The Lordship controversy has me pondering lately. This controversy is a teaching among Christians that one can be saved by the grace of Jesus without accepting Christ as Lord and God. This doctrine erases personal accountability. Grace has gone on sale to the lowest bidder and the best offer is the lowest amount possible, completely free. People desire to pay as little as possible and still receive the greatest reward possible: salvation in His Kingdom. The devil is cheapening Christianity and thus destroying the agency of mankind (Moses 4:3). If grace is God’s answer, the gift of a Christian life, then we cannot, for even a moment, dispense with following Christ; I must set out and live a Christian life. Cheap grace allows me to live a life of sin and be forgiven for free allowing one to cling to a secularized life and enjoy a Sunday sermon free of guilt or responsibility. The Christian life has come to mean nothing more than living in the world as the world, being no different than the world. In fact it seems that the Christian has been forebiden to be different from the world for the sake of grace. Therefore, cheap grace has become the bitterest enemy of discipleship, for true Christian discipleship has been eliminate in the name of economical grace. Discipleship must be a radical protest against the world. The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ (2 Nephi 10:20).Those who use grace as justification from following Christ are self deceived. Acquired knowledge cannot be separated from the existence in which it is acquired.
Is there a more evil abuse of grace than to sin and rely on the grace which God has given? This apostate doctrine of “Pecca Fortiter” which translated means “sin without fear” or “sin bravely” is an old heresy that teaches the greater the sin the greater the forgiveness; thereby encouraging some to commit greater sins so Christ’s mercy might be magnified. True it is that the followers of Christ soon learn that they can never become sinless. But t grace is gifted to those who from the bottom of their souls make a daily renunciation of sin. Grace at a low cost brings neither help nor freedom. To pay for grace I must walk the road of discipleship that leads to a personal Gethsemane. While others swarm around the carcass of cheap grace and drink the free poison destroying discipled life. Cheap grace is truth perverted into self (deceived free salvation, a doctrine almost as damning as self -propelled exaltation) and the devil is happy as the world makes grace available on the clearance table of self indulgence. Those who are trying to follow Christ as true disciples are now labeled heretics as they try to follow Christ. By condemning the devoted they condone the deception. Wholesale grace is certainly not in line with the teaching of Christ that the path is “narrow” and “few there be that find it”! On the every broadening path of free grace salvation is becoming a courtesy ticket on a carnival ride. And cheap grace has shown to be merciless to the Christian world for with cheap grace comes free sinning. Partakers have become so hardened in disobedience that the no longer hear His voice, thus agency is destroyed, for they are no longer free to enter into His life and partake of His glory and goodness; they are only free to wallow in the mire of sin and degradation. Thus the devil has stopped the progress of many seducing them to the ordinary level of the world, quenching the joy of followership by leading them to believe that they were following the path of free choice but in reality destroying all we fought in heaven. Laying hold of cheap grace bars one from the joyful knowledge of costly grace. This is dangerous because deceived and weakened, men think they are strong and independent; but they have lost the power to live. The doctrine of cheap grace has been the ruin of more Christians than any act of disobedience.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Light and Salt
“Ye are the Salt”: First we understand that the salt is the covenant (D&C 101 39-40; Lev. 2). Second, Jesus does not say: “Ye must be the salt” this is not for the covenant follower to decide, they are whether they like it or not. Covenant holders have been made salt by way of participation in covenant relationships with the Lord the disciple becomes the covenant. Again Jesus does not say “Ye have the salt” either. Jesus is speaking of the disciple’s entire existence as their lives are rooted in Christ and His gospel; it is the burden of the beatitudes in one simple statement.
The other option is for salt loses its savor and therefore is good for nothing and must be thrown away because it stopped working. Salt can’t loose savor with age only with contamination and mixture. Similarly, the covenant does not wear out or loose power with age only by worldly contamination. That seems to be a peculiar quality of salt, everything needs to be seasoned with it but once salt has lost the savor, it can never be used again. Everything else can be saved by salt however bad it has gone; only salt which loses its saver has no hope of recovery. This is the judgment hanging over the covenant community, whose mission is to salt (“covenantize”) the world. The Church has the covenant responsibility to save the world. The stone cut out of the mountain (Dan 2) is huge and rolling fast; either we push the stone by following the call or be crushed beneath it.
Then the call of Christ goes to the next level and makes the covenant family the light of the world. Their activity becomes visible. “Ye are the light” and that light is seen of men. Covenant holders do not become the light; no, they already are the light for Christ has made them so through the covenant relationship. The light is not an instrument placed into their hands such as the standard works or even the spoken word, it is the disciples themselves. Covenant bearers are the light in their entire existence. The disciple must remain true to the covenant and not contaminate the salt which is the conductor for the light. Because the disciple is the light hiding is no longer an option. The natural property of light to shine; therefore the city set on the hill cannot be hid. Again "cannot" implies even if the disciple wills it otherwise, it is not possible to hide that kind of light, the light of Christ through the covenant. A city with that kind of wattage can be seen for miles by everyone. Flight to the invisible is against the call of the covenant. Too many covenant holders have a bushel made from the fibers of the fear of men and worldly conformity. The covenant man and woman must learn to stand alone in a crowd of peers, stand alone for Christ and His eternal covenant.
The other option is for salt loses its savor and therefore is good for nothing and must be thrown away because it stopped working. Salt can’t loose savor with age only with contamination and mixture. Similarly, the covenant does not wear out or loose power with age only by worldly contamination. That seems to be a peculiar quality of salt, everything needs to be seasoned with it but once salt has lost the savor, it can never be used again. Everything else can be saved by salt however bad it has gone; only salt which loses its saver has no hope of recovery. This is the judgment hanging over the covenant community, whose mission is to salt (“covenantize”) the world. The Church has the covenant responsibility to save the world. The stone cut out of the mountain (Dan 2) is huge and rolling fast; either we push the stone by following the call or be crushed beneath it.
Then the call of Christ goes to the next level and makes the covenant family the light of the world. Their activity becomes visible. “Ye are the light” and that light is seen of men. Covenant holders do not become the light; no, they already are the light for Christ has made them so through the covenant relationship. The light is not an instrument placed into their hands such as the standard works or even the spoken word, it is the disciples themselves. Covenant bearers are the light in their entire existence. The disciple must remain true to the covenant and not contaminate the salt which is the conductor for the light. Because the disciple is the light hiding is no longer an option. The natural property of light to shine; therefore the city set on the hill cannot be hid. Again "cannot" implies even if the disciple wills it otherwise, it is not possible to hide that kind of light, the light of Christ through the covenant. A city with that kind of wattage can be seen for miles by everyone. Flight to the invisible is against the call of the covenant. Too many covenant holders have a bushel made from the fibers of the fear of men and worldly conformity. The covenant man and woman must learn to stand alone in a crowd of peers, stand alone for Christ and His eternal covenant.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sensationalized Rumors
At times (every year) we hear of statements supposedly spoken by someone holding the Apostleship stating some strange doctrine given at a random private meeting or family gathering. It has happened again.
I have received an email (five times) quoting a talk President Packer supposedly gave at someone’s sacrament meeting. The Brethren have ways to communicate with us through proper channels. General Conference, official writings and official correspondence with those who hold keys i.e. Stake Presidents and Bishops are the most prominent. We believe that there is no salvation in believing false doctrine.
Why do we need a statement from a private meeting when we have General Confernce where the Brethren spoke about the finical crisis and how to be safe, in plain language: LIVE THE GOSPEL! We are like the covenant people in the Book of Mormon who got this warning because they were a “stiffnecked people and . . . despised the words of plainness. . . by looking beyond the mark and must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them. . . “(Jacob 4:14)
We don’t need to sensationalize the gospel. The message Christ has given is exciting enough in its plainness to hold our attention and study for a lifetime. Joseph Smith taught that truth cuts its own way. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 313.)
I have received an email (five times) quoting a talk President Packer supposedly gave at someone’s sacrament meeting. The Brethren have ways to communicate with us through proper channels. General Conference, official writings and official correspondence with those who hold keys i.e. Stake Presidents and Bishops are the most prominent. We believe that there is no salvation in believing false doctrine.
Why do we need a statement from a private meeting when we have General Confernce where the Brethren spoke about the finical crisis and how to be safe, in plain language: LIVE THE GOSPEL! We are like the covenant people in the Book of Mormon who got this warning because they were a “stiffnecked people and . . . despised the words of plainness. . . by looking beyond the mark and must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them. . . “(Jacob 4:14)
We don’t need to sensationalize the gospel. The message Christ has given is exciting enough in its plainness to hold our attention and study for a lifetime. Joseph Smith taught that truth cuts its own way. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 313.)
We received the following letter from Church Headquarters:
Letter:
Talk given by President Boyd K. Packer on Sunday, October 12, 2008
Forwarded from the CES Administrator’s office in the Central Office in Salt Lake City:
President Boyd K. Packer’s Office has indicated that the report of his talk of Sunday, October 12, 2008, that is being distributed is not accurate. President Packer has not approved the report of his talk or authorized it’s distribution.
It is recommended that individuals follow the instruction, counsel, and spirit of his recent October 2008 General Conference talk.
We also need to consider that The First Presidency issued a letter May 13, 2004 which is now quoted in the new general handbook of instructions and provides official instruction: “…members of the Church [are] to never teach or pass on… statements without verifying that they are from approved official sources… Any notes made when General Authorities, Area Seventies, or other general Church officers speak at regional and stake conferences or other meetings should not be distributed without the consent of the speaker. Personal notes are for individual use only.” (Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1 (2006), pg. 173.)
Letter:
Talk given by President Boyd K. Packer on Sunday, October 12, 2008
Forwarded from the CES Administrator’s office in the Central Office in Salt Lake City:
President Boyd K. Packer’s Office has indicated that the report of his talk of Sunday, October 12, 2008, that is being distributed is not accurate. President Packer has not approved the report of his talk or authorized it’s distribution.
It is recommended that individuals follow the instruction, counsel, and spirit of his recent October 2008 General Conference talk.
We also need to consider that The First Presidency issued a letter May 13, 2004 which is now quoted in the new general handbook of instructions and provides official instruction: “…members of the Church [are] to never teach or pass on… statements without verifying that they are from approved official sources… Any notes made when General Authorities, Area Seventies, or other general Church officers speak at regional and stake conferences or other meetings should not be distributed without the consent of the speaker. Personal notes are for individual use only.” (Church Handbook of Instructions, Book 1 (2006), pg. 173.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)