Matters of Faith and Salvation

     When we come before the judgment bar of Christ, we are ultimately being judged for our worthiness for salvation.  There are three different forms of salvation which need to be discussed.  These are salvation from physical death, salvation from sin, and salvation from separation from God the Eternal Father (also called spiritual death).

     All of these forms of salvation come through the Atonement of the Beloved Savior, Jesus Christ.  He broke the bands of death in order to save us from physical death.  He took upon Himself the consequences of all the sins ever committed, granting salvation from sin.  And with His eternal perfection, He makes up the difference between our best and the perfection needed to enter the presence of God, saving us from spiritual death.  Thus it is only through Jesus the Atoning One that we have true salvation.

     As we know through revelation covered in previous entries, salvation from physical death comes to all the children of God who come to earth to obtain mortal bodies.  The grace of Christ grants all of us that blessing because of our faith in Jesus Christ in the Premortal Existence.  This isn’t true for salvation from sin or salvation from spiritual death.  These latter salvations are contingent upon our faith in Jesus Christ in this world. 

     It’s important to note an important fact here.  It isn’t enough to merely believe in Jesus Christ.  There are several scriptures that have been quoted for justification that all you need to do is declare your faith in Him and all is well.  In the New Testament of the King James Version of the Holy Bible, for example, we read, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified…” (Galatians 2:16)  And there are many other scriptures that seem to support this.

     Yet if we turn in the same book to James chapter two, we learn that “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”  This chapter goes on to give a wonderful discourse on why we need actions to be saved, not just faith.  So what is with this seeming contradiction? 

     The problem in the time of Paul, the person who penned Galatians, is that many members of the Jewish culture tended to follow a strict set of laws, but had no faith in Jesus Christ.  Instead they were puffed up with pride because of their piety in following the laws.  Paul is teaching us that this piety is empty, for Christ has no part in it.  Therefore those living in this manner, and there are a lot even today who do, are practicing a perversion of religion that is in itself a sin.  Therefore they cannot have claim to the salvation they seek.

     At the same time, there are many who believe in Jesus Christ, yet want no part of Him, or simply don’t want to put forth any work to become like Him.  These people are not attempting to overcome their sins and become better people, nor are they seeking to abide by the higher laws of God.  Therefore they have not staked a claim in the mercy of Jesus Christ necessary to receive salvation.  Their faith in Christ has not been practiced and they have no part in Him.

     To sum it up, you must have faith in Jesus Christ, and you must act on that faith.  This is what grants you full access to the salvation of Jesus Christ.  And there is no other way.  Notice you don’t need to be perfect now.  You just need to be trying to become perfect.

     Now, I want to say something more about faith in Jesus Christ.  There are many in the world that carry the wrong idea about what members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe.  They believe these Mormons believe that only people who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can be saved.  There are many who claim that all Christian religions have the same belief. 

     This simply isn’t true.  And it isn’t true that you must be a member of a certain faith in order to be saved through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Nor is it true that you must believe in Jesus Christ.  There are many different religious people, such as Jews and Muslims, who do not believe in Jesus Christ.  But these people believe in a good God, whatever they believe His nature, and devote their lives to living the teachings of this God.

     You simply must remember that all that which is good comes from the One True God.  So if people believe in a good god, it is that One True God, even if they may be mistaken about some of His personality traits and characteristics.  And there are people of all denominations who fit this category of people.  If they give their lives serving this God, trying to become better people, and living by what they believe He teaches, these people are serving the One True God.  That God is Jesus Christ, and they are serving Him, practicing faith in Him, and growing to be like Him.  And these people will find opportunities through the grace of Christ to partake in the fullness of His salvation before they come before the judgment bar of Christ.

     In my next entry, I intend to go into further detail on salvation from sin and salvation from spiritual death.  There is still quite a bit more to cover, and it hinges upon our faith in Him here and how we live that faith.