The
Gift of Grace
On Easter Sunday
we celebrate the most long-awaited and glorious event in the history of the
world.
It is the day
that changed everything.
On that day, my
life changed.
Your life
changed.
The destiny of
all God’s children changed.
On that blessed
day, the Savior of mankind, who had taken upon Himself the chains of sin and
death that held us captive, burst those chains and set us free.
Because of the
sacrifice of our beloved Redeemer, death has no sting, the grave has no victory,1 Satan
has no lasting power, and we are “begotten … again unto a lively hope by
the resurrectionof Jesus Christ.”2
Truly, the
Apostle Paul was correct when he said we can “comfort one another with these
words.”3
God’s
Grace
We
often speak of the Savior’s Atonement—and rightly so!
In Jacob’s
words, “Why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect
knowledge of him?”4 But
as “we talk of Christ, … rejoice in Christ, … preach of Christ, [and]
prophesy of Christ”5 at
every opportunity, we must never lose our sense of awe and profound
gratitude for the eternal sacrifice of the Son of God.
The Savior’s
Atonement cannot become commonplace in our teaching, in our conversation, or in
our hearts. It is sacred and holy, for it was through this “great and last
sacrifice” that Jesus the Christ brought “salvation to all those who shall
believe on his name.”6
I marvel to
think that the Son of God would condescend to save us, as imperfect, impure,
mistake-prone, and ungrateful as we often are. I have tried to understand the
Savior’s Atonement with my finite mind, and the only explanation I can come up
with is this: God loves us deeply, perfectly, and everlastingly. I cannot even
begin to estimate “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height … [of]
the love of Christ.”7
A powerful
expression of that love is what the scriptures often call the grace of God—the divine assistance and endowment of
strength by which we grow from the flawed and limited beings we are now into
exalted beings of “truth and light, until [we are] glorified in truth and
[know] all things.”8
It is a most
wondrous thing, this grace of God. Yet it is often misunderstood.9 Even
so, we should know about God’s grace if we intend to inherit what has been
prepared for us in His eternal kingdom.
To that end I
would like to speak of grace. In particular, first, how grace unlocks the gates of heaven and, second, how it opens the windows of heaven.
First:
Grace Unlocks the Gates of Heaven
Because
we have all “sinned, and come short of the glory of God”10 and
because “there cannot any unclean thing enter into the kingdom of God,”11 every
one of us is unworthy to return to God’s presence.
Even if we were
to serve God with our whole souls, it is not enough, for we would still be
“unprofitable servants.”12 We
cannot earn our way into heaven; the demands of justice stand as a barrier,
which we are powerless to overcome on our own.
But all is not
lost.
The grace of God
is our great and everlasting hope.
Through the
sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the plan of mercy appeases the demands of justice13 “and
[brings] about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.”14
Our sins, though
they may be as scarlet, can become white as snow.15 Because
our beloved Savior “gave himself a ransom for all,”16 an
entrance into His everlasting kingdom is provided unto us.17
The gate is
unlocked!
But the grace of
God does not merely restore us to our previous innocent state. If salvation
means only erasing our mistakes and sins, then salvation—as wonderful as it
is—does not fulfill the Father’s aspirations for us. His aim is much higher: He
wants His sons and daughters to become like Him.
With the gift of
God’s grace, the path of discipleship does not lead backward; it leads upward.
It leads to
heights we can scarcely comprehend! It leads to exaltation in the celestial
kingdom of our Heavenly Father, where we, surrounded by our loved ones, receive
“of his fulness, and of his glory.”18 All
things are ours, and we are Christ’s.19 Indeed,
all that the Father hath shall be given unto us.20
To inherit this
glory, we need more than an unlocked gate; we must enter through this gate with
a heart’s desire to be changed—a change so dramatic that the scriptures
describe it as being “born again; yea, born of God, changed from [our worldly]
and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming
his sons and daughters.”21
Second:
Grace Opens the Windows of Heaven
Another
element of God’s grace is the opening of the windows of heaven, through which
God pours out blessings of power and strength, enabling us to achieve things
that otherwise would be far beyond our reach. It is by God’s amazing grace that
His children can overcome the undercurrents and quicksands of the deceiver,
rise above sin, and “be perfect[ed] in Christ.”22
Though we all
have weaknesses, we can overcome them. Indeed it is by the grace of God that,
if we humble ourselves and have faith, weak things can become strong.23
Throughout our
lives, God’s grace bestows temporal blessings and spiritual gifts that magnify
our abilities and enrich our lives. His grace refines us. His grace helps us
become our best selves.
Who
Can Qualify?
In the
Bible we read of Christ’s visit to the home of Simon the Pharisee.
Outwardly, Simon
seemed to be a good and upright man. He regularly checked off his to-do list of
religious obligations: he kept the law, paid his tithing, observed the Sabbath,
prayed daily, and went to the synagogue.
But while Jesus
was with Simon, a woman approached, washed the Savior’s feet with her tears,
and anointed His feet with fine oil.
Simon was not
pleased with this display of worship, for he knew that this woman was a sinner.
Simon thought that if Jesus didn’t know this, He must not be a prophet or He
would not have let the woman touch him.
Perceiving his
thoughts, Jesus turned to Simon and asked a question. “There was a certain
creditor which had two debtors: … one owed five hundred pence, … the other
fifty.
“And when they
[both] had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore,
which of them will love him most?”
Simon answered
that it was the one who was forgiven the most.
Then Jesus
taught a profound lesson: “Seest thou this woman? … Her sins, which are
many, are forgiven; for she loved
much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”24
Which of these
two people are we most like?
Are we like
Simon? Are we confident and comfortable in our good deeds, trusting in our own
righteousness? Are we perhaps a little impatient with those who are not living
up to our standards? Are we on autopilot, going through the motions, attending
our meetings, yawning through Gospel Doctrine class, and perhaps checking our
cell phones during sacrament service?
Or are we like
this woman, who thought she was completely and hopelessly lost because of sin?
Do we love much?
Do we understand
our indebtedness to Heavenly Father and plead with all our souls for the grace
of God?
When we kneel to
pray, is it to replay the greatest hits of our own righteousness, or is it to
confess our faults, plead for God’s mercy, and shed tears of gratitude for the
amazing plan of redemption?25
Salvation cannot
be bought with the currency of obedience; it is purchased by the blood of the
Son of God.26 Thinking
that we can trade our good works for salvation is like buying a plane ticket
and then supposing we own the airline. Or thinking that after paying rent for
our home, we now hold title to the entire planet earth.
Why
Then Obey?
If
grace is a gift of God, why then is obedience to God’s commandments so
important? Why bother with God’s commandments—or repentance, for that matter?
Why not just admit we’re sinful and let God save us?
Or, to put the
question in Paul’s words, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”
Paul’s answer is simple and clear: “God forbid.”27
Brothers and sisters,
we obey the commandments of God—out of love for Him!
Trying to
understand God’s gift of grace with all our heart and mind gives us all the
more reasons to love and obey our Heavenly Father with meekness and gratitude.
As we walk the path of discipleship, it refines us, it improves us, it helps us
to become more like Him, and it leads us back to His presence. “The Spirit of
the Lord [our God]” brings about such “a mighty change in us, … that we
have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.”28
Therefore, our
obedience to God’s commandments comes as a natural outgrowth of our endless
love and gratitude for the goodness of God. This form of genuine love and
gratitude will miraculously merge our works with God’s grace. Virtue will
garnish our thoughts unceasingly, and our confidence will wax strong in the
presence of God.29
Dear brothers
and sisters, living the gospel faithfully is not a burden. It is a joyful
rehearsal—a preparation for inheriting the grand glory of the eternities. We
seek to obey our Heavenly Father because our spirits will become more attuned
to spiritual things. Vistas are opened that we never knew existed.
Enlightenment and understanding come to us when we do the will of the Father.30
Grace is a gift
of God, and our desire to be obedient to each of God’s commandments is the
reaching out of our mortal hand to receive this sacred gift from our Heavenly
Father.
All
We Can Do
The
prophet Nephi made an important contribution to our understanding of God’s
grace when he declared, “We labor diligently … to persuade our children,
and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for
we know that it is by grace that we
are saved, after all we can do.”31
However, I
wonder if sometimes we misinterpret the phrase “after all we can do.” We must
understand that “after” does not equal “because.”
We are not saved
“because” of all that we can do. Have any of us done all that
we can do? Does God wait until we’ve expended every effort before He will
intervene in our lives with His saving grace?
Many people feel
discouraged because they constantly fall short. They know firsthand that “the
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”32 They
raise their voices with Nephi in proclaiming, “My soul grieveth because of mine
iniquities.”33
I am certain
Nephi knew that the Savior’s grace allows and enables us to overcome sin.34 This
is why Nephi labored so diligently to persuade his children and brethren “to
believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God.”35
After all, that is what we can do! And that is our task in mortality!
Grace
Is Available to All
When I
think of what the Savior did for us leading up to that first Easter Sunday, I
want to lift up my voice and shout praises to the Most High God and His Son,
Jesus Christ!
The gates of
heaven are unlocked!
The windows of
heaven are opened!
Today and
forevermore God’s grace is available to all whose hearts are broken and whose
spirits are contrite.36 Jesus
Christ has cleared the way for us to ascend to heights incomprehensible to
mortal minds.37
I pray that we
will see with new eyes and a new heart the eternal significance of the Savior’s
atoning sacrifice. I pray that we will show our love for God and our gratitude
for the gift of God’s infinite grace by keeping His commandments and joyfully
“walk[ing] in [a] newness of life.”38 In
the sacred name of our Master and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.
“Walking and
Doing”
cji
3/28/19
We do all we can always
never to let up
repenting
knowing our Savior is
real
therefore His Atonement
was for each of us (all)
walking and doing
example
set for us to follow
always
obedience to Commandments
always and forever –
ever
and we are loving to do
this!
Copyright © 2019 – cji
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