Grace and Works
“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” -Romans 11:6
Last week we discussed mitzvah and sacrament. We discovered God wants us to hear Him, to watch and worship Him, to remember the mitzvah (the instructions He has given us), receive ordinances, and study and live the Torah. And we do all these by grace. Yet there are still those that think there is a difference between grace and works.
A New Understanding of the Restoration
“Be faithful to the spirit of the Restoration, mindful that it is a spirit of adventure, openness, and searching; walk proudly and with a quickened step, be a joyful people, laugh and play and sing, embodying the hope and freedom of the gospel.” -Doctrines of the Saints 2c:12-13
Someone asked what religious tradition I was brought up in and how it helped me grow spiritually and accept other traditions. My response may open a whole new world for you.
Church vrs Torah
Reminiscing
In the shower this morning I was considering the concept of “church”. Every time I run into a conversation on – church – I get uneasy. I don’t believe in church but I know the person does. The moral structure of churches are hypocritical, limited and artificial. I believe in the structure of society Moses laid out in the Torah, is more honest, and lends itself to spiritual connectedness to Gd.
Unification
The presentation of truth unfolding, places scripture of all the various revelatory paths on the table, and now allows us to see the diversity of the universe with the lens of all paths able to coexist, unify, and gather together, if the seeker so chooses to allow such melding of creation to occur. Scriptural topics can be augmented by bringing together, similar concepts, to flesh out a greater understanding.
The Atonement
“We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, through his mercy and Grace, which leads us to obey the laws and principles, and obtain the ordinances of the Gospel.” -Article of Faith 3
By reading the Letter of the Bible alone (without the input of the Holy Spirit of Truth) and accepting it as the authority rather than God, men have formed a variety of erroneous ideas regarding the atonement. The Spirit of Truth alone can reveal the true meaning of Jesus Christ’s mission and work. The understanding of the Atonement has been corrupted over time. Some have supposed that once we have accepted Christ, we are fully saved and no there is further need for growth. Looking at history it is clear that merely accepting Jesus as one’s personal Savior has not taken sin, suffering, and death from the world. Therefore it must be that this understanding of being “once saved, always saved” has fallen short of the Truth.
Come Ye apart and be a Peculiar People
We must evaluate whether we are more concerned about being seen as normal by society or whether we are concerned about fulfilling our Divine plans.
Punch Out
Back in the late eighties Nintendo was the big gaming system and with it came one of my two favorite games: “Punch Out!” I was very young when I played it, so I only ever made it to Sandman once or twice. Normally, I would lose when fighting Great Tiger. Oh, Great Tiger, how you were a bane in my childhood existence with your special move that made you dizzy; and, oh!, how you were such a barrier to the opponents in line after you who rarely got the chance if ever, to fit my low bit quality avatar known as Little Mac.
Coming of Age Tale
This following story will start off strange and dark, but the ending will be much better, so…just keep reading. When you read the next sentence, you will probably be blown away, but it is something I didn’t add in my last piece ”Too Many Paths” and it is too important not to say.
Too Many Paths
We all have a story. And this is one reason I went looking for God outside of main stream Christianity. You see, my first memories are of attending a Presbyterian church while studying at a Catholic school. Then, my family moved to a Methodist church and I studied at a Southern Baptist school. I converted to Mormonism later is my life, after a brief stint with Atheism.
Meeting God Upon Mount Sinai
“And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.” -Exodus 24:17
It had only been 3 months since the people had watched in awe and fear as God smote the Egyptians–throwing down their gods with demonstrations of terrifying power. Now He was calling upon them prepare themselves so that they could “see” the Lord when planned to come down on Mount Sinai in three days to meet with them.
People Say I Should Obey God – How?
From a question on Quora.
“People tell me I should obey God. How do I do that? In what way? Are there steps or instructions somebody can give me instead of having to look for it in the Bible?”
Growing in Grace
“Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” -2 Peter 3:18a
You’ve learned that there is a God. You’ve come to God with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. You’ve moved through the steps of teshuvah, repented and have been restored. You’re looking for a denomination to be baptized into, or have been baptized, and you’re looking to have the physical manifestation (laying on of hands) to receive the Holy Ghost (baptism by fire). What’s next?