Blessings and Grace Intergrated with Revelation

In times of old, with the prophets, then the apostles of God, revelation was the mainstay of the early Christian Church, in both the Old and New Testament times. In conjunction with revelation, came blessings and God's grace. There was no time where God did not give blessings and extend his grace when he was giving revelation to and through his chosen prophets. That was one of the markers of a people under God, that they lived with many grand blessings to enrich and elevate their lives, let alone deliver them from evil. Two grand examples of the combination of revelation, blessings and grace within the Bible is Noah and the Ark, and the Exodus of Moses and Israel from the Pharaoh's. The pattern of revelation, blessings and grace as inseparable was vivid in those two Biblical accounts. In fact those events, would not have occurred without revelation at the helm.

Revelation, as God views it, is imperative to his faithful, for without revelation, whether in direct communication or visions, the faithful would surely perish (Proverbs 29:15-18) There is no correction for the faithful without revelation, whether personal revelation or revelation given to his Church. Without correction, all manner of apostate beliefs would filter in, as we have seen in the general Christian community.

Today, within the general Christian community and its divisions of faith, there is no correction of the believers of Christ. Instead there is a large array of contrasting beliefs and doctrines that the average seeker of God would stand confused. This because they hold the belief that revelation from God to provide more scripture or even provide personal guidance, reproof and correction (2 Timothy 3:16) has ended with the apostles in the New Testament. Today, when other Christians speak about revelation, they generally refer to the Bible and the ministry of Jesus Christ, but they deny that revelation from God continues and affirm that it has ended. On the other hand, most or all other Christians also affirm that God still gives blessings and exercises his grace, especially with the atonement and salvation. This impressed me as contradictory in some way, so I pursued the truth on the matter.

In reading the many articles written about revelation, both pro and con, not once have I found anyone considering the relationship between grace, blessings and revelation. To reveal or show that one is not without the other.

What I have come to know is that God is a complete being, one who is perfect and whole. That no one thing in him is incomplete or idle. He abides in the eternal laws perfectly, and when he does one thing, it affects another. This principle is seen in - James 2:10, where James relates God's eternal principle that offend one part of the law, we offend the whole law, showing how things are interconnected in God's truth and life. Thus, if he halts one thing as to anything in his interaction with in his creation, which means us, then he halts many other things as well. This says that a God who has lessened his interaction with his creation, which is also his glory, then that thing will degrade or slide into darkness and his glory in that thing, is lost. Is this not exactly what the Bible has shown through many examples when God withdraws, that the people fall into apostasy? If God ceases in any of this works with us, then we cease as his people, because we would not survive the onslaught of evil that would come our way and we would be enveloped in darkness.

In contrast, when God is involved with us, then he does not cease his works, not one part does he make idle or stop. As the Bible has said, that God's word does not cease and by that his manner of works also never ceases. (Matthew 24:35)

Then, can revelation, blessings and grace be separated in such a way that God does not provide one or the other? - I do not believe so.

I posed these questions to spur a constructive focus, to incite thought and contemplation for the purpose of establishing truth. I did not pursue this course to battle ignorance in Christendom. I pursued this course for reasons of faith and let others in the general Christendom, who care not about truth, fend for themselves in these last days. I am sure though, that a many Latter-day Saint have struggled with their faith and beliefs about revelation in the face of the onslaught of contrary doctrines that deny modern-day revelation, and it is also to that purpose, that this article is written. To help understand why revelation cannot be extinguished or made idle while blessing and grace continue.

In order to obtain true understanding of God's word, to see and perceive deeper into the relationship into the workings of God, requires the belief that God will inspire those who are sincere and humble in their researches for truth (DC 97:1) Thus, let us look at how revelation, grace and blessings are interrelated.

God Operates by his Laws Always

God operates revelation, grace and blessings in the same manner. How God provides these things, is by his law, and power gained from that law. In order for God to give us any blessing, we must exercise obedience to that law upon which the blessing is predicated. (DC 130:20-21) Disobedience, therefore, reaps no blessings and blessings do not go to those who violate God's laws and commandments. Even the atonement, by which we gain salvation, is a law, else it would not suffice his Justice.

Thusly, Revelation and Grace are also laws which gives God the power to provide us the things we receive. All things which he does in his works to bring to man the blessing of salvation and exaltation is done by law, thus all things have laws that give things in this world and the eternal realm their existence and life. (DC 88:38, 42-43)

Does any of God's laws become idle? - No, not one will become idle, for God operates by his eternal laws at all times, and for God to be God, these laws must remain in effect at all times, else the Justice of God has no affect or power. It is from these eternal laws, that any lesser laws exist, such as the Law of Tithe, which is from the higher Law of Consecration. His laws, therefore, do not go into abeyance, neither are they obsolete or put aside. This means that the Law of Revelation does not cease, neither does the Law of Blessings or of Grace cease or become idle. For God to exercise Grace, he must abide in and operate through the Law of Grace. If these other Christians had their way, they would make God a lawless god, stopping or ceasing his laws and works to satisfy personal and private doctrine, but they do this.

One is not without the Other

If there is no more revelation, whether to a prophet or personally, then there are no more blessings. This is so, because blessings and revelation are given to us by and through God's law and power. How it comes to be a revelation or just a blessing is by the experience in which it is received. It is true that revelation means to reveal that which is not yet known, but revelation is also a blessing, but not all blessings are revelations, as to reveal new knowledge, but rather to reveal the works of God.

If there is no more revelation, then there are no more blessings, since blessings and revelation are integrated, as all things from God are interconnected or interrelated. This I have already shown above. This says that one cannot exist without the other and cannot operate when one is stopped. This shows that when God blesses a person, he is revealing himself through some means to that person. Even if the blessings simply aids a person or grants that person a "help" in life, God is revealing his power and presence. This exists even if the person has no awareness that he/she was blessed by God.

Let us continue.

With no more blessings, there is another loss, that is "no more grace". This is true, because in order for God to bless anyone, requires that he exercise his "grace" to us. Grace to some degree is required because no person on this earth, save Jesus when he walked the earth, is perfect and sinless. All have sinned and all require repentance. When God gives a blessing to any person, that person is still in sin and in the flesh, imperfect. Grace is needed, otherwise justice would be the only thing we would receive and in terms of justice, we are all dead. Is that not the reason for the Atonement? (Alma 42:15)

How perfect the manner of works God has, is that not true?

Now, with no more revelation, then there are no more blessings and thus no more grace. This is a serious charge, because without grace, there is no more salvation, and no more atonement and the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ would have been for naught. Both salvation and the atonement cannot work or exist at all for us, if grace ends or stops. Therefore, since revelation is integrated with blessings, which depends heavily on grace, a person cannot declare God's grace or blessings if he denies revelation, let alone loosing salvation and the atonement.

Therefore, salvation and the atonement exist because of God's eternal laws and power (DC 88:13). If it was not for God's use of his power, which also allows him to exercise his "Law of Grace", we would be eternally damned and lost.

What of God's works? Well, revelation, blessings, grace, salvation and the atonement, are but some of God's works done by and through his laws and power, but if we deny any of these, then is it not true we deny God's power?

This applies to those Christians who claim belief in Jesus Christ and the atonement, but deny revelation still exists, for they carry the form of godliness but deny the power of God, that we must turn away from such beliefs as theirs. It follows then, that if we deny revelation, we deny blessings, grace, salvation and the atonement, which means we deny God's power and works. All of these are integrated and cannot be separated and we cannot singularly deny anything of God just to gratify some belief.

Amen
MWarbinek

References

• Lee, Harold B, "Stand Ye in Holy Places", Chapter 25 - "How to Receive a Blessing from God"