The Ends of the Law vs. the Ends of the Atonement

 2 Nephi 2:10

And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement.

Because of the Atonement, I am judged on Christ's perfect character rather than on my own imperfect character. It is His truth and holiness, not mine, that answers the judgment.

The end or ultimate objective of the law is punishment. In other words, if I keep the law perfectly, the best I can hope for is no punishment. The end or ultimate objective of Christ's atonement, on the other hand, is happiness. Happiness is more than the mere absence of punishment. It is an addition and enhancement to my existence. Thou shalt not kill, commit adultery, bear false witness, and so forth, keep me out of hell; but thou shalt love God and thy neighbor as thyself get me into heaven.

God's punishment is not necessarily inflicted misery so much as a diminishing of happiness. God does not want any of His beloved children to be miserable. He does not want to beat them or burn them in a lake of fire and brimstone. He wants them to have all the happiness they can stand. He offers them all the happiness they will accept. 

God does not cut people off from happiness, but rather, they cut themselves off when they cut themselves off from God and His happiness. His punishment is simply the natural consequences of my actions and choices. Christ's atonement can erase my bad actions, provided I choose to follow Him and separate myself from my mistakes. But if I choose to turn away from Christ and retain my sins, I limit God's ability to bless me with His happiness. And so, I accept an inferior happiness. It's not punishment, but simply natural consequences.

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