we pay even the smallest part? It is impossible! Only He can do that. Only He was qualified. We are showing appreciation for what Jesus Christ did by using our agency to choose to follow His example and to obey his commandments.
I love the parable of the piano lessons Brother Wilcox used, so I will quote it here:
Christ’s Grace Is Sufficient to Transform Us
Christ’s arrangement with us is similar to a mom providing music lessons for her child. Mom pays the piano teacher. How many know what I am talking about? Because Mom pays the debt in full, she can turn to her child and ask for something. What is it? Practice! Does the child’s practice pay the piano teacher? no.
Does the child’s practice repay Mom for paying the piano teacher? no. Practicing is how the child shows appreciation for Mom’s incredible gift. It is how he takes advantage of the amazing opportunity Mom is giving him to live his life at a higher level. Mom’s joy is found not in getting repaid but in seeing her gift used—seeing her child improve. And so she continues to call for practice, practice, practice.
If the child sees Mom’s requirement of practice as being too overbearing (“Gosh, mom, why do I need to practice? none of the other kids have to practice! I’m just going to be a professional baseball player anyway!”), perhaps it is because he doesn’t yet see with mom’s eyes. He doesn’t see how much better his life could be if he would choose to live on a higher plane.
In the same way, because Jesus has paid justice, He can now turn to us and say, “Follow me” (Matthew 4:19), “Keep my commandments” (John 14:15). If we see his requirements as being way too much to ask (“Gosh! none of the other Christians have to pay tithing! none of the other Christians have to go on missions, serve in callings, and do temple work!”), maybe it is because we do not yet see through Christ’s eyes. We have not yet comprehended what He is trying to make of us.
---
President Kimball explained that "the repenting sinner must suffer for his sins, but this suffering has a different purpose than punishment or payment. Its purpose is change.”
We are not "earning" heaven, we are "learning" heaven. We are practicing for it, we are trying to internalize the characteristics of a changed soul and implementing that change in the way we live our lives.
Brother Wilcox makes this point: "When people ask if I have been saved by grace, my answer is, 'Yes. Absolutely, totally, completely, thankfully—yes!' Then I ask them a question that perhaps they have not fully considered: 'Have you been changed by grace?'”
Christ's suffering gift is not just a huge favor, it is an investment! He expects us to be changed souls, reborn to become new creatures through His grace and through the price He paid. Otherwise it was all for naught! Now, that would be ungrateful!
He asks certain things of us. By our obedience with exactness and honor, we can actually pierce the veil and draw upon the powers of heaven in ways we never thought possible. Through our undeviating course, the Lord is invited to place His hand on our shoulder and whisper amazing truths to us, and bestow blessings upon us and our children forever. If we are not changed, we will not feel comfortable in His presence. It would be hell, not heaven!
Everyone on this planet chose to go along with the Father's plan; we wanted Jesus to be the Christ. Some faught for that plan valiantly. Today, our agency is still intact, and some choose the Lord's plan, while others do not. I will not tell Jesus that He can no longer speak through prophets, as He always has done. I will not tell the Lord what is allowed and what is not! I will not presume to tie His hands, those hands......
Brother Wilcox continued, "When we understand grace, we understand that God is long-suffering, that change is a process, and that repentance is a pattern in our lives. When we understand grace, we understand that the blessings of Christ’s Atonement are continuous and His strength is perfect in our weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:9)."
I testify with all my heart that "Christ is not waiting at the finish line once we have done “all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23), He is with us every step of the way!"
So grace is not a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted.
Rather, it is our constant energy source.
It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but the light that moves us through the tunnel.
Grace is not achieved somewhere down the road. It is received right here and right now.
It is not a finishing touch; it is the Finisher’s touch (see Hebrews 12:2).
In the LDS Hymn, “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” the phrase reads, "Grace shall be as your day”—what an interesting phrase. We have all sung it hundreds of times, but have we stopped to consider what it means? “Grace shall be as your day”: grace shall be like a day. As dark as night may become, we can always count on the sun coming up. As dark as our trials, sins, and mistakes may appear, we can always have confidence in the grace of Jesus Christ. Do we earn a sunrise? No. Do we have to be worthy of a chance to begin again? No. We just have to accept these blessings and take advantage of them. As sure as each brand-new day, grace—the enabling power of Jesus Christ—is constant.
Conclusion
The grace of Christ is sufficient—sufficient to cover our debt, sufficient to transform us, and sufficient to help us as long as that transformation process takes. The Book of Mormon teaches us to rely solely on “the merits, and mercy, and grace of the holy messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). as we do, we do not discover—as some Christians believe—that Christ requires nothing of us. Rather, we discover the reason He requires so much and the strength to do all he asks (see Philippians 4:13). Grace is not the absence of God’s high expectations. Grace is the presence of God’s power (see Luke 1:37).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)