July 8, 2018
Grace and
Repentance
Opening hymn:
As Now We Take the Sacrament, hymn number 169
Opening prayer:
by invitation
His Grace Is Sufficient
By Brad Wilcox
September
2013 Ensign
From a
devotional address given at Brigham Young University on July 12, 2011. For the
full address, visit speeches.byu.edu.
"A young
woman once came to me and asked if we could talk. I said, “Of course. How can I
help you?”
"She said, “I
just don’t get grace.”
"I responded,
“What is it that you don’t understand?”
"She said, “I
know I need to do my best, and then Jesus does the rest, but I can’t even do my
best.”
"I said, “The
truth is, Jesus paid our debt in full. He didn’t pay it all except for a few
coins. He paid it all. It is finished.”
"She said,
“Right! Like I don’t have to do anything?”
“"Oh, no,” I
said, “you have plenty to do, but it is not to pay that debt. We will all be
resurrected. We will all go back to God’s presence to be judged. What is left
to be determined by our obedience is how comfortable we plan to be in God’s
presence and what degree of glory we plan on receiving.”
"Christ asks
us to show faith in Him, repent, make and keep covenants, receive the Holy
Ghost, and endure to the end. By complying, we are not paying the demands of
justice—not even the smallest part. Instead, we are showing appreciation for
what Jesus Christ did by using it to live a life like His. Justice requires
immediate perfection or a punishment when we fall short. Because Jesus took
that punishment, He can offer us the chance for ultimate perfection (see
Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48) and help us reach that goal. He can forgive what
justice never could, and He can turn to us now with His own set of requirements
(see 3 Nephi 28:35)."
Grace Transforms Us
"Christ’s
arrangement with us is similar to a mom providing music lessons for her child.
Mom pays the piano teacher. Because Mom pays the debt in full, she can turn to
her child and ask for something. What is it? Practice! Does the child’s
practice pay the piano teacher? No. Does the child’s practice repay Mom for
paying the piano teacher? No. Practicing is how the child shows appreciation
for Mom’s incredible gift. It is how he takes advantage of the amazing opportunity
Mom is giving him to live his life at a higher level. Mom’s joy is found not in
getting repaid but in seeing her gift used—seeing her child improve. And so she
continues to call for practice, practice, practice.
"If the child
sees Mom’s requirement of practice as being too overbearing (“Gosh, Mom, why do
I need to practice? None of the other kids have to practice! I’m just going to
be a professional baseball player anyway!”), perhaps it is because he doesn’t
yet see with Mom’s eyes. He doesn’t see how much better his life could be if he
would choose to live on a higher plane.
"In the same
way, because Jesus has paid justice, He can now turn to us and say: “Follow me”
(Matthew 4:19); “Keep my commandments” (John 14:15). If we see His requirements
as being way too much to ask, maybe it is because we do not yet see through
Christ’s eyes. We have not yet comprehended what He is trying to make of us.
"Elder Dallin
H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has said, “The repenting sinner
must suffer for his sins, but this suffering has a different purpose than
punishment or payment. Its purpose is change” (The Lord’s Way [1991], 223;
emphasis in original). Let’s put that in terms of the child pianist: The child
must practice the piano, but this practice has a different purpose than
punishment or payment. Its purpose is change.
"The miracle
of the Atonement is not just that we can live after we die but that we can live
more abundantly (see John 10:10). The miracle of the Atonement is not just that
we can be cleansed and consoled but that we can be transformed (see Romans 8).
Scriptures make it clear that no unclean thing can dwell with God (see Alma
40:26), but no unchanged thing will even want to.
"The miracle
of the Atonement is not just that we can go home but that—miraculously—we can
feel at home there. If Heavenly Father and His Son did not require faith and
repentance, then there would be no desire to change. Think of your friends and
family members who have chosen to live without faith and without repentance.
They don’t want to change. They are not trying to abandon sin and become
comfortable with God. Rather, they are trying to abandon God and become
comfortable with sin. If the Father and the Son did not require covenants and
bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost, then there would be no way to change. We
would be left forever with only willpower, with no access to His power. If
Heavenly Father and His Son did not require endurance to the end, then there
would be no internalization of those changes over time. They would forever be
surface and cosmetic rather than sinking inside us and becoming part of us—part
of who we are. Put simply, if Jesus didn’t require practice, then we would
never become Saints.
Grace Helps Us
“"But don’t
you realize how hard it is to practice? I’m just not very good at the piano. I
hit a lot of wrong notes. It takes me forever to get it right.” Now wait. Isn’t
that all part of the learning process? When a young pianist hits a wrong note,
we don’t say he is not worthy to keep practicing. We don’t expect him to be
flawless. We just expect him to keep trying. Perfection may be his ultimate
goal, but for now we can be content with progress in the right direction. Why
is this perspective so easy to see in the context of learning piano but so hard
to see in the context of learning heaven?
"Too many are
giving up on the Church because they are tired of constantly feeling like they
are falling short. They have tried in the past, but they continually feel like
they are just not good enough. They don’t understand grace.
"There should
never be just two options: perfection or giving up. When learning the piano,
are the only options performing at Carnegie Hall or quitting? No. Growth and
development take time. Learning takes time. When we understand grace, we
understand that God is long-suffering, that change is a process, and that
repentance is a pattern in our lives. When we understand grace, we understand
that the blessings of Christ’s Atonement are continuous and His strength is
perfect in our weakness (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). When we understand grace, we
can, as it says in the Doctrine and Covenants, “continue in patience until [we]
are perfected” (D&C 67:13).
"Grace is not
a booster engine that kicks in once our fuel supply is exhausted. Rather, it is
our constant energy source. It is not the light at the end of the tunnel but
the light that moves us through the tunnel. Grace is not achieved somewhere
down the road. It is received right here and right now."
Grace Is Sufficient
"The grace of
Christ is sufficient (see Ether 12:27; D&C 17:8)—sufficient to cover our
debt, sufficient to transform us, and sufficient to help us for as long as that
transformation process takes. The Book of Mormon teaches us to rely solely on
“the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah” (2 Nephi 2:8). As we do,
we do not discover—as some Christians believe—that Christ requires nothing of
us. Rather, we discover the reason He requires so much and find the strength to
do all He asks (see Philippians 4:13). Grace is not the absence of God’s high
expectations. Grace is the presence of God’s power (see Luke 1:37).
"God’s grace
is sufficient. Jesus’s grace is sufficient. It is enough. It is all we need.
Don’t quit. Keep trying. Don’t look for escapes and excuses. Look for the Lord
and His perfect strength. Don’t search for someone to blame. Search for someone
to help you. Seek Christ, and, as you do, you will feel the enabling
power and divine help we call His amazing grace." —Brad Wilcox
From Repentance Is Always Positive, Stephen
W. Owen, October 2017 General Conference:
"Too often
we think of repentance as something miserable and depressing. But God’s plan is
the plan of happiness, not the plan of misery! Repentance is uplifting and
ennobling. It’s sin that brings unhappiness. Repentance is our escape route! As Elder D.
Todd Christofferson explained: “Without repentance, there is no real progress
or improvement in life. … Only through repentance do we gain access to the
atoning grace of Jesus Christ and salvation. Repentance … points us to freedom,
confidence, and peace.” My message to
all—especially to the youth—is that repentance is always positive.
"When we
speak of repentance, we aren’t just talking about self-improvement efforts.
True repentance is more than that—it is inspired by faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ and His power to forgive our sins. As Elder Dale G. Renlund has taught us,
“Without the Redeemer, … repentance becomes simply miserable behavior
modification.” We can try to change our behavior on our own, but only the
Savior can remove our stains and lift our burdens, enabling us to pursue the
path of obedience with confidence and strength. The joy of repentance is more
than the joy of living a decent life. It’s the joy of forgiveness, of being
clean again, and of drawing closer to God. Once you’ve experienced that joy, no
lesser substitute will do.
"True
repentance inspires us to make our obedience a commitment—a covenant, beginning
with baptism and renewed each week at the Lord’s Supper, the sacrament. There
we receive the promise that we can “always have his Spirit to be with [us],”
with all of the joy and peace that come from His constant companionship. This
is the fruit of repentance, and this is what makes repentance joyful!
"We often
associate repentance with grievous sins that require “a mighty change.” But
repentance is for everyone—those who are wandering in “forbidden paths and
[are] lost” as well as those who “have gotten into [the] strait and narrow
path” and now need to “press forward.” Repentance both puts us on the right
path and keeps us on the right path. It is for those who are just beginning to
believe, those who have believed all along, and those who need to begin again
to believe. As Elder David A. Bednar taught: “Most of us clearly understand
that the Atonement is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and
understand that the Atonement is also for saints—for good men and women who are
obedient, worthy, and … striving to become better.”
"Recently I
visited a missionary training center when a group of brand-new missionaries
arrived. I was deeply moved as I watched them and observed the light in their
eyes. They seemed so bright and happy and enthusiastic. Then a thought came to
me: “They have experienced faith unto repentance. This is why they are filled
with joy and hope.”
"To all who
seek forgiveness—the youth, young single adults, parents, grandparents, and
yes, even great-grandparents—I invite you to come home. Now is the time to
begin. Do not procrastinate your day of repentance.
"Then, once
you have made that decision, keep following the path. Our Father is waiting,
longing to receive you. His arms are outstretched “all the day long” for you. The reward is worth the effort.
"Remember
these words from Nephi: “Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ,
having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men.
Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and
endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”" -- Stephen W. Owen
Let us all
remember that repentance is a gift given to us by grace through the atonement
of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Regardless
of what path we are currently on, I hope we will use the marvelous gift of
repentance through grace to get on the right path and stay on the right path. As we do so, we will find true happiness not
only in this life, but for eternity.
This is my hope and prayer for all of us.
In the name
of Jesus Christ, amen.
Closing hymn:
Amazing Grace
Closing prayer:
by invitation
My handout (double-sided):
Song lyrics:
Amazing Grace
1 Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.
2 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed!
3 Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come:
'tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.
4 The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be
as long as life endures.
5 Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease:
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.
As Now We Take the Sacrament
1. As now we take the sacrament,
Our thoughts are turned to thee,
Thou Son of God, who lived for us,
Then died on Calvary.
We contemplate thy lasting grace,
Thy boundless charity;
To us the gift of life was giv’n
For all eternity.
2. As now our minds review the past,
We know we must repent;
The way to thee is righteousness-
The way thy life was spent.
Forgiveness is a gift from thee
We seek with pure intent.
With hands now pledged to do thy work,
We take the sacrament.
3. As now we praise thy name with song,
The blessings of this day
Will linger in our thankful hearts,
And silently we pray
For courage to accept thy will,
To listen and obey.
We love thee, Lord; our hearts are full.
We’ll walk thy chosen way.
Great lesson Tam!
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