Exploring Love and Salvation in Mormonism

LIVE from the Mecca of Mormonism –
Salt Lake City, Utah
THIS is Heart of the Matter, where we do all we can to help people walk toward His love.

God’s love Jesus love. Walk toward it. It is there for the taking. Without price or cost.

And I’m your host, Shawn McCraney. Let’s begin with a word of prayer.

Show 17A Love in the New World
Taped November 19th
Aired November 25th, 2019
PRAYER

Understanding LDS Beliefs

So we started off by talking about water baptism and the LDS Sacrament prayer. And that led us to some presentations about the Holy Spirit in Mormonism. The thinking therein is Latter-day Saints covenant at water baptism, which is performed by a worthy LDS priesthood holder, to

• Take upon themselves the name of Christ,
• To always remember him and,
• To keep his commandments

And then every week they attend sacrament meeting and renew these baptismal covenants through the partaking of the LDS sacrament (which is blessed and administered through the male priesthood too). They do this every week, according to the prayer over the sacrament, “that they may keep the commandments which He (God and or Christ) has given them, that they MAY always have His Spirit to be with them.”

And then the week starts over. To the LDS, having the Holy Spirit with them is the means by which they discern truth from error, to resist temptation, to be protected and it is how they remain faithful (and therefore on track) to make it to the Celestial Kingdom through their own worthiness.

Now I want to GO TO BOARD to illustrate what all of this means:

To the LDS all of this is possible (for members of the Church alone) by and through five interconnected things:

• The Lord Jesus Christ sacrifice,
• Restored by Joseph Smith, who restored the
• Priesthood
• Who administer the rites and rituals necessary, that contain the covenants (administered both in the ward level and in temples)
• For worthy LDS members to receive and to then by obedience keep for life.

LDS Soteriology

So, we can see so many things incorporated in the LDS means of salvation or what is called soteriology:

Yes, Jesus, and I put him at the base just to make this easy to see for the LDS. But then on top of Jesus we also have Joseph Smith, who is right next to Jesus in importance to Mormons, then the LDS priesthood power and authority which Joseph restored, which is the administrator of all the LDS ordinances and then finally, the worthiness and obedience of each members in keeping the covenants made at the reception of these rituals, through the LDS priesthood, restored by Smith from the founder, Jesus Christ.

Got all that? Now, all of these things are necessary in Mormonism proper for the exaltation and eternal life of Man.

All of it.

The Biblical Perspective on Salvation

Now I want to tell you what the Bible says is necessary for the exaltation and eternal life of man.

Are you ready? I know you think you are ready and that you have the answer, but I want to suggest that you don’t – and I want to prove it through the words of Jesus.

So on three, let’s name the ONE word necessary for the exaltation and eternal life of people according to the Bible on three . . . ONE . . . TWO . . . THREE:

LOVE!

Many of you probably said, “Faith.” Some of you surely said, “Jesus.” And some might have said, “faith in Jesus and love.” And you would all be right.

But let me explain why LOVE – for God and Neighbor – is all that is requisite to inherit eternal life and I will prove it by the scripture.

In Luke chapter 10 at verse 25 we read:

Luke 10:25 And, behold, a certain lawyer

Understanding Eternal Life in the Scriptures

stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

And behold . . . “a certain lawyer” The titles "scribes" and "lawyers" are used interchangeably in the Gospels (Matthew 22:35; Mark 12:28; Luke 20:39, etc.) and in the days of the Lord they were the public teachers of the people, experts (so called) in the Law. The reason we read lawyer here is because the Greek term used for them is NOMOS and means law. The reason we read scribe is because the Greek term used is GRAMMATUS, which refers to writing – but they are one in the same.

They often come up against Jesus as He was the Word and they USED and INTERPRETED the WORD as a means to catch or trap him. Here it says that this scribe came to Jesus to tempt him – meaning to test him. Once Jesus ascends most of the scribe of that day became extremely aggressive toward the apostles. I find that interesting because they probably thought they could run circles around the apostles using the word against them. However, there are always exceptions to every rule as Gamaliel, a teacher of Paul, advised the Sanhedrin, when the apostles were before it were charged with "teaching in the name of Jesus to "refrain from these men and let them alone." (that’s in Acts 5:34-39).

The Inquiry of Eternal Life

In any case, here comes a scribe, well versed in the Law of Moses, to test Jesus and Matthew says he stood up and asked: “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Built into this question is the idea that there was a life that could be inherited or bestowed that was eternal or defined as eternal and that it stood in opposition to an afterlife existence that could not be described as such. “Inherit eternal life.” What some say means, “Be saved.” This was the common inquiry among the Jews and the standard answer was that man must keep the commandments–the written and oral law.

26 And He (Jesus) said to him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

What we call the New Testament uses the term “eternal life” in a very succinct manner and on several occasions a number of Jews in that day were fixated on discovering the means by which to obtain it. In Matthew 19:16 we read, “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” And in Mark 10:17 we read of another running and kneeling before Jesus and asking the same.

Jesus said (in this later conversation found in Mark 10:30) of those who have sacrificed for the kingdom while on earth: “But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.” We read in John 3:15 “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

That word perish apolomahee means to “suffer loss,” suggesting that those who have inherited eternal life will not suffer loss and those who do not will.

Connections to Resurrection

Jesus said in John 5:39 to the Jews who sought to kill Him for healing a man on the Sabbath day: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” They had the scripture but He had the law of love in Him and acted accordingly. Like true religionists, they wanted to kill him for what they felt was an unlawful departure from truth. He also added to them in that day:

John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. Because of this verse and others, I am of the opinion that eternal life and the type of resurrection every person receives who have it – are inextricably linked; that those who are His, who “suffer no loss” in the afterlife, inherit bodies that are equipped to dwell in the presence of God and perhaps those who are not a given resurrected bodies that cannot dwell in the light endure some sort of loss.

But whatever – Regarding His sheep in that day Jesus said in John 10:28

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

And then speaking of some Gentiles in Acts 13:48 we read:

“And when the Gentiles heard this, they were

Eternal Life in the Scriptures

“Glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.” When we get to the epistles, Paul spells out more clearly exactly how eternal life is bestowed, saying in

Romans 5:21: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

And then again in Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In 1st Timothy 6:12, eternal life and the possession of it appear to include a fight for it as Paul says, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” And then again in 1st Timothy 6:19, Paul adds, “Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

The Hope of Eternal Life

Titus speaks of the reality of eternal life in human beings as a hope, saying in Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” And reiterates this idea again in Titus 3:7: “That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Interestingly, John the beloved calls Jesus himself “that eternal life,” in 1st John 1:2, saying and speaking of Jesus: “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;” And in the next chapter reveals that it is a promise, saying in 1st John 2:25: “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”

The Promise of Eternal Life

Then John tells us where this life actually resides, saying in 1st John 5:11: And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Two verses later, John the Beloved adds (1st John 5:13): These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

And then in verse 20 of 1st John 5: “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” Finally, Jude puts eternal life in a place of hope again, with conditions, adding: Jude 1:21: Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

This lawyer, we can surmise, appears to believe that by keeping the Law – every whit and bit – was key to obtaining eternal life and coming to Jesus he seems to have wanted to test him and his response to the idea.

Okay, so now, what was the question from the scribe? Remember? “What must I DO to inherit eternal life.” Notice that this was the question. Not what must I believe nor who can save me from myself, “but what must I DO TO…inherit eternal life?” If the scribe had asked Jesus, How can a human inherit eternal life? I think the answer would have been, “Believe on me.” And again, to put it “all” together, what that would mean would be, “When a human believes on the one whom God has sent they will be equipped with a resurrected body by God that is capable of dwelling in the presence of God and His Son, which is eternal life.”

But because the scribe asked “What must I DO to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answers him the perfect answer and He does this by referring him to the Law of which He was expert. In so doing, Jesus entered into the very arena this man believed he had dominance over and used his own presuppositions to crack him wide open. Scribes trusted their own works, and to destabilize the man, Jesus directly showed him what the law required – in so doing this perfectly proved that the man needed something more than just the Law and obedience to it. In Galatians, Paul plainly explains that this was the purpose of the law – to act.

The Law as a Schoolmaster

As a schoolmaster in bringing people to a belief on Christ because the Law itself only serves to show all people their failures. To this question, What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus replies with another question, saying (verse 26)

26 What is written in the law? how readest thou?

You are the scribe, the lawyer. You tell me? And the man replies:

27 . . .Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.

And Jesus succinctly states, “You have answered correctly. DO this and thou shalt live.”

Love God Completely

No need for faith on Jesus to be mentioned in this reply to the scribe. Nothing more needed than to affirming these very simple instructions, right? “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God

HOW?

with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind;

Notice that any variance to the totality of these instructions of ALL will automatically disqualify a person from inheriting eternal life? Why? Because to fail in one part would not be all thy heart or soul or strength or mind, would it?

In other words, by citing this the scribe admits that to merit (to do) eternal life, a human being must LOVE GOD with “all” (start to finish) ALL of their “heart, soul, strength and mind.” All of it – one ounce missing – and there is a fail. And who has done this ever? No one. So then we see this Law as an impossibility, don’t we?

But then the scribe, perhaps not realizing that all people fail miserably in loving God honestly adds the clincher, saying “and thy neighbor as thyself.” Being a scribe he has cites the Law, found in Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 6:5-6 (called the Great Shema).

Love Your Neighbor

And so Jesus says to Him at verse 28:

28 Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

The scribe asked him how do I live (eternally) and Jesus told him – LOVE – God and Neighbor – and you will live, meaning you will have eternal life.

Because of this, and a dozen other factors, we can say that LOVE of God and for Neighbor is the end of the law, and if we did this – with or without Jesus – we too would live, just as Jesus tells the scribe.

29 But he, (the scribe) willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

What this means is the scribe, looking to prove himself obedient to the Law (which he just cited) and therefore he wanted to show that he was worthy of meriting eternal life – to justify himself. See, to the Pharisees in that day, love to neighbor meant fulfilling the Law relative to other faithful Jews alone – not gentiles, not the unclean – just faithful Jews.

We might believe that he thought that Jesus, when asked Him, “And who is my neighbor, would have said, “Your brethren, the faithful Jews.”

But talk long enough with Jesus and everyone ends up holding their own head in their hands. And it is here that Jesus, having found the crack in this man’s heart and mind, was about to destroy him. He begins by rejecting the false Pharisaical notion that a person’s neighbor is only those with whom they agree on doctrine, lifestyle and worship. (verse 30)

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

From Jerusalem to Jericho the country was rocky and mountainous, and some parts were not even habitable it was so desolate. Due to these rock outcroppings robbers were able to hide themselves as a means to sneak up on their passing prey. It is said that this road was well known and traveled as Jericho was a large place and was highly traveled as a means to get to a from Jerusalem.

Josephus says that Herod the Great fired some forty thousand men who were working on the temple and many of them became robbers lurking on this road (Josephus' Antiquities, xv. 7). As a result of all of this, I think it is safe to assume that anyone from that vicinity would be familiar with the setting of the story Jesus was telling. Add in the fact that Jericho was a city where priests lived and…

The Parable's Setting and Free Will

The constant passing of priests and Levites between it and Jerusalem was known to be an everyday occurrence. The Scribe was now about to have his head removed as Jesus masterfully (pun intended) made the man his own judge and jury by introducing characters that would directly challenge his piety. So, he says at verse 30:

“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers who stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

We note in this that Jesus, the Son of God, tells a story that automatically supports the idea of free will, as these Robbers were neither sent by God to do their evil nor were they stopped by him. They “just were,” as they are here on earth operating by their darkened flesh.

The Roles of the Priest and the Levite

So who does Jesus introduce next to this scribe “seeking to justify himself?” He says:

31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

Interestingly, and again, another nod to free will and the world spinning without micromanagement from God, Jesus says “And by chance . . .” meaning, that the priest by coincidence – SU-ONG-KOO-REE-AH – “there came a priest by that way, and when He saw Him, he passed by on the other side.” In other words, just in the course of life and not for any other reason than happenstance, the priest came by that way and when he saw him passed by the other side. When Jesus says that he, “passed by on the other side,” it better means he went WAY out of the way to avoid him once he caught sight of him. (verse 32)

32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

Both the Levites, as well as the priests, were of the tribe of Levi and were specifically set apart to fulfill the duties of the material religion. The peculiar duty of the priest was to offer sacrifice at the temple; to present incense; to conduct the morning and evening services of the temple and the duty of the Levites was to render assistance to the priests in their services in whatever way was needed. What Jesus presents here are two men who were very busy with the demands of the law, the material focus, the outer, external stuff. And apparently by and through such things they felt justified and sanctified before God.

In the case of the priest and the injured man he appears to have caught a glance of him and continued on but in the case of the Levite he saw him and then came and looked more closely – but did nothing.

Mercy Over Sacrifice

What we are reading here is the antithesis of Hosea 6:6 where God says plainly: “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” This is the heart of the matter – the heart of God, that His children will always put compassionate views and treatment of others – all others in every case – ahead of religious demands. And this was at the heart of the discussion that Jesus was having with this scribe who asked what “He must do to inherit eternal life” and then answering Jesus query as to what the law essentially admits: To love. (beat) God consummately . . . and neighbor as self ultimately. Nothing more.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

The priest and the Levite, proficient in fulfilling the material demands of the Law in their lives in the name of God failed to embrace what God wants most – mercy, compassion, toward others – which reflect His love, which is sacrificial in the extreme.

Of course, Jesus’ use of the Samaritan is just icing on the cake, and would have really sunk down deep into the heart of the scribe as we know by now that the Samaritans were hated foes of the Jews who refused to have any dealings with them. I mean, it appears that the afflicted man was a Jew – the Levite and priest own countryman – but to whom they turned a blind eye. But to have a Samaritan step in with Godly love! Look out.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

For a real neighbor to love others as he loves himself, what does the Samaritan actually do? He has him ACTUALLY, LITERALLY, PHYSICALLY extend sacrificial love, again in action, toward the wounded fellow.

Actions of the Samaritan

Verse 34:
34 And he, (the Samaritan) went to him, (unlike the Priest and Levite who went around him and avoided him this Samaritan took action TOWARD the man) and bound up his wounds, (which took compassion and time) pouring in oil and wine, (which required a sacrifice of his own goods and materials) and set him on his own beast, (His own beast, meaning he walked while transporting the wounded) and brought him to an inn, (presumably a destination that was not his) and took care of him. (a verb – verse 35) And on the morrow when he departed, (so he took extra time to be with the man) he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, (spent more of His material wealth) and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, (and took personal responsibility for anything else required) and said: I will repay thee. (promised more material sacrifice for the wounded man in the future…)

He did NOT know this wounded man, but loved Him anyway in the Godly way, the self-sacrificial way. ALL ON BEHALF of an ENEMY!!!!!

The Lesson from Jesus

And then Jesus, the Master and the Master teacher asks the scribe:

36 Now which of these three, do YOU think, was neighbor to him that fell among the thieves? The Priest? The Levite or the Samaritan?

The lawyer had asked Jesus, as a means to justify himself, “who was his neighbor?” And in a most marvelous reply via this story, Jesus beautifully portrays the answer in an extreme using a Samaritan, making all other applications permissible in our lives.

I mean if a Samaritan was merciful and compassionate and showed sacrificial love to a Jew, then any Jew (to any Jew) was a neighbor, and any Gentile to a Jew was a neighbor, and then any and every member of society – no matter how unworthy they may appear, is a neighbor to a Christian. All the time, every time.

So after asking the scribe:

“Who in this story was a neighbor,” the scribe replied:

37 He that shewed mercy on him (who was wounded). Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do – and DO . . . thou . . . likewise.

NOTHING ABOUT BELIEVING HERE. Now understand, this does not negate believing in Jesus and living. But this was Jesus' response to this scribe who initially asked Jesus, “What must I DO to inherit eternal life?”

The Call to Action

Jesus has told him plainly what He must do. He must go and DO likewise (as the Samaritan) who SHOWED – EVIDENCED – real Sacrificial love for his neighbor.

It was not a quick fix love. It was committed, and costly love – not only in terms of time and inconvenience and money, but to his ego – as it was a Samaritan helping a Jew.

“Go, and do thou likewise,” Jesus said. And this is why I say it all comes down to love.

If we could love God with our all, and if we could love all people – all – as ourselves, we would HAVE eternal life. If we COULD DO these things.

Now the question becomes, in the scribe's life and in ours:

“Can he/we GO and do likewise?” Is it possible to love all people – enemies included – as our neighbors?

The Lesson of the Good Samaritan

Complete sacrificial love without the aid of Jesus?

We need to appeal to this scribe for our answer. He was told by Jesus to go and do likewise. Jesus does not tell him to believe on Him, to “accept Him as the Lord and Savior” or “to confess His sin and ask for Jesus to be in His life.”

In response to his question: What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus tells him to “go and do” like the Samaritan in the story. So let’s assume he walks on committed to do as Jesus commands. Remember now, he is an expert in the Law. He has it down and therefore I think it is safe to assume that he is about to be a man in great conflict (if he seeks to follow Jesus' advice.)

Cultural and Religious Conflict

I mean, as a Jew of Jews, he was going to be confronted by a culture that says, “hate the Samaritans, and avoid others, and touch not the unclean thing.” He was going to be reminded that the Law was best seen through religious appeals and rites. He was going to have his religiosity tested to the max if he tries to follow Jesus' directions. Adding salt to these open wounds, the very environs of his homeland was such that all around them were opportunities for the scribe to go and do likewise as there were destitute, poor, possessed, ill-diseased people at every turn.

In the face of the culture of entitlement and the written law that he held so closely, the man was about to face some serious inner conflict – one where he was going to have to choose to trust Jesus' directives or to try and go and do without him. I suggest that the failures waiting for him will serve to bring him to the feet of Jesus at some point – either literally or figuratively where he will be forced to figure out why he cannot “go and do,” as Jesus commanded him. That he did not need more Law, he needed to look to the Messiah and live.

The Challenge of Sacrificial Love

Ironically, the very things that were in place in his life to grant him eternal life – the Law of Moses and the culture of Judaism – were getting in the way of him actually fulfilling the Law of love. And Jesus knew this. So he would have to make a choice – like all of us have to make a choice when it comes to the religious demands and doctrines we embrace. Will we let them run interference with what we know we should do (in loving all others with sacrificial love) or will we let them go, turn to Jesus, and let the two great commandments reign over us – which is the ultimate goal before every Christian.

That is the lesson of the Good Samaritan. Yes, the end goal is to go and do likewise (to sacrificially love) but the real tale of the message is to show us that it is really impossible to “go and do” so long as we are clinging to anything other than Him, which can only be actually known and understood when we replace all of our religious prejudices (which come by the Law) with Jesus – who is Himself, “life eternal.”

Make your comments below and we will get to them tomorrow night on our live call-in portion of Heart of the Matter! See you then.