Countless discussions and numerous debates have been held between Baptists and Latter-Day Saints on the role of Grace and Works in Salvation. Baptists proclaim “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8,9.) To which Latter-Day Saints respond with “faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26b). To complicate matters, Baptists define “Grace” as God's “unmerited favor”. Whereas LDS tend to define “Grace” as “God's enabling power”. So which is it? Is there any middle ground? I think so. Here's how.
Part of the problem lies in the fact that we tend to forge that salvation is a process.
Paul wrote,
We are saved Ephesians 2:8
We are being saved.
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1Cor 1:18
We will be saved.
Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Romans 5:9-10
When we talk about salvation, we to focus on one aspect of salvation rather than the whole process. Kind of like the parable of the blind men touching the elephant. They describe their experience accurately, but they are only focusing on one part of the “animal”. Southern Baptists emphasize what happens when a person trusts Christ as their Savior, and they are “saved.” Latter-Day Saints tend to focus on salvation as something that will happen after death when we receive our eternal reward.
We need to remember that Salvation is a process,
The process of salvation involves four components Regeneration, Justification, Sanctification and Glorification. Consider the following definitions, which I grew up, with from from the Southern Baptist statement of faith—The Baptist Faith and Message (2000).
A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.
Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.
B. Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.
C. Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life.
D. Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed. Exaltation would be the LDS equivalent of Glorification.
Though these are “Baptist” definitions. I don't think that Latter-Day Saints would find much disagreement with them (and if you do, feel free to comment).
For the purposes of this document, I'm not going to comment much on Regeneration. Suffice it to say that both LDS and Baptists believe that this is a necessary component of salvation. I hope to revisit “regeneration” in a future essay.
JUSTIFICATION
When Baptists talk about being “saved” they are talking about Justification. And they see no room for our works in the work of Justification. Justification is completely the work of the Holy Spirit. When a person repents of their sins and commits their life to Jesus Christ. The sins of that person are whisked through time and imputed to Christ on the cross. The righteousness of Christ is then imputed onto the person committing their life. That person is declared “not guilty” by God. At this moment the person is “saved” (in Baptist terms).
Here are a few examples from the New Testament.
For by grace (God's unmerited favor) are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart k that God raised Him from the dead, l you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9-10
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Romans 3:23-25
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Romans 4:3-5
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake* alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Romans 4:20-25
Baptists do not believe that any human works play a role in our justification. It is completely based on faith and grace (God's unmerited favor). But some might object. What about repentance? The act of faith? The act of commitment to Christ? Aren't those works? A Baptist would typically say “no they're not.” But lets say for the sake of argument, that they are a type of human work. Those “works” are being done in response to something that God is already doing in the persons life. They repent, because the Holy Spirit has convicted them. They commit in response to God's invitation. They exercise the faith that God gave to them. (Matt. 13:11; 1 Cor. 12:9). So, even if you believe that faith and repentance are acts of human effort, they are still only possible in response to what God has already done in a persons life. And outside of the possible works of repentance, faith, commitment (if they really are “works”) there is no room for human works in the doctrine of Justification.
But what about all of those verses of Scripture that seem to indicate that works do indeed play a role in our salvation? Let's move on to Sanctification and Glorification.
SANCTIFICATION is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life.
Baptists certainly believe that our works play a role in our Sanctification. And though they define “grace” as “God's Unmerited Favor” in Justification. They can certainly affirm the LDS emphasis of grace as “God's Enabling Power” in our Sanctification. Let's go back to Ephesians 2:8-9 and on to verse 10.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:8-10)
We are “saved” for the purpose of good works.
Philippians 2:12 tells us to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)
In the parable of the Talents and the Barren Fig Tree, Jesus certainly indicates that God expects us to bear fruit and use that talents that God has given us for him in his glory. And Jesus makes it very clear in the parable of the Vine and Branches (John 15:5) that we CANNOT do any good works WITHOUT Him.
1 Cor. 12:27 tel1s us we are the body of Christ.
Teresa of Avila siad ““Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”
As we do the works of Christ through God's enabling power, we become more like Christ. We become sanctified.
And one day we will be rewarded for those works in our Glorification.
GLORIFICATION
Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.
Certainly Baptists agree that we will be rewarded for our works. Paul makes this very clear in 1 Cor. 3:11-15
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Jesus describes the role our works play in Glorification in the Parable of Sheep and Goats (Matt25:31-46)
Not only are we rewarded for our works, but there also seems to be levels of punishment for evil works. Jesus said, “But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city. Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in* sackcloth and ashes. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.” (Luke 10:12-13)
So to summarize up to this point. Baptists believe that we are Justified only by God's Grace (Unmerited Favor). Human works (other than possibly faith and repentance if you want to call those works) play no role in our Justification. However works play an essential role in our Sanctification and Glorification and those works would not be possible without God's Grace (Enabling Power).
So, once we blind men get a glimpse at the whole elephant of salvation, we see that we have much more in common than we have disagreement when it comes to the roles of Grace and Works in our Salvation.
But, before we conclude, I need to mention two significant differences between Baptist (especially Southern Baptist) and LDS understandings of Salvation.
1. Baptists believe that everyone who is “justified” has access to God the Father in their Glorified state. An eternity in the Terrestrial Kingdom would be ultimately incompatible with Southern Baptist Soteriology (Soteriology=doctrine of salvation). Baptists believe that everyone who has committed their life to Christ, will one day have eternal access to God the Father (Romans 5:1; Hebrews 4:16; Revelation 7:9-17)
Here's an illustration. Say, the Godhead was putting on a concert. The only way to get into the arena is through Christ. Christ is your ticket. You have to put your faith in Christ. That gets you into the arena. Once inside you can upgrade your seats, based upon your righteous works. So, some will sit closer to the stage than others. But everyone gets a backstage pass and tickets to the meet and greet. Everyone has access to the Father, even though they might not be in immediate proximity to Him.
2. Southern Baptists also believe that once a person is Justified, it is impossible for them to lose their salvation.
My asheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which agave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29)
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: The Bible also talks about different crowns we may receive in heaven. (Philippians 1:6)
But what about the folks we all know who professed faith but fell away. Their example seems to disprove the notion of eternal security (the idea that you can't lose your salvation). John seems to provide the answer for that, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1 John 2:19)
There is much more to say about the doctrine of Eternal Security. But that will have to wait for another time (or perhaps the comment section!)
In conclusion, I think it's safe to say that Baptists and LDS have much more in common in our Soteriology than we may have though at first. But there are a few significant differences. Like I like to say, the divide between LDS and Baptist theology isn't really that wide. But it sure is deep in some places! Look forward to reading your comments.
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