Christ is our Living Savior Sheldon Monson
Jesus Christ rose from the dead to become our Living Savior. He is not a dead Savior. It was God the Father who raised Him from the dead and granted Him eternal life. Had He remained dead and in His tomb, we would have no hope of salvation.
A s Passover approaches, it is im- portant to understand what few people on Earth truly grasp. Many today believe that Christ complet- ed God’s plan of salvation on the stake through His death. But if the process of salvation was completed by His death, then why is the resur- rection necessary? It was essential for Christ’s blood to be shed so the penalty for our sins could be paid in full, and so we could be reconciled to the Father, it is not His blood that saves us. If Jesus had remained dead, we could not be saved—we could not receive eternal life. The glorious truth is that we are ultimately saved by the resurrected and living Christ. This truth is clearly stated in Ro- mans 5:8-10: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been recon- ciled, we shall be saved by His life. These verses affirm that we are for- given, justified of past guilt, and rec- onciled to the Father by the death of
Christ—but that we shall be saved by His life, through His resurrec- tion. The Scriptures define sin as the transgression of God’s law, or lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Moreover, the Word of God clearly states that all have sinned (Romans 3:23), and If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. that the wages of sin is death (Ro- mans 6:23). Unrepented sin results in the second death—eternal death. While we are mere mortals and all will die (1 Corinthians 15:22), many have been taught that humans pos- sess an immortal soul. However, this belief contradicts Scripture. The Bi- ble plainly states that “the soul who sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4). Sin not only brings unhappiness, pain, and suffering, but also cuts us off from all contact with God. “But your in- iquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hid- den His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).
When we sin, we must repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38). Repentance involves examining ourselves by God’s standards, rec- ognizing our sins, feeling deep re- morse for transgressing His law, and then committing to live according to His Word. Even then, it is God who grants us repentance (Romans 2:4, 11). If we sincerely repent of our trans- gressions and truly believe in Christ and His message, as demonstrated by our actions, He pays the penal- ty for our sins in our place. We are then justified. Our sins and guilt are washed away, and we are reconciled to the Father. This pardon is un- merited and is a gift of God’s grace. However, this grace does not give us license to continue sinning (Ro- mans 6:1-2). When we are forgiven and reconciled, we are in a position to be saved. The resurrection of Jesus Christ makes our resurrection to immortal life possible and allows us to be born into the divine Family of God. Jesus Christ is the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29). Those who belong to Him, and in whom the Holy Spirit dwells (Romans 8:9), will be resurrected into God’s Fami- ly when Christ returns to this Earth. Continued on page 16
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