2 Nephi 25:23 - by grace we are saved, after all we can do.
The writings of Paul can be hard to understand at times (2 Peter 3:15-16)
Grace is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:5-9)
- Why is it that he can give this gift? He can do many things that we can not:
- Create the Earth (John 1:1-14)
- Bring the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)
- Author of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9)
- Many, many more things...
- Who gets this gift?
- Those who God judges worthy (Romans 2:5-11)
- Those who obey him (Hebtres 5:9)
- "What so ever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Galatians 6:7) A farmer makes a great example
- A farmer works the land
- He gets a crop, the harder he worked the bigger and better the crop gets
- Does he get all the credit?
- How provided the soil?
- Who put life into the seeds?
- Who gave the sun shine?
- Who gave the rain?
- God provided it all, but the farmer will get what he has put into it.
Why are works important?
- Not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" shall go to heaven (Matthew 7:21)
- God will "reward every man according to his works" (Matthew 16:27)
- "Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (James 2:14-26)
- Parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
- Talents were given to 3 people
- One got 5, another 2, and the last 1
- The master left the people to do as they wanted
- The two with 5 and 2 talents went out worked, and doubled their talents
- The one with only 1 talent did nothing
- The master returns and judges the people
- The two who put their talents to work he called faithful and made rulers
- The one who did nothing he called slothful and cast into hell
If you are given the gift of grace from God and do nothing with it then it will be taken and given to another. So sure grace is a gift that is freely given, but we have to meet God's requirements to receive it. (Hebrews 6:1-2)
LDS
Comments