The Honda 2010 "Atonement" Model

I love it when the sister missionaries come over. :)

They graced us with their presence this past week to deliver a message and to seek some help with an investigator they've been dealing with. This particular woman who they were teaching was from an Evangelical background, and told them that our religion could NOT be true because we "required works," which, according to her, "cheapened what Jesus did for us on the cross."

Now. If you've ever been a missionary before, this was definitely not a new argument. We used to hear it all the time, especially in San Diego, right before I came home. Long the stronghold of consumate anti-Mormon Walter Martin, that particular area had a large and disturbingly frothy following of his, including one passionate but misguided soul who actually started chasing my companion and I down the street one day when we rode by on our bikes, waving his Bible at us like a weapon, and shouting. Much to my companion's dismay, I stopped. He had long since come to know this about me... even then, I couldn't resist a great "discussion." He circled back around, rolling his eyes, and pulled up for the show. :)

This individual's argument was precisely the same as the woman that the sister missionaries were teaching... not even a syllable had changed... and it goes something like this: "The gospel that we as a Church teach as the 'true, restored gospel of Jesus Christ' can't be, because it relies on a 'works theology' as opposed to 'what the Bible teaches...' and that our insistence that obedience is necessary cheapens the value of the Gift of the Atonement given to us by the Savior." Apparently, the only way we can truly appreciate the great gift of the Atonement, is to be totally disobedient. And as ludicrous as it may sound, this was precisely the ideology of many of the Great Reformers, namely Martin Luther.k But I digress.

As I was sharing some ideas with the sister missionaries about how to handle this, an analogy popped into my head which really speaks to this idea of our obedience "cheapening" the work of Christ in the Atonement. I shared it with the missionaries, and they became very excited about using it with this woman the next time they saw her. I share it with you now, in case you have a modicum of interest. The reality is that if I don't commit this to writing, I'll forget it in a few days given the sorry state of my memory lately. :(

So.

Imagine your self as a newly-minted 16 year old on your birthday... full of excitement... full of passion for life... sure in your knowledge that you're going to somehow change the world. As your birthday celebration reaches its' peak, your parents lovingly take you aside and ask you to close your eyes. You do so in eager anticipation of what they might have in store for you... what will it be?

When they finally give you permission to open your eyes, you find yourself standing in front of your dream car. A brand new Honda (yes, this is a "green" analogy) 2010 model hybrid... in your favorite color... with a huge red bow on top!!! They hand you the keys, hold you tight, and tell you how much they love you.

In the midst of your shrieking and squeeling with delight and gratitude, your father arches one eyebrow and says, "you know... this does come with some strings." Uh oh. What does he mean?

"We know you are a good student... we've watched you for a long time. We know you could never afford this on your own, so we are giving this to you as a free gift. No payments, no taxes, no insurance, we'll cover everything."

The daughter, now grinning ear to ear, says "So... what are the strings?"

The father smiles back and says, "The only strings are that you obey the rules of the road."

"That's ALL? Of course I will!" the daughter exclaims.

Many of those in the world reject the Doctrine of Salvation as taught in the Bible and the Book of Mormon because they do not understand the nature of covenants with the Lord. There are those, for instance, who would point to this analogy and claim that by putting ANY conditions on the gift of this brand new car, that it "cheapens" or "demeans" the value of the gift itself. This is not the nature of covenants. Covenants are never "free." They are never one-sided. Covenants with God are always two-sided. And they NEVER degrade, diminish, or cheapen the Lord's side of the covenant.

Now... imagine how that loving father and mother would have reacted if the child had thrown a fit, pouted, and shouted at them, "How COULD you! This brand new car is worth NOTHING if I have to obey TRAFFIC rules! I want to drive any way I WANT!"

Imagine the loving, patient, yet concerned father trying to explain to his now-hysterical daughter, "Sweetheart... I put that condition on you to keep you SAFE... to make sure that you will be HAPPY and to ensure that you return home safely to us at the end of the day!"

"I don't CARE. If you make me do that, this gift is worth NOTHING to me."

Can anyone imagine behaving this way in the face of receiving such a magnanimous and generous gift? Yet, in their lost and ignorant state, this is the attitude of Apostate Christianity when it comes to the greatest gift given to mankind.

In the case of the atonement, Paul's epistle to the Hebrews clearly and irrefutably lays out the covenant relationship that exists with the atonement, and the conditions upon which we become partakers of that great gift:

"And being made perfect, He [Christ] became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him." (Heb 5:9)

THAT is what the Bible teaches about the atonement and obedience.

If we are obedient, He is the author of our eternal Salvation. If we obey the rules of the road, He has given us the most magnificent brand new car we could ever hope for. If we disobey the rules of the road, we risk losing that precious gift in a painful "accident" that could "total" our precious new car, and inflict permanent and devastating injury to our eternal souls.

In His omniscience, Heavenly Father has given us "rules of the road" to keep us safe, to help us be truly happy, and to be able to return to Him at the end of the day. They are there because He loves us, and knows what kinds of treacherous conditions exist on the freeways of our lives.

Remember. Satan and his angels don't drive so well.