Come Unto Christ
by Joseph Warren Grammer
by Joseph Warren Grammer
Jesus said, “Come Unto Me.” This is the most important and far-reaching invitation ever extended to man or woman. There are two purposes of the book you now hold in your hands. One is to help those who have not truly found Jesus Christ as their Savior to do so; becoming converted and totally turning their lives over to Him. The other is to help those who have, refine that relationship with their Savior. This may seem like a moot subject to many Latter-day Saints who assume that all members of the LDS Church accept Jesus as their Savior. All Mormons are expected to believe the Church to be the only true Church upon the earth, having been established by Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith. All of them are expected to believe the Book of Mormon to be the revealed word of God. And all of them are expected to accept the President of the Church as Prophet, Seer and Revelator.
Therefore, there is an assumption among most members of the Church that all Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus is the Christ. The unfortunate point here is that this last statement is all too true: many BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, but they lack the testimony to really KNOW. Merely saying so doesn’t make it so, as Jesus so aptly pointed out: “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; ...” (Matthew 7:21-23.) We can know when we have that testimony because our living example will reflect the life and teachings of the Master when we do. As Jesus said, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt. 7:20.)
One of those fruits is that we verbally confess Jesus as our Savior with a pure and innocent heart. The Apostle Paul said that Israel had a “... zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” Knowledge means a personal testimony or witness. He said they were “... ignorant of God’s righteousness.” Righteousness, as used here, means holiness, justice, equity, and innocence. Israel had a zeal for God, but that zeal was based upon the law of commandments, policies, practices, and traditions. They did not submit themselves unto God’s holiness.
Paul continued by saying, “.... if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (See Rom. 10:1-13.) As Paul pointed out, we are to confess with our mouths and call upon the Lord to be saved. This we are to do with a heart that is consecrated and innocent before God and man. Just the zeal of lip service based upon the law will not be sufficient. The pure Love of God must also be in the heart. We must totally place our lives in the care of Jesus Christ. In all of our affairs, we must trust Him in faith and without fear. We must fully give our lives to Jesus in every respect.
A Personal Witness
I would like to begin this chapter by sharing my witness that Jesus is my Savior and only foundation of life. Many years ago, as a Southern Baptist, I sincerely and with deliberate purpose, committed myself to Jesus Christ and turned my life over to Him. At that time I was in the ninth grade of school, and I received a lot of ridicule from those whom I thought were my friends. I remember that I even went and hid in the boy’s washroom until the school halls cleared one day because of their chiding and pointing fingers at me when all could hear and see. However, I soon overcame that weakness, for it was God that I was trying to please, not those who could or would not understand.
I was very active in the Baptist Church. I went to both Sunday morning and evening services, sang in the choir, attended BTU (Baptist Training Union, similar to MIA or the Young Men’s and Young Women’s program in the LDS Church) every Wednesday night, taught Sunday School, and even contemplated going into the ministry after high school, having received a scholarship offer from a Baptist college in Richmond, Virginia.
During the years after committing my life to Christ, I considered Him my first responsibility and only hope for salvation, notwithstanding the many weaknesses I possessed and sinful pits into which I had sometimes slipped. Nevertheless, I knew He would forgive. My goal was to always try to do good and not be an embarrassment to Him, or be ashamed of being called a Christian. He was my Savior.
Three years after graduating from high school I started having some questions about religion, like: Why don’t we have prophets anymore? Why aren’t there other scriptures than only the Bible? Why are there so many modes of baptism? Could they all be right? Why are there so many Christian churches instead of only one as God established? Could they all be right, too? And I had many other important questions. It doesn’t take an LDS missionary long to figure out that these questions are “golden questions.”
With a little prayer concerning such things, I contacted a friend of mine that I knew was a Mormon. He happened to be a Stake Missionary, so he and his fiancé (who was also a Stake Missionary) taught me the gospel. I was ready for baptism two weeks from his first telling me the Joseph Smith story, and was then baptized by the authority of God and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
My conversion to the LDS Church did not affect my previous commitment to Christ. He was still the foundation of all my eternal hopes, and still my Lord and Savior. However, the Church was now also in my life to provide additional spiritual and intellectual enlightenment and truths, the blessings of the priesthood and essential ordinances, and an opportunity to share these truths and ordinances with others. Although I was to eventually serve eight missions in the LDS Church (six of which were proselyting), I still did not lose focus on the fact that Jesus Christ was and is my Redeemer and foundation to life, not the Church. I knew the Church was only here to help me return to Christ without standing in the way of that pursuit.
Just before I left for my full-time LDS mission, many of my friends in the Church had a farewell get-together in my behalf. At that time they insisted that I sing the hymn, “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go,” by myself, which I did. As I did so, the words rang in my heart as a renewing of my commitment to Christ. “I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord ... I’ll say what you want me to say ... I’ll be what you want me to be.” It was, indeed, a rededication to a previous covenant made to God when I was in the ninth grade—one I have never forgotten.
Having spent many years of service in the LDS Church, and as a committed Christian and follower of Jesus Christ, I have observed that many Mormons appear to be converted to the Church, the Prophet, and Church teachings and programs, but not to the Savior Himself. They appear to be more concerned with Church form than Gospel truth - Church policies than Gospel principles. Jesus Christ is to be our foundation and the rock of our salvation. Nothing else is to take His place in that respect, not even the Church.
Being Converted
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we need to have the faith and pay the price of conversion through consecration. In reality, there is no true conversion without consecration. We can become worthy because of obedience, but not be really converted. True conversion involves a sincere desire to consecrate all things, a desire to want to give everything to the Lord. It isn’t the shallowness of worthiness (which is usually determined by compliance) that’s important, it’s the depth of conversion which always involves a commitment to God. That commitment necessitates a covenant.
The result of our eternal reward depends upon the desires of our hearts. When we have a desire for something, we have a basic reason to develop a belief in that thing. Without an understanding of the purpose for the desire, the commitment will be feeble and short-lived. Our efforts will be hollow and crumble. Everything in life that is worth doing is something to which we should be committed. The Lord does not want us to be disciples of convenience, He wants us to have a commitment of purpose. He wants us to be converted, and covenant to valiantly take up the cross and follow Him.
When we desire something we often think of it in our minds, mentally intellectualizing that which we want. It is not enough just to think of it though, we must also feel that desire. We must emotionalize as well as intellectualize it—stirring up the emotions for the desired goal.
When a young man is in love with a lovely young lady, he not only intellectually thinks of her in his mind, but his feelings and emotions are attached to those thoughts. When one is hungry, and thinks that he wants to partake of a particularly savory dish, he can often taste that food before he starts to eat.
So it is with our desires in relation to spiritual things. We not only desire mentally, but also emotionally, feeling deeply and sincerely that desired thing. Such feelings, or emotions, are a powerful and necessary motivating force in helping us achieve our desired goal—that which we treasure most. We must remember, though, in doing the Lord’s work, we need to be spiritually motivated, not just emotionally charged.
When we commit ourselves, it means that we undertake to do something with a pledge, promise, oath or covenant. In this case, the covenant made is to be with God. A commitment is more than a belief or understanding, it is an attitude. President David O. McKay expressed some thoughts on dedicated commitment. In general conference he said, “Merely an appreciation of the social ethics of Jesus is not sufficient. Men’s hearts must be changed. Instead of selfishness, men must be willing to dedicate their ability, their possessions—if necessary, their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor for the alleviation of the ills of mankind.” (CR, October 1961, pp. 7-8.) And speaking of the Lord and the principle of dedication, Thomas S. Monson wrote, “He calls you and me to serve Him here below and sets us to the tasks He would have us fulfill. The commitment is total.” (Pathways to Perfection, pp. 84-85.)
Simply an appreciation of the social ethics of Jesus is not enough, our hearts are to be changed. Instead of selfishness, we must be willing to dedicate our abilities, possessions, time, lives, and fortunes for the relief of the world’s afflictions and the glory of God. When converted, we will not have to be concerned about being worthy in God’s eyes—worthiness will come as the natural result of true discipleship. Being a disciple of Christ takes a pure desire to love Him, having a reckless faith in His all-enveloping grace and atoning blood. Thus, we become converted to Him, and consecrate to Him our entire lives.
One of the costs of being a disciple of Christ is to believe, trusting that He has all power, intelligence, and wisdom, and can solve our problems without our needing help from the world around us. It takes faith to trust that the grace of Christ will intercede, provide forgiveness, make up the difference, and supply something better than that which we have kept inside, hidden in sorrow and remorse.
Let me ask: Do you trust Jesus Christ? Have you been converted to Him? I don’t mean are you a Christian just because you go to a Christian church? Some Christians are only Christians in a general sense, only by the accident of birth, like a Jew may be a Jew just because he is born to Jewish parents. What I mean is, are you a Christian—a true follower of Jesus Christ—by choice, and not by tradition of family or society? Have you had a change of heart that merits you being called a “Christian,” in the real meaning of the word? Have you pledged your heart to Jesus? The Apostle Paul called this conversion circumcision of the heart.
To the Romans Paul wrote: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Rom. 2:28-29.) Circumcision was to be an outward sign of those who followed God in their hearts. However, as time passed, most of Israel only followed the letter of the law of circumcision, but became untrue to God in the spirit—becoming more like the world around them.
Paul said that a true Jew is not a Jew just because he was circumcised in the flesh, but that he must be a Jew in his heart. That is to say, a real Jew is a Jew by conscious choice based on his desire to live the spiritual, as well as the temporal laws. He is not a real Jew just because his parents went through the ritual of having him circumcised at birth.
Likewise, a true Christian must be circumcised in the heart. That is to say, he must make a conscious choice with full purpose of heart—a change of heart—to live spiritually as God would have him live. He is not just a Christian in name only because he was born into a Christian society and baptized out of tradition. As the practice of circumcision was to be an outward sign to the world that the one circumcised was a true follower of God, so being circumcised in the heart is to be an outward sign to the world—through his way of life—that the one so inwardly changed is a true disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, and is willing to so witness.
God loved us so much that He “... gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16.) We are to give our lives to Christ. We need to have a burning desire to be as Jesus would have us be. We have to be changed, or circumcised in the heart, as a witness that we will follow Christ at all costs, for the remainder of our lives. We must accept the Father’s gift.
Abiding in Christ
As a disciple and servant of Christ, a person must ask himself some important questions. For example: Am I allowing my spiritual life to be squandered? Am I focusing it all into one center—that is, on the life, atonement, and glory of Christ? Is the Savior more dominant in my life than every other interest? Is the glorification of Jesus’ name the one thing I desire most?
Part of our abiding in Christ is the commitment of our time to His service. Many of us have heard someone say something about making time for this or that. In reality, we cannot make time, it can only be utilized as we live from day-to-day. We can’t make time, we only organize our lives to effectively use the time God has allotted to us. The following ideas concerning time were sent to me by a niece of my late wife, Kay, and I feel it’s of interest and might be good to consider:
“Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!
“Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow.” You must live in the present on today’s deposits; so invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.
“To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who has failed a grade. To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby. To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask an editor of a weekly newspaper. To realize the value of ONE DAY, ask a daily wage laborer who has kids to feed. To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who has missed the train. To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who has avoided an accident. To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND, ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have! Remember: time waits for no one.
“Yesterday is history—Tomorrow a mystery! Today is a gift—That's why it's called the present.”
The Lord calls us to serve, and He provides a way and the time. Have we consecrated our time to that service? I know of some who believe that the covenant made in the temple about consecrating all things (including our time) to the Kingdom of God, and the establishment of Zion, is not to be taken seriously at this time in life. They feel it is for a later time. If this is true, then perhaps the covenant made in the temple concerning chastity is not to be taken seriously at this time either, but is for a future date. Such covenants as temple covenants, have no time stipulation.
When the one central point, the greatest exerting influence in our lives, is the Lord Jesus Christ, when His love is the central power in us, then every phase of our lives will bear fruit for Him. To bear good fruit, however, we must first take time to realize just what that central point of power is in our lives. In speaking to His disciples, Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:7-8.) There is personal power in the atonement, and in our Savior pleading our cause before the Father’s throne. It gives us the power of eternal lives when we accept it and abide in Him.
What does it mean to abide in Christ? To help answer this question, perhaps we could ask ourselves: What is the greatest factor or influence in our lives? Is it our personal work? Is it some of our physical possessions? Is it a special achievement? Is it our family or friends? Is it various personal concerns? Is it our service and sacrifice for others? Is it trying to do God’s work? As important as these things are, the thing that ought to exert the greatest power and influence in our lives is the realization of the atonement of Christ. To abide in Jesus simply means that we continue to think, act and work from that central point of influence; the influence Jesus has in our lives, and the meaning of His atoning sacrifice.
The thing that shapes us into what we will become is not the thing we spend most of our time working on. The greatest element that influences our being is the thing that exerts the most power. For the true disciple of Christ, that element is Jesus Christ. When we abide in Him, and He in us, then we become, and are, the will of God, and our free choices are the will of God. For this to take place, however, it might be necessary to free ourselves from the smooth and comfortable life.
Oswald Chambers wrote in his book, My Utmost for His Highest, “If you do not cut the moorings, God will have to break them by a storm and send you out.” He continued: “If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the smooth waters just inside the harbor bar, full of delight, but always moored; you have to get out through the harbor bar into the great deeps of God and begin to know for yourself, begin to have spiritual discernment.” (My Utmost for His Highest, p. 160.)
There are many great causes in the world. Many of them, though demanding, are safe and comfortable because they are well accepted. We can sacrifice ourselves to a great work, but we can also stifle our progression by not venturing into what some may feel is unpopular. In this case that venture is abiding in Christ, making Him the central point and focus of every part of our existence. Though we can be anxiously engaged in a great cause, we still have to abide in Him, and He in us.
Jesus is to be the main influence in every phase of our lives—the great power that motivates every aspect of our thinking. The reason that we can abide in Him, and He in us, is only due to the atonement. John said, “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” (1 Jn. 2:28.)
Come With Oil in the Lamps
We cannot come unto Christ without our own oil. In the parable of the ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom, five were wise and had oil for their lamps and five were foolish and had none. But when the cry came to arise and meet the bridegroom, the latter five could not trim their lamps because they had no oil. Those who had oil could not share it, and while the foolish virgins were out to obtain their own oil, the bridegroom came and the wise virgins went into the marriage feast; the door was shut, and it was too late for the foolish virgins who did not have their oil. (Matt. 25:1-13.)
The virgins here represent the members of the Church. They were not the general membership, but only the good, righteous, and pure ones, which are very few. However, even though a virgin might be pure in heart, it is still possible that they could be unwise.
Oil is used for our lamps to lighten our way. The metaphor for oil, as used here in this parable, represents that which is used to spiritually light our way. Thus, oil is the light of the Spirit of God who teaches, directs, testifies and purifies. We find the Lord commanding Israel to use pure oil in their vessels for light at the tabernacle. (Lev. 24:2.) The pure oil is symbolic of the purity of the Spirit of God which lightens the way before us. The oil we are to have in our lamps is the Spirit of God as personal revelation.
In Lehi’s dream of the tree and the rod of iron, the rod of iron is the word of God. As we have already studied, the rod of iron is personal revelation, it is NOT the scriptures nor the words of living prophets. The scriptures and prophets are only given to help us learn how to obtain the Spirit and receive divine light, not take the place of the Spirit. If we did not have the scriptures nor a living prophet, we would still have the Spirit as a guide through personal revelation when we are faithful and worthy.
The iron rod is the same as the oil we are to have in our own personal lamps. The iron rod helps those who grope through the mist of darkness. In like manner, our oil is our own personal testimony that lights the path before us so we can see the way. This can only be given by the Holy Ghost, it is not someone else’s testimony or spiritual light. Heber C. Kimball once said, “The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?” (Life of Heber C. Kimball, pp. 449-450.) And the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “Search the scriptures—search the revelations which we publish, and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to his glory nothing doubting, He will answer you by the power of His Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor will there be any room for speculation.” (TPJS, p. 11.) Again from his teachings we read:
“President Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel—said the Lord had declared by the Prophet, that the people should each one stand for himself, and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church—that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls—applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall—that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves, envious towards the innocent, while they afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy.” (TPJS, pp. 237-38.)
The Prophet Joseph said that if the people departed from the Lord and depended upon the Prophet, which was him at the time, they would become “darkened in their minds.” Why would they become darkened? Because they lost the light that emanates from the Spirit of personal testimony. On this subject President John Taylor preached:
“One thing is clear, the Saints are being tried in a manner never before known among us. The faithful rejoice and are steadfast; the unfaithful fear and tremble. Those who have oil in their lamps and have kept them trimmed and burning now have a light for their feet and they do not stumble or fall; those who have neither light nor oil are in perplexity and doubt; they know not what to do.” (Messages of the First Presidency, 3:36-37.)
“Those who have been careful to keep oil in their lamps, now have the needed light to guide them; and those who have been living in borrowed light, or in that furnished by others, may find themselves in perplexity and uncertain as to the path to pursue. For all these circumstances the Saints should be prepared. They have been faithfully taught and warned to not depend upon man or upon his strength to enable them to stand the trying day. They have been told, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” They have been told that no man can serve two masters; that we cannot serve God and mammon. Those who have observed these teachings, and have diligently kept the other commandments of the Lord, will find themselves in the possession of the needed strength and faith to enable them to bear every trial.” (Messages of the First Presidency, 3:17.)
Saying we claim to follow the Spirit, but in reality depend upon man for our guidance, is serving two masters which is loving the world.
Going to a church meeting, paying tithing, attending the temple, or even serving a mission is not the oil spoken of. These are worldly—telestial—things. God provides the temporal necessities for us: manna for wandering Israel, a cruse of oil for the widow, seven loaves and a few fishes for the multitude of thousands, and so forth. But a testimony through personal revelation by the witness of the Spirit we must gather for ourselves. We cannot buy nor borrow it from another. We must seek it and purchase it ourselves before the Bridegroom comes and shuts the door. Leaning on others for our light and salvation will not fill our lamps with needed oil. Only the Spirit can do that.
At that day, many virgins will say, “Lord, have we not done many wonderful things in thy name”? And the Lord might say, “I don’t know you, because you do not know me; for you can only know me through the Spirit of prophecy, that of personal revelation, which is the testimony of Jesus.” (Matt. 7:21-23; Rev. 19:10; TPJS, p. 119.) When we come unto Christ, we must come with our own oil in our lamps.
Behold, He Knocks
Many have seen the picture showing Jesus standing at a door and knocking. Those who are familiar with it will notice that there is no doorknob on the outside of the door where Jesus is standing. The reason is that the doorknob is on the inside. We are to open the door and let Him in.
Just before our resurrected Lord first appeared to the Nephites He spoke unto them from Heaven, and part of what He said was, “... Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.” (3 Ne. 9:14.) He desires to come into our lives, but cannot enter without our permission. Therefore, He said to John the Revelator, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:15-20.) Consequently, we must come unto Jesus.
Many are familiar with verses 15 and 16 where Christ says He would rather have us cold or hot than lukewarm. He would rather have us on one side of the fence or the other, than sitting on it. When we are cold or hot, we are taking a stand for something; we have made a commitment. Many, however, are afraid to make commitments because that lets other people know which side of the fence they are standing on, and that could produce displeasure from others if it’s not their side. For many, it’s a hard thing not to receive the pleasure of the world.
Jesus did not just come to the earth to tutor us with a few platitudes, perform a few miracles, and then go back to the Father leaving us here without hope, to wallow in our sins. He invites us to follow Him; trusting Him to provide a way for us to go back to the Father. Matthew records: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30.)
Because we have many of the good things of the world, we often feel that all is well. We do not realize that we have nothing without Jesus; that we are poor, blind, naked, wretched, and miserable individuals without Him. He pleads with us to spend our all on Him, He who has been tried by fire and found pure. When we do, we shall become rich in Him, being clothed in white raiment which signifies that His blood cleansed us from our sins. This brings to mind the words of Isaiah, when that prophet wrote, “... though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isa. 1:18.) This whiteness covers the nakedness of our sins, that we may not be ashamed, for all of our sins shall be revealed if they are not covered by His cleansing blood. Not only will He clothe us in purity, but He will apply a salve to our eyes that will take away our blindness. Then we shall see with more clarity the things of eternal life.
He loves us. Therefore, He earnestly, and even enthusiastically, chastises us, imploring us to repent that we might be washed clean and become sanctified in purity. However, before we can become sanctified and clothed in white, we need to first open the door and let Him into our lives. He offers the gift, but He cannot force it upon us. We must pledge our lives to Him. We must accept the offering through faith, receiving the joy of His hope and obtain the gift.
Long ago, the Lectures on Faith comprised the first part of the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, and every edition since then until about 1920, when those lectures were removed. The Lectures on Faith WERE, at one time, the “doctrinal” part of the Doctrine and Covenants. They gave man information concerning how faith works in relation to becoming sanctified. For example, in the Seventh Lecture we learn how to become saved:
“When men begin to live by faith they begin to draw near to God; and when faith is perfected they are like him; and because he is saved they are saved also; for they will be in the same situation he is in, because they have COME TO HIM; and when he appears they shall be like him, for they will see him as he is. (Lecture on Faith 7:8.)
“.. And what constitutes the real difference between a saved person and one not saved is—the difference in the degree of their faith—one’s faith has become perfect enough to lay hold upon eternal life, and the other’s has not.” (Lecture on Faith 7:9.)
Being saved, then, is based upon the degree of faith obtained. We must develop our faith to a point that we can claim—lay hold upon—eternal life for ourselves. And if we want to be like Him, we must “come to Him.”
Give of Yourself to Receive of Him
Jesus once said, “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me.... And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.” (John 5:37-38.) The Jews of Jerusalem had not the testimony of Jesus, even though the Father had born witness of Him. They did not have that Spirit within them, for they were people who believed in tradition and the written word rather than personal revelation. They had set those things up as being more important than the words of the living God through the whisperings of the Spirit. Thus, those things they favored became their false gods.
Jesus continued by saying to them, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” (John 5:37-40.) The Jews thought they had eternal life by way of the scriptures. However, the scriptures only testify of Christ, they cannot provide salvation. Eternal life only comes by accepting and coming to Jesus, something the Jews would not do. Many of us think we have eternal life with our present knowledge of the scriptures. We must study to learn of Jesus Christ, but we cannot have eternal life unless we give all we have and come unto Him.
I heard a story a while back that was supposed to have come out of India. It helps illustrate a point, and it goes something like this:
A poor man was sitting by the roadside eating his last bowl of rice. As he was eating his rice, and wondering where his next meal was going to come from, he saw the Prince and his caravan coming down the road. “Ah,” thought the poor man, “I’ll beg food from the young Prince, he is a goodly man.”
But before the poor man could ask food of the Prince, the Prince said, “Poor man, give me some of your rice.”
The poor man, feeling rather imposed upon that the wealthy Prince should want what little he had left, grudgingly reached into his bowl and gave the Prince one grain of rice. After the Prince took the rice, he said to the poor man, “Give me some more.”
The poor man was really upset, but again he grudgingly reached into his bowl and, this time, gave the Prince two grains of rice; after which, the Prince and his caravan moved on.
Being very disappointed, the poor man sat back down, hanging his head with a heavy heart. As he looked down he saw three small bags of gold sitting at his feet—one for each grain of rice he gave the Prince. The poor man was saddened and ashamed as he thought, “If only I had ungrudgingly given more.”
Does Jesus have to beg us for our meager grains of rice, when He has so much more to give? Can we not offer all we have to the Prince of Peace, for the gift of eternal life?
Come Unto Christ
Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered all things for you and me. He was despised and rejected of men, and acquainted with grief. He was ridiculed, spat upon, scourged, nailed to a tree, fed bitter gall, and gave His life that you and I might have salvation in our Father’s kingdom.
In the garden, and while hanging on the cross, Jesus gave His blood so that you and I can live. He exercised His will in compliance with His Father’s wishes. At the end He had a final choice to make, and He made it for the sake of His Father’s children. Now you are to exercise your will and make a choice, if you haven’t already. After He gave all He had for you, are you willing to give all you have to Him in return? Can you express your appreciation to Him in that way? Are you willing to count the cost of discipleship and follow Him? Are you willing to pay the price in this life? And are you ready and willing to receive Him?
Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. There is no other way. He invites you to come unto Him. Covenant and consecrate all you have, or ever hope to have, to Jesus Christ, and give your life to Him—all of it. There is no true joy without Him. Come unto the Master with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Come hungering and thirsting. Come praising His holy name. Jesus simply invites all by saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
The fulness has been restored. Will we seek it, or expect it to seek us?
Therefore, there is an assumption among most members of the Church that all Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus is the Christ. The unfortunate point here is that this last statement is all too true: many BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, but they lack the testimony to really KNOW. Merely saying so doesn’t make it so, as Jesus so aptly pointed out: “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; ...” (Matthew 7:21-23.) We can know when we have that testimony because our living example will reflect the life and teachings of the Master when we do. As Jesus said, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt. 7:20.)
One of those fruits is that we verbally confess Jesus as our Savior with a pure and innocent heart. The Apostle Paul said that Israel had a “... zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” Knowledge means a personal testimony or witness. He said they were “... ignorant of God’s righteousness.” Righteousness, as used here, means holiness, justice, equity, and innocence. Israel had a zeal for God, but that zeal was based upon the law of commandments, policies, practices, and traditions. They did not submit themselves unto God’s holiness.
Paul continued by saying, “.... if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (See Rom. 10:1-13.) As Paul pointed out, we are to confess with our mouths and call upon the Lord to be saved. This we are to do with a heart that is consecrated and innocent before God and man. Just the zeal of lip service based upon the law will not be sufficient. The pure Love of God must also be in the heart. We must totally place our lives in the care of Jesus Christ. In all of our affairs, we must trust Him in faith and without fear. We must fully give our lives to Jesus in every respect.
A Personal Witness
I would like to begin this chapter by sharing my witness that Jesus is my Savior and only foundation of life. Many years ago, as a Southern Baptist, I sincerely and with deliberate purpose, committed myself to Jesus Christ and turned my life over to Him. At that time I was in the ninth grade of school, and I received a lot of ridicule from those whom I thought were my friends. I remember that I even went and hid in the boy’s washroom until the school halls cleared one day because of their chiding and pointing fingers at me when all could hear and see. However, I soon overcame that weakness, for it was God that I was trying to please, not those who could or would not understand.
I was very active in the Baptist Church. I went to both Sunday morning and evening services, sang in the choir, attended BTU (Baptist Training Union, similar to MIA or the Young Men’s and Young Women’s program in the LDS Church) every Wednesday night, taught Sunday School, and even contemplated going into the ministry after high school, having received a scholarship offer from a Baptist college in Richmond, Virginia.
During the years after committing my life to Christ, I considered Him my first responsibility and only hope for salvation, notwithstanding the many weaknesses I possessed and sinful pits into which I had sometimes slipped. Nevertheless, I knew He would forgive. My goal was to always try to do good and not be an embarrassment to Him, or be ashamed of being called a Christian. He was my Savior.
Three years after graduating from high school I started having some questions about religion, like: Why don’t we have prophets anymore? Why aren’t there other scriptures than only the Bible? Why are there so many modes of baptism? Could they all be right? Why are there so many Christian churches instead of only one as God established? Could they all be right, too? And I had many other important questions. It doesn’t take an LDS missionary long to figure out that these questions are “golden questions.”
With a little prayer concerning such things, I contacted a friend of mine that I knew was a Mormon. He happened to be a Stake Missionary, so he and his fiancé (who was also a Stake Missionary) taught me the gospel. I was ready for baptism two weeks from his first telling me the Joseph Smith story, and was then baptized by the authority of God and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
My conversion to the LDS Church did not affect my previous commitment to Christ. He was still the foundation of all my eternal hopes, and still my Lord and Savior. However, the Church was now also in my life to provide additional spiritual and intellectual enlightenment and truths, the blessings of the priesthood and essential ordinances, and an opportunity to share these truths and ordinances with others. Although I was to eventually serve eight missions in the LDS Church (six of which were proselyting), I still did not lose focus on the fact that Jesus Christ was and is my Redeemer and foundation to life, not the Church. I knew the Church was only here to help me return to Christ without standing in the way of that pursuit.
Just before I left for my full-time LDS mission, many of my friends in the Church had a farewell get-together in my behalf. At that time they insisted that I sing the hymn, “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go,” by myself, which I did. As I did so, the words rang in my heart as a renewing of my commitment to Christ. “I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord ... I’ll say what you want me to say ... I’ll be what you want me to be.” It was, indeed, a rededication to a previous covenant made to God when I was in the ninth grade—one I have never forgotten.
Having spent many years of service in the LDS Church, and as a committed Christian and follower of Jesus Christ, I have observed that many Mormons appear to be converted to the Church, the Prophet, and Church teachings and programs, but not to the Savior Himself. They appear to be more concerned with Church form than Gospel truth - Church policies than Gospel principles. Jesus Christ is to be our foundation and the rock of our salvation. Nothing else is to take His place in that respect, not even the Church.
Being Converted
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we need to have the faith and pay the price of conversion through consecration. In reality, there is no true conversion without consecration. We can become worthy because of obedience, but not be really converted. True conversion involves a sincere desire to consecrate all things, a desire to want to give everything to the Lord. It isn’t the shallowness of worthiness (which is usually determined by compliance) that’s important, it’s the depth of conversion which always involves a commitment to God. That commitment necessitates a covenant.
The result of our eternal reward depends upon the desires of our hearts. When we have a desire for something, we have a basic reason to develop a belief in that thing. Without an understanding of the purpose for the desire, the commitment will be feeble and short-lived. Our efforts will be hollow and crumble. Everything in life that is worth doing is something to which we should be committed. The Lord does not want us to be disciples of convenience, He wants us to have a commitment of purpose. He wants us to be converted, and covenant to valiantly take up the cross and follow Him.
When we desire something we often think of it in our minds, mentally intellectualizing that which we want. It is not enough just to think of it though, we must also feel that desire. We must emotionalize as well as intellectualize it—stirring up the emotions for the desired goal.
When a young man is in love with a lovely young lady, he not only intellectually thinks of her in his mind, but his feelings and emotions are attached to those thoughts. When one is hungry, and thinks that he wants to partake of a particularly savory dish, he can often taste that food before he starts to eat.
So it is with our desires in relation to spiritual things. We not only desire mentally, but also emotionally, feeling deeply and sincerely that desired thing. Such feelings, or emotions, are a powerful and necessary motivating force in helping us achieve our desired goal—that which we treasure most. We must remember, though, in doing the Lord’s work, we need to be spiritually motivated, not just emotionally charged.
When we commit ourselves, it means that we undertake to do something with a pledge, promise, oath or covenant. In this case, the covenant made is to be with God. A commitment is more than a belief or understanding, it is an attitude. President David O. McKay expressed some thoughts on dedicated commitment. In general conference he said, “Merely an appreciation of the social ethics of Jesus is not sufficient. Men’s hearts must be changed. Instead of selfishness, men must be willing to dedicate their ability, their possessions—if necessary, their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor for the alleviation of the ills of mankind.” (CR, October 1961, pp. 7-8.) And speaking of the Lord and the principle of dedication, Thomas S. Monson wrote, “He calls you and me to serve Him here below and sets us to the tasks He would have us fulfill. The commitment is total.” (Pathways to Perfection, pp. 84-85.)
Simply an appreciation of the social ethics of Jesus is not enough, our hearts are to be changed. Instead of selfishness, we must be willing to dedicate our abilities, possessions, time, lives, and fortunes for the relief of the world’s afflictions and the glory of God. When converted, we will not have to be concerned about being worthy in God’s eyes—worthiness will come as the natural result of true discipleship. Being a disciple of Christ takes a pure desire to love Him, having a reckless faith in His all-enveloping grace and atoning blood. Thus, we become converted to Him, and consecrate to Him our entire lives.
One of the costs of being a disciple of Christ is to believe, trusting that He has all power, intelligence, and wisdom, and can solve our problems without our needing help from the world around us. It takes faith to trust that the grace of Christ will intercede, provide forgiveness, make up the difference, and supply something better than that which we have kept inside, hidden in sorrow and remorse.
Let me ask: Do you trust Jesus Christ? Have you been converted to Him? I don’t mean are you a Christian just because you go to a Christian church? Some Christians are only Christians in a general sense, only by the accident of birth, like a Jew may be a Jew just because he is born to Jewish parents. What I mean is, are you a Christian—a true follower of Jesus Christ—by choice, and not by tradition of family or society? Have you had a change of heart that merits you being called a “Christian,” in the real meaning of the word? Have you pledged your heart to Jesus? The Apostle Paul called this conversion circumcision of the heart.
To the Romans Paul wrote: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Rom. 2:28-29.) Circumcision was to be an outward sign of those who followed God in their hearts. However, as time passed, most of Israel only followed the letter of the law of circumcision, but became untrue to God in the spirit—becoming more like the world around them.
Paul said that a true Jew is not a Jew just because he was circumcised in the flesh, but that he must be a Jew in his heart. That is to say, a real Jew is a Jew by conscious choice based on his desire to live the spiritual, as well as the temporal laws. He is not a real Jew just because his parents went through the ritual of having him circumcised at birth.
Likewise, a true Christian must be circumcised in the heart. That is to say, he must make a conscious choice with full purpose of heart—a change of heart—to live spiritually as God would have him live. He is not just a Christian in name only because he was born into a Christian society and baptized out of tradition. As the practice of circumcision was to be an outward sign to the world that the one circumcised was a true follower of God, so being circumcised in the heart is to be an outward sign to the world—through his way of life—that the one so inwardly changed is a true disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, and is willing to so witness.
God loved us so much that He “... gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16.) We are to give our lives to Christ. We need to have a burning desire to be as Jesus would have us be. We have to be changed, or circumcised in the heart, as a witness that we will follow Christ at all costs, for the remainder of our lives. We must accept the Father’s gift.
Abiding in Christ
As a disciple and servant of Christ, a person must ask himself some important questions. For example: Am I allowing my spiritual life to be squandered? Am I focusing it all into one center—that is, on the life, atonement, and glory of Christ? Is the Savior more dominant in my life than every other interest? Is the glorification of Jesus’ name the one thing I desire most?
Part of our abiding in Christ is the commitment of our time to His service. Many of us have heard someone say something about making time for this or that. In reality, we cannot make time, it can only be utilized as we live from day-to-day. We can’t make time, we only organize our lives to effectively use the time God has allotted to us. The following ideas concerning time were sent to me by a niece of my late wife, Kay, and I feel it’s of interest and might be good to consider:
“Imagine there is a bank which credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day, allows you to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!
“Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow.” You must live in the present on today’s deposits; so invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.
“To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who has failed a grade. To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby. To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask an editor of a weekly newspaper. To realize the value of ONE DAY, ask a daily wage laborer who has kids to feed. To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who has missed the train. To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who has avoided an accident. To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND, ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have! Remember: time waits for no one.
“Yesterday is history—Tomorrow a mystery! Today is a gift—That's why it's called the present.”
The Lord calls us to serve, and He provides a way and the time. Have we consecrated our time to that service? I know of some who believe that the covenant made in the temple about consecrating all things (including our time) to the Kingdom of God, and the establishment of Zion, is not to be taken seriously at this time in life. They feel it is for a later time. If this is true, then perhaps the covenant made in the temple concerning chastity is not to be taken seriously at this time either, but is for a future date. Such covenants as temple covenants, have no time stipulation.
When the one central point, the greatest exerting influence in our lives, is the Lord Jesus Christ, when His love is the central power in us, then every phase of our lives will bear fruit for Him. To bear good fruit, however, we must first take time to realize just what that central point of power is in our lives. In speaking to His disciples, Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:7-8.) There is personal power in the atonement, and in our Savior pleading our cause before the Father’s throne. It gives us the power of eternal lives when we accept it and abide in Him.
What does it mean to abide in Christ? To help answer this question, perhaps we could ask ourselves: What is the greatest factor or influence in our lives? Is it our personal work? Is it some of our physical possessions? Is it a special achievement? Is it our family or friends? Is it various personal concerns? Is it our service and sacrifice for others? Is it trying to do God’s work? As important as these things are, the thing that ought to exert the greatest power and influence in our lives is the realization of the atonement of Christ. To abide in Jesus simply means that we continue to think, act and work from that central point of influence; the influence Jesus has in our lives, and the meaning of His atoning sacrifice.
The thing that shapes us into what we will become is not the thing we spend most of our time working on. The greatest element that influences our being is the thing that exerts the most power. For the true disciple of Christ, that element is Jesus Christ. When we abide in Him, and He in us, then we become, and are, the will of God, and our free choices are the will of God. For this to take place, however, it might be necessary to free ourselves from the smooth and comfortable life.
Oswald Chambers wrote in his book, My Utmost for His Highest, “If you do not cut the moorings, God will have to break them by a storm and send you out.” He continued: “If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the smooth waters just inside the harbor bar, full of delight, but always moored; you have to get out through the harbor bar into the great deeps of God and begin to know for yourself, begin to have spiritual discernment.” (My Utmost for His Highest, p. 160.)
There are many great causes in the world. Many of them, though demanding, are safe and comfortable because they are well accepted. We can sacrifice ourselves to a great work, but we can also stifle our progression by not venturing into what some may feel is unpopular. In this case that venture is abiding in Christ, making Him the central point and focus of every part of our existence. Though we can be anxiously engaged in a great cause, we still have to abide in Him, and He in us.
Jesus is to be the main influence in every phase of our lives—the great power that motivates every aspect of our thinking. The reason that we can abide in Him, and He in us, is only due to the atonement. John said, “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” (1 Jn. 2:28.)
Come With Oil in the Lamps
We cannot come unto Christ without our own oil. In the parable of the ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom, five were wise and had oil for their lamps and five were foolish and had none. But when the cry came to arise and meet the bridegroom, the latter five could not trim their lamps because they had no oil. Those who had oil could not share it, and while the foolish virgins were out to obtain their own oil, the bridegroom came and the wise virgins went into the marriage feast; the door was shut, and it was too late for the foolish virgins who did not have their oil. (Matt. 25:1-13.)
The virgins here represent the members of the Church. They were not the general membership, but only the good, righteous, and pure ones, which are very few. However, even though a virgin might be pure in heart, it is still possible that they could be unwise.
Oil is used for our lamps to lighten our way. The metaphor for oil, as used here in this parable, represents that which is used to spiritually light our way. Thus, oil is the light of the Spirit of God who teaches, directs, testifies and purifies. We find the Lord commanding Israel to use pure oil in their vessels for light at the tabernacle. (Lev. 24:2.) The pure oil is symbolic of the purity of the Spirit of God which lightens the way before us. The oil we are to have in our lamps is the Spirit of God as personal revelation.
In Lehi’s dream of the tree and the rod of iron, the rod of iron is the word of God. As we have already studied, the rod of iron is personal revelation, it is NOT the scriptures nor the words of living prophets. The scriptures and prophets are only given to help us learn how to obtain the Spirit and receive divine light, not take the place of the Spirit. If we did not have the scriptures nor a living prophet, we would still have the Spirit as a guide through personal revelation when we are faithful and worthy.
The iron rod is the same as the oil we are to have in our own personal lamps. The iron rod helps those who grope through the mist of darkness. In like manner, our oil is our own personal testimony that lights the path before us so we can see the way. This can only be given by the Holy Ghost, it is not someone else’s testimony or spiritual light. Heber C. Kimball once said, “The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?” (Life of Heber C. Kimball, pp. 449-450.) And the Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “Search the scriptures—search the revelations which we publish, and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to his glory nothing doubting, He will answer you by the power of His Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor will there be any room for speculation.” (TPJS, p. 11.) Again from his teachings we read:
“President Joseph Smith read the 14th chapter of Ezekiel—said the Lord had declared by the Prophet, that the people should each one stand for himself, and depend on no man or men in that state of corruption of the Jewish church—that righteous persons could only deliver their own souls—applied it to the present state of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—said if the people departed from the Lord, they must fall—that they were depending on the Prophet, hence were darkened in their minds, in consequence of neglecting the duties devolving upon themselves, envious towards the innocent, while they afflict the virtuous with their shafts of envy.” (TPJS, pp. 237-38.)
The Prophet Joseph said that if the people departed from the Lord and depended upon the Prophet, which was him at the time, they would become “darkened in their minds.” Why would they become darkened? Because they lost the light that emanates from the Spirit of personal testimony. On this subject President John Taylor preached:
“One thing is clear, the Saints are being tried in a manner never before known among us. The faithful rejoice and are steadfast; the unfaithful fear and tremble. Those who have oil in their lamps and have kept them trimmed and burning now have a light for their feet and they do not stumble or fall; those who have neither light nor oil are in perplexity and doubt; they know not what to do.” (Messages of the First Presidency, 3:36-37.)
“Those who have been careful to keep oil in their lamps, now have the needed light to guide them; and those who have been living in borrowed light, or in that furnished by others, may find themselves in perplexity and uncertain as to the path to pursue. For all these circumstances the Saints should be prepared. They have been faithfully taught and warned to not depend upon man or upon his strength to enable them to stand the trying day. They have been told, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” They have been told that no man can serve two masters; that we cannot serve God and mammon. Those who have observed these teachings, and have diligently kept the other commandments of the Lord, will find themselves in the possession of the needed strength and faith to enable them to bear every trial.” (Messages of the First Presidency, 3:17.)
Saying we claim to follow the Spirit, but in reality depend upon man for our guidance, is serving two masters which is loving the world.
Going to a church meeting, paying tithing, attending the temple, or even serving a mission is not the oil spoken of. These are worldly—telestial—things. God provides the temporal necessities for us: manna for wandering Israel, a cruse of oil for the widow, seven loaves and a few fishes for the multitude of thousands, and so forth. But a testimony through personal revelation by the witness of the Spirit we must gather for ourselves. We cannot buy nor borrow it from another. We must seek it and purchase it ourselves before the Bridegroom comes and shuts the door. Leaning on others for our light and salvation will not fill our lamps with needed oil. Only the Spirit can do that.
At that day, many virgins will say, “Lord, have we not done many wonderful things in thy name”? And the Lord might say, “I don’t know you, because you do not know me; for you can only know me through the Spirit of prophecy, that of personal revelation, which is the testimony of Jesus.” (Matt. 7:21-23; Rev. 19:10; TPJS, p. 119.) When we come unto Christ, we must come with our own oil in our lamps.
Behold, He Knocks
Many have seen the picture showing Jesus standing at a door and knocking. Those who are familiar with it will notice that there is no doorknob on the outside of the door where Jesus is standing. The reason is that the doorknob is on the inside. We are to open the door and let Him in.
Just before our resurrected Lord first appeared to the Nephites He spoke unto them from Heaven, and part of what He said was, “... Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.” (3 Ne. 9:14.) He desires to come into our lives, but cannot enter without our permission. Therefore, He said to John the Revelator, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Rev. 3:15-20.) Consequently, we must come unto Jesus.
Many are familiar with verses 15 and 16 where Christ says He would rather have us cold or hot than lukewarm. He would rather have us on one side of the fence or the other, than sitting on it. When we are cold or hot, we are taking a stand for something; we have made a commitment. Many, however, are afraid to make commitments because that lets other people know which side of the fence they are standing on, and that could produce displeasure from others if it’s not their side. For many, it’s a hard thing not to receive the pleasure of the world.
Jesus did not just come to the earth to tutor us with a few platitudes, perform a few miracles, and then go back to the Father leaving us here without hope, to wallow in our sins. He invites us to follow Him; trusting Him to provide a way for us to go back to the Father. Matthew records: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30.)
Because we have many of the good things of the world, we often feel that all is well. We do not realize that we have nothing without Jesus; that we are poor, blind, naked, wretched, and miserable individuals without Him. He pleads with us to spend our all on Him, He who has been tried by fire and found pure. When we do, we shall become rich in Him, being clothed in white raiment which signifies that His blood cleansed us from our sins. This brings to mind the words of Isaiah, when that prophet wrote, “... though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isa. 1:18.) This whiteness covers the nakedness of our sins, that we may not be ashamed, for all of our sins shall be revealed if they are not covered by His cleansing blood. Not only will He clothe us in purity, but He will apply a salve to our eyes that will take away our blindness. Then we shall see with more clarity the things of eternal life.
He loves us. Therefore, He earnestly, and even enthusiastically, chastises us, imploring us to repent that we might be washed clean and become sanctified in purity. However, before we can become sanctified and clothed in white, we need to first open the door and let Him into our lives. He offers the gift, but He cannot force it upon us. We must pledge our lives to Him. We must accept the offering through faith, receiving the joy of His hope and obtain the gift.
Long ago, the Lectures on Faith comprised the first part of the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, and every edition since then until about 1920, when those lectures were removed. The Lectures on Faith WERE, at one time, the “doctrinal” part of the Doctrine and Covenants. They gave man information concerning how faith works in relation to becoming sanctified. For example, in the Seventh Lecture we learn how to become saved:
“When men begin to live by faith they begin to draw near to God; and when faith is perfected they are like him; and because he is saved they are saved also; for they will be in the same situation he is in, because they have COME TO HIM; and when he appears they shall be like him, for they will see him as he is. (Lecture on Faith 7:8.)
“.. And what constitutes the real difference between a saved person and one not saved is—the difference in the degree of their faith—one’s faith has become perfect enough to lay hold upon eternal life, and the other’s has not.” (Lecture on Faith 7:9.)
Being saved, then, is based upon the degree of faith obtained. We must develop our faith to a point that we can claim—lay hold upon—eternal life for ourselves. And if we want to be like Him, we must “come to Him.”
Give of Yourself to Receive of Him
Jesus once said, “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me.... And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.” (John 5:37-38.) The Jews of Jerusalem had not the testimony of Jesus, even though the Father had born witness of Him. They did not have that Spirit within them, for they were people who believed in tradition and the written word rather than personal revelation. They had set those things up as being more important than the words of the living God through the whisperings of the Spirit. Thus, those things they favored became their false gods.
Jesus continued by saying to them, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” (John 5:37-40.) The Jews thought they had eternal life by way of the scriptures. However, the scriptures only testify of Christ, they cannot provide salvation. Eternal life only comes by accepting and coming to Jesus, something the Jews would not do. Many of us think we have eternal life with our present knowledge of the scriptures. We must study to learn of Jesus Christ, but we cannot have eternal life unless we give all we have and come unto Him.
I heard a story a while back that was supposed to have come out of India. It helps illustrate a point, and it goes something like this:
A poor man was sitting by the roadside eating his last bowl of rice. As he was eating his rice, and wondering where his next meal was going to come from, he saw the Prince and his caravan coming down the road. “Ah,” thought the poor man, “I’ll beg food from the young Prince, he is a goodly man.”
But before the poor man could ask food of the Prince, the Prince said, “Poor man, give me some of your rice.”
The poor man, feeling rather imposed upon that the wealthy Prince should want what little he had left, grudgingly reached into his bowl and gave the Prince one grain of rice. After the Prince took the rice, he said to the poor man, “Give me some more.”
The poor man was really upset, but again he grudgingly reached into his bowl and, this time, gave the Prince two grains of rice; after which, the Prince and his caravan moved on.
Being very disappointed, the poor man sat back down, hanging his head with a heavy heart. As he looked down he saw three small bags of gold sitting at his feet—one for each grain of rice he gave the Prince. The poor man was saddened and ashamed as he thought, “If only I had ungrudgingly given more.”
Does Jesus have to beg us for our meager grains of rice, when He has so much more to give? Can we not offer all we have to the Prince of Peace, for the gift of eternal life?
Come Unto Christ
Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered all things for you and me. He was despised and rejected of men, and acquainted with grief. He was ridiculed, spat upon, scourged, nailed to a tree, fed bitter gall, and gave His life that you and I might have salvation in our Father’s kingdom.
In the garden, and while hanging on the cross, Jesus gave His blood so that you and I can live. He exercised His will in compliance with His Father’s wishes. At the end He had a final choice to make, and He made it for the sake of His Father’s children. Now you are to exercise your will and make a choice, if you haven’t already. After He gave all He had for you, are you willing to give all you have to Him in return? Can you express your appreciation to Him in that way? Are you willing to count the cost of discipleship and follow Him? Are you willing to pay the price in this life? And are you ready and willing to receive Him?
Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. There is no other way. He invites you to come unto Him. Covenant and consecrate all you have, or ever hope to have, to Jesus Christ, and give your life to Him—all of it. There is no true joy without Him. Come unto the Master with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Come hungering and thirsting. Come praising His holy name. Jesus simply invites all by saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
The fulness has been restored. Will we seek it, or expect it to seek us?
