Redeemed by Christ

2 Nephi 2:3

Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God. Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men.

Lehi knew his son had been redeemed because of a vision Jacob had while he was still young. The boy had been visited by Christ, and only a redeemed and sanctified person could receive such a visitation. Thus, Lehi was assured of Jacob's redemption and standing with God. 

I am redeemed by Christ, not by my own efforts. I have to do my best, but only Christ can make it happen. My righteousness is always insufficient. Christ's infinite righteousness is always required.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Everything Has a Purpose

Image
2 Nephi 2:12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God. God is intelligent and purposeful. He does not create the stars, galaxies, solar systems, and Earth simply to enjoy the act of creation. Everything has a purpose with God. I may not know all the purposes of God, but when I see His creations working together, they make sense. Nothing is random, accidental, or coincidental with God.  I am most blessed that through the restored gospel and the gift of revelation, I have learned the purpose and reason behind God's magnificently creative work: to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of His children. If all around me does not make sense, it is because I am either ignorant or rebellious. If I am ignorant, I should seek learning; and if I am ...
Read more

Redemption

Image
2 Nephi 2:6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. To be redeemed has many meanings, all positive and beneficial:  To be bought back so we can be returned to our rightful owner To be freed from something detrimental, such as freed from captivity or extricated from something detrimental To receive help in overcoming a problem To be released from blame or debt  To change for the better To restore or repair To be freed from a lien or debt To make good on a promise To redeem always involves an exchange of value and recovering from a worse state to a better state. In every one of these ways, Christ is my Redeemer. He is the one who returns me to God, frees me from the captivity of hell and death, helps me overcome my weaknesses and mortal nature, releases me from the guilt of sin, changes me into a better person fit for God's presence, restores my lost relationship with the Father, releases me from the demands of justice, an...
Read more

Heaven or Hell -- No Gray

Image
2 Nephi 2:7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered. At the final judgment, when it comes to atonement, sanctification, and justification, I will be either in or out. I will not be partially forgiven or partially saved. Either I will be redeemed from the fall and my sins, or I will not. Thus, the concept of a binary state--heaven or hell. No gray area exists between the two. Either I accept Jesus's payment for my sins, or I pay for them myself. Remember, once a person is cast into prison, he cannot come out until he has paid the last farthing or senine. And can he pay any farthings or senines while in prison? No. Punishment does not redeem a person or pay their debt. While the debtor is in prison, the lender remains unpaid, justice is unfulfilled, and they are in an eternal stalemate.  How foolish to reject the atonement of Chr...
Read more