Many are saying that there is no hell or that it is just a mental state. Where does this lie originate from. 2 Nephi 28:21-23 gives us the answer. "And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well - and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none - and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment."
The Book of Mormon is clear on who is destined for hell. It is reserved for those who have procrastinated their repentance. Alma 34:35 tells us, "For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked."
Many feel like they will have plenty of time after this life to repent of their ways. Alma 34:33 tells us, "...do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed." Many say that repentance is a gradual process. However, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. One distracted driver could end our life. Alma 34:32 says, "For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."
Many assume that we are all sons and daughters of God. The Book of Mormon, however, declares that we must be born again and become sons of God. Mosiah 27:35 says, "...Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."
Showing posts with label born again. Show all posts
Showing posts with label born again. Show all posts
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Monday, November 21, 2016
Sacrament with 2 Gospels
Yesterday's sacrament meeting had two different speakers representing two different gospels. It was a husband and wife team with two different viewpoints. The wife spoke first. She emphasized a pre-mortal life where we were the spiritual offspring of God in heaven before we came to this earth. She generously said that we are all children of God. She said that God's divinity is in our DNA. Through the many good deeds of the members present, God was being presented. His light or divinity shines through us as we are kind and loving. This self-saving gospel is found in 2 Nephi 24:12-16 where an angel tried to ascend and become "like" God. "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." (This passage is also found in Isaiah 14:12-16.)
In the Garden of Eden, Eve was also presented with this self-saving gospel. The serpent told her that she could be like a goddess through gaining knowledge. Genesis 3:3&4 says, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Psalm 82:6&7 says, "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes."
The second speaker, the husband, presented a gospel of grace. He questioned why the Jesus was so hard on the Pharisees when they were the ones who were keeping the law. This is true - Jesus was hard on them. Jesus said to the Jews in John 8:44, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...." In Matthew 23:27-33, Jesus said "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" He seemed to be saying that many were getting off track with 2 Nephi 25:23: "...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." He said there is no meeting God half way. He said you cannot be saved through keeping the law.
He also pointed out that Jesus was accused of hanging out with sinners too much. He said it is about grace. He said he was drawn to the New Testament Jesus and his emphasis on grace. I agree with the speaker. Jesus spent time teaching the woman at the well in John 4. She had had 5 husbands and was with a man that was not her husband. He did not tell her to get her life cleaned up and come back in 6 months to talk. He talked and taught her about worship right then and there. In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells us a story about a law-keeping Pharisee and a publican. "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." What a powerful story of God's grace?!
In Ephesians 2:8-9, the Apostle Paul wrote, "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."
In regard to the first speaker, the book of Mormon does not say that we are all God's children. It commands us to repent and become a child of God. Mosiah 7:24-26 says, "For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."
In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul refuted the Jews. The Jews were pushing circumcision which represented the mosaic law. In Galatians 1:8 Paul said, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
May the Great God, the unchangeable being found in Moroni 8:18 draw us closer to Him through His Holy Spirit. God's grace to all.
In the Garden of Eden, Eve was also presented with this self-saving gospel. The serpent told her that she could be like a goddess through gaining knowledge. Genesis 3:3&4 says, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Psalm 82:6&7 says, "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes."
The second speaker, the husband, presented a gospel of grace. He questioned why the Jesus was so hard on the Pharisees when they were the ones who were keeping the law. This is true - Jesus was hard on them. Jesus said to the Jews in John 8:44, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...." In Matthew 23:27-33, Jesus said "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" He seemed to be saying that many were getting off track with 2 Nephi 25:23: "...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." He said there is no meeting God half way. He said you cannot be saved through keeping the law.
He also pointed out that Jesus was accused of hanging out with sinners too much. He said it is about grace. He said he was drawn to the New Testament Jesus and his emphasis on grace. I agree with the speaker. Jesus spent time teaching the woman at the well in John 4. She had had 5 husbands and was with a man that was not her husband. He did not tell her to get her life cleaned up and come back in 6 months to talk. He talked and taught her about worship right then and there. In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells us a story about a law-keeping Pharisee and a publican. "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." What a powerful story of God's grace?!
In Ephesians 2:8-9, the Apostle Paul wrote, "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."
In regard to the first speaker, the book of Mormon does not say that we are all God's children. It commands us to repent and become a child of God. Mosiah 7:24-26 says, "For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."
In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul refuted the Jews. The Jews were pushing circumcision which represented the mosaic law. In Galatians 1:8 Paul said, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
May the Great God, the unchangeable being found in Moroni 8:18 draw us closer to Him through His Holy Spirit. God's grace to all.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Repentance
Is hell a reality? The devil says it is not a reality.
2 Nephi 28:21-23 "And others will he (the devil) pacify, and loll them away into carnal security, that they will say: all is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well - and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none - and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. Ye, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment."
Is hell a place for people who have procrastinated in repenting?
Alma 34:35 "For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked."
Is this really the final state of repentance procrastinators? Isn't there some kind of work that can be done for them?
Alma 34:33 "And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed."
Obviously a person in such a situation would want a chance to escape.
Alma 34:34 "You cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this;..."
Many people say that repentance is a "gradual process" - it takes time. However, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. We may not have time for a gradual process. We could die in a car wreck. We could be hit by a drunk driver or a texting driver. Some people will die of heart attacks and strokes. It is best to repent right now!
Alma 34:31-32 "Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."
Does it sound too easy?
2 Nephi 25:23 "..;for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."
For those of us who are hard-headed, it is after we try and do all we can do that we realize it is NOT enough. We actually do have to depend on God's grace, not ourselves, to save us.
The self-righteous Jews stated that Abraham was their father and God was their father. They were irate when Jesus said their father was the devil.
John 8:44 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...."
The Book of Mormon claims that we must be "born again" and "become His sons and daughters".
Mosiah 27:25-26 "And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."
It is a miracle of God to be changed from a "carnal and fallen state" to a state of "righteousness" - where good deeds are flowing out of you naturally.
My friend, do not procrastinate your repentance. Turn to the God who is the unchangeable being in Moroni 8:18 and who is the only "true and living God" in Alma 11:27-39. Be reborn. Become a new creation. May God be with you.
2 Nephi 28:21-23 "And others will he (the devil) pacify, and loll them away into carnal security, that they will say: all is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well - and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell. And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none - and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance. Ye, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment."
Is hell a place for people who have procrastinated in repenting?
Alma 34:35 "For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become subjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth seal you his; therefore, the spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked."
Is this really the final state of repentance procrastinators? Isn't there some kind of work that can be done for them?
Alma 34:33 "And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed."
Obviously a person in such a situation would want a chance to escape.
Alma 34:34 "You cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this;..."
Many people say that repentance is a "gradual process" - it takes time. However, we are not guaranteed tomorrow. We may not have time for a gradual process. We could die in a car wreck. We could be hit by a drunk driver or a texting driver. Some people will die of heart attacks and strokes. It is best to repent right now!
Alma 34:31-32 "Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."
Does it sound too easy?
2 Nephi 25:23 "..;for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."
For those of us who are hard-headed, it is after we try and do all we can do that we realize it is NOT enough. We actually do have to depend on God's grace, not ourselves, to save us.
The self-righteous Jews stated that Abraham was their father and God was their father. They were irate when Jesus said their father was the devil.
John 8:44 "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do...."
The Book of Mormon claims that we must be "born again" and "become His sons and daughters".
Mosiah 27:25-26 "And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God."
It is a miracle of God to be changed from a "carnal and fallen state" to a state of "righteousness" - where good deeds are flowing out of you naturally.
My friend, do not procrastinate your repentance. Turn to the God who is the unchangeable being in Moroni 8:18 and who is the only "true and living God" in Alma 11:27-39. Be reborn. Become a new creation. May God be with you.
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