Hey there everybody welcome out to another episode of Redeemed Through His Blood.
Scott Durfey here is always joined by David Durfey.
How are you Dave?
Great Scott.
When our listeners hear this they will have celebrated Christmas and we hope and pray they
enjoyed the spirit of the season and we even hope that Santa Claus came and all that good
stuff.
No doubt no doubt fun time of year and I'm grateful for this time of year I'm grateful
for all that goes on but I'm mostly grateful for the reason for the season and we're going
to be talking about that reason for the next I don't know that all of the episodes left
this year you know that is our focus.
We're kind of in the heart of it now aren't we Scott?
We really are the reason so you know we over the last episode and a half we've really focused
on Christmas so I think it would be a good idea for us to just kind of bring us back
to center here remind us of where we've been in terms of the podcast curriculum itself.
Well so here we are let's kind of recap some of the important components or important parts
are all important but let's talk about some of those things so we can remind ourselves
or get ourselves back in the mode as we move into the answer to the fall Dave.
Well we're anxious to talk about the atonement of Jesus Christ because that really is the
heart of it but we need to understand why we just kind of need to bridge the gap between
the fall and the atonement and help our listeners and remind ourselves why they're needed to
really be in atonement.
Why did there have to be an atonement?
Why did he have to suffer bleed and die for me for you?
So I think that's what we should talk about.
I think I've mentioned this before in previous podcasts and I also want to say Scott that
you know this is a course of instruction it's a podcast but we're following a course that
was taught in the book that was written by Elder Anderson the Divine Gift of Forgiveness
and all of this leads us up through this course we talked about who we are and whose we are
the identity then we talked about the fall now we're going to talk about the atonement
of Jesus Christ and the events and the effects of the atonement of Jesus Christ that's going
to be the next two or three or four podcasts and then we'll talk about the application
of the atonement of Jesus Christ which leads us to the doctrine of Christ which is faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ repentance ordinances and receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring
to the end so that's kind of the course that we're following and again we're not going
to rush through through this part of it because this is kind of the fulcrum really that all
this course rests on is I think understanding the atonement of Jesus Christ once we understand
the atonement of Jesus Christ according to one of my favorite quotes from the brother
in Nelder Scott when we understand it we are filled with immense gratitude which provides
us the motivation we need to live the gospel and to repent I know that's true I know gratitude
is the beginning of desire and what I always think of that that saying which I know we've
used in the past a lot gratitude for what gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ
and it and really Scott when we understand the atonement of Jesus Christ it changes how
we see everything it changes how we see ourselves and whose we are it changes how we see others
it changes how we see the world it changes how we live I mean really the essence of the
atonement of Jesus Christ Christ was captured by somebody who said he gave his life so that
you could change yours well when we understand the atonement Jesus Christ Scott it does change
our life completely elder ooke dwarf quoting David O. McKay you know in a kind of paraphrasing
and I've I've always believed this that whatever let me just read this this is a elder ooke
dwarf paraphrasing a quote by President David O. McKay what you sincerely in your heart think
of Christ his birth his life and atonement will ultimately determine who you are what
you do and how you live that's everything that changes everything yeah it leaves that
nothing out what you do what was it what you do what you who you are who you are what you
do and how you live right and I I love the from in preach my gospel it says as your
understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ grows your desire to live the gospel and to
share the gospel will increase so we're not going to rush through the next part of this
course which is try to help all of us to better understand and especially to more deeply appreciate
be grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ you were just talking about how the atonement
of Jesus Christ changes us and in a couple of great quotes there I love that one word
elder Christ offers and recapping or re quoting President McKay where he says it changes who
we are what you do and how you live but you know it also can change our vision or our
view of things that have taken place in our life it can change us from being a yeah it
can change us from being a victim to having an opportunity to put on the atonement of
Jesus Christ for example it can change all of the things that we see that has happened
to us and put that in a different perspective because even those things that happened to
us that were really out of our control and we'll talk about this as we go right but the
atonement of Jesus Christ covers that too right through his compensatory blessing we'll
get into what all of that means and how that applies as we go through this but it's important
for us I think right out of the gate to maybe be in anticipation of letting the atonement
of Jesus Christ change the events or how we see the events of the things that have happened
to us that we have kept in our lives and that sometimes motivate us or perpetuate feelings
of inadequacy or less than or I'll never make it or those kinds of things because it really
not only changes who we are the changes how we it should change and can change how we
see things from our past and from the future in the future to Dave and really Scott if
we understand it it changes not just our life in general it changes us moment by moment
hour hour by hour I mean it it it permeates everything about our life it it affects as
you say our perspective how we see things not just ourselves but how we see our situation
or circumstances it changes everything I let me read this quote get this out of the way
get your thoughts on this this is elder Chris Dofferson in general conference few years ago
we do not need to achieve some minimum level of capacity or goodness before God will help
us divine aid can be ours every hour of every day no matter where we are in the path of
obedience so what's your take on that well so this is great because so often and I know
you've probably heard this too but I hear this a lot especially in the rooms of recovery
but even as an elders corn president I hear this a lot from members right where we know
that when we have this distance which is created again by the fall through the spiritual and
physical death when we have this distance between us and all things spiritual specifically
our heavenly father right and all that he has available to us but when when we have
that distance when we have all of that taking place in our lives sometimes we can use that
as an excuse and I've heard it I've even said it you know I'm not worthy to go to heavenly
father right now to ask for his help I got to get a few things lined up before I do
that when I do that then I will feel more worthy as though I was going to talk to a
bishop or a state where does that come from well what where do you think I mean I mean
I know it comes from ourselves no but it but it really the source of that comes from the
accuser exactly because that's an accusation title yeah his title of being the accuser
right you're not worthy you're not good enough you get you can you know God doesn't want
to hear from you he accuses us night and day and just like in Revelation chapter 12 right
where we talk about the accuser how do we negate that through the blood of the lamb
and through the word of our testimony yeah right and if we understand the blood of the
lamb we have a testimony at least of that yeah and the accuser can not put those things
in front of us with any kind of efficacy if we understand that to be the case I love where
he says there's no requirement period yeah there's no requirement or minimum level of
capacity or goodness before God will help us and love us and that's my words but but
if he'll help us he loves us and that that I think that really takes a lot of the fear
out of a lot of people if we understand it now a lot of us won't will choose not to understand
that because we want to stay stuck in our inability to approach him because of our inadequacies
and so there's that that the accuser will also have us believe I mean we can go around
and round on this but that's important for us to understand David I read a quote the
other day Scott I know I couldn't recall right off who said it but you know as humans it
is it is human nature for us to distribute guilt and not disseminate grace I really I
know that's true we we beat ourselves up I we're not I'm just not talking about distributing
guilt among our peers or our family or our strangers or others who hurt us but we we
are so quick to distribute guilt when it comes to our self and for some reason it's so hard
for us to disseminate grace in our life and to offer ourselves grace so I I appreciate
what you're saying and I know it's true I think if we really come to an understanding of the
fall and the atonement of Jesus Christ that will all become more merciful more kind more
gracious to ourselves and others well we spent quite a time a couple of podcasts on the fall
scone and talked about you know the seven the seven reasons why understanding that doctrine
is so important but let's just bridge the gap just a little bit today and talk about
really why Jesus had to suffer we know we know in essence the general answer to that
is to overcome the fall but why did he have to bleed why did he have to suffer why did
he have to pay a price for our redemption and I think that the answer to that largely
is taught in the Book of Mormon I think most people who do not have the Book of Mormon
Scott in fact I read a commentary I was telling you about this this morning I read a commentary
that that said totally rejected the idea that Jesus had to pay a debt totally rejected the
idea that's what Jesus did because we don't we we don't know God anything it was Adam
and Eve who messed us up and we don't owe him anything and and his the debt that Jesus
didn't pay a debt to deliver us from Satan so anyway it was without the Book of Mormon
Scott it's pretty hard to understand why Jesus really had to bleed suffer and die for us
but the Book of Mormon makes it so clear and I throughout the Book of Mormon I mean Jacob
in 2nd Nephi chapter 9 is wonderful about the importance of the law and the his discussion
on the ends of the law which our readers need to maybe remind themselves of and reread
2nd Nephi chapter chapter 9 but also Scott it's because of the law of justice which Alma
spends a lot of time trying to teach his wayward son Corianton about in in Alma chapter 40
through 42 that I those those chapters are really quite amazing and I've always seen
those those three chapters Scott 40 41 42 of Alma prophet father with a wayward son
Corianton who apparently committed the immorality for an occasion on his mission was sent home
and this sweet father trying to teach his son his need for a redeemer and by the way
I think that is a pattern for all parents who have wayward children I know that you it
depends on our relationship with our children or their readiness or the timeliness or their
humility their preparation to hear this but ultimately in order for wayward children or
even not just our own wayward children but God's wayward children you and me and we're
all way wayward to a degree exactly we're all prodigals in order for us to really come
back Alma's teaching to his son Corianton is I think the perfect pattern of how he talks
about the redemption of Jesus Christ and the importance of the of the law of justice and
I think it's in Alma chapter 42 verse 30 where he kind of summarizes his feelings and his
teachings to Corianton do you have it Scott yeah Alma 42 verse 30 you want to read that
let's get your thoughts on this you got it oh my son I desire that you should deny the
justice of God no more do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because
of your sins by denying the just justice of God but do let the justice of God and his
mercy and his long suffering have full sway on your heart and let it bring you down to
the dust in humility full sway of heart I love that you know full sway of heart what
does that mean I mean I know that I've had an opportunity taken the opportunity to deny
no more the justice of God to a degree but what does it mean that full sway of heart
you know I think that's where we really have to have you know in in alcoholics anonymous
in recovery it's important that a member of alcoholics anonymous in order for them in
order for us I'll put it in first person again to get sober we have to recognize a rock bottom
we have to recognize our own nothingness we have to have and it has to become a full sway
of heart experience for us otherwise half measures we say and it's this is a quote right
out of the big book about college anonymous half measure half measures avail this nothing
there's no avail to half measures and that's also the case here you know full sway of heart
I love that completely yes totally yes absolutely yes understand that we can bear it nothing
of ourselves that we are helpless really Scott yeah that man is helpless and without
the atonement of Jesus Christ because of the law of justice right not not because God doesn't
love us but because he is also a God of laws and God cannot look upon sin with the least
degree of allowance now I'm not just talking about Adam and Eve's transgression in the
fall of mankind here I'm talking about your fall your personal fall and my personal fall
when we sin and Scott there are so many ways to sin I'm not just talking major sin here
I'm talking the sins of commission when you choose to do wrong and the sins of omission
which is you don't do what's right and you just didn't even think to sometimes we sin
every day right every day I don't live a perfect life not one day there's either thoughts go
through my mind or I fail or I fail to read my scriptures in the morning as I had planned
the night before or or or and being fallen right having corrupt ability of flesh and
the pole of Satan and living in a celestial world we sin every day and if God cannot look
upon sin with the least degree of allowance and if nothing unclean can dwell and I emphasize
that word we'll talk about that later no unclean thing can dwell in his presence we're in
trouble yeah we're helpless totally absolutely completely without the atonement of Jesus Christ
well you keep using the word helpless and I love that word and I agree with that 100%
but I think that there's even a deeper view of that when I say not only am I helpless
but I'm powerless yes I have no power over of in and of myself I have no power over the
effects of the fall of Adam and Eve I mean I can make decisions sure I can make decisions
to make better choices I can but when especially when it comes to the sins like you mentioned
of omission for example you know one of those sins of omission that seems to creep up in
my life is when I get a prompting or a thought to do something for somebody and I push it
aside because of my own busyness or whatever right that's just an example but helpless
and powerless helpless for sure powerless absolutely and that power that is needed we'll learn
if we already know but we'll learn how and why comes through Jesus Christ the Son of
God well one reason you don't have power is because you are a sinner and you cannot pay
back any sin that you commit not using the words of brother Robert J. Matthews you can't
pay back one millionth of one percent of any sin you commit sins of commission or omission
you can't pay back or make up for one percent one millionth of one percent of any sin you
commit that's that's pretty powerless we have to learn how totally completely absolutely
dependent we are upon Jesus Christ in his atonement man can merit nothing absolutely
totally completely nothing unto himself we we're meritless Scott and yet we live in
this culture of meritocracy where we think that we can earn or where we have to earn
our way I even get nervous when people talk about self reliance in the church because
I think that can be an occupational hazard in the church where they think that they have
to be self reliant and pay the price and earn their way that's not that's not the gospel
of redemption I've said this before we believe in a gospel of redemption not a gospel of
assimilation we have to be redeemed we cannot just assimilate good habits and keep all the
commandments and think that we're going to be saved Scott in fact again I'm quoting
brother Robert J. Matthews if you could if it were even possible which it's not but if
you could keep all the commandments you would still go to hell without the atonement of
Jesus Christ and I remember as a young missionary Scott thinking you know as I was trying to
repent I've referenced this before just striving and striving working hard so hard as a missionary
living every rule keeping every commandment thinking this is how I will repent right I
confessed all my sins I told all and they still let me serve it wasn't that I was you
know holding anything back but they still let me go on a mission and even though I didn't
feel worthy I thought that I could become worthy by working my guts out and keep living
all the rules and keeping all the commandments and if I could baptize a few people maybe
that would even be a few positive check marks that would help me to receive forgiveness
yeah well I I learned Scott I learned I don't know months sadly wait way too long into my
mission I learned that I was completely helpless and I could never ever do enough and I learned
that you know I kind of wrote it this way I wrote this down when I was young as a young
missionary and even before I kept the commandments so that I wouldn't need the atonement but now
I strive to keep the commandments to put on the atonement every everything Scott we've
been asked to do really by our loving loving heavenly Father is to help us to put on the
atonement of Jesus Christ to be immersed in the gospel of Jesus Christ so that his power
and his grace and his mercy can save us we cannot save ourselves worlds without end even
if you never broke a commandment you would still go to hell and maybe we should go to
that scripture brother Matthews would always when he said that would always turn to 2nd
Nephi chapter 9 Scott and let's read 2nd Nephi 9 8 9 so as I'm reading this I want us to
weigh the effects of what we're reading here how important was the atonement of Jesus Christ
we'll get that in verse 9 specifically this is 8 to begin with all the wisdom of God his
mercy and grace for behold if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject
to that angel who fell from before the presence of the eternal God and became the devil to
rise no more and our spirits must have become like unto him and we become devils angels
to a devil to be shut out from the presence of our God and to remain with the father of
lies in misery like unto himself yea to that being who beguiled our first parents who transform
with himself nigh into an angel of light and stir it up the children of men unto secret
combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness and then verse 10 oh how
great the goodness of our God who prepared the way for our escape you know I so really
and as I read that Scott it's not just we go to hell we become sons of perdition yeah
if it weren't for the atonement of Jesus Christ if Jesus Christ would have committed one little
sin or not gone through the full effects of the atonement and the suffering that he experienced
we would have all become sons of perdition right I'm going to finish verse 10 I loved
what you read but there's there's a part of that that really ties into what we what we
opened up with today oh how great again the goodness of our God and the who prepared
the way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster I love that that imagery yea
the monster of death and hell now this is where it ties in two headed monster yeah death
and it's a new head and monster and death is of course physical death yep and hell is
spiritual death and that's exactly what he wraps it up at which I call the death of the
body and also the death of the spirit the two effects of the fall of Adam and Eve that's
that that's the two headed monster and so Scott without Jesus Christ without his atonement
and without the resurrection we would have become totally subject to Satan so even if
you could keep the commandments without the resurrection yeah there's no redemption there's
no redemption so I'm thinking right now the words that are pronounced in the sealing
ceremony that the promises regarding the the holy resurrection when couples are sealed
in the house of the Lord so anyway Scott I just think that's really important that we
bridge this gap between the fall and the atonement and we understand why Jesus had to do what
he had to do and even over in verse 26 of the same chapter chapter 9 verse verse 26
for the atonement satisfied the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the
law given to them it's not just for those who have sinned who know that they've sinned
and who repent Scott but the atonement of Jesus Christ covered all of those who sinned
ignorantly who don't have the law or don't have the gospel the atonement covers all of
that we'll we'll get into this more when we talk about the conditional and the unconditional
effects of the atonement but it's just it's just I don't know I think as we come to an
understanding of why Jesus had to suffer it is it just fills us with so much more gratitude
so much more appreciation really so much more humility so much more grace and mercy as we
look at our own at ourselves and we see others who are in the same boat as us the atonement
of Jesus Christ bridge the gap it every day bridges the gap it to heal the breach it to
it helps us to come back into a oneness that's why it's called the atonement the atonement
of Jesus the fall cut us off and he said we commit cuts us off we turn our back when we
sin the atonement of Jesus Christ gives us the power to turn around to move back in their
direction and to have our relationship healed and restored that's what redemption is all
about and that's what the atonement of Jesus Christ brought about for each of us so this
may be a few a few quotes that kind of summarize this and we'll get into the to the events
of the atonement I love this from President Oekdorf when he was in the first presidency
he he said in one of my favorite talks that he ever gave called the gift of grace April
2015 we cannot earn our way into heaven the demands of justice stand as a barrier which
we are powerless to overcome on our own but all is not lost the grace of God is our great
and everlasting hope through the sacrifice and atonement of Jesus Christ the plan of
mercy appeases the demands of justice and of course that's from again Alma chapter 42
teaching Corianton that Corianton you can't you can't just do this on your own you can't
come back into the presence of God or have a relationship with God on your own you you
have to understand the role of the Savior and the atonement of Jesus Christ and how
there is mercy available to us only because of him and that mercy it can't rob justice
Scott mercy cannot rob justice a price had to be paid and Jesus paid that for all of
us well the price had to be paid but that price had to be paid by him that price I
mean we there's no way that we could have paid our own price no it would kill us in
the first place and then it wouldn't be enough it never be sufficient yeah it never be sufficient
we could we couldn't do that there's so much injustice in the world in our lives in the
lives of others that there had to be a redeemer who was sinless who could take upon himself
because not only was he human where he would feel the full effects but because he was a
God so that he could feel the full effects without dying right only he only he I'm thinking
of the the sacrament here you know the Green Hill far away only he was good enough to pay
the price percent yeah so I I think that I hope that we've kind of bridged the gap and
helped our listeners understand again why Jesus had to suffer before we jump into the
events of what actually the atonement is well I think it's important for us to just kind
of in summary for us to remember that we are subject to the effects of the fall the effects
of the fall are at work in each of our lives every day both on the spiritual death side
and on the physical death death side our bodies are breaking down we're getting older those
kinds of things you know some of us deal with organic emotional problems depressions mental
health issues those types of things all of us deal with sin at same level we all sin
we all get sinned against those types of things as well and so that those are all because
of the effects of the fall of Adam and Eve now Jesus is not subject to the effects of
the fall because again what you have talked about you know he being a God you know Heavenly
Father was his father physically and spiritually and all other ways Heavenly fathers are spiritual
father but Heavenly Father was also Jesus his physical father which made him a God but
he was also human because of his mother Mary which made it possible for him to go through
and understand and experience Alma 7 right the things where he descended below all things
so he would know how to sucker his people so understanding that helps me to understand
that a lot of times and you know getting back to the question we talked about earlier you
know because sometimes was it elder Christ offers and taught us earlier in the podcast
we read a quote from him it taught us that we are always able to approach Heavenly Father
and ask for his help sometimes we feel like sins sometimes we feel like the way we're
living our life precludes us from being able to do that what precludes us from a relationship
with our Heavenly Father is the effects of the fall spiritual death physical death Jesus
answered all of that through his atonement yeah and what you said earlier Scott that
Jesus wasn't subject to the fall you're right he had power to overcome it and only he had
powered overcome it because he was a God but he he did feel all the effects effects of
the fall that I mean all the effects right all of them and not only in his suffering
in his final hours and the bleeding of every poor and all of the pain and suffering but
he felt it he felt it his whole life I mean I'm sure that that there were there was a
lot of pain in his life growing up I'm sure that it was difficult when the when his hometown
folks wanted to throw him off the cliff I mean he threw out his entire life Scott and even
to the extent that we are not possible to fill the effects of the fall because again
he was a God he felt the full effects of temptation we'll talk about that and the role of a sinless
life that makes the atonement even possible so you're right he had power over the fall
but he felt and he had to he felt all the effects of the fall even to a much an infinite
degree more than we can fill the effects we filled the effects but he felt all of the
effects accumulative you know all challenges we don't have we don't all not I don't know
a person maybe there is one that that suffers with all of life's potential challenges there's
probably none of us that can say that but he did which would help us to feel more grateful
to him and for him sometime ago elder Hayford Bruce Hayford talked about the temple endowments
Scott and he those who are familiar with the with what happens in the endowment and where
we learn about the creation first pillar and we spent a lot of time in the endowment on
the second pillar the fall and somebody asked him the question why if the if the temple endowment
is centered on Jesus Christ why is it that we don't spend more time in the endowment
on the life of Christ or the atonement of Christ why is it that most of the endowment
is focused upon the fall of Adam and Eve well I it's a it's a great question profound inspired
question and I love elder Hayford's answer to this his answer was so that you would understand
why you need a savior and redeemer that's why we spend so much time on the fall and
second so that you would know how to put on the atonement of Jesus Christ so in the atonement
of Jesus Christ or in the endowment of the temple we don't spend so much time talking
about the events or the effects of the atonement of Jesus Christ we spend most of the time
in the endowment of the temple being taught why we need a savior and redeemer and how
we can put on the atonement in our life that's what the endowment teaches us and I'm grateful
for that and you know that the endowment what is the endowment it's a gift what's the gift
it's a gift of knowledge it's a gift of power that we we learn how badly how absolutely
totally completely we are dependent upon Jesus Christ and how we can through Christ
enter back into the presence of our heavenly Father that's what the endowment teaches us
anyway I I love that and in that same vein elder haven taught the law this is a quote
from his book the broken heart which I think is one of the great books on the effects and
application of the atonement of Jesus Christ in our life elder haven wrote the law of justice
is an eternal law requiring that whenever a divine commandment is broken there must be
a punishment imposed and a compensation made think about that for just a minute Scott punishment
imposed compensation made to restore the balance in natural law that was upset by the violation
well we we do not have we're not we're not capable really of fulfilling the punishment
or making the compensation all of the punishment and all of the compensation was fulfilled
and paid by the atonement and suffering of Jesus Christ so I hope that our listeners
again begin to to feel greater gratitude for a savior and redeemer and what God chose to
call the plan of plan of redemption we have to be redeemed it is a plan of redemption
it is not a plan of assimilation it's not a plan of just keeping commandments it's
not a checklist it's not a to-do list it's not I have to do this and this and this and
this it is a plan of redemption which to me says I need a savior redeemer it's really
Scott it's it's less about our works and more about our relationships it's not so much about
the commandments as it is our relationships with deity and we we can strengthen that relationship
of course by keeping the commandments and living the standards being earnest and intentional
about about our our lives and how we live the gospel but all of that is not to help
us earn our way but to help us to have a sweeter closer at one but with our Heavenly Father
through Jesus Christ our advocate mediator. I love so much of what we talked about and
I have so many things to say about so much of it but but these are things that as we
continue on in the podcast that will come up I just want to dive into everything and and
just do it all at once right now but it's important that we build these concepts but
before we do that I think just to you know to kind of recap a couple of things here
that the reason that most of the endowment for example is focused on the fall is so that we
will understand the necessity of Jesus Christ in our lives and what he did to answer the effects
of the fall I love that and how we can access it and how we can access it and I love that the
endowment is a gift right we just come through the the greatest probably giving season of all
you know of the year is Christmas time of course and and you know I've been to the temple a couple
of times over the last month or so and I've been thinking about that I've been thinking about the
endowment the gift you know there's so many gifts that have been afforded to us through
Heavenly Father and and for whatever reason during this time of year I've been a little extra
sensitive to some of that but the gift of knowledge and the gift of power that comes through that
endowment can give me the strength and the encouragement and the hope that I need because
you know the accuser he'll he'll try to jump in there and throw roadblocks in front of me and try
to confuse me and try to throw you know things out there that may make me wonder or question or
doubt and it then it happens right absolutely but but to understand that that knowledge and that
power and how do I access that for me there's different ways for me to access it right we
talk about prayer we talk about scripture study and and as we go along those are all called I think
Scott instruments of grace instruments of grace we'll get into that right we talk about the application
repentance exactly and those instruments of grace we can start to notice them right now though
because as we notice those instruments of grace that come into our lives that's what continues to
give me the hope and the and the strength and the vision to continue on in this process remembering
that it's not my merit that matters it's his merit my mat my merit what I first off my merit's
pretty weak I there's not much I can merit anyway but but to know that it's okay that it's not my
merit that it's his merit now we do we do talk about commandments we do talk about you know
living our lives in accordance to his will as part of our demonstration of us putting on the
atonement of Jesus Christ as part of our demonstration of gratitude for what he did and that takes
some effort it does and and and above all as a demonstration of my love for him if you love me
keep my commandments absolutely you know I know we've quoted from Adam Miller before but to
Adam Miller said redemption points holy to Christ and his grace it's a plan of redemption not a
plan of assimilation anyway and he goes on living the gospel is the work of relying on Christ merits
not the work of generating your own this is still hard work but it is work of an entirely
different kind I I really love that and I'm going to back up a little bit in that quote too
because in this he is talking about the law right and he you know he talks about the purpose of the
law is to point you away from yourself free you from your self-obsessed burden of your own story
and center you on Christ yeah that's it you know and and he even teaches in that Scott which I love
about what sin is like I think that's kind of one of his main points in this is that sin itself
is a rejection of God's grace and a rejection of Jesus Christ because God's grace is not the result
of our sin grace is already given it's always there and it's something we just have to stop
refusing and when we commit sins of omission we're refusing to receive God's grace when we break any
commandment we are refusing the grace of God in our life that's maybe why it's a sin I there's
other reasons why it's a sin because of the hurt pain and and loss that it may cause others Scott
for sure but one reason a sin of omission is a sin if we fail to say our prayers if we felt
we think well I've just hurt myself well that that may be true but you are rejecting the grace of God
when we don't go to church we're rejecting and we don't participate in the ordinances we are
rejecting the grace and mercy of God that is that's one reason why it's a sin that's a different
definition and way of looking at at sin and what it is so anyway I I hope that our listeners
will have a better perspective of the importance of of under the importance of understanding
the atonement of Jesus Christ in their life and their need for a savior and redeemer this gets
us started into the the heart of the curriculum here we've covered some important things today
and I think as we continue to do this that it as has been the case in seasons past will really
develop a greater relationship a deeper gratitude and a deeper desire because of that gratitude to
align ourselves with our heavenly Father and his will for us through the atonement of Jesus Christ
as we qualify for the effects of the atonement in our lives and and that really will become I think
our our our quest it will become our vision and I think for a lot of us will begin to see that
as a lot different work than we thought it would have been work nonetheless as Adam Miller says
but a lot different work than it's a different approach Scott is it is not just a different
approach to the gospel it's a different approach to living it's just changes everything yeah I
once wrote this years ago when we understand that we are saved and redeemed by his merits not ours
we will worry less about us being good enough to repent and be forgiven but rather we will focus
more on the truth that because he was good enough we can repent and be forgiven we are saved and
redeemed by his righteousness not our own I mean when you really understand this truth Scott that
you see the repentance through his merits you begin to receive repentance as a gift you begin to see
forgiving others as a gift not not just a commandment not just something that we have to shy away
from or or that we we think that we have to just groan and work and struggle to do but you see it
you see them more as as a gift of repentance and forgiveness you see the commandments as as gifts
it again instruments of grace and it just really changes how you see the gospel the
couples that I've talked to about who are maybe kind of in their words kind of deciding to lean
out of the church or maybe even they'll they'll label it a faith crisis and they're they're
maybe thinking about leading out of the church or leaving the church even they've completely
missed this this approach to the gospel and what what we really believe about the atonement of Jesus
Christ and I think it's just really key for all of us who have loved ones and we all do who are
struggling to live the gospel who may be right now to have no desire to live the gospel we need to
try to help be an example of what the gospel really is we don't need to freak out if they
are not living the gospel or if they have major problems or identification problems or behavioral
problems in their life we need to understand that if we will just relax and if we will just put on
the atonement every day and try to exemplify exemplify that and help others to understand
that at any point no matter where they're at they they grace is available to them
mercy is available to them god loves them that's why he gave us the gift of his son
it's it's just a different way scott of approaching and living the gospel let me let me maybe uh
read the words of lehigh to his son jacob here scott i've always loved this i can see you know wise
older lehigh reading this to his son jacob uh who's who's been victimized by his older brothers
jacob's the younger you know in the family and and uh he says this now jacob this lehigh
jacob my son i speak unto you now aren't my first born in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness
and behold in thy childhood thou has suffered afflictions and much sorrow because the rudeness
of thy brotherhood he acknowledged you yeah it's it's been hard you've been a victim nevertheless
jacob my first born in the wilderness nevertheless so that's a great word nevertheless jacob my
first born in the wilderness thou knowest the greatness of god in other words i can i can
i can see lehigh thinking i've taught you i have taught you about the atonement of jesus christ
and the plan of redemption you thou knowest the greatness of god and he shall consecrate
thine afflictions for thy gain wherefore this verse three wherefore thy soul shall be blessed
and thou shall dwell safely with thy brother neify and thy day shall be spent in the service of
the service of thy god wherefore this is it this is really the punchline here wherefore i know
that thou art redeemed because of the righteousness of thy redeemer not because anything you've done
jacob not because of anything that you've done you are saved because of the righteousness of
thy redeemer it's not that you were good enough it's that he was good enough that needs to be our
focus that's that's how we should see the gospel and the plan of redemption the one needful thing
the one needful thing i like that well i i think we've got ourselves off to a pretty good start
here next episode we'll get into more in depth around all of this but this is where we begin
really putting i say this a lot but this really is where we begin putting the this is where the
rubber meets the road this is where it all has the ability to change us for the better to qualify
us to be heirs joint heirs with christ living with our heavenly father in eternity and uh
when our listeners hear this it will be uh after christmas and just before the new year
and we should probably just wish everybody all of our listeners and friends uh that we've made
through this podcast happy new year we we hope and pray that that your coming year that you
go into the new year with hope and uh we'll maybe talk about that in upcoming podcast is
how we can live more of an intentional life in this coming year and be more intentional
in living a life of grace and mercy and putting uh putting upon ourselves the atonement of Jesus
christ daily anyway happy new year everybody yeah that's where we get to unwrap the gift
and really enjoy it is when we make application in our own lives through the intentional living
of the gospel through uh Jesus christ in his merits hey thanks everybody for being with us this week
we look forward being with you again next week and until then be well