My views on Grace

[Anonymous]

Quote:

I see where the scriptures say we rely wholly and alone on the merits of Christ, but I do not believe that precludes works from having merits. Perhaps works have merits even though we don’t rely on them. Are there any scriptures that say works have no merits?

Assuming my view that works are required and necessary as they demonstrate our willingness and desires to follow Christ and that they give us opportunities to work towards the goal of perfection. And with that said seeing each scripture that says we are judged by our works based on the why I just gave show me a scripture where it says they have merit. They are the symptom not the cause of saving grace. I can name a dozen scriptures that tell us to rely wholly on Christ and his merits and to rely on ourselves 0%. I can find no scripture that says works have merit.

Even Elder McConkie agreed

“Salvation is not in works, not even in those revealed of God, but in Christ and his atonement.”

Works serve a purpose but they do not earn salvation, rather they demonstrate our desires and willingness to be in covenant. His grace 100% saves us if we are willing to follow him, desire to follow him, and try to follow him. Works is doing while the heart is trying. Salvation is in the trying. There is no checklist or bar that must be reached in good works. There is no litmus test of works to get salvation. There is however a litmus test for where our heart must be and where our desires must be.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your response. Please know that I respect you and your views and I present my view with respect.

DBMormon wrote:

Assuming my view that works are required and necessary as they demonstrate our willingness and desires to follow Christ and that they give us opportunities to work towards the goal of perfection.

It seems to me that demonstrating willingness to follow Christ is required and necessary to have grace applied to an individual. Something that is “required and necessary” can’t be merely a byproduct.

DBMormon wrote:

And with that said seeing each scripture that says we are judged by our works based on the why I just gave show me a scripture where it says they have merit.

There are many scriptures and you actually listed some of them. D&C20:31 shows that work has merit: “And we know also, that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength.” Serving God (works) is a factor in having grace applied. Something that helps us receive the grace of the Savior must have merit.

There is also Mosiah 5:15 – “Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.” Abounding in good works has merit in that it leads to Christ sealing us as His and saving us through mercy.

In Romans 3, Paul concluded that “a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” I believe he was referring to the law of ceremonial observances on which the Jews relied, for “was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only” (James 2:21-24).

If a man is justified (through gaining access to the grace of Christ) by works and faith, then they must have some kind of merit. But then Romans 4:2-5 must be considered: “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

There seems to be a direct contradiction, but we must not overlook the JST: “For if Abraham were justified by the law of works, he hath to glory in himself; but not of God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him who is justified by the law of works, is the reward reckoned, not of grace, but of debt. But to him that seeketh not to be justified by the law of works, but believeth on him who justifieth not the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Also, I will be rewarded according to my works (Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12; Alma 9:28; D&C 101:65; D&C 138:59), so it must be that works have merit and will be a factor in determining my eternal state. D&C 6:33 says “Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow good ye shall also reap good for your reward.” Reaping a reward based on what I sow (doing good works) is the very definition of merit.

DBMormon wrote:

They are the symptom not the cause of saving grace. I can name a dozen scriptures that tell us to rely wholly on Christ and his merits and to rely on ourselves 0%. I can find no scripture that says works have merit.

Even Elder McConkie agreed

“Salvation is not in works, not even in those revealed of God, but in Christ and his atonement.”

I agree that works are not the “cause of saving grace,” but I think works and faith are a factor in causing the saving grace to be applied and have merit. I don’t see that the quote by Elder McConkie does not say works have no merit.

I will write more later, but I will include a summary of my view: The price of salvation in the Celestial Kingdom is perfection. Since I fall short, I will never be able to pay for it on my own and it is a gift. I must rely alone on the grace, mercy, and merits of Jesus Christ. However, it is not written that relying alone on Christ precludes faith and works from having any merit. Since I will be judged and rewarded according to my works, it must be that works have merit and will be a factor in determining my eternal state. Faith and works have merit in that they lead to accessing the gift of grace. However, I cannot rely on them because they alone cannot save me. I must rely alone on the grace, mercy, and merits of Jesus Christ.

[Anonymous]

I think you both are saying the same thing in different ways – that what we do is important, not in the specific works we do but in what it says about our hearts and willingness to try to do what we believe God / Jesus asks us to do.

In my own words:

The heart directs the actions, and the heart is placed on God. Thus, “works” are important – but not in and of (and by) themselves. Nobody can work their way into heaven without a heart that is motivated by the type of faith that embraces grace.

Why is this?

It’s not primarily about what we “do”; it’s about who we are and are becoming. Grace sanctifies the effort to be and become, generally regardless of the specific works undertaken. Thus, in the end, the reliance on grace is the acknowledgment that we want to be / become whom God wants us to be / become – not necessarily what we would want to become naturally. That is the heart of faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.

It’s about a “fresh view” of the entire process – moving from a checklist list of do’s and don’ts to a state of sensing and searching and following – with the subsequent actions / works being much more inspired than prescribed.

[Anonymous]

Shawn,

I respect you as well. Don’t ever worry about offending me.

If I ever conceded works had merit, I could always fall back on that Grace is an enabling power that allws us to do good works beyond our own capacity, so even if they had merit, it would still be Christ who got credit for them so while it may be merit, it would be his merits.

Quote:

Grace is the help or strength given through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Through the grace of God, everyone who has lived will be resurrected—our spirits will be reunited with our bodies, never again to be separated. Through His grace, the Lord also enables those who live His gospel to repent and be forgiven.

Additional Information

Grace is a gift from Heavenly Father given through His Son, Jesus Christ. The word grace, as used in the scriptures, refers primarily to enabling power and spiritual healing offered through the mercy and love of Jesus Christ.

Everyone on earth experiences physical death. Through the grace of Jesus Christ, all will be resurrected and will live forever (see 1 Corinthians 15:20–22; 2 Nephi 9:6–13).

Because of personal choices, everyone also experiences the effects of sin (see 1 John 1:8–10; Mosiah 16:4). These effects are called spiritual death. No one can return to the presence of God without divine grace. Through the Atonement, we all can be forgiven of our sins; we can become clean before God. To receive this enabling power, we must obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and trying to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ for the rest of our lives (see Ephesians 2:8–9; James 2:17–22; 2 Nephi 25:23; 31:20).

The grace of God helps us every day. It strengthens us to do good works we could not do on our own. The Lord promised that if we humble ourselves before Him and have faith in Him, His grace will help us overcome all our personal weaknesses (see Ether 12:27).

[Anonymous]

DBMormon wrote:

If I ever conceded works had merit, I could always fall back on that Grace is an enabling power that allws us to do good works beyond our own capacity, so even if they had merit, it would still be Christ who got credit for them so while it may be merit, it would be his merits.

Quote:

……The grace of God helps us every day. It strengthens us to do good works we could not do on our own. The Lord promised that if we humble ourselves before Him and have faith in Him, His grace will help us overcome all our personal weaknesses (see Ether 12:27).

I think if we look at that closely, it can be understood that some things are not beyond our own capacity that we can do on our own.

I want to throw out some analysis I’ve done on some verses. Regarding the phrase from 2 Nephi 25:23 “for we know that it is by grace that we are saved,” it is as much of a stretch in my mind to say it means “in spite of all I do, it is Grace by which I am saved” than it is to say “grace comes in after and only after we do all we can do and expend our own best efforts.” Maybe it means something like this: I need to do all I can to follow Christ. I continually fall short, but then I repent. I do not run faster than I am able, nor do I run as fast as I can all the time. I just do what I can, and that is all I can do.

Romans 3:24-28 – “Therefore Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

I think the part about boasting can be understand thus: Then what becomes of the boasting of the Jew against the gentile? It is excluded; it is shut out. By what law – by what rule, doctrine, or reason – is it shut out? By the Law of ceremonial observances, which commands works, and on which the Jews rely? Nay: but by the law of faith – the rule, or arrangement, which proclaims that we are lost sinners; and that we are to be justified by faith in the mercy of God, through the propitiation made by the blood of Jesus.

[Anonymous]

Quote:

I need to do all I can to follow Christ. I continually fall short, but then I repent. I do not run faster than I am able, nor do I run as fast as I can all the time. I just do what I can, and that is all I can do.

:thumbup:

[Anonymous]

Recently MormonMatters.org did a podcast on Grace that speaks a little about what I have shared and also the resources I suggested in the beggining

http://mormonmatters.org/2012/09/23/127-grace/” class=”bbcode_url”>http://mormonmatters.org/2012/09/23/127-grace/

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