{"id":1047,"date":"2009-05-22T14:29:33","date_gmt":"2009-05-22T21:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/?p=1047"},"modified":"2020-01-09T05:14:12","modified_gmt":"2020-01-09T12:14:12","slug":"chapter-5-atonement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/2009\/05\/chapter-5-atonement\/1047\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 5 – Atonement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click here<\/a> for previous posts in this series and why I’m writing this children’s book.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Every living person is given the Light of Christ when they are born, which is also sometimes called our conscience. This light helps us know basic right from wrong. When we feel we should do something kind for someone else, and choose not to do it, we sin against this Light, which diminishes our light and defeats some of our purposes of being here. When we hurt someone else, it hurts us too and creates guilt. The largest consequence of sin is that it hurts our relationships with others to where we can’t be trusted by others and we can’t trust ourselves. In such a state, we wouldn’t be able to stand being with holy and clean beings like our Heavenly Father. Heaven is not just a place, but it is rather a society in which trust abounds; trust that my tender heart will be valued as highly as I value it. My character is defined by my trustworthiness with the needs and feelings of others. <\/p>\n

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Without a Savior, feelings of hurt, anger, guilt, hate, revenge, etc., would never go away, either from us or the people we hurt. Jesus Christ atoned for the world in the garden of Gethsemane and on the cross on Calvary by experiencing the pain that we feel in this life from sin and from mortality. Christ experiences our lives with us today too and knows everything about our experiences and needs. As we repent and learn to forgive others, Christ offers peace, healing, and the promise that all will be made right for ourselves and those we have hurt. Christ has given us the opportunity to have eternal life with joyful and caring relationships with each other.<\/p>\n

Eventually our bodies die physically. Our spirits also die as we sin against the light that is within us (what we feel we should do), which kills joy and love within us. In this respect, Satan is dead: He feels anger, frustration, some pleasure, but no joy. Spiritual death is a state of existence without joy. Without Jesus Christ, we could not replace the light that leaves us when we do wrong and we would be uncomfortable being with Heavenly Father. Without Jesus Christ, we could not restore and receive more glory and perfect resurrected bodies.<\/p>\n

Because of Christ’s atonement we can all overcome physical and spiritual death. In other words, we can all be resurrected and can all gain more light, glory, and joy. There are three parts of resurrected people, they are spirits, have bodies of flesh and bone, and glory. Jesus lived his life to bless others. When we follow Christ’s example in serving others, we receive joy\/light. Sin reduces that light\/joy. Because Satan wanted all the glory for himself, he cut himself off from the God’s glory and became “a light unto himself”. In sharing glory, we share experiences, love and joy.<\/p>\n

Christ’s condescension was being emptied of glory, though His capacity to receive glory was still great. He left behind His power and glory and was born like the rest of us. He grew grace for grace and grace to grace until He received a complete knowledge of His identity and received instructions through the Spirit on how he could best serve others. That is an opportunity available to all of us. Christ suffered the worst of the plan. None of us will ever suffer more than Christ. He can comfort us because He was also alone and in the agony of Hell, and He can take us out of Hell and give us the constant companionship with the Holy Ghost if we will let Him.<\/p>\n

I look forward to your critiques (except from you Calvinists, you can keep your comments to yourselves).<\/em><\/p>\n