All I Possess

This post is second in a series that all go together. The first was about salvation for the underprivileged, and how the condition of the heart is more important than a show of righteousness.

Now let’s talk about salvation for two groups of people — those who came from The Law and those who didn’t.

In the New Testament, we see some beautiful examples of what happens when Gentiles (non-Jews) accept Jesus. They skipped all the “important” rituals and other steps that Jews had done all their life—and received the same salvation.

The ordinances the Jews had done in their synagogues, their feasts, their circumcisions, didn’t give them any advantage whatsoever when the new Kingdom came.

The New Covenant was equally for everybody, regardless of background.

“And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.” (Acts 15:8-9)

However, some Jewish Christians wanted to prove the Gentile converts by making them keep the Law of Moses.

“Why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors or us have been able to bear?

On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.” (verses 10-11)

So what this says to me is that Grace saves all of us —

Those of us who have done “all the things” coming from a works-based tradition, and those who simply came in by grace.

Christians are saved just as well as all you people “on the covenant path.”

Because after all is said and done, it is Grace that saves us anyway.

Let’s compare this to a similar passage in Ephesians 2:11-16.

Paul reminds us that circumcision “is done in the flesh with human hands,” meaning it is only a meager effort to make them worthy. It really did nothing for their salvation in the grand scheme of things.

And speaking to the Gentile converts, “But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility.

In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.

He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death.”

This passage is so very important to me. It really encapsulates everything I’ve learned — that Mormons are no better than Christians. Believers are supposed to unite and share the grace! This amazing gift Christ has done for us on the cross is being wasted when we insist that other believers join us in our traditions based on our own unique background — traditions that are “done in the flesh by human hands” anyway, and really don’t save us!

I told a friend that I was going to a Christian church and that I really wanted to promote some interfaith understanding. I said, “We need to be united in one body of Christ!”

Her response shocked me:

“We will be united when they accept the truth.” 😞

So prideful.

“Our way or the highway” is unfortunately the tune the Mormons sing.

Only their covenants and ordinances count. Only their leaders hold any authority. Only members of their tradition will have eternal life in God’s presence.

(And not just Mormons—Jehovah’s Witnesses also believe that only their denomination will get the highest heaven. And I’m sure there are other sects as well.)

This is really unfortunate.

I hope these scriptures will help wake some of them up.