Home » Discuss Elliaison Books and Articles » The Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ » Who Can Make Their Calling and Election Sure (Discuss thoughts related to this chapter.)
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| Re: Who Can Make Their Calling and Election Sure [message #375 is a reply to message #363] |
Fri, 25 May 2012 14:36   |
Amonhi
Messages: 237
Registered: June 2010
Location: Las Vegas, NV.
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Senior Member |
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The book covers very clearly that all of us can receive this blessing. On various forums where I discuss this topic, I hear all sorts of ideas about why we can't receive the blessing. There are a lot of criteria that we setup for ourselves.
One is that we have to be perfect. It seems that we try to work our way to heaven by obedience to laws and ordinances.
Let me ask here, If we are becoming perfect the way many think is required, then are we negating the power of the atonement?
Is that like saying, "Thanks Christ, but if you can cover the past, then I will work on the future perfection on my own. I got this one covered..."
In D&C 76:69 it tells us about those who have their C&E and how they become perfect. It says,
"D&C 76:69"These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood.
It seems that the criteria is that we become "Just Men" and Christ will make us perfect from there...
In the pre-mortal world, we all including Satan, were in the presence of God while we learned and grew and made mistakes and even sinned. (WoW, I just said that we sinned in the pre-mortal world in the presence of God!) Yet, we were not cast out of God's presence while we grew and developed.
How could this be?
It worked because of a very little known doctrine called "the Preparatory Redemption".
"Alma 13:3"And this is the manner after which they were ordained--being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.
This Preparatory Redemption allowed us to remain in God's presence while we were yet imperfect and growing before the foundation of the world, as spirits.
At the conclusion of the war of words, there were those who rejected Christ as the Savior and put their faith in Satan. In so doing, when they rejected Christ, they also rejected the preparatory redemption and so were cast out having given up the grace that allowed them to be there. Without grace they were relying on their own merits to save them, which was not enough. (They were also cast out for other reasons... but the point I am making still stands.)
If we, like them reject the atonement and deny its power, and attempt to rely on our own merits to save ourselves, then we will have a very long way to go before we can be brought back into God's presence. However, if we allow the power of the atonement to take us from being "Just Men" to "perfect men", right now, then we can return to God's presence having been redeemed from the fall, while still learning and growing and progressing. This is what Grace is all about. We wouldn't need grace if we already qualified on our own merits.
Of course we continue to grow and learn and progress and make mistakes and readjust our heading. But it isn't about trying to earn our way to heaven such that grace is nullified and void. Also Grace is able to save us during the process, not just at the end.
What other criteria do we tend to think we need to meet before we qualify? Are they valid criteria?
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| Re: Who Can Make Their Calling and Election Sure [message #548 is a reply to message #375] |
Tue, 26 June 2012 08:47 |
kenh
Messages: 62
Registered: June 2012
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Thank you for having me here at this forum. One of the criteria needed is following the voice of Christ fully. The Light of Christ is His personal revelations to us to guide and direct us back into His presence. When we "hearken unto His voice", we show our determined obedience to the Father's will. This allows us to have the Holy Ghost to be with us. Reaching for mighty prayer is another essential part of the criteria that helps us on our path. Learning to pray in the Spirit will draw us closer to God and ask for things that we would not normally ask for from God. Seeking for forgiveness first by asking the Father for Christ to approach the throne of God to act as our Mediator and Advocate, which is what He promised us he would do, but we must ask for it to happen, (Ask and ye shall receive), then, once we are filled with the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost, He will testify that our sins have been forgiven. Then we while filled with the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost will prompt us to ask for those things that will add to our knowledge and understanding beyond our own abilities as mortals. This is what is meant to "rejoice in the truth". Only Christ can cleanse us of the natural man. There is a difference between being forgiven of sins and cleansed of all sin. Forgiveness of sin is a temporary pardon from having our mistakes condemning us before God. But if we repeat the sin then the condemnation returns. Being cleansed of all sin is where through the complete application of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we are redeemed from the fall and the desire to sin has been removed from us. We have thus accelerated to the end of our personal probationary state while still in this life. This is when we have our calling and election made sure. Through the grace of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, he has made as "just men". He will then, with the use of the Second Comforter, become our personal tutor to prepare us for us to be made perfect. 
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| Re: Who Can Make Their Calling and Election Sure [message #549 is a reply to message #548] |
Tue, 26 June 2012 12:36 |
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Dragon
Messages: 499
Registered: June 2010
Location: Earth
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Senior Member |
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kenh: He will then, with the use of the Second Comforter, become our personal tutor to prepare us for us to be made perfect.
This brings up an interesting question. Once we have our C&E, does our knowledge increase? Is this one way of identifying those with their C&E sure? It is very possible for people to acquire great knowledge on their own, but the knowledge obtained from angels sent to tutor us has a different quality to it.
Joseph Smith had only a 3rd grade formal education, though it is clear his family continued his education, especially in matters of the gospel. But his knowledge in later years came from angels who visited him frequently.
Yet no matter our source of knowledge, God waits for us to ask the question before we are told the answers. Thus it behooves us to question anything which does not make sense, as well as many of those which do. Additionally, we should ask how each gospel principle applies to our life.
- Dragon
- Dragon
[Updated on: Tue, 26 June 2012 12:37] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: Who Can Make Their Calling and Election Sure [message #551 is a reply to message #548] |
Tue, 26 June 2012 13:58 |
Amonhi
Messages: 237
Registered: June 2010
Location: Las Vegas, NV.
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Senior Member |
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Kenh,
So glad you could join us here. I really agree with what you wrote.
"Kenh"The Light of Christ is His personal revelations to us to guide and direct us back into His presence. When we "hearken unto His voice", we show our determined obedience to the Father's will.
You stated this very clearly and accurately. Our words give away our secrets. This is one way by which we recognize others who have received the blessing for themselves. Your words show your firsthand knowledge and experience in relation to this topic. I hope that you share your story with the others of this forum in the section, "How You Received Your Calling and Election Made Sure".
Many people have heard similar statements to the one you gave above but they interpret those statements differently. For example, those who do not have the blessing for themselves will most often interpret this to mean that they need to be vigillant and exact in following the instructions given through the prophet or some other leader who speaks for God. They accept that they need to obey God, but they interpret that to mean obedience to the prophet who speaks for God. But, this is not the case.
Until we can communicate with God directly for ourselves, we have not spiritually progressed to the point by which we can receive the promise. When we can receive and recognize direction God directly, then we must be obedient to God as He speaks to us directly. The Role of Prophets is to help us to learn to communicate with God for ourselves, not to replace God in our lives.
[quote"Kenh"]Reaching for mighty prayer is another essential part of the criteria that helps us on our path. Learning to pray in the Spirit will draw us closer to God and ask for things that we would not normally ask for from God.[/quote]
The temple endowment tries to teach this as do many scriptures. But more than praying sincerely, you are saying to pray by the spirit just like we would give a priesthood blessing by the spirit, suspending our own will for the will of God.
"kenh"Only Christ can cleanse us of the natural man. You will find incredible insights into what this means and how it happens by replacing the word "Christ" with its meaning "love" in every scripture you read. Also, replace "Love" with "Christ". This works because the terms are synonymous. Eventually, we must follow the example of Jesus by taking on us the name of Christ/LOVE just as Jesus did.
[quote"kenh"]Being cleansed of all sin is where through the complete application of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we are redeemed from the fall and the desire to sin has been removed from us.[/quote] I often refer to this as the "Mighty Change of Heart" or "The Final Repentance", terminology aside, we are on the same page.
[quote"kenh"]We have thus accelerated to the end of our personal probationary state while still in this life.[/quote]This is explained in great detail in the book, "The Probation of Man". The concept that we can complete and finish our probation while in this life is new to most people.
"kenh"Through the grace of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, he has made as "just men". He will then, with the use of the Second Comforter, become our personal tutor to prepare us for us to be made perfect. I have a slightly different slant on this...
We are/become "Just Men" and we are made perfect by reason of the Change of Heart or Final Repentance which comes by way of a true understanding and experience of the atonement which makes us at "one" with ourselves, God and others, (At-one-maker/ment).
"These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood." - D&C 76:69
You can get a general, (but not perfect), idea as to how I understand the relationship between Grace & Works that allows us to have all the benefits of perfection including the presence of God and the Holy Ghost prior to becoming perfect, here:
Thank you for a very incredible first post!
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