Remission of Sins

 (posted on social media by someone I don't know) I heard something today that resonated with me... and actually made me want to curl in a ball and almost cry as the Lord impressed upon me the truthfulness of the statement and the state of the church (Christianity as a whole).

It is this : We don't preach the remission of sins. We preach forgiveness of sins, but not remission.

We live our lives often by what we may have done in the past rather than for what Jesus Christ did for us.

We must remember that the purpose of Christ coming wasn't just so we could be forgiven, but so that we could live forgiven that we understand we are set free because of Him, we are pardoned, our sins ought not bind us anymore - our past ought not control our present or future- we are made free through and in Jesus Christ and by faith in His name.

My pleading is this- don't just believe you are forgiven, begin to believe He came so our sins might be remitted. No longer can they bind us- He who the Son sets free is free indeed (John 8). Do we believe we are free or do we constantly wear the yoke of sin upon ourselves? Have we given more power to the flesh or the power of God through the Spirit dwelling in us. It is time to ask ourselves who do we worship? Worship meaning to what do we give devotion? Do we do it more to the flesh? Believing our flesh is more powerful than the Spirit (who is God) given us through the grace and mercy of God the Father by God the Son through faith? Let us no longer walk in darkness giving so much power to the flesh but start believing as Peter taught that God HAS given us EVERYTHING we need to live a godly life (2 Peter 1). No longer believe your MUST sin, but rather that through Christ you can live in holiness and purity- there are no levels of purity- the Lord says that if we have the hope that when we see Him we will be like Him, that makes us pure, EVEN AS HE is pure.

Joseph Smith said: “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half—that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost” (History of the Church, 5:499).
That other half baptism is the holy Ghost and a baptism of fire
2 Nephi 31
13 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel.

Mosiah 4:

3 And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.

11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.

20 And behold, even at this time, ye have been calling on his name, and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spirit upon you, and has caused that your hearts should be filled with joy, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

26 And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants

Mosiah 15:

11 Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.

ALMA 4:

14 Looking forward to that day, thus retaining a remission of their sins; being filled with great joy because of the resurrection of the dead, according to the will and power and deliverance of Jesus Christ from the bands of death

Alma 12:34 Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.

13:16 Now these ordinances were given after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God, it being a type of his order, or it being his order, and this that they might look forward to him for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord.

3 Nephi 12:2 And again, more blessed are they who shall believe in your words because that ye shall testify that ye have seen me, and that ye know that I am. Yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words, and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized, for they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and shall receive a remission of their sins

Moroni 8:11 And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins. 

25 And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;

26 And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God.

Moro 10:33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

D&C 1931 And of tenets thou shalt not talk, but thou shalt declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism, and by fire, yea, even the Holy Ghost.

D&C 20:5 After it was truly manifested unto this first elder (JS) that he had received a remission of his sins, he was entangled again in the vanities of the world; 6 But after repenting,

37 And again, by way of commandment to the church concerning the manner of baptism—All those who humble themselves before God, and desire to be baptized, and come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, and witness before the church that they have truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins, shall be received by baptism into his church

Joseph Smith
The first is the principle of repentance, and the second is the principle of the remission of sins; and we learn from Peter that remission of sins is to be obtained by baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; and the gift of the Holy Ghost follows inevitably, for, says Peter, “you shall receive the Holy Ghost.”11

“The Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of [their] exceeding faith … in Jesus Christ who should come” Mosiah 4:3

Mosiah 4: 11 And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel.

• 12 And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true.
• 13 And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due.
• 14 And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness.
• 15 But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.
• 16 And also, ye yourselves will succor those that stand in need of your succor; ye will administer of your substance unto him that standeth in need; and ye will not suffer that the beggar putteth up his petition to you in vain, and turn him out to perish.

 “For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.” 2 Nephi 31:7

TEACHINGS OF THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH pg 339 DAVIDIC SERVANT

Although David was a king, he never did obtain the spirit and power of Elijah and the fullness of the Priesthood;10 and the Priesthood that he received, and the throne11 and kingdom of David is to be taken from him12 and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage.  Footnote says Acts 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

The Pleasing Word of God

By Elder Francisco J. Viñas

Of the Seventy

(He teaches the remission of sins is a gradual process, not an event. I don't think the scriptures support this. Yes, we have to "retain" it once received and that can come and go, but the actual first time "remission" seems to be something very experiential and eventful.)

JOSEPH SMITH

We must have a change of heart7 to see the kingdom of God, and subscribe the articles of adoption to enter therein.

No man can receive the Holy Ghost without receiving revelations.8 The Holy Ghost is a revelator.9

The first principles of the Gospel,1 as I believe, are, faith, repentance, baptism for the remission of sins,2 with the promise of the Holy Ghost.3

Bednar (Apr 2006) The statement “receive the Holy Ghost” in our confirmation was a directive to strive for the baptism of the Spirit.