Paid in Full

Since time immemorial, the religiously self-righteous have asked, “What good things must we do to gain eternal life?”

Jesus tackled this question during his mortal ministry. Was his answer to keep the commandments? Hardly. Obedience to the commandments has several other uses for Christians (see Matthew 5:16; John 3:20, 21; 14:23, 24). But in response to the query about everlasting life, Christ commanded each of his each followers to love God with all one’s heart, soul, strength and mind (Mark 10:17–22; Luke 10:25–28). Love for God and one’s neighbors is pivotal for salvation.

Checklist Erased

Mormonism and other manmade religions urge you to obey a checklist of requirements to earn a place in heaven. These requirements are sometimes known as “good works.” But the Bible says good works are the fruit of salvation, not its root. Someone reconciled to God through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross will perform good works because he or she is saved, but good works never result in eternal life (Galatians 3:6–9; 18, 21; Ephesians 2:8, 9; 2 Timothy 1:8–10).

Debt Canceled

When discussing the atonement, Paul said the Lord ended “the Law of commandments contained in ordinances” to make Jew and Gentile (that’s everybody) one in Christ (Ephesians 2:14–16). To the Colossians, the apostle argued: “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, [Jesus] made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13, 14, italics added).

Peace with God

Even if we yearn to keep all God’s commandments, we can’t. We’re all born “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3), and “the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe” (Galatians 3:22, italics added). Explaining Christ’s atonement, Paul told the Roman saints that “death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Through Christ’s work, though, not our own, believers have been justified by faith and have received peace with God (Romans 5:1).

Mormons Undermines and Disrespects the Atonement

Regrettably, like the rich young man and the lawyer that confronted Jesus, Mormons believe the way to heaven is through the atonement of Christ but “after all we can do” (2 Nephi 25:23; Mormon 10:32). In other words, the LDS church says, God requires us to pull the rope as hard as possible, and Jesus is supposed to pick up the slack. For the Mormon church, Christ’s atonement is a loan. However, the Bible teaches that Jesus paid the debt for sin in full (Romans 5:9–11). Hebrews 9:26 says Christ “put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”
 

But Mormonism’s doctrine completely sabotages—and disrespects—Christ’s atonement. It contradicts the Bible and makes Jesus a loan officer, not a Savior. No amount of church attendance, temple work, missionary effort, tithe paying, Word of Wisdom obedience, or any other Mormon works will ensure a place in heaven. Only God can “qualify” you for that and “transfer” you into his kingdom (Colossians 1:12, 13). And he did so by reconciling believers to the Father through his work on the cross. “[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,” Paul wrote, “so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Fellow Citizens with the Saints

Perhaps Paul said it best in Ephesians 2:14–16. Jesus abolished “the Law of commandments contained in ordinances.” Through his sinless sacrifice on the cross, not by human obedience to Mormon gospel, the Savior made Jew and Gentile “fellow citizens with the saints . . . built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone” (Ephesians 2:19, 20). “For Christ . . . died for sins once for all,” Peter summarized, “the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God . . . ” (1 Peter 3:18).
 

For those who are saved, Christ does all the work. He initiates and completes the process (Philippians 1:6). Our works toward salvation? Jesus abolished them, firmly and finally nailing them to the cross.

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