The Life of the World

Most popular Bible passages, #3:

John 14:6, the New Testament

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

I have never heard of any other person in history to have claimed either the desire or the ability to save the entire human race from death and sin, only Jesus Christ.  

He was the only one who could save us. 

As Mary's son He was subject to the pains and weaknesses of mortality and death. But as the literal Son of God He was more powerful than death, able to take life and give it again. Never in His life did He sin, not once. With this unique set of qualities, Jesus presented Himself to God and offered His own life to pay the penalty for the sins of every person who has lived or ever will live on Earth.

He did it because He loves us.

He told His apostles shortly before His crucifixion, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you ... Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends." 

I believe that Jesus lived and died on this earth and that He lives today. His power to forgive sin, remove guilt, and give life is real. In the end all people will know for themselves the truth of His life, mission, power, and great love for God's children.

His prophets and apostles today testify that Jesus is our Savior: "We offer or testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His Great Atoning Sacrifice... He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son." 

Spaghetti

Most popular Bible passages, #4:

Romans 3:23, the New Testament

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Spaghetti is one of my favorite meals, but I don't believe anyone - myself included - can eat it gracefully. How is that we can't manage to get the noodles and the sauce the 24 inches from the plate to our mouths without making a mess. I have stained many white shirts in my life and spaghetti - that delicious devil - is to blame. 

Life is a lot like eating spaghetti. Imagine that all of us in the world are two-year olds eating spaghetti. We love spaghetti and we're making a giant mess of it!

We all have sinned and none of us will be found guiltless before God. But Jesus can make us clean again by virtue of His atoning sacrifice. If you continue reading in Romans, verse 24 makes reference to Christ's Atonement: "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

Boyd Packer is one of Jesus's apostles today and he said, "We may not live perfect lives, and there are penalties for our mistakes, but before we came to earth, we agreed to be subject to His laws and to accept the punishment for violating those laws .. The Savior wrought the Atonement, which provides a way for us to become clean ... Those who will repent and forsake sin will find that His merciful arm is outstretched still. Those who listen to and heed His words and the words of His chosen servants will find peace and understanding even in the midst of great heartache and sorrow. The result of His sacrifice is to free us from the effects of sin, that all may have guilt erased and feel hope" (Oct. 2014).

So spaghetti is good; it's the mess we don't want. Life is good and God sent us here for a glorious purpose; it's the sin we don't want. Jesus Christ really can make us clean again if we believe in Him and do our best to live like He did.

Unwrapping Grace

Most popular Bible passages, #5:

Ephesians 2:8, the New Testament

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

Most of us receive gifts from time to time on special occasions such as wedding anniversaries, birthdays, or at Christmas time. Often these gifts are covered in wrapping paper. And though wrapping paper is fairly easily torn away, until it is removed we will not fully understand or enjoy the gift we have been given.

Grace is a gift from God to each of us, but it is limited by our faith and obedience to God’s commandments. Christ’s grace has the power to raise us from the dead and to make us clean and pure. For this power to be active in our lives Jesus asks us to exercise faith in Him by doing our best to live the kind of life that He lived.

ToddChristofferson is one of Christ’s apostles today. He said, “‘We know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do’ (2 Ne 25:23). And we do not need to achieve some minimum level of capacity or goodness before God will help—divine aid can be ours every hour of every day, no matter where we are in the path of obedience. But I know that beyond desiring His help, we must exert ourselves, repent, and choose God for Him to be able to act in our lives … My plea is simply to take responsibility and go to work so that there is something for God to help us with” (Oct. 2014 General Conference).

Through the grace of Jesus Christ our sins and mistakes can be forgiven and forgotten. This gift of His grace He freely gives to any who will receive it. We receive grace by believing in Jesus Christ and repenting of our sins – by removing the wrapping paper.

Adam and Eve and You and Me

Most popular Bible passages, #6:

Genesis 1:1, the Old Testament

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Last of all, God created a man and a woman - Adam and Eve.

The Earth and all it's beauty and wonder were created for and given to mankind: "and let them have dominion ... over all the earth." God commanded Adam and Eve to "subdue [the earth]: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Genesis 1:27-28). 

Why did God create the earth? Why are we here? And how are we related to God?

Russell Nelson, an apostle of Jesus Christ, said, "The earth was created that families might be. Scripture explains that a husband and wife “shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation” (The Creation, Russell M. Nelson, General Conference, Apr. 2000).

Another apostle, Dallin Oaks, said this about our relationship to God: "Here is the answer to one of life’s great questions, “Who am I?” I am a child of God with a spirit lineage to heavenly parents. That parentage defines our eternal potential. That powerful idea ... can strengthen each of us to make righteous choices and to seek the best that is within us" (Powerful Ideas, Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference, Oct. 1995).

We are literally children of God. Families are central to His plan for our happiness in this life and after. 

He created the sky, dry land and seas, grass and trees, Adam and Eve, and YOU and ME. And WE are children of our Heavenly Father.