"Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil—
If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation, being delivered up to the devil, who hath subjected them, which is damnation—
Having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them; for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet they would not depart from them; and they were commanded to repent and yet they would not repent.
And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?"
Mosiah 16:10-13
These are some good reminders that our actions have consequences, and that we are going to have to answer for them. Sometimes we think that we are getting away with something... or maybe that whatever it is doesn't matter, since it involved someone we'll never see again. But it always matters, because God is part of the equation. :)
Even worse, sometimes, the reason that we don't call upon God is that we've decided that we don't really have a chance at heaven anyway, and it isn't worth the extra effort, because of that. That's very easy to believe, but it is also one of the most pernicious and damaging lies out there. Why? Because it is NEVER true, and also because it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we believe that we aren't going to make it to heaven, then we'll stop trying, and the truth is that *not trying* is the only way not to make it... because if we are making an active effort, learning, and moving in the right direction, then the atonement applies to us, and we can be saved. In fact, if we don't believe that can happen, then in a very real way we are actively denying the atonement, and basically saying Christ is a fraud.
Christ died so that we *can* be saved, if we will only turn towards God and continue to progress towards him. He died to save us from ourselves... from our sins, from our cynicism, from our negative attitudes. And as it explains in these verses, he is holding his arms out to us, offering us that second chance, or third chance, or nine hundred and eighty-fourth chance, as the case may be. All we have to do is fall into his arms, accept his mercy... call on him. If we repent, he will forgive us. No matter how bad our sins are, if we walk away from them and leave that chapter behind, we can still move on and reach the happy ending God has in store for us all.
Today, let's choose happiness. Let's accept the Lord's mercy. And let's not believe that there is no point. If we're still alive, there is always a chance to turn around, and real progress to be made. Let's do good, and depart from iniquity. Let's believe God when he says that he can save us, and let's remember and determine to take him up on his offer.
If they be good, to the resurrection of endless life and happiness; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of endless damnation, being delivered up to the devil, who hath subjected them, which is damnation—
Having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them; for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet they would not depart from them; and they were commanded to repent and yet they would not repent.
And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?"
Mosiah 16:10-13
These are some good reminders that our actions have consequences, and that we are going to have to answer for them. Sometimes we think that we are getting away with something... or maybe that whatever it is doesn't matter, since it involved someone we'll never see again. But it always matters, because God is part of the equation. :)
Even worse, sometimes, the reason that we don't call upon God is that we've decided that we don't really have a chance at heaven anyway, and it isn't worth the extra effort, because of that. That's very easy to believe, but it is also one of the most pernicious and damaging lies out there. Why? Because it is NEVER true, and also because it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we believe that we aren't going to make it to heaven, then we'll stop trying, and the truth is that *not trying* is the only way not to make it... because if we are making an active effort, learning, and moving in the right direction, then the atonement applies to us, and we can be saved. In fact, if we don't believe that can happen, then in a very real way we are actively denying the atonement, and basically saying Christ is a fraud.
Christ died so that we *can* be saved, if we will only turn towards God and continue to progress towards him. He died to save us from ourselves... from our sins, from our cynicism, from our negative attitudes. And as it explains in these verses, he is holding his arms out to us, offering us that second chance, or third chance, or nine hundred and eighty-fourth chance, as the case may be. All we have to do is fall into his arms, accept his mercy... call on him. If we repent, he will forgive us. No matter how bad our sins are, if we walk away from them and leave that chapter behind, we can still move on and reach the happy ending God has in store for us all.
Today, let's choose happiness. Let's accept the Lord's mercy. And let's not believe that there is no point. If we're still alive, there is always a chance to turn around, and real progress to be made. Let's do good, and depart from iniquity. Let's believe God when he says that he can save us, and let's remember and determine to take him up on his offer.
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