This article discusses in depth the reason why salvation of the human race was necessary. In so doing it exposes the extent of the error of Mormonism in the areas of mankind, the fall, holiness, sin and the atonement. We will examine the biblical record carefully in our quest to learn the truth about the "forbidden fruit," the consequences of sin, God's judgment, the necessity for a substitutionary sacrifice (and a Redeemer), and the cost of forgiveness.

The Mormon story bears little resemblance to the biblical record.



THE INVISIBLE WAR

Satan was the most magnificent, powerful and intelligent of all the created angelic beings, and played a prominent role in God's kingdom. But then he became puffed up with pride, to the extent that he determined to raise himself above the throne of God. Other angels joined him in his rebellion (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:13-15, Revelation 12:9).

Because of the evil they began and the destruction and ruin their actions continued to generate, God resolved to have a day of judgment. On that day He has determined to put an end to all rebellion and sin. With this purpose in mind He has prepared a place for the confinement of all influence of evil. The Bible calls it hell.

There are now two opposing kingdoms in the heavenlies, God's Kingdom of Light and Satan's Kingdom of Darkness. And they are engaged in an unrelenting war. We're unaware of our own involvement in this conflict because it's in the spiritual realm. Nevertheless, it's a battle being waged for our souls, and the outcome will determine our individual eternal destinies. All who become part of God's Kingdom of Light will enjoy eternal life. But those in the Kingdom of Darkness will be separated from God, as well as from His influence, eternally. The Bible calls this "eternal destruction" (2 Thessalonians 1:9).



THE FALL OF MANKIND

Mankind was the pinnacle of God's creation, made in His own likeness. The first couple, Adam and Eve, lived in an idyllic and carefree environment with only one restriction: God warned them not to partake of the fruit of the tree of good and evil, as this would result in their deaths.

But this is exactly what Satan wanted. His goal was to bring about the downfall of God's whole magnificent world system, and the ruination of mankind was high on his agenda. Setting his evil plan into action, he subtly enticed Eve to rebel against her Creator (Genesis 3). Because he is a master at deception, his temptations appeared to be reasonable. Firstly he insinuated that God hadn't really meant what He'd said when He'd warned them about the consequences of eating the forbidden fruit. Next he maligned God by implying that He didn't have their best interests at heart. Then he put the idea into Eve's head that God wanted to prevent her and Adam from becoming like Him. Lastly he wound up his web of temptation, deception and lies by declaring outright that God had lied when He'd said that they would die if they ate the forbidden fruit.

Eve fell into Satan's trap and disobeyed God's command. Then Adam joined her. But instead of feeling wise and godlike as Satan had promised they would, they felt guilty, ashamed and fearful. So they hid away from God. Not only had their sin ruined their previously trusting relationship with Him; it had effectively created a barrier between them. Satan had won a resounding victory. His victims stepped out of God's Kingdom of Light and into his Kingdom of Darkness.

Through the crafty use of enticement and subtle flattery, Satan had managed to bring Adam and Eve around to his way of thinking. He had convinced them that their desires and opinions were more important than God's were. This had started a chain reaction that was a recipe for disaster, heartache and misery. Their lives did an about turn from being God centered, which would have resulted in righteousness. And instead they became self centred. Soon they were preoccupied in serving their own interests. Self will, self justification, pride and prejudice became the order of the day.

Through the fall of Adam and Eve Satan succeeded in alienating the whole of mankind from the One who'd created us for fellowship with Himself. Not only that, he's also alienated us from one another. We're a fallen race, living in a ruined world, existing on a much lower level than God had intended. In place of physical and mental well being, love, peace, and togetherness with God and with each other; the fall of the human race has, amongst other things, brought about distrust, enmity, suffering, fear, anguish, disease and death. And we're caught in a downward spiral that has to end in God's judgment.



WE ARE ALL GUILTY OF SIN

God is pure and holy. There never ever has been a shadow of pride or a taint of sin in Him at all. And He made mankind in His moral likeness so that we could follow His ways. But, because of the fall of our first ancestor, Adam, we have all inherited self-centered, sin biased natures. (Pride, or self-bias is the basis of all sin.) Consequently, we've followed our own inclinations and have treated God with indifference. Instead of reflecting His glory we've brought pain and sadness to His heart.

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, KJV).
The soul that sinneth it shall die. (Ezekiel 18:20, KJV)

The Bible teaches that spiritual separation from God is the first stage of death. This is what God was referring to, when He warned Adam and Eve that in the day that they sinned they would die. The very moment they sinned they became spiritually separated from the One who is the source of all life. As a result their bodies immediately began the process of decay. Physical death was already setting in, and it would only be a matter of time before it completed its task. God had never intended that mankind should die. but because of sin, death has now become our enemy.

There are three phases of death. First of all there is spiritual death described above, followed by the next phase, which is physical death (Hebrews 9:27). Then there is eternal death, which is eternal separation from God and His influence. This final death is the full penalty of sin (Revelation 20:13-15). That is why biblical salvation from sin always includes the free gift of eternal life.

To make sure that the Israelites fully understood the gravity of sin and its consequences, God instituted the sacrificial system. When a man sinned he had to take an unblemished animal to the priest to be sacrificed in his place to pay the price of his sin. Before slaying the flawless animal, the guilty man had to lay his hand upon its head to identify himself with it, and to indicate that it was going to be his substitute and would die in his place, shedding its own blood to cover his sin (c/f Leviticus 1:4-5, 4:27-30).

Mormons need to take note that God didn't tell the Israelites that they needed to earn the right to forgiveness of their sins. He knew full well that fallen mankind is incapable of such a feat. So instead He provided the sacrificial system.

The sacrificial system was God's way of giving us a picture of the promised unblemished (blameless), pure and righteous Saviour, who would die as our substitute, shedding His own blood to pay the consequences of our sins, so that we could have forgiveness and eternal life. And contrary to LDS teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ also needed to take on a human body in order to progress eternally; the sole reason why He came down from heaven and lived amongst us in a fallen world of injustice, hardship, suffering and shame, was so that He could selflessly sacrifice Himself for the likes of us.

..... Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2: 6-8, KJV)

The next day John [the baptist] seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29, KJV)

Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood ..... to Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5,6, KJV)

Although He was faced with the same temptations, stresses and difficulties as we are, the Lord Jesus didn't allow Himself the luxury of giving in to the weakness of His flesh. His life was one of self denial and obedience. He wouldn't have qualified to bear the consequences of our sin if He'd been guilty of any sin himself, as He would then have had His own consequences to bear. This would have put Him in the same predicament as ourselves. But He went to the cross without a single blemish of sin, as our perfect, flawless substitute.

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him (Hebrews 5:8-9, KJV)

When He asked the religious leaders, "Can any of you prove Me guilty of sin?" they remained silent (John 8:46). Pilate tried Him in a Roman court of law and declared "I find no guilt in this man" (Luke 23:4). His disciple Peter, who'd been His constant companion for three years, testified, "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth." (1 Peter 2:22).



WE NEEDED A REDEEMER

In Old Covenant times, when a man was unable to pay his debt and was faced with the penalty of the Law, a kinsman was allowed to redeem him, provided that he paid the debt in full. In order to qualify to redeem us, the Lord Jesus had to take on a human body, so that he could become a kinsman of the human race. Then he paid the Law's full penalty for sin on our behalf, on the cross at Calvary.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree (Galations 3:13, KJV)

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:18-19, KJV).

As the New Covenant of grace and forgiveness couldn't come into effect until after His death, the Lord Jesus had to live under the Old Covenant. So first of all He fulfilled the Old Covenant for Himself by living a sinless life. Then He fulfilled it for us, by dying sacrificially to pay the full penalty of the Law for those who identified themselves with Him.

In Biblical times, a creditor would nail the list of what was owing to him on to the debtor's door. This list would stay there until the debt was settled. We are like that debtor, filled with shame at our record of sins. But when we kneel at the feet of the Lord Jesus in repentance and ask Him for forgiveness and salvation, He looks at the list of decrees against us, and writes across it in His blood, "paid in full."

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross (Colossians 2:14, KJV)

Christ had declared Himself to be the Son of God, the saviour of mankind and the light of the world. To those who'd watched Him die like a common criminal on a bloody Roman cross, it must have seemed as though His mission had ended in failure. Yet His resurrection revealed the opposite to be the truth. Because of His sinlessness, death couldn't hold Him in its grip. His bodily resurrection was the glorious proof of His triumph over Satan, sin and death, on our behalf. It also fulfilled His prophecy that He would arise from the grave after three days (Matthew 12:38-40).

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:24, KJV)

.... declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4, KJV)

..... Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:3-6, KJV)

THE COST OF FORGIVENESS

If we want to restore a broken relationship, we have to be willing to bear the consequences of the other person's wrong against us. This is exactly what God did.

God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them (2 Corinthians 5:19, KJV).

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV).

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18, KJV)

This article is merely background material that provides a more graphic understanding of what lies behind salvation. Other articles on this site discuss salvation and the fall more pertinently. You will find these listed under the section "Salvation" on the home page.

The next article on salvation will be found at the following lead:

Biblical Salvation and the Way of Christ

Should you have any questions please feel free to use the email facility at the bottom of the home page.


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