SALVATION AND THE
Introduction
To begin, a foundation is needed on the subject of what evangelicals believe is required to acquire salvation. Paul Enns states that “Many passages of Scripture affirm that man’s only responsibility in salvation is believing the Gospel.”[1] The Gospel is defined as believing that Jesus was everything He claimed to be. For example that He was God, and that He died an atoning sacrifice for man’s sinfulness, and was bodily resurrected.[2] This basic idea is the evangelical salvation message and it provides a baseline for understanding what makes a person righteous in the sight of God. The same idea is stated a little differently by William Menzies and Stanley Horton who states that salvation is received through repentance to God, faith toward Jesus, and the regenerating and renewing work of the Holy Spirit.[3] This reflects the same idea from a different perspective explaining that the actual salvation is imparted by the Spirit, making it clear that it is not our own work.
All of these aspects describe one whole work of salvation and, much like the evangelical view of God, should not be broken apart. Often the idea of coming to Christ is twisted into an idea that one must make themselves right and then God will accept them. This idea is known as salvation by works and is unbiblical. It puts repentance before faith. Enns writes that, “It [repentance] should not be understood as a separate step in salvation.”[4] Understanding that sin has separated man from God is a part of the Gospel, but the essence of this is that God had to come as Jesus in order to make it right. Man had no way to return to God on his own.
Evangelicals believe that once one is saved that it will result in a changed life. James writes that, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17) Wayne Grundem states that, “This does not of course mean that the person will have a perfect life, but only that the pattern of life will not be one of continuing indulgence in sin.”[5] Although it is a clear teaching in evangelicalism that your works do not in any way merit salvation, after one experiences salvation it will result in a changed life.
Looking at the Latter Day Saint sources a distinction in terminology is needed. The term salvation is used quite differently in the Mormon church. Stephen Robinson, a professor of New Testament Studies at
In looking at the fundamental differences in salvation theology of the Latter Day Saint church Blomberg and Robinson come up with three major points. First is the ability to respond to the Gospel after death, second, is on how crucial baptism is, and the third is on the details of the afterlife.[9]
It is interesting that one of these three, how crucial baptism is, is also debated among evangelicalism. Robinson discusses this and notes that Latter Day Saints’ believe that the obedience necessary to be born again is to have faith in Christ, repent, and be baptized. He further states that, “Most evangelicals would agree with the first two, and some would agree with all three.”[10] Much of the confusion on this issue comes from Acts 2:38 where Peter responds to a question of how to be saved, “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.’”
The ability to respond to the Gospel after death, and baptism by proxy for those already dead, is a distinctive of the Latter Day Saints church as is the concept of three different heavens following the Judgement. It must be noted, however, that neither of these doctrines actually affect any part of their basic gospel message to those who are alive. Faith in Christ is taught as the Latter Day Saint foundation for being right with God. Also the nature of God is understood to be different with God being three separate god’s who are one in purpose, but not in essence.
Daniel Pecota writes that, “Repentance and faith constitute the two essential elements of conversion.”[11] He also notes that saving faith requires divine enabling by the Holy Spirit.[12] This is interesting because what we have seen of Latter Day Saint doctrine on the subject appears to be the same in essence. Robinson claims that anyone who believes it possible to earn salvation is not a Christian or a Latter Day Saint and that, “Such a doctrine is foreign to the religion I practice and teach.”[13] It is important then to understand then that the Latter Day Saint doctrine of works is different in essence than the Evangelical one.
Menzies and Horton write that the evidences of Salvation are an inward witness of the Sprit and an outward life of righteousness.[14] There are many examples of this same idea in evangelical theology. One example being that salvation will produce a life of righteousness or else it was not genuine salvation. Is Evangelicalism hypocritical then for condemning an identical doctrine of the Latter Day Saint church? Robinson talks about this doctrine from the Latter Day Saint perspective. “Continued faithfulness is required in order not to fall from grace after we have been saved, [and] this is Armenianism, not synergism.”[15] Although some of the Reformed school of theology would disagree with the idea of falling from grace they still expect believers to be moving toward righteousness if they are truly saved. This is in agreement with what Robinson teaching about Latter Day Saint doctrine when he states, “All true Christians must share in principle the desire to serve God.”[16]
In an anti-cult book written by James Jornstad it is interesting that he also notes that often terms used in Evangelical Christianity are used in different ways by Mormons. He writes on the same idea from earlier, that in Latter Day Saint writings written for their internal use the term salvation is used in a general sense to refer to the resurrection and in the individual sense in reference to being exalted to the
Grudem writes that a true saving faith includes knowledge, approval, and personal trust.[19] So the question remains if from the perspective that Latter Day Saint church takes on salvation and the nature of God if they have this knowledge, approval, and personal trust. Do they know who Christ is and what He has done, believe in Him, and trust Him alone for their personal salvation? If a correct analysis of current Latter Day Saint orthodox belief is presented here then the possibility exists, from the Evangelical viewpoint, for born-again Mormons. This is not to say that all Mormons are born-again, any more than everyone in an Evangelical church is born-again. The conclusion of Blomberg in his essay about salvation and the Latter Day Saint church is relevant, “Inadequate understanding of God or the Trinity does not affect the triune God’s ability to provide salvation for those who sincerely trust in Him, through Christ, however imperfect their understanding may be.”[20]
Blomberg concluded after this last statement that salvation by faith is not fair.[21] Looking at current Latter Day Saint theology it is clear that they have the basic beliefs, according to Evangelical theology, to have salvation by faith in Christ. The sin of misinterpreting the nature of God and Jesus is no worse or different than any other and can be forgiven through Christ’s complete work. There is no clear Biblical exception to the atonement of Jesus and therefore no sin, outside the rejection of that atonement, that leads to rejection by God. A member of the Latter Day Saint church is judged or justified based on whether or not they have put their faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God.
[1] Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago: Moody Press, 1989), 332.
[2] Ibid., 332.
[3] William W. Menzies and Stanley M. Horton, Bible Doctrines: A Pentecostal Perspective (Springfield: Logion Press, 1993), 96.
[4] Enns, 330.
[5] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), 704.
[6] Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson, How Wide the Divide: A Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1997), 155.
[7] Ibid., 155.
[8] Jana Riess, “We’re Christians Too,” The Christian Century, October 2, 2007, 9-10.
[9] Blomberg, Robinson, 187.
[10] Ibid., 157.
[11]
[12] Ibid., 363-364.
[13] Blomberg, Robinson, 143.
[14] Menzies, Horton, 96.
[15] Blomberg, Robinson, 159.
[16] Ibid., 147
[17] James Bjornstad, Counterfeits at Your Door (Ventura: Regal Books, 1979), 132-133.
[18] Gill Donovan, “
[19] Grundem 709-712
[20] Blomberg, Robinson, 185.
[21] Ibid., 185.
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