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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

God is no respecter of persons

I am surprised by how people regard me as something special.  I have been blessed by the Lord to be able to write some books and put some information on this blog. However, if you were raised LDS and put forth some nominal effort to living your religion, you have lived a better life than I have. I wasn't raised LDS and had no understanding of the Gospel, or the underlying reasons for the commandments.  Therefore, I never obeyed even a fraction of the commandments that you have grown up following.
 

I am absolutely convinced that any one of you is a better candidate than I was to receive an audience with the Lord.  The wonder of this process is not that someone has done it, but that so few have.  Given that I am probably the least qualified, the point should not be lost on you.  If it has happened to me, then it absolutely can and should happen to you.

God is no respecter of persons.  All are alike to Him.  Qualifications are based upon the behavior and faith of the person, not on their status or past mistakes.

You probably think your errors are more serious an impediment to God accepting you than He ever has.  He doesn't want to judge you, He wants to heal you. He wants to give you what you lack, teach you to be better and to bless you.  He doesn't want to belittle, demean or punish you.  Ask Him to forgive and He forgives.  Even very serious sins.  He does not want you burdened with them.  He wants you to leave them behind.

His willingness to leave those errors in the past and remember them no more is greater than you can imagine.  It is a guiding principle for the Atonement. Asking for forgiveness is almost all that is required to be forgiven.

What alienates us from Him is not our sins.  He will forgive them.  What we lack is the confidence to ask in faith, nothing doubting, for His help.  He can and will help when you do so.

The sins that offend Him are not the errors, weaknesses and foolishness of the past.  He is offended when we are forgiven by Him, and then return to the same sin. That shows a lack of gratitude for His forgiveness.  Even then, however, there are addictions, compulsions and weaknesses that we sometimes struggle with for years, even decades.  When the sin is due to some difficulty based on biology, physiology or  an inherent weakness that we fight for years to overcome, then His patience with us is far greater than our own.  He will help in the fight.  He will walk along side you as you fight.  He does not expect you to run faster than you have strength.  When, at last, because of age or infirmity, a troubling weakness is at last overcome, He will readily accept your repentance and let you move forward clean, whole and forgiven.  That is His ministry - to forgive and make whole.

I know all my mistakes.  They are greater than most of yours. I am in awe of His mercy and forgiveness.  I am not at all impressed by my worthiness.  It is nothing.  It consists of borrowed finery from Him who has let me use His great worthiness to cover my own failings.  To the extent that I have any merit, it comes from Him.  I remain astonished that He would condescend for someone like me. 

It is a wonder some think I have an advantage.  I assure you that the promised blessings are available to ALL.  If that were not true then someone as weak, simple and flawed as I am would never have had the hope that I now have in Christ.

13 comments:

  1. Denver-
    Comforting post, thank you for putting this up today, it was quite moving.
    I think many in the LDS culture are victims of M.G.S.-Mormon Guilt Syndrome. We tend to forget on how infinite the Atonement is, or we're mistakingly taught that because of the Light we possess that if we mess up, the Repentance process is very very hard, and then members go inactive.

    It's a ploy of the Advesary to think that we cannot be forgiven, and I believe grieves our Master, Jesus Christ.

    dbs

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  2. Back to an earlier post, who do you think are candidates for the remnants of Lehi's family?

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. Thanks for your comments today. It was just what I needed to hear.

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  5. I used to think I was such a vile sinner that God would not talk to me. I thought I had to get better for Him to talk to me. Now I am thinking it is when I am most aware of my sins that He is most willing to talk with me. And not to condemn me either but rather to admonish me to sin no more as He told the adultress. Like her, some may want to stone me but my Master only wants me to go and sin no more. The only one who could rightly cast a stone at her or me and He declined to do so. He has spoken to me, not as Denver writes about but in my mind with concepts and understanding so clean and clear that I can hardly find words to describe them but I know it is true. I am a sinner for sure. I barely make it from one 12 step meeting to the next maintaining my sobriety and sometimes I don't. He does not look at me in disgust though He is right there with me, my kind wise heavenly friend. No other friend cold ever be so loyal and so dedicated to the well being of others. That is my Jesus, that is the Christ I know and worship.

    Tim

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  6. In your books you mention the charge written by Oliver Cowdery to the Apostles to seek the Second Comforter until they find Him and receive a blessing at His hand. You say they quit giving that charge to the Apostles in 1911 because so few had had that experience. If the Apostles couldn't do it then it isn't really a surprise that the members can't do it either. We are too stuck in our inability to think outside the box and lacking too much faith. Your example proves that it can be done and teaches us that we can do it and we should do it. I expect that from your example more and more people will learn how to repent, have faith, and follow your example. It is wonderful to live in this time where we have your example to help us achieve this great change in ourselves.

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  7. In Cor 7 it talks about the sanctification of a spouse through the other spouse. Does that have reference to receiving the 2nd Comforter? And if so, how does that fit into the individual responsibility and effort etc? Does the process of receiving the 2nd Comforter have to be done as husband and wife? It’s hard for me to imagine this is the case and yet we see the connectedness of husband and wife in so many of the ordinances. Even, as I understand it, the Title Elohim is masculine and feminine. We know the man is not w/out the woman and visa versa, in the Lord. Does that mean a woman who has never married cannot receive the 2nd Comforter? Conversely does this imply that a man with a faithless wife is also barred from the gift in this life?

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  8. Wow, that was beautiful.
    I have struggled with Various Addictions, Anxieties, Depressions (all conditions of the Spiritual Heart) Yet with all these has come the knowledge I came to earth to not only bring Me To Christ, but to bring my family (past, present, future) to him. I learned that partially in the Endowment.
    The last few years of my life I have continually been AMAZED at the love and Willingness He has to Love, Forgive and Heal me. I feel like He truly has earned every right to be trusted, and to take every sin. Who am I to deny what He has already done for me? As I have awakened to this reality it yet still continues to amaze me.
    The Thorn in my flesh is a great blessing in helping me see his Grace. I used to feel sad I was born into a family with these "issues", yet now I realize what a honor I did not have to endure other "issues" like Money and Power that really can hurt a soul.
    Thank you for this Blog, and for the continually flow of Knowledge and LIght.
    I am glad my friend Dave Christenson introduced me to your books, they have been a blessing in my growth.
    20 years ago while on my mission I began praying to see His face and to receive my calling Election, in the mean time I have been given much to that has helped me to prepare. I am grateful for whatever I am called to go through, as it only allows the Lord to show me and others His Love and His Trustworthiness.
    Thanks
    Brian Bowler

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  9. Denver,my little heart is about to explode with joy, gratitude, and love to and for Jesus Christ.About A year ago I was in A spiritual quagmire, with out hope or direction, asleep in the gospel, Like so many of us in the church.

    I rejoice to know I can see Him in this life, today, if I were prepared.I do not think of you as A celebrity, I think of you as A temple worker who stands at my side at the veil and whispers what I have not memorized or learned.

    Thank you for your service to Christ.

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  10. In addition to my last question…God’s house is a house of order. Does the man, therefore, true to the patriarchal order, need to receive the 2nd Comforter before the woman? If this is so, is the ‘no respecter of persons’ limited to those who fit the proper requirements of a marriage with a celestial spouse?

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  11. It’s not that I think you are someone special but when I read your books and blog I think to myself if you can do it then I can do it. It’s kind of like when the first person on earth ran a 4 minute mile….as soon as that happen more and more people did it and faster. I view your role like this. Everyone has a role to play and you are blessed with an ability to express yourself and your experiences very well which helps pieces things together for us who are slow learners. Anyone who thinks you are special to have the experience you have with Christ is missing your entire point and should wake up and repent quickly. Remember everyone has their own vital role to play in Heavenly Father’s plan.

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  12. Denver - of all the posts this one has had the most impact on me. Thank you for sharing this message and reminding us all of the atonement and the mercy extended to us - if we will but have have faith and take advantage.

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