Thoughts on the Atonement

The last few posts have delved into who Christ is, and some of the many acts He has done for us. Allow me a moment to expound on my understanding of the Grace we receive from the Savior through His atonement.

I want to make it clear that the Savior isn’t our last chance, He is our only chance. I often hear from others that Mormons believe we earn our way to heaven. Such a notion is false and misconstrued. Let me make it clear that it is only through the Savior’s grace and atonement that we can be cleansed and live in His presence; in otherwords, we cannot save ourselves.

However, merely saying, “I believe,” is not enough. It reminds me of the scripture in Matthew 15:8, which states, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouths, and honoureth me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me," (See also Isaiah 29:13, 2 Nephi 27:25). If we truly believe in Christ, our our words and our actions will indicate our faith in Him and will align our hearts with His. For, "Not every one that saith unto [Christ,] Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of [the] Father which is in heaven," (Matt 7:21).

We show Christ that we believe--that we have faith--by acting. It is through exercising our faith that it is tried and proven to the Lord. What are some actions of our faith? Repentance, baptism, keeping the commandments, serving others, and trying to become more like him. These actions are evidences of our faith in Him and allow His spirit to dwell in our hearts so that we remain near Him, and thus can receive the blessings of His grace.

Furthermore, the person who says, “I believe that Jesus Christ has saved me, so I can live in sin, because I cannot better myself,” does not fully understand the atonement. The scriptures say that Christ does not save you in your sins, but "from your sins,” (Matt 1:21, see also Alma 11:34-37). In other words, His atonement does not save us in sin, but helps us shed our sins so that we can be free from our sins.

How does His atonement help us shed our sins? The atonement is not just a saving power, it is an enabling power. It enables us to repent, to be forgiven, to forsake, and yes, to become perfect. No one can ever say, “this is the way I am; I cannot change,” for that is a falsehood. Can I become perfect on my own? No. Do I have hope of changing and becoming more like Him on my own? No. But I CAN forsake my sins and become perfect by coming unto my Savior, and succumbing to his atonement. If we don't make an effort to shed our sins, we are saying we don’t believe in His atonement--we don’t believe that our Savior can save us, cleanse us, and redeem us.

I testify that through Christ's atonement, we can shed the sins that drag us down. We can overcome our shortcomings and be made, "new creatures," in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christ commanded, “I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect," (3 Nephi 12:48, see also Matt 5:48). I testify that he can change us. He has helped me overcome sins and continues to help me daily. His atoning power is real and enables us to become perfect through His blood. I am forever grateful for the gift of his matchless love that saves me from my sins and helps me repent and forsake them.