Christ’s Atonement

“Grace Theory” of the Atonement of Jesus Christ

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is more about healing and being made whole than it is about sin and punishment (or ledgers, debts, shame, blame, pain, exclusion, and penalties).

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:17

But that does not comprise the entirety of the Atonement.

It is also about receiving divine help and divine aid … so that we can experience miraculous growth and continuous progression.

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

It is about getting unstuck so that we can realize the full measure of our creation.

It is about feeling genuinely confident and truly treasured … for we are all Heavenly Father’s jewels.

The Atonement does not just fix that which is broken (although it does do that), it also miraculously transforms us into something amazing!

Experientially, the Atonement of Jesus Christ is more a process than a single event.

It is about coming to feel of our Heavenly Father’s love for us on a daily basis.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ did not end on the cross. Rather, it was the experiences in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross that bound Him to us, and us to Him, and the garden and the cross (when combined together) opened the floodgates which enabled mercy to satisfy justice (which not only heals, but leaves one better off for the experience).

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is ongoing … for Christ is still there to comfort us in our trials and tribulations. He is still doing the work of picking us up, healing our hearts, and making us whole. Through the Atonement, we are both redeemed and endowed … so that we can incrementally grow to become more and more like our Savior and Example.

Indeed, Christ is the author and finisher of our faith:

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

Why did Jesus endure the cross? What was the “joy” that was set before him?

The “joy” was you and me, and everyone else who ever has or who ever will inhabit this planet earth. We are why he endured the cross and despised the shame. We were more precious to him than his life.

Ultimately, the Atonement of Jesus Christ is about love … it is about grace.

As Heavenly Father’s jewels, He desperately wants all of us back. We are His work and His glory. He instituted the great Plan of Salvation so that we – and those we love – can ultimately live with Him again someday.

01: Intro
02: Traditional Atonement Theories
03: Shortcomings of Traditional Theories
04: Chronicles of Narnia – Atonement Symbolism
05: Jadis and the “Demands of Justice”
06: What if the Traditional Model for Heavenly Father is Incorrect?
07: What if the Traditional Model for Hell is Incorrect?
08: What is God’s Wrath … really?
09: What if God Greatly Desires All of Us?
10: What if the Act of the Atonement is Ongoing?
11: What is the Root Cause of Sin?
12: Consequences of Sin
13: Doctrine of Grace
14: Grace for Grace vs Grace for Nothing
15: The Beatitudes
16: Grace & Truth
17: The Word
18: Driving Force of Compassion
19: The Garden & the Cross
20: Alpha & Omega
21: The Mechanics, the Motivation, the Mystery, & the Magic
22: The Keys that Unlock
23: Widow of Zarephath
24: Naaman the Leper
25: Feeding the 5,000
26: Cain & Abel
27: David & Abigail
28: David & Goliath
29: David & Saul
30: Saul who become Paul
31: Woman with Issue of Blood
32: The Widow’s Mite
33: Noah
34: Abraham & Lot
35: Rebekah
36: Joseph of Egypt
37: Moses
38: Joshua
39: Gideon
40: Ruth
41: Samuel
42: Elijah
43: Daniel
44: Job
45: Joseph & Mary
46: Law of the Fast
47: The Power of the Scriptures
48: The Power of Prayer
49: The Power of Sight
50: Faith, Works, Grace, Commandments, and the Holy Ghost
51: Personal Revelation
52: The Church
53: True Worship
54: Foundational Truths
55: Tempting God
56: Satan’s Lies & Temptations
57: Satan’s Methods
58: Expectation vs Desire
59: Justice & Mercy
60: Source of God’s Power
61: To Prove
62: Redeem & to Endow
63: The Debt & the Ransom
64: Christ is the Author
65: Earthly Experience
66: The Prodigal
67: How we are Healed
68 A Change of Heart
69: Forgiveness
70: Every Knee Shall Bow
71: A Testimony of Jesus
72: The Repentance Process
73: Twin Pillars of Progression
74: The Covenant Path
75: Marriage & Family
76: How the Pharisees Missed the Mark
77: The Spirit World
78: The Resurrection
79: Service & Kindness
80: One by One
81: Be Ye Perfect
82: Anoint Your Eyes With Clay
83: Fruit of the Tree of Life
84: That Which Ultimately Saves

–SUMMATION–
–DISCLAIMER–

NOTES:

(1) The root word for “love” in Hebrew – “hav” – means “to give.” Consider the following three instances of the words “gave,” “giving,” and “given” in the following sentence: “Christ gave us life by giving His life, and in doing so He was given even greater life by one mightier than Himself … our Heavenly Father.”

(2) Had Jesus simply lived a perfect life, He would have been resurrected from the dead since the grave had no claim on Him. However, although living a perfect life was necessary to becoming the Christ, it would not have been sufficient to actually become the Christ. It required an act of grace. There is no greater act of grace than that of Jesus willingly and lovingly giving us life by giving His life. In giving grace (or in giving us life), He received grace from one mightier than Himself … our Heavenly Father. This endowment of grace from the Father gave Christ the capacity to lift us and to heal us of our infirmities and our weaknesses.

(3) The scriptures clearly teach that Heavenly Father raised Christ from the dead (Galatians 1:1). In doing so, Christ was raised to a higher plain. He was further endowed with additional powers He previously did not possess (the very powers needed to redeem us … or the powers by which mercy satisfies justice).

(4) A person only has the capacity to pull others to the level they are at. They cannot themselves progress to a higher level on their own. They need someone else already at a more exalted level to pull themselves even higher.

(5) When we reach down and pull others up, the Heavens reach down and pull us up. It really is that simple. Said differently, when we reach down and show others grace (an enabling power that lifts them up), the Heavens reach down and show us grace (an enabling power that lifts us up). Consequently, as we act to lift and serve others in showing them grace, we ourselves likewise become beneficiaries of grace and we incrementally grow and progress to become more and more like our Father in Heaven.

(6) The doctrine of redemption and progression in clear, we individually go from “grace to grace” … “grace for grace.” OK, let’s see if we can unpack that. In short, we go from one level of grace (or step of progression, or rung on the ladder) to the next level of grace (or step of progression, or rung on the ladder) as we show grace to others in lifting and serving them … and in return, we ourselves likewise become recipients of Heavenly grace and we too are lifted and served.

(7) The doctrine on grace is doubly clear that we become recipients of grace through the principle of “grace for grace” and NOT “grace for nothing.” Said differently, as we reach down and lift and serve others, the Heavens are then enabled to reach down and to extend a generous measure of grace to us. If we are unwilling to forget ourselves and serve others (if we do nothing to lift and serve Heavenly Father’s children) … the Heavens will remain as brass, and they will be closed to our become beneficiaries of Heavenly grace. That is not to say that Heavenly Father does not love us or is not anxious to extend Heavenly succor. Rather, He is patiently waiting to bless us bountifully, but He knows it is for our own good that this grace is withheld until we yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit to forget ourselves and to lift another.

(8) The scriptures clearly teach that true religion is to lift up the hands that hang down and to strengthen the feeble kneed. They are clearly teaching us to give grace.

(9) We keep the commandments not for the sake of the commandment, lest we become like the Pharisees. Rather, by keeping the commandments, we receive a greater endowment of the Holy Ghost. As we act in faith to promptings to lift and serve others (to show grace), we then become recipients of an even greater endowment of grace from up above. This lifting, healing, enabling power works wonders in our lives. If there was ever a truth spoken, it is as follows: “Heavenly Father can do more with your life than you can.” The way He works wonders in our lives is via the Holy Ghost, who is a member of the Godhead. It requires keeping the commandments so we can hear and recognize the promptings that come, and it requires faith to act on promptings that might not make logical sense. By small and simple things do great things come to pass.

(10) From a certain perspective, “love” equals “want.” Said differently, “what is it that you want so badly that you are willing to sacrifice all else to obtain it?” That is what you truly love! Consider this, Christ wanted us so badly that He was willing to sacrifice His life so that He might obtain us. That is what He prioritized and valued above all else.

(11) Sometimes we might say we “want” something (a better relationship with spouse or children, etc) … but then our actions actually betray that what we really love and value is something entirely different … since we end up prioritizing things that have no lasting value (jobs, career ambitions, influencer status) above spending quality time with our spouse or our children. It is highly likely the things you currently have in your life is a broad reflection of that which you prioritize and value. It is a reflection of what you truly want in your heart and what you have given up to obtain it. It is a reflection of what you truly love.

(12) The number “5” in Hebrew means “grace.” We will explore this idea in much greater detail throughout this work, but consider these three examples. First, when Christ fed the 5,000, it was an act of grace of a boy selflessly giving his 5 fishes that helped to precipitate the miracle. Second, in the Old Testament, when Hannah was unable to bare children and received a promise that she would bear a son, whom she named Samuel, it took a great act of faith and grace to turn him over to the Lord. Subsequently, the scriptures clearly teach that the Lord visited Hannah and she then had 5 more children (she was clearly a recipient of “grace for grace” – see 1 Samuel 2:21). Finally, it is significant that our bodies have hands with 5 fingers each and feet with 5 toes each. That is to be a constant reminder that we should use our hands to love and serve others (to give life and NOT to take life) and likewise that we should use our feet to run to the aid of others and not to run to places that result in pain and suffering … for ourselves or others.

(13) The scriptures clearly teach that we are Heavenly Father’s jewels. He wants us and He loves us. All of us.

(14) “If we are willing to take care of Heavenly Father’s business, He will take care of ours.” This is simply another way of saying that if we will love and serve those around us (if we are willing to help polish His jewels so that they too can have greater life, and have it more abundantly), then our Father in Heaven will be moved with compassion in likewise extending His tender mercies to us.

(15) Had the Atonement ended on the cross, Jesus could be playing endless golf and not giving one more thought about any one of us (since all the work would have been completed, and nothing more could have been done). This is not so. Christ is still there to feel our pain, to dry our tears, to lift us up, to heal our hearts. The work of the Atonement is ongoing, and Christ is intimately aware of each of us individually, and He is currently working to redeem us personally. He is still advocating on our behalf. He is cheering us on. He is carrying us and He is loving us. There is not a moment to waste. He is still giving His life selflessly on our behalf.

(16) Why are we instructed to “serve” others when we ourselves our feeling down or otherwise having a crappy day? Shouldn’t we be the one’s that are served by others? In short, it has to do with the doctrine of grace. We receive “grace for grace” and NOT “grace for nothing.” Whenever we are feeling down or having a crappy day, we desperately need a big bucket of grace from up above. However, in order to receive this grace, we must first show grace. Hence the instruction to serve and to lift another. Selfless service is the key that unlocks the Heavens and enables them to shower down Heavenly grace upon us.

(17) The Glory of God is Intelligence, or Light and Truth. Light and Truth is simply a reflection of one’s capacity to “give life” – or to give grace. Light gives life. Truth gives life. This is in contrast to Lucifer. The Glory of Satan is deception, or darkness and lies. Darkness and lies extinguish life. Having said that, Satan has no real glory, all he has to offer is a mirage or an illusion … which instantly melts away in the warmth and the light of the Savior.

(18) Why is “Truth” so important, and why does it have power to “give life?” Consider this: there are voices out there that might whisper “you are not good enough,” “nobody likes you,” “why should you even try,” “you are beyond redemption,” “Heavenly Father hates you and you are beyond saving,” and on and on. This is not the truth. These voices only extinguish life … for they are despicable lies. We must not give ear to them and we must not believe them, no matter how persistent they might be. Consider the truth – “you are good enough,” “you are wanted,” “you are important,” “you have immense value,” “you are worth reclaiming,” “you are loved.” Hearing and believing and embracing the TRUTH can go a long way in healing and reclaiming a broken and hurting soul.

(19) We have a Heavenly Father who loves us. We likewise have a Heavenly Mother who loves us. In short, we have Heavenly Parents – the most masculine and the most feminine entities in the entire universe. Our Heavenly Father works to instill us with confidence, and our Heavenly Mother works to help us feel treasured – needed, wanted, valued, and important. As earthly parents, we need to follow the lead of our Heavenly Parents. Said differently, every child needs a father and a mother, because every child needs to feel confident and treasured (as an earthly parent we too can develop a taste of the deep magic that gives life).

(20) Satan has his counterfeits to the masculine and the feminine. Instead of being selfless in nature, they are both selfish in nature. The counterfeit masculine is the desire to dominate all others, and the counterfeit feminine is the desire to become the treasure, or the one that all others fawn over and envy.

(21) The opposite of love is pride. Pride is simply the “act of having an enemy” … or feeling enmity towards others or towards God.

(22) Lucifer has the power to bruise our heal, but we have the power to crush his head. The power by which Satan hurts us (or bruises our heal) is through pride – or enmity. When we see others as an enemy, or even God as an enemy, we experience pain and suffering. The power by which we crush Satan’s head, or the power by which our bruised heals are healed is through love. Although not always easy, genuine Godlike love heals all.

(23) It needs to be remembered and appreciated that only Christ has the power to heal. Nobody else does. Satan knows this, and he uses this reality as a wedge to engender bitterness and hatred. Although we will talk about this in greater detail later on, consider the following with respect to “justice” and “forgiveness.” If you are injured by your neighbor, Satan knows that your neighbor is totally unable to heal you or to make you whole. However, if he can get you to “demand justice” (or healing) from the party that is incapable of making you whole, you will become blind to the one source that does have the power to heal your or to make you whole … Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is less about pretending something didn’t happen or naively letting someone else off the hook. Rather, it is about healing. When you forgive someone, you are in effect saying “I know you don’t have the power to heal me or to make me whole, so I am not going to waste my time on you, I am going to turn my focus and my attention to Christ, the one party that has the power to heal me and to make me whole.”

(24) God’s throne is a throne ofjudgement (in contrast to the word “judgmental”). Why is judgment something to be enthusiastic about? Consider the following: it takes judgement for a farmer to know how far apart to plant his seeds to optimize the harvest, it takes judgment to know how much to water to plants to optimize the yield, it takes judgment to know how much fertilizer to place on the plants to optimize the yield. Christ is the author of our lives. Like the farmer using wisdom and judgment, our lives are orchestrated to optimize our opportunities in the eternities by a most wise and loving Father in Heaven.

(25) God is redemptive, and not punitive, in nature. Everything our Father in Heaven does is calculated for our good and so that we might be nearer to Him.

(26) Part of the genius of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the way in which our lives are orchestrated so that quite often, two imperfect people can interact in such a way that each person’s weaknesses can be the catalyst to help the other person see their own shortcomings so that they too can be perfected.

(27) When we face trials or tribulations, they are not always on account of a sin or a wrong doing on a given individual’s part. There are many reasons and purposes in experiencing the challenges of mortality. One thing we can be confident of is that God gives us challenges and experiences to both REDEEM and to ENDOW us (we will explore this in greater depth later on) … and quite often, we experience challenges so that others might have reason to grow closer to Christ.

(28) Although the Atonement is more about healing and being made whole, that does NOT mean that those who follow Christ will be free from experiencing pain and heartache and challenges in mortality. We experience pain, heartache, and challenges at times on account of our own shortcomings. Sometimes we experience challenges on account of other people’s poor choices. And sometimes we experience challenges on account of God knowing we have something important to learn that will be key to our eternal progress, and more importantly, to our then being able to love and serve and lift others to a greater degree.

(29) God will never snap His finger and flippantly change and transform us … no matter how hard and sincerely we pray. It is not as if we go to sleep one night struggling with showing patience or controlling our anger, and then somehow we mysteriously wake up the next morning with an incredible degree of patience or no longer having a disposition to feel anger towards others. Rather, more often than not, our lives are orchestrated in such a way that we face “trials.” In other words, the Lord orchestrates our lives where we are presented with two mutually exclusive options, both of which we deeply desire, and what is on “trial” is that we want both options, but we know we can only have one, and we are forced to choose (which is often painful and uncomfortable since we desperately want to have both). For example, maybe someone who finds it difficult controlling his or her anger is also faced with the prospect of loosing his or her marriage. Although the anger issues causes this person serious problems, it also brings this person a degree of comfort or satisfaction, and this person does not want to let go of it and change. Similarly, this person also loves his or her spouse, and does not want to loose that either. But remaining married and remaining angry are mutually exclusive. One can’t have both. And consequently one faces a painful trial, where a person if forced to choose what one truly loves more – their anger or their marriage. In making the choice to let go of their anger so that they can keep their marriage, they are transformed. They are allowed to use their agency to let go of their shortcoming or their weakness. God will never force anyone to change against their will. Mortality is about choices. It is about choosing the good and letting go of the bad. “Trials” can be short in duration or can last years if not decades. It is up to us to perceive what Heavenly Father is trying to accomplish with us (how he trying to polish us since we are His jewels) … and then to act with haste in letting go of that which binds us down and causes us pain.

(30) Often times it is critical that we have our eyes open to the “Lords Offering.” When we are presented with it, we need to grasp it in full faith, knowing that something much better is coming according to the Lord’s own timing. Said differently, in life when we want a “10” … and when the Lord presents us with a “2” or a “3” … if we embrace the “2” or the “3” in faith … we will eventually not only receive the “10” … but something much more magnificent. We will become recipients of a “20” or even a “100.” The Lord truly has the power to multiply.

(31) Each of the five saving ordinances involve a covenant with Heavenly Father. These covenants are simply grace for grace statements. If we are willing to show grace to others in lifting them up and helping them to likewise grow closer to our Heavenly Father, we too become recipients of grace from up above. As we receive this Heavenly grace on a continual bases, we walk the path back to our Heavenly Father.

(32) Briefly consider the covenant we make with Heavenly Father at baptism. We covenant with Him that we will show grace to others as we “bear one other’s burdens,” as we “mourn with those that mourn,” “as we comfort those that stand in need of comfort,” and as we “stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places.” In lifting and serving, we too become recipients of Heavenly grace. God’s promises are sure.

(33) In the preexistence, Jesus Christ covenanted with the Father that He would atone for the sins of this world. Although this particular covenant is not derived from the five saving ordinances common to humankind, He alone was the only one who possessed the capability to do so. It was His love for the Father and for us individually that propelled Him to give Himself freely so that we too might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly.

(34) It is interesting to note that Jesus started off the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes. When analyzed individually, each Beatitude is a grace for grace statement. If we are willing to show others grace, we become recipients of grace. Consider the following Beatitude: “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”

(35) The Beatitudes are significant in that they are a step by step pathway back to Heavenly Father. We will discuss this in greater detail later on.

(36) At its core, “ministering” is all about grace, or acting in a way that “gives life,” or loving and serving and lifting and healing. As we minister as directed by the Holy Ghost in giving grace, we in turn become recipients of Heavenly grace. Ministering is less a chore than an opportunity to receive blessings from up above.

(37) None of us is perfect. We all have challenges, weaknesses, and shortcomings. Consequently, we all experience trials and tribulations and adversity in this life. Our loving Heavenly Father purposefully lets us face our shortcomings and challenges and weaknesses head on. It would be rather cruel for Heavenly Father to NOT point out our weaknesses to us. If this were the case, we could not progress (because we wouldn’t have the opportunity to deal with them head on and to make choices). In short, if this were the case, to some degree, we would be damned since our progression would cease. Thank goodness our loving Heavenly Father cares about us enough to not shelter us from the storms.

(38) When seeking direction from the Divine, it must be remembered that not everything comes at once, or in an instant. Although we will discuss the following in much greater detail later on, the following are nine key things to remember with respect to how God interacts with us in making His mind and will known: more often than not, inspiration or ideas lend towards the small and simple things, we learn line upon line, sometimes we just need to start moving before the Holy Ghost is able to really start directing us, the Lord’s timing is critically important, the Lord will give us a pattern in all things (so it is critical that we come to recognize the ways in which the Lord speaks to us personally), The Lord will always speak to us in our own language and to our own understanding, all things are done in wisdom and order, it is critical that we recognize the Lord’s offering and that we accept it in full faith, and finally, sometimes the Lord allows us to make mistakes so that we might learn through our own experience.

(39) What are the “Powers of Heaven” … how are they unlocked, and how do we become recipients of this power? Great Question. The Powers of Heaven is simply the opening of the Heavens to their bestowed of grace upon ourselves and those around us to the furtherance of our Heavenly Father’s work. The key that unlocks this grace is our acting in grace to lift someone else up … to give them greater life. As we show grace we receive grace. Unlocking, wielding, and becoming a recipient of the Power of Heaven is irrespective of sex, gender, race, income, wealth, etc. God is not a respecter of persons in this regard, as we are all entitled to unlocking and welding the Powers of Heaven.

(40) The twin pillars of progression – motherhood and priesthood – are all about service, or giving life, or giving grace, or lifting others up. In giving this service, one naturally unlocks and wields the Powers of Heaven for themselves and those around them.

(41) The Powers of Heaven are usually manifest through small and simple means through which great things come about.

(42) The Power of Heaven are more about changing minds and hearts so that individuals willingly choose to turn back to the Father than they are about Jedi or Marvel superhero powers that lift heavy objects, immobilize people, effortlessly fly or do other superhuman acrobatic stunts, control the weather, or anything else that might dazzle the eyes. In short, it is about softening and healing hearts. We are all Heavenly Father’s prized jewels. Immense energy and attention in Heaven are devoted and focused on securing all of His jewels (even a single lost jewel is of great attention and concern). It has always been about the lost sheep. It has always been about the rescue. Having said that, we can also feel the kindness of Heaven in the details of our lives in opening doors or otherwise prospering us. That does not necessarily mean we’ll be rich. It might mean we have sufficient for our needs, even if we are living in severe poverty.

(43) When all is said and done, all true religion can be boiled down to the following grace for grace statement: “When we reach down and lift others, the Heavens are then enabled to reach down and to lift us.” It really is that simple. It is about love and selfless service. GRACE is simply an “enabling power.” When we lift and serve others, we enable them. When the Heavens reach down and lift and bless us, we too are enabled. By being pulled up by the Heavens, we incrementally arrive at destinations we could not have reached on our own.