Eternal God and Eternal Covenants
The spirit and intelligence of God the Father is self-existent and has always existed as has the spriit and intelligence of man as has the spriit and intelligence of all spiritual beings. They are co-eternal and self-existent. This intelligence can be organized by some unknown mechanism. And by this mechanism we became the spirit children of the Father of Spirits who Paul says we are His Offspring or "genus" which means species or kind.When we were organized in the Beginning in the grand heavenly council as spirit children of God by acceptance and adoption we entered into a covenant with God.
All covenant run eternally forwards and backwards from eternity to eternity. When LDS get sealed and married in temples, this is an example of covenant marriage. In the sealing rooms in LDS temples there are large mirrors on either side of the room that reflect eternally forwards and backwards. This is to represent the eternal nature of the covenant. So, how does this apply? This is how God is our God from eternity to eternity even though there was a specific moment in time when the covenant and adoption actually occured. But knowing this, how does this hellp us?
An easy example is pre-marital relations. Some people think that pre-marital relations is okay because you havent made a promise yet to your future spouse that you will be faithful to her. But see, marriage isnt a contract or a promise. Marriage is to be a covenant that extends from eternity to eternity. So, what does that mean? That means, that a person should expect that they will one day be married and that they should be faithfull to their future spouse knowing that they will one day make the covenant. People who expect to enter into a covenant marriage should live as if they were already in the covenant even before they make it.
This principle also applies to the atonement of Jesus Christ who is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Prophets like Enoch and Elijah walked and talked with God and were translated and taken up to Heaven only because they could apply the atoning blood of Christ even before the covenant had occured. This was only possible because they could have faith in Christ's that He would fullfill his word and be saved as if the atonement had already happened.
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Here’s a million dollar question – If you were to die right now, would you qualify for the celestial kingdom? If you’re like most Mormons, you’re not sure. You try hard to be as good as possible, but you still don’t know if you’ve done enough. If the Book of Mormon is really scripture, this hope will always elude you. Alma 11:37 says God cannot save you in your sins. Are all of your sins forgiven? Moroni 10:32 says you must be perfected in Christ, which can only be done by denying yourself of “all ungodliness”. Have you done that? Do you repent on a regular basis? Is so, then it is clear that you sin on a regular basis, since only those who break the commandments need to repent. 1 Nephi 3:7 states that you are able to keep His commandments. In fact according to D&C 25:15, you are required to keep them continually! Since you haven’t done this so far, why assume you will in the future? Of course, we should all try to be holy; but if you think that sinning less will qualify you to live in God’s presence, you are mistaken (Gal 3:1-11). The assumption that good works are required for forgiveness only cheapens Christ’s atonement, making it nothing more than a partial payment. God chooses to justify us by faith. Jesus alone does the “perfecting” (Heb 10:14). God gives peace to those who trust in Him alone. If you don’t have this peace, it’s probably because at least a part of you trusts in yourself. Questions? Visit us at www.gotforgiveness.com
Good question.
All Mormons are sure of salvation from hell. But the reward of eternal life is separate from plain salvation. Remember that Paul continually talked about a hope of eternal life.
Titus 3: 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Right now, at this moment, I feel that I will have eternal life through Christ. But I still must keep the faith and endure to the end. I accept Christ now, but it is always possible to reject him later and fall from grace.
No, continual repentance is not partial payment. It is only a manifestation and sign that the grace and power of Christ is active and operating in you.
Man does not contribute one iota to his own salvation without Christ. But Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins and not just in our sins. And the atonement is both grace and power; power to reject sin, be sanctified, and turn away from sin completely. It may take the rest of the Millennium to complete the work of sanctification, but as Paul said,
1 Cor. 6: 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?
Again, our continually repentant attitute of "I wish I could keep all the commandments" is a sign to the believer that the grace and power of Christ is working in him. And this assurance which comes of faith bring lasting peace and comfort.
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