BE YE PERFECT AND THE GRACE OF GOD

Be Ye Therefore Perfect Even As Your Father In Heaven Is Perfect?: (1 - this is an end note number)

Some Mormons uses Matthew 5:48 to support the LDS teaching that each person has the opportunity to reach exaltation, i.e. to become a God (or Goddess) with all the "power, glory, dominion and knowledge" the Father and Son have (2). Their approach is usually similar to the following: "Would God give us a commandment we could not keep? The answer is 'No' (3). Let us look at a commandment in Matthew 5:48: 'Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.'" They then go on to argue that "perfect" means to have all the attributes that make God the Father God.

From a Mormon's point of view there should be no question what this means. Joseph Smith in his Joseph Smith Translation has Matt 5:48 (it is numbered 5:50) as a commandment. It has: "Ye are therefore commanded to be perfect, even as your father who is in heaven is perfect". This is a far cry from become perfect. But we should not end the study of being perfect with this one verse. The Bible also says:

Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. (Matthew 19:21)

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:4)(4)

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.....For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:10, 14)(5)

From the following we learn that Biblical prophets were perfect:

...Noah was a just man and perfect in his generation, and Noah walked with God. (Gen 6:9)

There was a man...whose name was Job and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. (Job 1:1)

But yet we know from 1 John 1:7-10 that we are all sinners, this includes these prophets and the other Bible authors. So the word perfect as used in the Bible must mean something different from having the attributes of God, or being a God. The church I go to sings a short hymn:

To be like Jesus, all I ask is to be like him,

All through life's journey, from earth to glory,

All I ask is to be like him.

We are not asking to take on all the attributes the Lord has, even his glory and Godhood. We are asking to have the attributes we humans can have, but we will still remain human.

Yes, Romans 8:17 does say we can be "...heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." Some LDS speak as if this means we will be on the same level as Jesus Christ. They insert a meaning that is not there and which is refuted by other verses, as shown below. When a cat or dog is an heir of its owner does that mean the dog or cat become a human? When I became a joint-heir of my father's estate with my brother and two sisters I only received a fraction of the total estate, and none of us received any of the mental, physical and other attributes of our father. We each only received a portion of his possessions. But, we can be perfect, so how does it happen?

Before answering this let us look at what some Bible verses say about men and women having the opportunity, as the Mormon Church claims, to become a God, as God the Father did.

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. (Isaiah 43:10)

Here we have God telling us that there would be no Gods formed before or after Him. There are more verses on this subject in article F-3. Now for information on how we can be perfect.

The Grace Of God

One Mormon author (6) ridiculed the Christian concept of salvation (spending eternity with God) by grace alone. He said, "...being saved wholly by the grace of God...were not the contributions of Jesus Christ, but of Augustine." Let us see what the Scriptures say about this.

The Bible: For Mormons biblical grace is a difficult idea to grasp. Most believe they have to work their way to spend eternity with God. The Bible says otherwise.

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved)...For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:5, 8-10)(7)

The following biblical verses express similar ideas: John 1:17; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24, 5:15, 17, 20, 21, 6:1, 14, 15; Ephesians 1:7; 2 Timothy 1:9. Pay special attention to "not of works least any man should boast." Yes, works are an important part of a Christian's salvation, but they are works which are a result of our salvation. The works do not earn us grace. Grace and salvation come first and then the works follow, as an evidence of our salvation. Because of our love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we want to please him.

The Book of Mormon: Mormons frequently say they believe in the grace of God and works. They then quote James 2:17, 26 in their attempt to refute Ephesians 2:5, 8-9.

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead,...For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

All this verse is saying it that works are an evidence of our salvation, not the means. In saying works and grace are the means of salvation Mormons ignore "not of works, lest any man should boast..." in Ephesians 2:9 (it is the same in the Bible and the JST) and accept what their Book of Mormon says.

...for we know that it is by grace we are saved, after all we can do. (2 Nephi 25:23)

And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or they cannot be saved in the kingdom of God. (2 Nephi 9:23)

And may God grant, in his great fulness, that men might be brought into repentance and good works, that they might be restored into grace for grace, according to their works. (Helaman 12:24)

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. (Moroni 10:32)

These Book of Mormon verses (8) (an LDS scripture) make salvation a "do it yourself" activity. Note the bold text above: after all we can do; having perfect faith; restored into grace for grace, according to their works; if ye deny yourselves of all ungodliness and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient. These seem to say a person must become sinless on his own, with no help from God, and only then will God grant his grace. If a person can do all of these things without God why does he need the grace of God? It is an impossible task. We all need the grace of God. None of us can be good enough on our own.

Can any of us always do all we can? Do we always have perfect faith? Can we deny ourselves of all ungodliness and love God with all our mind, might and strength day after day, year after year and decade after decade without slip up? Yet this is what Mormonism requires before God's grace is given.

None of us should forget 1 Timothy 1:15, "...Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners..." and 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Do We Only Have To Just Say The Words "We Believe"?

Not understanding grace, some will be incredulous, and maybe even ridicule the idea. They might say: "You mean all you have to do is say the right words, and then it is okay to live a life of sin?" The Apostle Paul experienced the same question. He answered it in his epistle to the Romans:

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:14-17)

The apostle expands on this in Romans 10:9-10. Paul makes it clear that not only must each of us tell people that Christ is our Lord and Savior, we must also believe it in our heart. The belief in our hearts with the grace of God will then lead us to live the Savior's commandments out of gratitude for his priceless gift of eternal life. (1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11; Jude 1:1; Acts 26:18).

We Cannot Be Righteous On Our Own

The Bible shows it abundantly clear that on our own we cannot be righteous enough for God. Our works will not save us, see Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10, 23; 1 John 1:10.

For Mormons, obtaining their salvation is going to be a very tough job. They had better not stumble too many times, for it appears that the Mormon God has a limited supply of mercy and grace. A Mormon scripture says:

And now, verily I say unto you, I, the Lord, will not lay any sin to your charge; go your ways and sin no more; but unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God. (D&C 82:7)

A Mormon prophet explains:

We can hardly be too forceful in reminding people that they cannot sin and be forgiven and then sin again and again and expect repeated forgiveness... (The Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1969, page 360)

The Bible and the Book of Mormon have nothing that says the faithful and honest confessed and repentant sinner will eventually be ignored by God. In fact the Bible says God will not remember our sins. Also see Isaiah 43:25; Psalms 103:12 and Jeremiah 31:34. There is a case where there is no forgiveness:

For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, (Heb. 10:26)

We Can Be Perfect In The Sight Of Our Father!

This idea will be incomprehensible to most Mormons (and some Christians). All their life they have been taught they can become a God, but not in this life. It will take an eternity, and will occur after they are resurrected. Matthew 5:48 is the most quoted reference. A Mormon prophet said:

We are gods in embryo, and the Lord demands perfection of us. (The Miracle of Forgiveness, by Spencer W. Kimball, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1969, page 286)

A training manual published by the Mormon Church says:

MEN ARE GODS IN EMBRYO We Have the Potential to Become like Our Heavenly Parents 'Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image....is capable, by experience through ages of aeons, of evolving into a God.' (The First Presidency [Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund], 'The Origin of Man,' Improvement Era, Nov. 1909, p. 81). (Achieving A Celestial Marriage, copyright 1976 Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, page 130)

There is a long list of items a Mormon must obey in this life before this can happen, one such list has:

Latter-day Saints are taught that now is the time to fulfill the requirements for exaltation (9) (see Alma 34:32-34). President Joseph Fielding Smith said, "In order to obtain the exaltation we must accept the gospel(10) and all its covenants; and take upon us the obligations which the Lord has offered; and walk in the light and understanding of the truth; and 'live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God'" (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:43). (Gospel Principles, published by the Mormon Church, copyright 1978 Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, page 291-292)

This quotation is then followed by four ordinances and 22 "laws" that have to be performed and obeyed. The quotation closes with this admonition:

In other words, each person must endure in faithfulness, keeping all the Lord's commandments until the end of his life on earth. (ibid)

Notice the bold face type words which say: "...now is the time...keeping all the Lord's commandments until the end of his life on earth". A Mormon who is honest with himself will have to admit that he can achieve, at best, only partial compliance with these requirements. Christians, too, experience many failures in areas they share as goals - speaking the truth, praying regularly, regular scripture study, do good for others, honoring our parents and so on - but happily, we do not depend on these works for our standing with God. However, a Christian's work will earn him rewards (1 Cor. 3:14; Matt. 6:19-21, 16:27; 2 John 1:8).

We Are Justified By Jesus Christ

Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie makes it clear that the burden is all on the Mormon:

What then is the law of justification?...... As with all other doctrines of salvation, justification is available because of the atoning sacrifice of Christ, but it becomes operative in the life of an individual only on conditions of personal righteousness. (Mormon Doctrine, by Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, on page 408, under "Justification")

Thankfully the Bible has a different message! We are justified by the death and blood of Jesus Christ. In other words we are found "not guilty," we are acquitted, declared righteous, and made sinless and holy before God. (New Bible Dictionary, Tyndale House, Wheaton, Il., 1962, page 646-647). The Bible says:

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus...Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:24, 28)

A Mormon scripture also has a similar message, but for some reason it is ignored.

For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified (Moses 6:60)

Acts 13:39; Romans 5:1, 9, 8:30, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Galatians 2:16, 17, 3:11, 3:24; Titus 3:7 also say the same thing.

We Are Sanctified By Jesus Christ

Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie in speaking about sanctification continues to place the burden on Mormons.

...a state attained only by conformity to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. The plan of salvation is the system and means provided whereby men may sanctify their souls and thereby become worthy of a celestial inheritance....Those who are faithful in magnifying their callings in the Melchizedek Priesthood "are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies." (D. & C. 84:33.)...Sanctification is a personal reward that follows personal righteousness. (Mormon Doctrine, by Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, on page 675-676, under "Sanctification")

The biblical message again is different. Sanctification "concerns the moral and spiritual transformation of the justified believer who is regenerated, given new life by God". (New Bible Dictionary, page 1069, Tyndale House, Wheaton, Il., 1962, page 1069). The Bible teaches that perfection, now, in this life, is possible through the sanctification of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours (1 Corinthians 1:2)

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14)

Also see 1 Corinthians 6:11 and Acts 20:32, 26:18; Jude 1:1. Only one conclusion is possible.

We Are Perfect Before The Father

The Bible is telling us we can be perfect in this life, in the eyes of God, because of our faith in Jesus Christ and his grace. We are sinners, but because of the blood of Jesus Christ - through our confession, repentance and faith in him - our sins are not seen by the Father. We have been justified (found not guilty) and sanctified! Our sins are cleansed (1 John 1:7, 9) by the blood of Jesus Christ; therefore we are perfect now in the sight of God!

Mormons need to recognize that it is impossible for them to obey all the laws of Mormonism in this life. LDS teaching, as shown above, makes it clear that they had better not stumble too often, otherwise they will be carrying all their sins - past, present and new ones - all at once, all alone.

Yes, we are "saved wholly by the grace of God." You only need to reject the false teachings of the Mormon Church, turn your heart to the biblical Jesus Christ and place your faith in Him. Please give God's free grace a chance to work in your heart. You too can be perfect in the eyes of the Father!

END NOTES

1) Credit for the general approach that follows belongs to author Mark J. Cares who discussed it in his book Speaking The Truth In Love To Mormons, pages 170-184, (Northwestern Publishing House, Milwaukee, 1993).

2) Gospel Principles, page 290; Achieving a Celestial Marriage, pages 129-132.

3) See 1 Cor 10:13; 1 Nephi 3:7

4) The same idea is in the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of this verse. Another example is: "Brethren, I beseech you to be perfect as I am perfect; for I am persuaded as ye have a knowledge of me, ye have not injured me at all by your sayings." JST Galatians 4:12.

5) The same idea is in the JST of this verse.

6) Richard I. Winwood, p. 8, Take Heed That Ye Be Not Deceived.

7) The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) Eph. 2:5, 8-10 has the same idea.

8) The following Book of Mormon verses do seem to teach salvation by grace only, 2 Nephi 10:24 and Moroni 8:3; 10:33 but these are nullified by the ones given in the text.

9) That is "eternal life," becoming a God, having spirit children, and a planet whose people worship you as we do God the Father. (Gospel Principles, page 290).

10) The word gospel has a different meaning to most Mormons. Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie said: "The gospel of Jesus Christ is the plan of salvation. It embraces all of the laws, principles, doctrines, rites, ordinances, acts, powers, authorities, and keys necessary to save and exalt men in the highest heaven hereafter. It is the covenant of salvation which the Lord makes with men on earth." Mormon Doctrine, page 331. To a main-line Christian the gospel is much simpler and is summarized in 1 Cor. 15:1-4 and Eph. 2:8-10. It is the "good news" that the Messiah (Savior) came, died, and was resurrected for us!

John Farkas

Berean Christian Ministries; P.O. Box 1091; Webster, NY 14580

E-mail: bcmmin@frontiernet.net

Web page: http://www.frontiernet.net/~bcmmin

web/gracegod

2-6-97