What Are the Odds?
A Response to Faith Only, Grace Only, and Good Works
I see some Christians placing spiritually precarious bets principally based on fan fiction about the thief on the cross. Or they center their sect’s whole set of beliefs around a rather convenient interpretation of only a few verses from Paul. Asserting that those interpretations somehow outrank and redirect ALL of a God’s earthly ministry and teachings found in the Four Gospels.
They not only ignore Jesus Christ when He talks about obedience, ordinances, and good works, but they ignore James, the brother of Christ, as well. In fact, they ignore hundreds of Bible verses.
What bet would you place? Which one wins for you?
1) Pivoting your whole belief that Jesus Christ took back all His words and teachings about obedience and good works – His entire legacy – and took it all back in one moment by one sentence that he said to a thief – a thief, whose life and circumstances and actions you know so little about?
2) Jesus Christ’s teachings and commandments about good works, obedience, baptism, and ordinances in the Four Gospels?
3) A few of Paul’s verses that, by narrow interpretation of grace, preach the neutralization of Christ’s words? Despite the presence of many of Paul’s verses that teach the opposite of your rather convenient interpretations and teach the same as Christ. That obedience and good works are necessary to experience Christ’s grace.
1 and 3 are some really long odds. You’re betting against a God – that somehow He didn’t know how to use His three years wisely and teach lasting, relevant truths. That ** some teachings by a mere mortal only 25 years later are a better idea. **[your interpretation of]
What Are the Odds?
The Thief
What does Jesus Christ say about John the Baptist and baptism?
“Whoever believes 👉and👈is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned”. (Mark 16:16)
The Apostle Peter taught, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Following Paul’s conversion, Ananias said to him, “Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins” (Acts 22:16).
👉 But your story is that Paul teaches one doesn’t need baptism? He needed it, but not anyone else?
Jesus established a very specific protocol for all time – until the end of the world:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)
And you still preach against this, based on the STORY you projected about the thief’s life?
Please reconsider.
Jesus told off the Pharisees, saying the harlots were better off because they chose to listen to John the Baptist and follow his teachings.
25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. (Matthew 21:25-32)
More than likely, the thief was baptized than he was not:
And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. (Mark 1:5)
Those Few Verses By Paul
From a few verses in Galatians – some interpret Paul’s teachings about the futility of the Mosaic law as being about Jesus Christ’s law (that heavily preaches good works.)
If those few verses were all Paul taught, I could understand. But if you’re going to neutralize Jesus Christ’s commandments and teachings about good works, obedience, baptism, and frequent repentance – wouldn’t you want to study all of Paul’s words in context – to see if that is what he is really saying?
Instead, you ignore and skip over verses like the last one in Romans chapter 3. As in, they never bring these verses up – even though these verses are also by Paul and sound just like Jesus Christ’s teachings.
Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. (Romans 3:31)
Or how about Romans 2? There is no mistaking or mincing Paul’s words here, and they echo Jesus Christ’s teachings exactly.
5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
👉 Judgment Day
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
🔥Who gets eternal life?
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
👉Who gets indignation and wrath?
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
👉Who gets glory, honor and peace?
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (Romans 2:5-13)
Who is justified?
What Jesus Taught
Here are only a couple of verses, but the list of verses could be 100+ long of the exact same:
If you love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:16-19)
We follow and teach and adhere to ALL of Jesus Christ’s teachings, ordinances and commandments in the Four Gospels. We hold Jesus Christ – the Eternal God as the greatest of all and that His words are the gateway for all others. He comes first. – Jesus’s teachings are the most important. If you feel the same, please join us.
Want to learn more about what Latter-day Saints actually believe? Here’s a one-page site that lists our beliefs with explanations. Godspeed you in your search for Jesus Christ.
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