With All His Heart (part 2)

1 Nephi 1:5

"Wherefore it came to pass that my father, Lehi, as he went forth prayed unto the Lord, yea, even with all his heart, in behalf of his people."

As a group, we have come to our own understanding concerning Christ; through study and through hearing the word of God.

     "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.  In him was the life ; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:1-5)

It is very clear that John is testifying of Jesus Christ in these verses.

One important item of note in this testimony of Christ is that John refers to Christ as the "Word".

What does that mean?

Christ Himself declared the following when He appeared to the Nephites.

     "...I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning." (3 Nephi 11:11)

During His mortal ministry in Palestine the Lord declared,

     "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge; and my judgement is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." (John 5: 30)

We believe what has been spoken concerning Christ; that He is the "Word" or the "Word of God", precisely because He has sought to do the will of the Father from the beginning and did so and does so now with such precision and perfection that His very being personifies the words and will of the Father for His children.

To learn of Christ and to read of His life is to come to see a perfect manifestation of our Father's word or will in the flesh.

Given this, we studied some of the Saviors actions during His earthly ministry to see some of the Father's will in action.

There is an incident of note that ought to be considered as we talk about this.

     "And early in the morning he came again to the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down and taught them.  And the scribes and the Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.  Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned:  but what sayest thou?  This they said, tempting him that they might have to accuse him.  But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.  So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.  And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.  And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers?  Hath no man condemned thee?  She said, No man, Lord.  And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee:  go and sin no more." (John 8:2-11)

Notice that the Lord did not accuse her even though she was guilty; taken in the very act.

What is important to learn from this?

The book of Revelation tells us this concerning the war in heaven and Satan.

     "And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before God day and night." (Revelation 12:7-10)

Notice that the Devil, Satan, the great dragon, that old serpent, is also the accuser.  He accuses us, his brethren, day and night before God.

It does not say that his accusations are false.

Is it apparent, the absolute opposite spirits that possess Christ on the one hand and Satan on the other?

Concerning the account of the woman taken in adultery we read,

"Here the woman had violated the law prohibiting adultery.  She was brought to Christ to find out His reaction to this breach of the law.  In spite of clear guilt, Christ found a way to avoid accusing her.  This incident shows the lengths to which the Lord will go to avoid becoming the accuser.  His title: "Our Advocate with the Father" is the antithesis of the role of the "accuser."  The Advocate helps defend us against accusations.  Even accusations properly brought, as was the one against the woman taken in adultery.  He will seek whatever reason or even excuse as may exist to warrant forgiveness for our mistakes and failings.  This role of Advocate He has adopted for Himself, is the role of Mercy itself." (The Second Comforter, Conversing With the Lord Through the Veil, Denver Snuffer, pgs. 276 - 277)

Concerning the reason used by the Lord to not accuse the woman who was clearly guilty, the footnote on page 276 reads,

"As the Dean of the J Reuben Clark Law School, Rex Lee pointed out to his Constitutional Law students that the woman was guilty.  There was no question about her violation of the law.  But since there was no accuser, and the law required two accusers for conviction, that was a technical procedural defect in condemning the woman.  Without this technical requirement being met, the woman would stand uncondemned under the Mosaic Law.  Dean Lee used this example to explain the concept of "procedural due process" to his students."

What is it that allows Christ to be our Advocate with the Father?

Amulek explained the following to the Zoramites.

     "Behold, I say unto you, that I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.  For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which is expedient should be made." (Alma 34:8-9)

Remember that the accuser, Satan, can properly bring before God accusations against us.  We have all sinned and therefore are cut off eternally from God.  Amulek is pointing this out as the why for the need of an atonement.

Next he begins to explain the how.

     "For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice." (Alma 34: 10)

     "Therefore it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice, and then shall there be, or it is expedient there should be, a stop to the shedding of blood; then shall the law of Moses be fulfilled, every jot and tittle, and none shall have passed away.  And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal." (Alma 34: 13 - 15)

Christ was infinite.  He declared that He had life in himself like His Father (John 5:26).  Likewise Christ was sinless.  He did not earn the wages of sin. "For the wages of sin is death;..." (Romans 6:23)  Rightfully He should have never died.  He should have lived forever by law.

What occured to the Lord in both Gethsemane and also by His death, on the cross, allows Him to extend mercy.

Amulek explains.

   "...this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, ...And thus mercy (Christ) can satisfy the demands of justice,"(Alma 34: 15 - 16)

"Christ's Atonement was an act of intercession by Him on our behalf.  We are barred from God the Father's presence.  Christ made it possible for us to overcome that barrier and return to Him.  He made mercy possible by satisfying the demands of justice." (The Second Comforter, Conversing With the Lord Through the Veil, Denver Snuffer, pg.272)

Lehi put it this way.

     "Wherefore, he is the first fruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved." (2 Nephi 2:9)

How does this intercession for those who believe on Him happen, now that He has power through His sacrifice to satisfy the demands of justice?

     "Listen to Him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him--- Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;  Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life." (D&C 45:3-5)

He can point to His perfect fulfillment of the will of the Father in offering His infinite sacrifice and extend mercy to those believing souls, as imperfect as they may be.  He can forgive them of their sins  because of their repentance, or turning to face Him, because He has power to do so.  He holds the keys of death and hell.

So we learn through Christ, the personification of the Fathers Word, that the word or will of the Father is for intercession to be extended to all of the Father's children.

In the next parts we will discuss how this relates to what Lehi is doing and how it relates to what we are able to do.