I have been communicating with a newly acquired friend online the past couple of weeks and we have been having a conversation, the contents of which I think worthy of the blog. It all began with my friend asking me “How do you get to heaven? What can you do to get to heaven?”
Knowing this to be a topic of heated debate throughout Christianity, especially between Protestants and Catholics I figured I had better first address the debate
The Great Dichotomy — Works vs. Grace
Like many teachings of the Bible where seemingly contrasting ideas are put forth, Christians can’t seem to agree as to whether works are necessary for admittance into heaven, or if only belief and trust in the grace of Christ is sufficient. Now obviously this wouldn’t be an issue of debate at all if there weren’t scriptures fully supporting both sides of the argument. Believers are therefore divided into three camps:
1. Those like my friend who believe “there is nothing that we can do to go to heaven. Our entrance to heaven has already been paved for us...Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of our sins. The only way our sins can be covered is if we believe and trust that Jesus died for our sins.”,
2. Then there are those who think the Atonement of Christ to be a very important thing but one that only applies to those who diligently perform acts of righteousness, (i.e. feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the widows and orphans, etc.) and receive the proper ordinances mandated by the Lord (i.e. baptism).
3. You may ask, “then who belongs to group three?” and here is where the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ are found. We really don’t lean to the left or the right on the issue but hold to a balanced view of the two. We believe at once that there is nothing we can really do to get ourselves into heaven (salvation) and rely wholly upon the merits of Jesus Christ, and then also believe that ordinances and acts of righteousness are necessary for our exaltation. See my analogy at the end of this article.
What does the Bible say:
According to the Bible acceptance into heaven is conditional upon two things: 1) The grace of God through Jesus Christ, and 2) our own righteousness. Both become necessary components. Let me share a couple of the scriptures to clarify. I will quote from the NIV though I prefer the KJV for its eloquence.
Ephesians 2:8 instructs, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that none can boast." I think this scripture makes it clear that the lion's share is due to grace, though we need to consider two things: 1) it is by grace according to our faith, and 2) the works Paul repeatedly speaks against are not works of righteousness, but rather unnecessary works of the Law of Moses.
Titus 2:11 instructs, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope..." the rest of that chapter is excellent and makes clear that the grace of God allows us to then use our agency to act righteously and choose the path leading to heaven. The grace of God overcomes the effects of the fall of Adam which we teach are 1) bodily death and 2) separation from God (or spiritual death). These are overcome unconditionally for all men through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Then it is up to us through righteousness to choose God.
Now that I have shown the importance of Grace I want to highlight a few passages that show the equal necessity of righteousness.
In Matthew 7:19-21 Christ himself says, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone that says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." I draw the same conclusions from the parable of the Sheep and the Goats found in Matthew 25:31-46. (Look this one up, it is important.)
In John 3:3-8 we learn of the necessity of baptism for gaining entrance into the kingdom of God. Baptism is a sign of both our faith in the Lord and willingness to obey him in all things. Christ says to Nicodemus, "no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." When Nicodemus asks him what he means he continues, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."
I am familiar with the fact that some Christian persuasions interpret this passage to mean only a spiritual rebirth, but we take seriously the water birth as well (water and spirit). The word baptism comes from Greek βάπτισμα, meaning "immersing" and we follow Christ's example of going down into the water as recorded in Matthew 3:13. Mark also records Christ's words in regards to baptism saying, "Whosoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16). Baptism would therefore be an example of an act of righteousness necessary for us to enter heaven.
Another solid example would be that found in the book of Revelations 20:12 where John in vision says, "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of Life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done."
One common expression we use in our faith comes from the book of 2 Nephi 25:23 in the book of Mormon where the prophet Nephi writes, "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." That verse sums it up for me better than any other. It is by Christ's grace that we are saved, but we must not neglect our responsibility to act righteously and follow his teachings.
What the Divergence is Really About
Those in the various Christian persuasions that hold to camps 1 or 2 described above must wonder how Mormons can believe fully in both camps. We hold the same belief in the power of grace and the atonement of Jesus Christ. I believe the difference between Mormons and other persuasions actually lies in our differing understandings of "heaven". Here is where additional scriptures have shed light on the afterworld and the true grace of God. What they see as a contradiction we see simply as statements regarding two very different aspects of the afterlife, viz. Salvation and Exaltation.
According to additional scriptures accepted by members of the Church of Jesus Christ we learn that the afterlife is more complex than a simple dichotomous realm of good and another of seething fire and brimstone. We learn that the afterlife is divided into levels, many levels of glory, as numerous as there are people upon the earth. In a way supporting C.S. Lewis's writings on Heaven and Hell in his book Virtue and Vice. He says, "Your place in heaven will seem to be made for you and you alone, because you were made for it--made for it stitch by stitch as a glove is made for a hand."
According to the scriptures the levels are divided into three main kingdoms of glory... one represented by the stars and the glory thereof, another by the moon and the greater glory thereof, and another by the sun and the far greater glory thereof. According to our doctrines all mankind (except sons of perdition), because of the atonement of Christ will inherit a kingdom of glory, and will therefore enter "heaven" (Salvation). The amount of glory (Exaltation) we receive in the hereafter, however, is dependent upon our acts of righteousness and state of heart. So technically speaking we believe all mankind will be saved in a kingdom of glory (except sons of perdition, those who knowingly choose Satan over God)... not just Christians.
One Final Analogy:
We believe that Christ's suffering made it possible for all of us to enter heaven. Additional revelations on the issue teach us that how we act in this life then determines where we find ourselves in heaven. So that Mercy need not rob justice whereas both are eternal principles.
If I were to make an analogy it might go as follows: If heaven were a country, and each of us were given a mansion in heaven (thanks to the merits of Jesus Christ) then God would live in the Capital City, in the Governing Palace. We all make it into heaven (the country) but we don't all live on the same lot, or street, or city, or even state. Our acts of righteousness would determine the proximity of our mansion to God's... how close we live to him.
It actually is the complexity and depth of the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ that have made me unable to settle for anything less.
