Glory...Scriptural definition of...God's Glory...Grace...which is which?
A question was pressed upon my mind yesterday and my 20 minute scripture study turned into an hour long search for the meaning of Grace, which led me to the meaning of Glory. In Doctrine and Covenants 93 John the baptist testifies of the Savior saying that "he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace...and thus he was called the Son of God, because he received not the fulness at the First."
As Heavenly Father's firstborn, the Savior had to prove himself in mortality as well as in the pre-mortal life. He was begotten of the father, the Savior had to endure temptations as we did, and it was necessary for him to be begotten of the Father so that he could overcome the trials and temptations of this life and receive the fulness of his glory. At this stage in the game, none of us are able to receive that glory, we know from the scriptures of prophet's personal encounters with God, that we would perish because of our flesh but the Savior was his son in the flesh and therefore he did receive it.
"And I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one- The Father because he gave me of his fulness , and the Son because I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of men." (D&C 93:4)
This scripture shows us how perfectly planned our Earthly existence was that our Father knew that the Savior had to be His literal offspring, so that we could have hope. This puts into perspective how difficult our trials are in this life that the Savior had to be of royal "spiritual" decent to overcome the world. Grace for grace is exactly this: our ability to overcome temptations by putting our Father's needs before our own, which is why charity is such an important characteristic in the process of sanctification. We must literally "clothe ourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace." (D&C 88:125) Wow, we must become charity, we must become our Savior...As we do so, we are "quickened in Him" (D&C 88:50), "preserved by His law" (D&C 88:34) "that you might come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness" (D&C93:19).
"For behold, this is my work and my glory -to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)
I couldn't have described glory in a better way. We are here to bring God's glory into the world. We are preparing the way for the Savior to reign in this world. His death was the greatest act of charity that anyone could have given humankind. By this point in His ministry, he had received the fulness of his Father's glory, or he "saw the big picture" and submitted himself to the plan as the leading role of pure martyrdom. As he looked upward with faith he was able to realize that no matter how difficult the challenges of this life were, death was just a part of the bigger plan and he was willing to sacrifice it all, so that he could bring to pass" the immortality and eternal life of man". So, I ask myself, where do I fit into this great plan? And am I a willing servant and diligent in pursuing my potential?
I've seen this scripture used many times in the church and for the most part the manner in which it is used remains the same, which is to show God's love for his children. It shows us that His joy comes purely from watching His children progress and develop a lasting bond with Him through covenant-making and perseverance. The bond that is forged in this life is the bond of charity and our willingness to live according to His laws and covenants. His glory, as stated above, is to have us return to His presence and live forever in joy. In order to accomplish this, we must do His will through good works(grace) in this life. He manifests His power through our grace (benevolence) for His Children.
Glory is our renewal and our reward and grace is the enabling power which he gives us to fulfill His work. The Savior retells of his mortality, "I was in the world and received of my Father, and the works of him were plainly manifest" (D&C 93:5). The third article of faith states "We believe that through the atonement of Christ all man kind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel". Saving ordinances are the bond that keep us affixed to the glory of God. Once we have done the work for ourselves, Heavenly Father provided a way for us to bring that joy to those who have passed from their Earthly existence and into the next life without knowledge or means to receive salvation in the flesh through living ordinances. We achieve this when we maintain our eye single to the glory of the Father and our " whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you. and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things"(D&C 97: 8). "Verily I (Savior) say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice-yea, every sacrifice which I the Lord, shall command-they are accepted of me".
Amen.
As Heavenly Father's firstborn, the Savior had to prove himself in mortality as well as in the pre-mortal life. He was begotten of the father, the Savior had to endure temptations as we did, and it was necessary for him to be begotten of the Father so that he could overcome the trials and temptations of this life and receive the fulness of his glory. At this stage in the game, none of us are able to receive that glory, we know from the scriptures of prophet's personal encounters with God, that we would perish because of our flesh but the Savior was his son in the flesh and therefore he did receive it.
"And I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one- The Father because he gave me of his fulness , and the Son because I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of men." (D&C 93:4)
This scripture shows us how perfectly planned our Earthly existence was that our Father knew that the Savior had to be His literal offspring, so that we could have hope. This puts into perspective how difficult our trials are in this life that the Savior had to be of royal "spiritual" decent to overcome the world. Grace for grace is exactly this: our ability to overcome temptations by putting our Father's needs before our own, which is why charity is such an important characteristic in the process of sanctification. We must literally "clothe ourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace." (D&C 88:125) Wow, we must become charity, we must become our Savior...As we do so, we are "quickened in Him" (D&C 88:50), "preserved by His law" (D&C 88:34) "that you might come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness" (D&C93:19).
"For behold, this is my work and my glory -to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39)
I couldn't have described glory in a better way. We are here to bring God's glory into the world. We are preparing the way for the Savior to reign in this world. His death was the greatest act of charity that anyone could have given humankind. By this point in His ministry, he had received the fulness of his Father's glory, or he "saw the big picture" and submitted himself to the plan as the leading role of pure martyrdom. As he looked upward with faith he was able to realize that no matter how difficult the challenges of this life were, death was just a part of the bigger plan and he was willing to sacrifice it all, so that he could bring to pass" the immortality and eternal life of man". So, I ask myself, where do I fit into this great plan? And am I a willing servant and diligent in pursuing my potential?
I've seen this scripture used many times in the church and for the most part the manner in which it is used remains the same, which is to show God's love for his children. It shows us that His joy comes purely from watching His children progress and develop a lasting bond with Him through covenant-making and perseverance. The bond that is forged in this life is the bond of charity and our willingness to live according to His laws and covenants. His glory, as stated above, is to have us return to His presence and live forever in joy. In order to accomplish this, we must do His will through good works(grace) in this life. He manifests His power through our grace (benevolence) for His Children.
Glory is our renewal and our reward and grace is the enabling power which he gives us to fulfill His work. The Savior retells of his mortality, "I was in the world and received of my Father, and the works of him were plainly manifest" (D&C 93:5). The third article of faith states "We believe that through the atonement of Christ all man kind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel". Saving ordinances are the bond that keep us affixed to the glory of God. Once we have done the work for ourselves, Heavenly Father provided a way for us to bring that joy to those who have passed from their Earthly existence and into the next life without knowledge or means to receive salvation in the flesh through living ordinances. We achieve this when we maintain our eye single to the glory of the Father and our " whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you. and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things"(D&C 97: 8). "Verily I (Savior) say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice-yea, every sacrifice which I the Lord, shall command-they are accepted of me".
Amen.
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