Works VS Grace

     As my boy Matthew West says, "Grace wins."  When will we learn that the works of a wretched sinner can never compare to the grace of the perfect Lamb?

     I recently had a conversation on Facebook with a friend's friend.  My friend shared my blog "Do Baptisms Save?" and tagged his friend on it, seeking his opinion.  This other gentleman, was very polite, and very intelligent, disagreed with me.  From what I gathered, he thought - or thinks - as most Mormons do; that there was something we needed to do in order to be saved.  After several good conversations back and forth, he asked if repentance was needed to be saved.  I simply told him that repentance was proof of the Spirit working within us, and therefore we were already saved.  It was a byproduct or a result of salvation, not a requirement.
     That answer didn't seem to suit him, as he rebutted back with more scripture.  He was really asking some great questions and it was time for me to really search the scriptures and answer him with more than just a few words and haphazard scripture references.  I will share with you all what I posted because I feel that some LDS members might benefit from it.

Here is my response:

I do not know what faith you confirm to, but it sounds like you believe as I once did. That our salvation must mean that we have to do 'something'. That we have to follow the commandments, that we have to get baptized, that we have to repent in order for us to earn salvation. That we somehow must work hard to prove to God we are worthy of His love. Again, I completely thought that too. But that is just not what the Bible teaches.

Let me be clear. Jesus alone saves. From your earlier comments, I think you believe that. However, you don't seem to fully understand what is meant by that. Let's look at scripture together while focusing on salvation.

"And there is salvation in no one else [meaning Jesus]; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12). No other name means that salvation is not up to anybody else, including ourselves. We are not saved by Jesus and our works, for that would be two names that we are saved. The Bible is very clear: only one name saves...Jesus.

Moreover, salvation is a gift. You don't earn gifts. You receive them. Paul says "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). He goes on and says "The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned [Adam]; for on the one hand the judment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification." (Rom. 5:16). So through our many sins, Jesus died and gave us salvation. We are justified freely by His sacrifice.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Eph. 2:8-9). God alone is the bringer of our salvation. If we did have to earn it through our good deeds, by following his commandments, repentance, etc. then we would be able to boast in our righteousness. But we have no righteousness of our own. Even our good deeds are nothing but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). God is Holy, Holy, Holy, and He alone is worthy of honor and praise. It is a good thing that our salvation relies 100% on Jesus's work on the cross and 0% in our actions because Jesus is 100% reliable, trustworthy, perfect, holy, and awesome.

Paul warns the Galations about trying to earn salvation. "You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace. ...For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."

Even the scripture you quoted above is taken out of context. Peter goes on in Acts 2:41 and tells us that "those who had received his word were baptized." Meaning, people who had already been born again (recieving His word) were then baptized. These people were already saved and were getting baptized as a proclamation of their faith.

Again, this is solely talking about justification, or salvation. We are only justified to God through Jesus Christ's attonement. Our salvation is totally dependant upon Him.

Now, we need to talk about the fruits of the spirit. Paul says in Romans 7:4 that we "died to the law through the body of Christ...in order that we might bear fruit for God." The Apostle John says that no man, or branch, "can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine, [which is Jesus]" (John 15:4). And Matthew 7:20 says that the world will know we are a part of God's family by our fruit.

But what does this mean? It means that when we are saved, our old life has died. We are born a new creation in Christ. I had several people tell me when I became Christian that I changed. And I responded, "Good! I hope so!" When we belong to God and abide in Him (John 15:4) we will bear fruit. This "fruit" presents itself when we get baptized, when we repent from our sin, when we give to the unfortunate, when we study His word, when we follow His commandments, when we spread the Good news about Jesus.

If we do not bear fruit, then are we saved? That's between you and God. The Bible says that we will know people by their fruit, and if no fruit is shown then they might not be a part of the Vine. That doesn't mean we have to act a certain way or do certain things to be saved, it means that if we are saved we will do certain things and act a certain way BECAUSE we are saved. Do you see the difference?

Let me put it another way. From your pictures, I think I can gather that you are married. I'm sure you love your wife and she loves you. Do you buy her flowers and treat her with the gentleness that a man of God would IN ORDER TO love her? Of course not. You do these things BECAUSE you love her. Your love for your wife moves you to act and behave a certain way. You are expressing your love for her, not earning it. The same is with God. We don't act in order to recieve His free gift of Grace. We act out of love and honor for the grace we've been given.

Q: Is repentance a requirement for salvation?
A: No. It is a result of salvation, not a requirement for it.

Q: Is baptism a requirement for salvation?
A: No. It is a result of salvation, not a requirement for it.

Q: Is following the commandments a requirement for salvation?
A: No. Obedience is a result of salvation, not a requirement for it.

Do you see the difference? We act BECAUSE we've been changed, not in order to be changed. BIG difference.

Lastly, we can do nothing outside of Christ. Left to our own devices, we will sin and turn away from God (See Genesis 3). Remember the Pharises were law abiding religious nuts, constantly telling Jesus that He or his disciples were breaking the law of Moses (which eventually led to His capture and crucifiction) but Jesus kept telling them that He was the bread of life, that He was the door, that a relationship with Him was the only way to be saved, not by following the law.

We must follow the Bibilical laws, which you said above, but not to be saved. We must follow these laws to be purified and sanctified with Christ, not earn salvation. The reason we cannot be saved by following the law is because we can never measure up to it. We will all fall short (Rom. 3:23) and never live up to the law. Period. That is why Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Mat 5:17). Jesus did what we could never do, which is fulfill the law. When we accept Him as Lord and savior, then we are saved because we now fulfill the law through Him.

I hope that helps. Have a great day.

--------------------

     My prayer is that people stop relying on themselves for salvation.  That they see the full amount of love displayed on the cross.  Jesus paid it all because we could pay none of it.  It's that simple.  If you are trying to earn your way to heaven, then follow scripture and take upon yourselves His yoke (Matt. 11:30).  Stop trying to earn something that's already been paid in full, gift wrapped, and sitting in your lap.  Just open God's free gift of grace and enjoy a renewed life with Him.

The Most Important Bible Verse For Mormons

I want to start this blog with a quote from Brigham Young.  It will provide context and understanding of why the scripture following it is so important in the LDS church.  

He says:

     "The Book of Mormon ... declares that the Bible is true, and proves it; and the two prove each other true.  The Old and New Testaments are the stick of Judah.  You recollect that the tribe of Judah tarried in Jerusalem and the Lord blessed Judah, and the result was the writings of the Old and New Testaments.  But where is the stick of Joseph?  Can you tell where it is? Yes.  It was the children of Joseph who came across the waters to this continent, and this land was filled with people, and the Book of Mormon or the stick of Joseph contains their writings, and they are in the hands of Ephraim." 

-Brigham Young

Teachings of Presidents of the Church, 118-24, 

taken from: lds.org

The word of the Lord came again to me saying, “And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, ‘For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’ Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand."

-Ezekiel 37:15-17

     In my opinion, Ezekiel chapter 37:15-17 is one of the most important Biblical passages for Mormons because they believe Ezekiel is prophesying about the Book of Mormon.  They believe "The stick of Judah (the Bible) and the stick of Joseph (the Book of Mormon) will become one in the Lord's hand." (Ezekiel 37 chapter heading, LDS Bible)  In other words, the LDS church believes that Ezekiel is prophesying of a time when the world will have the Bible and the Book of Mormon and use them together.  And since there exists the Book of Mormon and the LDS church uses it along side the Bible, they view this as a prophecy come true...thus proving Mormonism to be the one true religion.

     I have heard this scripture referenced very frequently from the LDS pulpit.  Time and time again missionaries, bishops, leaders, fathers, teachers, and the like have all proclaimed that Ezekiel's prophecy has come true!  And, as a Mormon, this very much makes sense.  If you read that passage and listen to the LDS leaders, it makes sense to draw this conclusion.  However, I never really read the entire chapter of Ezekiel and looked at it as an unbiased reader.  Meaning, I was told what this passage meant, and I took it as gospel (pun intended) and ran with it.  So, that begs the question, is this truly what Ezekiel is talking about?  Could the prophet be predicting the Book of Mormon?  Well, let's take a closer look at just two points and see where we land.

Looking At Context

     Ah, that pesky thing called context.  At last we meet...again.  Ok, so as with anything, we need to look at the entire chapter (sometimes even book) to fully grasp what is going on.  That goes for just basically anything in literature.  So, let's look at what Ezekiel was talking about.  To do that, I will turn to a smarter man than I, Pastor Chuck.  Charles (Chuck) Swindall is an evangelical Christian pastor from Texas.  He runs the Insight For Living Ministries (www.insight.org) and on his site, he gives us a little background on the prophet Ezekiel.  He writes:

"The book of Ezekiel takes its title from the priest of the same name, son to a man named Buzi. Ezekiel’s priestly lineage shines through in his prophetic ministry; he often concerned himself with topics such as the temple, the priesthood, the glory of the Lord, and the sacrificial system. 

...Ezekiel lived among the Jewish exiles in Babylon at a settlement along the river Chebar called Tel-abib (Ezekiel 3:15), less than one hundred miles south of Babylon. ...Because he spoke to a people whom God had exiled due to their continued rebellion against Him, a majority of Ezekiel’s message communicates judgment for sins committed (1:1–32:32). However, like all the prophets, he also provided his people, now without a land of their own, some hope for the future (33:1–48:35). 

...The book of Ezekiel pronounces judgment on both Israel and surrounding nations, but it also provides a vision of the future millennial kingdom that complements and adds to the vision of other Old and New Testament texts. Not only does the book present a striking picture of the resurrection and restoration of God’s people (Ezekiel 37), it also offers readers a picture of the reconstructed temple in Jerusalem, complete with the return of God’s glory to His dwelling place (40:1–48:35). This latter section of Ezekiel’s prophecy looks forward to the people’s worship after Christ’s return in the end times, when He will rule Israel and the nations from His throne in Jerusalem during His thousand year reign."

     As you may or may not know, the Israelites had walked away from God and God let them be captured by the Babylonians.  He eventually gave them the prophet Ezekiel to be His voice and provide hope and guidance.  Looking at the chapter's leading up to 37, God has been telling Ezekiel what to say to His people.  God basically goes on for several chapters and tells Ezekiel to Lament over this, prophecy of that, tell these people what I'm about to do, etc.  God wants His people to know that He alone has power and authority over everything.  He wants them to "know that I am the LORD" (Ezekiel 35:15b).   

     Then, in the first part of 37, God gives Ezekiel a vision, in which bones come to life by the power of God.  "These bones are the whole house of Israel;  behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished.  We are completely cut off.'  Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will open your graves...and bring you into the land of Israel.  Then you will know that I am the Lord...I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land.  Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it" (Ezek. 37:11-14).  So God gives a vision to Ezekiel of the entire house of Israel being brought back into Israel and taking back their own land.  And again, He does this so that everyone will know that He is God.

     Then, to further illustrate his point, God tells Ezekiel to take two sticks and write on them 'For Judah' and 'For Joseph' and then join them together so that they are one stick.  Then God says, when people start asking you what you are doing, tell them that I said, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms."  Clearly, this is too specific to be a metaphor for books.  Therefore, God is not talking about bringing Jews and Gentiles together because of two books being used together.  Rather, God is talking about how the nation of Israel has been scattered and that He would one day bring them back together in their own land, so that they can be one nation again.  He was talking about eradicating the division that His chosen people are going through.  

     This idea of "look what I can do and trust that I will do this other thing" also makes sense within the context of scripture and the nature of God.  All throughout the Old Testament, God shows people His power and then, when He asks them to listen to Him, or trust Him, or follow Him, God makes them look back at how faithful, powerful, and reliable He's always been.  Likewise, in Ezekiel, God shows Ezekiel his power with the bones.  God brings bones dried from the sun back to life, which is impossible for mankind to even conceive, and then says He's going to do something else that people would believe to be impossible, like bringing the Israelites into one nation again.  God says, "I am in the business of doing the impossible, and I'm going to do it so that you know I am God."

     The conclusion we get from this is that God was not talking about books.  Within the context, it doesn't really make sense.  Sure, if you look at just those two verses you might think the Mormons are right, but not as a whole.  Therefore, we must conclude that Mormon doctrine has gotten this one wrong.

Genealogically Speaking

     The book of Genesis lays out the lineage of Abraham, the person that God told, "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice" (Genesis 22:18), obviously speaking of Jesus, but I digress.  Anyways, Abraham married Sarah and they bore a son named Isaac.  Isaac and his wife Rebekah had twin sons, Esau and Jacob, who later had his name changed to Israel (Gen 32:28).  Israel (Jacob) had 12 sons between 4 different women.  With Leah, he had named Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulum.  With Bilha, he had Dan and Naphtali.  With Zilpah, he had Gad and Asher.  With Rachel, he had Joseph and Benjamin.  This Joseph had two sons, named Manasseh and Ephraim.  (See chart below)

     Now, back to our passage, Ezekiel says God told him to write on one of the sticks "For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim."  So, with this supposed prophecy of the BoM coupled with our renewed knowledge of Abraham's descendants, we can deduce that the Book of Mormon would have to be written by people from the line of Ephraim.  In other words, since the Nephites were the supposed writers of the BoM, then they would need to be descendants of Ephraim.  

     The Nephites come from the lineage of Nephi, whose father was Lehi.  Now, if Ezekiel is indeed referencing the Book of Mormon, then Lehi's father would have to be Ephraim.  Right?  However, the Book of Mormon says that Lehi was a descendant of Joseph through Manasseh.  "And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a descendant of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by the hands of his brethren" (Alma 10:3).  This is a major flaw in the teachings of the LDS church.  Manasseh isn't even mentioned in this passage!  

     Now, the above section is all about the context of scripture.  As you can see, even if the contextual argument is conceded (Sticks = books = Bible/BoM) the LDS argument does not hold water.  We then realize that the Book of Mormon could not even be the fulfillment of this prophecy based of off preliminary requirements!  All of this leads to the inevitable conclusion that Ezekiel was not talking about the Book of Mormon.  

----------------

     Either way you slice it, the Mormon doctrines and teachings are wrong about Ezekiel.  Mormons use this passage so often to prove their books as being God breathed, and it's just not a valid argument.  It's just not.  I don't know what else to tell you.

References:

http://bible-truth.org/twostick.htm

http://www.insight.org/resources/bible/ezekiel.html 

https://www.lds.org/new-era/2004/01/lehis-family-tree?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1987/02/ezekiels-sticks-and-the-gathering-of-israel?lang=eng

When Jesus Walked with the Devil

     I was reading through the book of Matthew the other day and something different popped out at me.  You know how it is.  You read the same words over and over again but sometimes different things hit you than before.  Other parts of the story seem to uncover more than you thought.  You see more clearly, you understand more deeply.  I guess that's why they call it the inspired word of God.  It still surprises you with lessons after all these years!  Amazing!  Anyways, I was reading through Matthew chapter 4, the story of Satan tempting Jesus, and something hit me.
     For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story (Matthew 4:1-11), I'll do my best to try and paraphrase it for you.
     So, Jesus had just got baptized by John the Baptist.  You know, that baptism when the heavens opened up, the dove flew down on His shoulder, and God spoke.  Yeah, the epic-est baptism of all.  That one.  The next thing the Bible says is that Jesus was led by the Spirit (the third member of the Godhead) into the wilderness.  Jesus then fasted for 5 1/2 weeks and at the end of his fast "the tempter came to him."  Meaning, Lucy appeared and tried to derail the plan of salvation for us all.  I figure he thought, "If I can get Jesus to either sin or swear allegiance to me, then God's plan will be ruined and I will be King!"
     Now, there are several things about this narrative that stand out.  But what hit me most is the parts in between temptations.  The Bible says that after the first temptation "Then the devil took Him into the holy city..." (v.5) and after the second temptation, "the devil took Him to a very high mountain..." (v.7).  I always thought that Satan somehow beamed Jesus to these places.  The narrative reads so quickly that I always thought these temptations were in quick secession.

But what if they weren't?

     Put yourself in His sandals.  You are hungry, tired, worn out, and weak.  You have just gone into the wilderness and dealt with and overcome one of Satan's test...which I imagine to be extremely difficult.  Probably one that 99% of us would have failed.  Next, you have to travel to Jerusalem, mostly likely still weary from before, only to be tempted again.  Then, after winning that battle, you have to hike up to the top of a mountain, to face yet another temptation from Satan.
     Here is what I am trying to get at.  Not only is that a lot of traveling in a day, but I'm willing to bet Jesus wasn't alone in between temptations.  I don't think Satan just appeared at each of these places, tempted Jesus and then left.  More than likely, Satan was with Jesus the entire time;  trying to derail His mission quite literally every step of the way.
     Now, I want you to honestly stop and think about that for a second.  Jesus had this evil, negative, and extremely cunning voice just hounding Him at every turn.  Maybe before the second temptation, Lucy tried to talk up Jesus and maybe appeal to his ego.  "Wow, I thought for sure you'd have taken the bait and made those rocks bread.  You certainly are the son of God.  You are all powerful!  You must have a truly noble mission here.  Surely, God would never let any harm come to you.  Why would He, I mean, You are here for a reason right?  Besides, don't the scriptures say that His angels with take care of You?"  And on and on Lucy would talk.  I would imagine that Jesus heard something like this for miles upon miles until they reached the temple in Jerusalem.  Satan trying his hardest to try and convince Jesus that God would protect Him.  Then, when Lucy felt He had a foothold, he struck.  "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down..." (v.6)  You've got to remember, Satan has been around the block a few times and has been tempting people to sin against God since the beginning of creation.  Adam and Eve were his first victims, and for the several thousands of years since I'm sure he's gotten better and better at his craft.  My point is that sin is often the result of the tempter's evil schemes and trickery, and even Jesus had to deal with it.
     This not only gives me a clearer picture of the temptations of Jesus but also shines a light on my many struggles and sins.  So many times in my walk with God am I confronted with a problem that things have seemed to culminate to.  Rarely is it ever spontaneous.  It's not like I step outside and there's a beautiful woman in a bikini asking me if I want to cheat on my wife.  It's not like I walk into work and people out of the blue start yelling and cussing at me.  It's not like pornography is on television every time I turn it on.  It's not like these scenarios at all.  Life is not a simple test of yes and no answers.  In reality, it is the whispers of the enemy that gently pull me away from the Father, so that when the big test arrives I am too blind to see it coming...and I fall.  Hard.  Even now, my heart is breaking when I think back on my life and see the gentle misguiding of the tempter that ultimately leads to my failures.
     Oh, God forgive me!  I am weak for the lusts of this life.  I am weak but want control of things that should be in your hands.  I am weak and let Satan and his armies distract me from what I should be focusing on: You.  Forgive me, Father God, for what I have done.  Forgive my heart's wavering on your ever abounding truth.  Forgive me for not always putting you first in my life!  Father, forgive me!  Give me strength to repent; to turn from my sins and walk to you.  Give me clarity to see what I need to do to honor You in all I think, say, and do.  Amen.
     What is so great is that Jesus has been through it all.  He knows what it's like to have those whispers in your, telling you those little white lies that lead to the destruction of your soul.  He knows what it's like to be completely broken, weak, and hungry and knowing that it takes every fiber of your being to hold on to righteousness.  He knows what humility is.  He knows what you are going through.  Not only does He show us that resistance is possible, that He is God, and that He is more powerful, but sets a perfect example of what to do when we find ourselves on the mountain.

The Bible is the Ultimate Authority
     Every time Jesus is tempted, He relies on God's word.  He doesn't try to rationalize or make excuses on why He should or shouldn't do something.  Instead, He responds with, "It is written..."  God's holy word has authority, power, and answers.  Jesus is telling us to fall on God's word and trust that His way of life is the only thing that can bring us the ultimate joy.

Know your Bible
     Furthermore, Jesus quotes the Bible in response to Satan's temptation.  Even when Satan uses the Bible to try and trick Jesus, He quotes from the Bible.  What that tells me is that we need to study the Bible diligently.  We need to have God's word on our mouths, in our hearts, shielding our eyes, protecting our ears, and guiding our actions.  When we trust in God's authoritative word in scripture and then have it as a foundation to our lives, the enemy cannot win!

Satan does not have ultimate power 
     When Jesus finally completes his long day or so of temptations, what happens?  The Bible says, "Then the devil left Him..."  Once Satan realized that Jesus' mind, heart, and soul was fixated on God he left.  Satan only has power when we give it to him.  And he is only given that power when we take our eyes off of Him; when we stop worshiping the Father.  So remember, whatever it is you are going through, the devil only has power that you give him.  Especially if you are in Christ.  Lucy cannot keep up the fight forever, which is why the Bible tells us to endure the race! (Heb. 12:1)  Lucy loses in the end.  God's in control, guys.  It's going to be ok!

Trust God
     Once Satan met defeat, he quit.  But then what happened?  "and behold, angels came down and began to minister to Him."  This means God was watching Jesus go through it all and was right there for Him.  What a comfort that should be to all of us!  God is watching us in our struggles and is waiting with angels to help us through it, if need be.  We are not alone and God knows what we need.  Praise God for that!  When we are faithful to honor Him and choose not to live according to this life, He is blessed and showers us with His grace.  Mind you this is not a works thing.  I'm not saying, "If you do A, B, C for God then you'll get D, E, and F!"  No, no, no.  I'm saying when we live according to His word, with his gospel imprinted on our minds and hearts then Satan is powerless, God is blessed, and we are able to enjoy the joy's that only God can give.  To God be the glory!


I hope you are encouraged today to continue to fight the fight.  God bless.