2.312 This is The Gospel

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth, a bold reminder that our lives are meant to carry his flavor, his truth, and his love to the world. Join me each day to explore one verse of scripture and one thought, striving to stay full of savor and truly live as savory salt. Hello, my friends, it's great to have you with me.

Today let's be anxiously engaged in a good cause and bring to pass much righteousness. What is the goal of Jesus Christ? We're reading this week Doctrine and Covenants sections 125 through 128 as well as 3 Nephi chapters 24 through 28.

We're finished with our Doctrine and Covenants chapters and as we slide into these 3 Nephi chapters, I can't believe I didn't do it last year in our last season. And I can't believe I'm not going to do it in this season. But please acknowledge the readings in chapter 25.

I'll just say that. Just spend some time in chapter 25. It's short.

But we're actually going to spend today and tomorrow in two specific verses that I believe are very important to Christ's visit to the Nephites. Our first one for today comes inside of 3 Nephi chapter 27. And inside of 3 Nephi chapter 27 from the words of Jesus Christ himself, we get the gospel.

In fact, if we look at 27 verse 13, he says that "I have given you the gospel, and here it is." So here we are, the verses after 13: Jesus Christ himself telling us what the gospel is. So if you've been confused about the gospel, if you have stepped away from the gospel, if you don't remember the teachings when you were younger of the gospel, here's a piece of it. Here it is, Jesus Christ saying it himself.

Our verse for today is chapter 27 verse 14, although please be mindful that it goes for several verses here of Jesus Christ describing what the gospel is. Now verse 14 says this: "And my Father sent me, that I might be lifted upon the cross, and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me. That as I have been lifted up by men, even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil." Notice that this is not a period at the end of that statement, so it's going to continue on in verse 15.

I'll let you read into that. Initially, if you were to just read this verse like we have, it sounds like the purpose of Christ is to be lifted on the cross simply to become our judge. He is our judge, but he's so much more than that.

And the verses that come after 14 are going to show that. The reason I picked 14 is there's a phrase in there that speaks to me, and I believe whether quietly, overtly, discreetly, indiscreetly, whatever spectrum it is, I believe it speaks to every one of us at some point in our lives, if not multiple points in our lives. That phrase is, "that I might draw all men unto me." My friends, Jesus Christ invites all of us to come unto him.

If you haven't heard that invitation for quite some time, I'll share it with you now through this verse. The gospel of Jesus Christ is an invitation to come unto him and to allow the Atonement of Jesus Christ to have full force and effect in your life. We were visited here by our ministering brothers, and one of them shared a beautiful story about his son returning to the gospel of Jesus Christ after 30 years of leaving the Church.

And they just headed out here soon to go with him to the temple and many of the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price. The Bible says that Jesus Christ would draw all men and women and children and families and individuals and single people and married people. He would draw all unto him if we would but hear his voice and come unto the invitation.

If you have felt that invitation before, give it to others. If you don't know how to invite others to come unto Christ, send them this episode of Savory Salt. My friends, Jesus Christ invites us all to come unto him and to be partakers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and find joy in our lives through him.

That's all for today, my friends. Lift up your hearts and rejoice. Cleave unto the covenants you have made, and together we will be savory salt. For more information, visit us at www.savorysalt.org.