Epilogue
We started out Chapter Three with a portion of that great intercessory prayer, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3.) In truly knowing God we can come to an understanding of who we are, where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going after mortality. It’s also humbling to realize that we have a loving Father in Heaven, that we are His literal offspring, and that we lived with Him before birth into mortality.
To know God is to love and serve Him, but how can we honestly love, fully serve, and completely comprehend the incomprehensible? Jesus is not some nebulous unfathomable being, but a physical resurrected individual. We pray to the Father, as instructed by the Master in the Lord’s prayer, but we do all things in the name of the Son. Jesus Christ is the creator presiding over this earth, the literal Son of God testifying of the Father.
The Bible is quite clear concerning the nature and personality of God the Father, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. God is always the same, for the Bible tells us so. He has not changed, we have only tried to change Him. Among we ignorant and perverse people, Jesus chose to live, teach, and suffer the sins of this world.
The life of Jesus Christ was a beautiful thing, though tragic as it seemed. Of all the beautiful sermons it taught, one is that He was not some all-powerful and unreachable entity who was too perfect for mortals to comprehend. He was a man with the infirmities of mortality. He exercised His own free will, or agency, in such an extraordinary manner that He became the only perfect one to grace this earth.
If Heavenly Father left His Only Begotten Son cruelly hanging on a cross to suffer and die without any relief whatsoever, so that He could make His last mortal decision alone, would He treat us any differently? To some of us it may feel that way. We may feel like we must go through trials alone. However, there may be no other way to prove what we are made of, and that is no different than what Jesus chose to do.
Nevertheless, though the Master had to suffer His last few moments alone, we are promised that He will always be with us and help us carry our sorrowful loads. Without His help, our burdens would be too unbearable to carry alone. He said to those burdened in life: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. ... Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (See John 14:17-18, 27.)
Because of His attributes, feeling what the lowest of all creatures feel, Jesus descended below them all. Having thus descended He conquered, rising above them all. As we experience pain of all types, He experienced all those pains and more. As we deeply express love, His love is more comprehensive. Our Lord shows us our weakness that we may know that it is by His grace, and His great condescensions, that we have power to rise from the dead and be united, once again, with our Father in Heaven. With all of our agonies of mortality we find that we are not alone. We cannot sink so low that Jesus Christ, through His exquisite mercies, cannot reach down and lift us up.
In his pre-mortal condition, as Roy Mills stood before the glorious throne of his Father in Heaven, the Father testified of the mission of His Son. Brother Mills said of this event: “He told me that Jesus died so that I could return to Heaven.... He can deliver us from anything, even death itself. That is part of the promise He makes to all of us before we are born, and He keeps it more times than we know.” (The Soul’s Remembrance, p. 141.)
In all our doing, God expects us to use our free will to make choices and act for ourselves. But the outcome of our clumsy efforts of trying to achieve on our own results in sin. Although we are to achieve something of ourselves, we come to an impasse because there is a limit to how far we can go because of those sins. We need help, or we can go no further.
In Hebrews we read: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” (Heb. 5:8.) Our Savior learned obedience to the Father, thereby, becoming the Son who inherited all things from the Father (John 16:15). By our committing to Christ, and being obedient to Him, He becomes our Father, and we His sons and daughters by adoption—becoming one with both the Father and the Son (John 17:3-11). Therefore, Jesus is, in reality, the Father and the Son. Father’s glory is increased by sharing what He has with His Son, and the Son’s glory is increased by sharing what the Father has given Him with us, His adopted children.
“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Gal. 4:3-6.)
There is no other name given whereby salvation comes, but by Jesus. Therefore, we take upon ourselves the name of Christ and are obedient to the end of our lives. John the beloved said, “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” (1 John 2:28.) Through loving grace, Jesus provides for all the faithful that which they cannot provide for themselves—the fulness of eternal life.
As the Master extends grace to us, we are required to extend that unearned gift to our neighbors, loving and treating them as we would ourselves. As we have already learned, it appears that the bottom line for obtaining the most glorious reward in heaven, according to those who have viewed it, is unconditional love for Heavenly Father, and unselfish service toward all of His children.
True disciples of Christ are united in their motives. Yet, as professed followers of that Christ, many of us bicker over every subject imaginable. In so doing, we are not following His admonition to be one as He and the Father are one. (John 17:11.) Arguments over doctrine only divides those who should be united in fellowship in their Sovereign Lord. This book, therefore, is not presented to twist one’s arm in believing one doctrine over another; only to present evidence, letting the reader search and ponder scripture through the Spirt. The important thing to remember is, as stated before, “It isn’t who is right, but rather, what is right.” How true that is when it comes to the things of God. As disciples of Christ we will not desire to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, even if one of those treasures is to prove a point.
There’s a lot of other references, than used in this book, that could be considered in showing that the Father is a tangible and separate being from the Son and that they both are separate from the Holy Ghost; that we all lived with a real Father in Heaven before coming to this earth; that after this mortal life we can return to Him in a glorified resurrected form and receive a heavenly reward upon a glorified earth commensurate with our life in mortality; and that He has a much greater plan for His faithful than they could even imagine—a plan many will not even consider. However, what has been presented should be sufficient for the reader with the spirit of understanding, for no amount of biblical proof will convince those who choose to follow the traditions of man—Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Tim. 3:7.)
The real answers to life’s greatest questions are available to those who will accept them, the rest are destined to remain in spiritual darkness until they are called home through the veil to the other side. Then the truth of all things will become evident to all people. This author is looking forward to that great day when all truth shall be revealed from on high, and all misunderstandings set straight.
To know God is to love and serve Him, but how can we honestly love, fully serve, and completely comprehend the incomprehensible? Jesus is not some nebulous unfathomable being, but a physical resurrected individual. We pray to the Father, as instructed by the Master in the Lord’s prayer, but we do all things in the name of the Son. Jesus Christ is the creator presiding over this earth, the literal Son of God testifying of the Father.
The Bible is quite clear concerning the nature and personality of God the Father, His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. God is always the same, for the Bible tells us so. He has not changed, we have only tried to change Him. Among we ignorant and perverse people, Jesus chose to live, teach, and suffer the sins of this world.
The life of Jesus Christ was a beautiful thing, though tragic as it seemed. Of all the beautiful sermons it taught, one is that He was not some all-powerful and unreachable entity who was too perfect for mortals to comprehend. He was a man with the infirmities of mortality. He exercised His own free will, or agency, in such an extraordinary manner that He became the only perfect one to grace this earth.
If Heavenly Father left His Only Begotten Son cruelly hanging on a cross to suffer and die without any relief whatsoever, so that He could make His last mortal decision alone, would He treat us any differently? To some of us it may feel that way. We may feel like we must go through trials alone. However, there may be no other way to prove what we are made of, and that is no different than what Jesus chose to do.
Nevertheless, though the Master had to suffer His last few moments alone, we are promised that He will always be with us and help us carry our sorrowful loads. Without His help, our burdens would be too unbearable to carry alone. He said to those burdened in life: “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. ... Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (See John 14:17-18, 27.)
Because of His attributes, feeling what the lowest of all creatures feel, Jesus descended below them all. Having thus descended He conquered, rising above them all. As we experience pain of all types, He experienced all those pains and more. As we deeply express love, His love is more comprehensive. Our Lord shows us our weakness that we may know that it is by His grace, and His great condescensions, that we have power to rise from the dead and be united, once again, with our Father in Heaven. With all of our agonies of mortality we find that we are not alone. We cannot sink so low that Jesus Christ, through His exquisite mercies, cannot reach down and lift us up.
In his pre-mortal condition, as Roy Mills stood before the glorious throne of his Father in Heaven, the Father testified of the mission of His Son. Brother Mills said of this event: “He told me that Jesus died so that I could return to Heaven.... He can deliver us from anything, even death itself. That is part of the promise He makes to all of us before we are born, and He keeps it more times than we know.” (The Soul’s Remembrance, p. 141.)
In all our doing, God expects us to use our free will to make choices and act for ourselves. But the outcome of our clumsy efforts of trying to achieve on our own results in sin. Although we are to achieve something of ourselves, we come to an impasse because there is a limit to how far we can go because of those sins. We need help, or we can go no further.
In Hebrews we read: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” (Heb. 5:8.) Our Savior learned obedience to the Father, thereby, becoming the Son who inherited all things from the Father (John 16:15). By our committing to Christ, and being obedient to Him, He becomes our Father, and we His sons and daughters by adoption—becoming one with both the Father and the Son (John 17:3-11). Therefore, Jesus is, in reality, the Father and the Son. Father’s glory is increased by sharing what He has with His Son, and the Son’s glory is increased by sharing what the Father has given Him with us, His adopted children.
“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” (Gal. 4:3-6.)
There is no other name given whereby salvation comes, but by Jesus. Therefore, we take upon ourselves the name of Christ and are obedient to the end of our lives. John the beloved said, “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” (1 John 2:28.) Through loving grace, Jesus provides for all the faithful that which they cannot provide for themselves—the fulness of eternal life.
As the Master extends grace to us, we are required to extend that unearned gift to our neighbors, loving and treating them as we would ourselves. As we have already learned, it appears that the bottom line for obtaining the most glorious reward in heaven, according to those who have viewed it, is unconditional love for Heavenly Father, and unselfish service toward all of His children.
True disciples of Christ are united in their motives. Yet, as professed followers of that Christ, many of us bicker over every subject imaginable. In so doing, we are not following His admonition to be one as He and the Father are one. (John 17:11.) Arguments over doctrine only divides those who should be united in fellowship in their Sovereign Lord. This book, therefore, is not presented to twist one’s arm in believing one doctrine over another; only to present evidence, letting the reader search and ponder scripture through the Spirt. The important thing to remember is, as stated before, “It isn’t who is right, but rather, what is right.” How true that is when it comes to the things of God. As disciples of Christ we will not desire to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, even if one of those treasures is to prove a point.
There’s a lot of other references, than used in this book, that could be considered in showing that the Father is a tangible and separate being from the Son and that they both are separate from the Holy Ghost; that we all lived with a real Father in Heaven before coming to this earth; that after this mortal life we can return to Him in a glorified resurrected form and receive a heavenly reward upon a glorified earth commensurate with our life in mortality; and that He has a much greater plan for His faithful than they could even imagine—a plan many will not even consider. However, what has been presented should be sufficient for the reader with the spirit of understanding, for no amount of biblical proof will convince those who choose to follow the traditions of man—Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Tim. 3:7.)
The real answers to life’s greatest questions are available to those who will accept them, the rest are destined to remain in spiritual darkness until they are called home through the veil to the other side. Then the truth of all things will become evident to all people. This author is looking forward to that great day when all truth shall be revealed from on high, and all misunderstandings set straight.
