The Continuous Atonement

I am reading The Continuous Atonement by Brad Wilcox. I love Brad Wilcox and he is one of my favorite people in the world. He was Robby's mission president as well. I have bought many talks on tapes that he gave to the youth and our kids listened to them over and over again as well as I. There are a few people I stock and he is one of them. Well stock in a good way if there is one. When his book the Continuous Atonement came out I knew it would be a book I would read this year. For a couple of reason, 1. My New Years resolution has to do with understanding the Atonement better and the 2nd reason is it was done by Pres. Wilcox. A friend of mine handed me her fathers copy of the book and she told me that he knew I would like reading it. He got it as well because he was Robby's mission president. I am so glad he thought to send it my way!

Today after church I thought I really need to get this book read. I have enjoyed it and is has given me some new concepts to understand and to think about. I was in the chapter "After all we can do" where he has subheadings with this same scripture but accenting different words in this scripture. This section the word WE is accented. As I read this section it was as if electricity went through my soul. I grabbed my scriptures and quickly did a scripture chain and wrote down the thoughts he shared in his book. I am putting this on here not so much for others to read but to solidify in my mind what he said and to remind myself of the spiritual enlightenment that came to me today.

He says- when WE in the scripture is emphasized it's not we as in you and me but WE as in each of us with Jesus. 2 Nephi 25:23- It is by grace that we (you and I) are saved, after all WE (Christ and each of us) can do (together).

I love this thinking. It makes perfect sense! He then goes to D&C 123:17 which says... "Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still...to see the salvation of God." Again, the words US, OUR and WE are not referring to you and me but to Christ and us.

C. S. Lewis said- We are now trying to understand, and to separate into water-tight compartments, what exactly God does and what man does when God and man are working together." (Mere Christianity, 149)

Then he takes you to Ephesians 5:22-23 and talks about Christs relationship with the Church as a marriage. "However, Latter-day Saints know there is a difference between a marriage and a sealing. Christ doesn't just intend to marry us he wants to seal us His forever. One of Jesus' names, Emmanuel, means God with us (Matt 1:23-25).

I am a huge grace fan. I have seen grace happen in my life many many times. I have asked for grace and have seen it delivered at the very moment I needed it. Pres. Wilcox shares that we don't reach heaven by seeing Jesus's grace supplementing our works and vice-a-verse. We reach heaven by covenanting, building a relationship and by cooperation and union. We and Christ working together. He being the perfect one thereby making us perfect. When we stand hand in hand with the Savior we stand worthy. He truly does complete me.

"Christ's requirement are not so that we can make the best of the Atonement, but so that - on His generous terms- the Atonement came make the best of us. Such a continuous word requires continuous enabling power. It requires more grace than can neatly be diagrammed, graphed, charted on whiteboards, or found in a concise listing of contractual responsibilities. Such power is found by going beyond defining parts and instead of forging a relationship with God and Christ that is greater than the sum of the parts. When we do finally pass through the veil that separates us and the celestial kingdom, it will not be a individuals who have done our parts. It will be holding hands with Jesus. On that sacred day there will be no Him and me- only we."

"Christ doesn't just make up the difference. He makes ALL the difference."

The Continuous Atonement- By Brad Wilcox