Atoning Power

ATONING Power

to suffer the penalty for sins

This is the part we usually think about when speaking of the Atonement. Jesus Christ atoned, or paid the price for, our sins. He suffered more than we can comprehend; so that we don’t have to if we will but turn to Him.

Read about His suffering:

·         D&C 19:16-19

·         Alma 7:11-13

·         2 Nephi 9:21

·         Luke 22:42-44

·         Mosiah 3:7

Read these examples of Repentance:

·         Alma the Younger (Alma 36)

·         Enos (Enos 1) 

Please remember, Jesus Christ already paid the full price for our sins. We don’t meet Him halfway through repentance. We align our will to His, so we can walk beside him. This is what is meant by the word: Atonement. Literally it means to become at one with. Jesus Christ, through suffering for your sins, became one with you. All that is required is that we do our part to become one with Him.

·         Think of when mom pays for piano lessons for you. Because she pays for the lessons, she can require you to practice. By doing so, she is not attempting to recover the cost, but helping you take full advantage of the opportunity to be great. Her joy is not found in getting her investment back, but in seeing it used. You practice, not to pay mom back, but to show appreciation and gratitude. If you don’t practice because you think too much is expected of you, it is really just because you don’t yet share your mother’s perspective and vision.

·         Like the piano player, we can’t use our works to pay back the bill that Christ paid, they only help us resemble and serve the bill payer and reach the vision He has for us.

           

Some thoughts on some of the parts of repentance:

·         Confession (why do we need to confess our sins to the bishop if God already knows we did it?)

o   God doesn’t need our confession. He already knows. We need to confess.

o   Confession makes sins a part of our past, while lying and hiding them makes them a part of our future.

·         Suffering (Why should I have to suffer when I repent? Didn’t Christ already suffer for our sins?)

o   We don’t accept Christ in order to keep us from suffering for our sins. A repentant soul must suffer for his sins. But suffering is more than just punishment. Its purpose is change. (Elder Oaks)

o   If a person hasn't suffered, he hasn't repented. . . . He has got to go through a change in his system whereby he suffers and then forgiveness is a possibility. [Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 99](Spencer Kimball)

·           Forsaking

o   Forsaking sins is more than resolving not to repeat them. It involves a fundamental change in the individual.(Elder Oaks)

§  But, I think we too often quote verses about forsaking our sins and the former sins returning to us if we then return to our sins (D&C 58:43, D&C 82:7, 2 Peter 2:21-22). Rarely do we add Christ’s promise of mercy that He will forgive us as often as we come to Him with real intent (Moroni 6:8; Mosiah 26:30).

§  Perfection is required of us, but, like the Priests at the Sacrament Table, we are given as many chances as we need to reach it.

·         Godly Sorrow vs. Worldly Shame

o   Worldly Shame makes you embarrassed to get caught, afraid of what the world will think, and ashamed and unable to face your friends.

o   Godly Sorrow makes you think about how you disappointed God, and urges you to make things right with Him. True Godly Sorrow so consumes the soul that the broken and contrite spirit turns to the Savior for relief.

Sometimes we, like Humpty Dumpty, place ourselves in dangerous places. And we, like Humpty Dumpty, may fall. But unlike all the king’s horses and all the king’s men, THE KING CAN put us together again.

What do you have need of repenting of?

Godly Sorrow so consumes the soul that the broken and contrite spirit turns to the Savior for relief.