Saved by Grace?

Grace or works? It is an oft-repeated debate. I believe, however, that it is a false dichotomy.

Let me preface the scriptures I will mention with an analogy. When I was born into this life my parents created my body and nurtured me through a part of growing up that I simply could not have done on my own.  There is nothing that I could have done to create my own body. Thankfully, my parents did that for me. Once born, there is no way that I could have nourished and cared for my new-born body.  Once again, my parents did that for me. There came a point, though, when my choices became quite relevant to the person I have become. I had to work hard to get through school, to convince my wonderful wife to marry me, and to make a life together. Still, none of what I have done or experienced in life would have happened without my parents doing what I could not do for myself.

There is a well-known scripture in 2 Nephi 25:

  23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.

I have often heard this scripture interpreted to mean that there is much that we must do. Certainly, ordinances are necessary. For example, Jesus often taught of the necessity of baptism. Sometimes, though, I think we add to the list of necessary works an amazing array of expectations. We feel that we should read the scriptures every day, pray morning noon and night, attend the temple with great regularity, write in a journal every day, home teach or visiting teach every month, serve well in a calling, make meals for those in need, keep a perfect home, do genealogy, be a member missionary, provide well for the family's needs, etc., etc., etc. Then, if we do all that well, and become almost perfect, Jesus will make up the difference with His grace. It is a view that implies that grace can only fill the little gap between all the good works a person has done and perfection. It is as if Jesus' grace is the spackle that fills in the little gap between near perfect works and salvation. This view will leave us depressed and feeling like failures.

Where is the flaw in this line of reasoning? It can be found in the teaching of Aaron to Lamoni's father and in Lamoni's testimony. Aaron said, in Alma 22:

  14 And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory;   

Like my earlier analogy where I could not create and nurture my own body as a child, we are in a world that has fallen. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves from Adam's fall. We need Christ to give us life again with our Father in Heaven. We must be born again through Christ's atonement.

So, what is it that we must do? Remember, Nephi said that we are saved by grace, after all we can do. What is it that we can do? Lamoni provides the answer to this question. In Alma 24, Lamoni says:

  11 And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do, (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins ...

Lamoni's answer is that all he could do was to repent of his sins. That is it! We are saved by grace, after all we can do, which is to repent of our sins. This takes nothing away from the need for baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, or any of the other ordinances that we participate in. This takes nothing away from the need to become better, more Christlike people. But, it is important to realize that there is nothing that we do that will save ourselves. All those good things we demand of ourselves will not earn us a place in heaven. It is Jesus' atonement that returns us to our Father in Heaven, not our own merits. We should not do the things we do with any thought that it earns us a place in Heaven.  Jesus Christ is the only one who merits God's presence. It is His grace that brings us back into God's presence.

The law of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or of the Church of Jesus Christ, can only condemn us. None of us can do everything perfectly. There will be many times when we do not accomplish everything on the list of good daily, weekly or monthly activities. Paul drives home this point as he teaches about the effect of God's law in Romans 3:

 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Despite every desire to live the law of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as well as the advice of our church leaders, we will come up short and feel the sting of sin or disappointment. Paul goes on in Romans 3 to give us hope:

  23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
  24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

If we look to our works to know our standing before God we will always know that we have come up short. If we look to Christ with the eye of faith then we will hope for redemption and a reunion with our Father in Heaven. What a joyful message!

This may seem too easy. We repent and Jesus' grace does the rest. Paul faced this same question and addresses this concern in Romans 6:

  15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
  16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
  17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
  18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Our works do not merit our salvation. Yet, our works are evidence of who we tend to obey. We are free from sin as long as we repent and continue to move towards God. We will slip, we will fall, we will sin. But, if we repent each time then Jesus' grace is sufficient for us to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven.

Back to my analogy. Once I was born and raised by my parents, what I become is an outcome of my decisions to take advantage of opportunities to learn and to grow. Likewise, Jesus Christ has given us opportunities to learn and to grow. These include the opportunity to be baptized, to receive the Holy Ghost, to enter the Temple and to be instructed further in how to return to our Father in Heaven. Doing these things does not cause us to merit returning to God's presence. Rather, these ordinances prepare us to live better here on earth as well as in God's presence. Participation in ordinances and becoming better people is an expression of love and gratitude for Jesus Christ and His atonement. Our works do not save us. That is Jesus' job. Our works reflect the love and influence of Jesus' grace and His love for us. We become more loving people as He transforms us.

We are fallen beings who cannot do anything on our own to merit God's presence. When we do all that we can do, which is to repent, the grace of Jesus Christ is the only reason we can return to God's presence. Jesus does not just fill a small gap for nearly perfect people. He graciously fills an infinite void that we cannot fill for ourselves. Don't take the burden of salvation on yourself. No amount of obedience will earn your place in God's kingdom. You will find, though, that your good works will grow as you come to know Jesus Christ. His love for us is real and He will make us whole.

Grace or works? I choose grace. I can only hope that my works will reflect my gratitude for Jesus' grace.