Purchased Possession

Someone asked me on what basis God deserves submission, obedience, worship and love if LDS Doctrine teaches that men have divine and infinite potential to become like Our Eternal Father, are "gods in embryo," or have had spirits/intelligence/will/essence that is co-existent with God and therefore are considered gods then and now. Gods cannot be created, they ARE or ARE NOT. Christ says that He is I AM THAT I AM.

Ps. 82: 6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

God deserves submission, obedience, worship, and love because he purchased us with the body and blood of His Son Jesus Christ. The concept that God purchased us is a HUGE concept. It has so many incredible and divine implications.

1 Cor. 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Cor. 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
2 Pet. 2: 1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Eph. 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

All these verses suggest that our essence and will is our own and always existed as "gods in embryo" (John 10:34, Ps. 82:6) and while it is true that without God we are doomed to damnation, death, and outer darkness, God has purchased us by the flesh and blood of His Son. Had God created us "ex nihlo" or "from nothing" he would already own us and there would be no need to purchase us.

But this is why God is not responsible for the evil of Satan. Satan always existed as Lucifer. He was created a son of God, but rebelled (Eph. 3:15, Isa. 14:12, Rev. 12:7). Lucifer was not created "ex nihlo" or "from nothing" but the essence, spirit, intelligence, or will of Lucifer is co-existence with God and purchased by God. If God created Lucifer "from nothing" then He created a defective product and already owed Him from the start and is responsible for evil. But God is said to create as a builder builds a house, and a potter forms a pot from pre-existing materials.

Heb. 3:4 For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God.
Isa. 64: 8 But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Rom. 9: 21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Man was not created gods, but were created sons and will be created into fathers like Our Eternal Father by the grace of Christ. That is why the worth of souls is so great in the eyes of God (D&C 18:10). Despite our nothingness without Him. Without God we are nothing, but with God and the grace of Christ we have the seeds of divinity within us.

Yes, Isaiah is correct. I context there are no other gods that will save Israel, or who reveals the end from the beginning. Only God the Father and Jesus Christ can save us. And there are not other gods formed before Our God because Our God has always existed and the spirits of men have always existed and are c0-existent with Our God. So, the souls of man were not created gods, but we were created sons of God. And though Christ we will be created fathers and join with God in the work of creation. But Our Eternal Father will always remain Our God, the Most High God (El Elyon).

Again, there is no other God who saves, but all men are considered gods. Christ verified the correct interpretation of Psalms 82:6 in John 10: 34 when he called himself the Son of God.

Psalms 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

Here, God is telling the judges the worth of souls is great and God. But that without God we will die like men. But Our God, who is the Great Judge of judges considers even the afflicted and needy are of infinite worth in the eyes of God who the Great God of gods; the Most High God (El Elyon).

And God did not create "ex nihlo." If you believe that you believe in a being that is not taught in the Bible who built or organized both things visible and invisible (physical law) for operation in this universe like a man builds a house or a potter sculpts a pot. God organized all things from materials that have always existed and are co-existent with Him. If the opposite of created was eternal, or if created things could not become eternal things, than man who is created never could receive Eternal Life

Many Evangelicals want to believe that God is other. That He is not material or physical or tangible. That is exactly why we want to become more like God and came to Earth to get a body because by being tangible, we could interact and have power over the elements. God has all power and complete mastery over all the elements and laws of the universe. The laws of the universe mean death to us without Christ, but they mean Eternal Life with Christ and through Christ. God can manifest in time and space but is not confined by time or space. God is empowered by time and space. This has application in our personal life. Remember that commandments are directions and not limitations. But we need Christ to change our sin-nature and be empowered to keep the commandments.

Some Evangelicals want to believe in a God the created everything from nothing and is greater than everything. They don't like the idea that Our God could have a God and so forth. If that were so, they say, how could Our One God be Master over His God. That is applying human frailty to the equation. Our One God and His God are one in purpose as all Gods are. And Our God is co-eternal with Him. It is not a matter of who is on top. We are all trying to reach the same point of perfection. We need to stop thinking of perfection as a competition. This is not "King of the Mountain."

The truth that the the essense and will of man is his own and was co-existent with God but purchased by the blood and body of Christ is best illustrated in the Garden of Gethsemane at the point when Christ took upon Himself the sins of His people by the shedding of His blood. At that moment when Christ knew the infinite spiritual, emotional, and physical pain was upon Him, He demonstrates complete submission of His separate yet co-existent and co-eternal will to the will of the Eternal Father.

Matt. 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

In conclusion, I must emphasize. Even with this belief that all men are "gods in embryo" and have divine potential. Our God will always be my God. Christ will always be my Savior. Although, the Bible says there is no such thing as becoming a god becasue all mankind even the poor and afflicted are gods in embryo and all are children of the Most High (Ps. 82: 6); without God who is Our Only Savior (Isaiah 44:10-11), we will die like men and fall like princes. But, through Christ, when God sanctify, perfects, and creates me like Himself --a spiritual father; then I will be empowered to participate in the work of creation with Him.

My friend asked if Our God still serves His God? All Gods are one in purpose. They do not need to be commanded in all things. Our God will always by my God and Christ will always be my Savior. Those who are exalted and obtain Eternal Life and not just saved as angels and ministering spirits, but will also be made agents, and created to act and not acted upon. Therefore, we will also be one in purpose with the Most High God and likewise will not need to be commanded in all things. Like Christ, Our God see a need and fulfill it before needing to be commanded.

D&C 58:26-28 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. 27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; 28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.

John 5: 19-20 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.