Faith or Works

Before we can understand how we are "saved" from our transgressions, we need to understand about Gods grace and what it means. 

When I think of the word grace, I think about the popular song and hymn "amazing grace" 

Some of the lyrics are "amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wrench like me." 

Being Gods loving grace, his sacrifice, his atonement for our sins. HE made it possible so that everyone can be raised up, and be made into something greater than we are now.

Through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repenting of our sins, we can receive assistance to do good works that we would otherwise not be able to maintain by our own means.

Grace is an enabling power that allows people to hold fast on eternal life after they have given there best efforts to keep their covenants and follow our savior Jesus Christ. 

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

(James 2:18-20) 

A great example upon how God's grace makes repentance possible, is expressed in Jesus' parable of the vine and branches. (see John 15:1-11) 

 

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: 

Not of works, least any man should boast. 

(Ephesians 2:8-9) 

This scripture in Ephesians 2 has brought unto me a lot of thought about how we are saved. Being born and raised in Alabama around many Protestant religions, most of them teach that if we accept Jesus Christ in our hearts we will be saved. 

This lead me to ask, then why are there commandments? Why did Jesus Christ ask us to "come follow me" and walk in the path of rightiousness and be good people if we could just accept him and move on? 

This is where I thought "works are the true way to discern the true followers of Christ, the ones who speak with there words they are of Christ, but there hearts and disires are far from him."

That's where I though how the three kingdoms of heaven make complete since. We are all raised up after death at the judgement day, and what glory we are placed in depends on our faith and how we accepted His gospel and followed him on earth. (See 1Corinthians 15:40-41) 

Being a disciple of Christ isn't just showing up to Church on Sunday, it's something you yearn to be all the time. Putting Christ first in everything. Really putting your faith in him and following him. That is truly accepting him.

Most likely we are going to make mistakes, that's when grace and faith come in, and we have the beautiful gift of repentance. True repentance isn't just telling God "I'm sorry", it's telling God "forgive me of my mistakes, I am going to try my hardest to do better." Repenting is progression, it's slowly trying to become more like your Father in Heaven. 

(lds.org) 

Works and Faith go together. You can't have one without the other. 

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

(Ephesians 4:4-7)