It Is by Grace That We Are Saved

2 Nephi 25:23 - "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"

Elder Tad R. Callister - "Some have misunderstood this scripture, supposing that the Atonement provides the cleansing power, while our works alone provide the perfecting power; thus, working hand in hand, exaltation is achieved. But such an interpretation is not correct. It is true that the Atonement provides the cleansing power. It is also true that works are a necessary ingredient of the perfecting process. But without the Atonement, without grace, without the power of Christ, all the works in the world would fall far short of perfecting even one human being. Works must be coupled with grace both to perfect and to cleanse a person unto exaltation. In other words, grace is not only necessary to cleanse us, but also to perfect us."

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Transcript

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Welcome to Seek This Jesus, a daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps.

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One of the most beautiful truths of the restored gospel is that our salvation does not depend solely upon our own strength. If it did, none of us would have hope. No amount of determination, discipline, or good works could erase sin, overcome death, or transform us into celestial beings. Those miracles require the infinite power of Jesus Christ. At the same time, the Lord invites us to actively follow him through faith, repentance, covenant keeping, and obedience. The gospel is not a choice between grace and works. It is a life of discipleship empowered by grace from beginning to end. Few verses in the Book of Mormon have generated more discussion than today's scripture. Some have misunderstood Nephi's words to mean that God's grace begins only after we have exhausted every possible effort. But Nephi's larger message is not about learning earning salvation, it is about persuading people to believe in Jesus Christ and be reconciled to God through his redeeming power. Our verse today is 2 Nephi 2523. 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. As we study this verse today, along with teachings from Elder Ted R. Callister, we will consider how the grace of Jesus Christ works throughout our entire journey of discipleship, and why our efforts can never replace his saving power. The first part of Nephi's statement is sometimes overlooked because so much attention is given to the final phrase. Nephi says we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children and also our brethren to believe in Christ and to be reconciled to God. That is the central message. Everything Nephi wrote had one purpose to bring people to Jesus Christ. He was not trying to convince people to trust in themselves, he was inviting them to trust in the Savior. To be reconciled to God means to have a relationship that was broken by sin restored through Jesus Christ. Reconciliation is only possible because the Savior bridged the infinite gap that separated fallen mankind from a perfect Father. We could never cross that gap by ourselves. Then Nephi adds the well known phrase, it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do. At first reading it may sound as though grace waits at the finish line until we have completed every possible effort, but that understanding does not fit with the rest of the scriptures or with the nature of God's plan. Long before we ever chose to follow Jesus Christ, His grace was already at work. We live because of His grace. We are children of heavenly parents because of His grace. A plan of salvation was prepared because of His grace. The Savior willingly offered Himself because of His grace. We received agency, prophets, scriptures, ordinances, and opportunities to repent because of His grace. Even the desire to turn toward Christ is made possible through His enabling power. Grace is not delayed until the end of our journey, it surrounds our entire journey. Elder Tad Rallister explained this doctrine with remarkable clarity. Some have misunderstood the scripture, supposing that the atonement provides the cleansing power, while our works alone provide the perfecting power. Thus working hand in hand exaltation is achieved. But such an interpretation is not correct. It is true that the atonement provides the cleansing power, it is also true that works are a necessary ingredient of the perfecting process. Without the atonement, without grace, without the power of Christ, all the works in the world would fall far short of perfecting even one human being. Works must be coupled with grace, both to perfect and to cleanse a person unto exaltation. In other words, grace is not only necessary to cleanse us but also to perfect us. This teaching helps us avoid two common misunderstandings. One is believing that our works earn salvation, the other is believing that our works are unnecessary. The restored gospel teaches neither extreme. Our obedience matters because it is an expression of faith and love for Jesus Christ. The Lord asks us to repent, keeps his commandments, make covenants and endure faithfully. Those efforts are real, meaningful, and necessary. But they never become the source of our salvation. Without the Savior, even our very best efforts could never remove sin or transform our fallen nature. It is Christ who cleanses us, it is Christ who strengthens us. It is Christ who changes our hearts. It is Christ who ultimately perfects us. Our works do not compete with His grace, they cooperate with it. We willingly offer our discipleship while relying completely upon His divine power. Many faithful disciples quietly carry a burden they were never meant to carry. They believe they must somehow become worthy enough for the Savior to finely help them. When they fall short, they become discouraged, wondering if they simply are not doing enough. Nephi's testimony offers tremendous hope. Grace is not the reward we receive after proving ourselves. It is the power that allows us to keep moving toward Christ every single day. When we stumble, grace invites us to repent. When we feel weak, grace gives us strength to continue. When we face temptation, grace provides power beyond our own abilities. When we feel inadequate, grace reminds us that our confidence is in Christ rather than ourselves. This perspective also changes the way we view obedience. We do not obey because we are trying to earn God's love. We obey because we have already received His love. We do not strive to become better in isolation. We strive while continually leaning upon the Savior whose grace makes that growth possible. Perhaps one of the most freeing realizations in the gospel is that our efforts are not carrying the weight of our salvation. Jesus Christ is. He simply asks us to come unto Him with willing hearts, trusting that His grace will continue doing what we cannot do for ourselves. As we labor diligently just as Nephi did, our confidence rests not in the perfection of our efforts, but in the perfection of our redeemer. His grace has always been working in our lives, it is working today, and it will continue working until the day we stand perfected through Him. So here is today's challenge. The next time you catch yourself feeling discouraged because you are not progressing as quickly as you hoped, pause and thank the Savior for three ways His grace is already blessing your life today. Then move forward in faith by taking one step, small step of obedience, remembering that our progress is powered by His grace, not by our strength alone. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helped you draw a little closer to the Savior Jesus Christ. Please, don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. As we open the scriptures for ourselves, the Spirit will teach us things no podcast ever could. If you are exploring the truths of the Book of Mormon for the first time, you can receive a free copy using the link in the description found in every episode of Seek This Jesus. I invite you to come back tomorrow for another verse and message to help you stay focused on Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.