11/2/2025

Prologue: The Gospel That Lost Its Power

Across the modern Christian world, the message of salvation has been reduced to a slogan—a comfortable creed that demands very little and thereby fails to deliver the intended results. The popular cry of “saved by grace, not by works” has become the anthem of a faith that no longer expects holiness. Yet this easy gospel bears little resemblance to the teachings of Jesus Christ, who declared that only those who do the will of the Father shall enter His kingdom.

Over time, the doctrine of grace has been detached from its moral foundation, turning divine mercy into a license for sin. The result is a Christianity that praises the name of Christ while denying His teachings and commandments.

In this three-part essay, Part I expounds and restores the original doctrine: that grace is not a loophole in divine law but the living power by which obedience, repentance, and transformation become possible. Grace is not God’s permission to remain fallen—it is His invitation to rise and to become holy. Part II continues this argument, demonstrating from the Bible that grace and obedience are not opposing principles, but two inseparable halves of the same eternal law. Part III will expand the subject by demonstrating how these misunderstandings and fallacies are also found in Catholicism and modern Mormonism.

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Introduction: The Paradox of Easy Religion

One of the most revealing signs that modern Christianity has lost its way is its obsession with grace without obedience, or, saved by grace, not works. Whenever Born-Again Christians discuss Christianity, you will hear the same refrain repeated endlessly: “We are saved by grace, not by works.” This statement sounds humble and comforting, but most of all, incredibly convenient. After all, it promises divine favor without moral labor, salvation without repentance, and heaven without holiness. But is that really what Jesus taught or what His gospel requires?

This slogan, so appealing to the flesh, is a distortion of the gospel of Christ. It appeals to people because it requires very little of them. It promises salvation to the unrepentant and peace to the disobedient. They claim that salvation is free and that grace is a gift of love, like a child in a grocery store being told he/she can have and eat everything for free! But is that really love? Is that really going to make anyone a better person?

And so what we so often get is a sort of half-and-half gospel, wherein believers do lots of good things and are engaged in a few good causes, but then ignore the more demanding aspects of the gospel, still clinging to their favorite sins. What this produces is not holiness, but the delusion of holiness; not salvation, but the delusion that salvation will still be rewarded, albeit one still persists in living a life of casual sin.

Jesus taught the law of the harvest. He warned us that we reap only what we sow. He emphatically declared, again and again, that we must believe, have faith, repent, and keep the commandments; otherwise, hell and damnation await. And it’s not like this is a new or alien concept. This is a consistent life principle.

What we see in religion are countless professional clergymen, including Religion PhDs, seminary graduates, ministers, priests, teachers, and evangelists, hyperventilating at the mouth, trying to convince everyone that the scriptures don’t actually mean what they say. They concoct endless philosophical constructs and arguments to convince everyone that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not really about faith and repentance, but about free grace, love, and blissful harmony, all made possible by the genie-Jesus who bestows these wonderful blessings on all those who confess His name and are saved through some born-again experience.

They go on and on about how everything good comes from Christ and how we can do nothing good in and of ourselves, which is true enough. But they leave out the part about free will, moral agency, and the gift God has given us to be agents unto ourselves, to evaluate and choose for ourselves which paths we will take. They also promote the doctrine of predestination, the idea that since God already knows everything that will happen that He has already decided who chooses goodness and who gets to be saved. This is a very defeatist doctrine, which again denies God’s gift of free agency to His children.

It is a classic tactic of sophisticated and learned men to argue that God’s infinite and seemingly paradoxical nature must mean certain things, even though they admit that His ways are still shrouded in mystery and are mainly unknowable. So why not just admit that there are many things about God and His teachings that seem paradoxical, that you just are not yet able to comprehend and explain, and that maybe we should just accept God’s commandments and conditions that seem impossible, with faith that in time and with greater faith all will be made possible and will be fully explained?

The reason people are so emphatic about this saved-by-grace doctrine is that they are fundamentally prideful and dishonest people. They don’t want to admit or confess their deepest sins, they don’t want to make the effort to truly forsake and repent of them, and they do not love truth more than the lies they cling to. This is not being harsh; it is just being real about human nature. Everyone struggles with this. Why not just admit it?

And it’s not just the born-again Christian crowd, it’s almost everybody. Every religious denomination that I know of does this in different ways. The only difference is in what acts and ordinances must be performed to receive salvation by grace. But ultimately, it is the same, tiring, false doctrine of saved-by-grace without complete or sincere repentance.

But people will continue to hide behind the excuse that mankind is fundamentally evil and corrupt, and there is nothing we or God can do about it. This denies the power of Christ to sanctify the sinner through faith in His name in such a way and to such a degree that sinners can become saints, having joyfully ceased from sin. It denies the power we have to repent, improve, and perfect our faith in Christ, and to sanctify ourselves by submitting to Christ in every way.

But most Christians hate this doctrine because it means we will have to change. We will have to sacrifice. We will have to submit—utterly and completely. In short, we will have to give up our beloved sins, which we treasure and cherish so, so much.

And so, they resort to the easy doctrine of “saved by grace.” Confess Jesus and be saved. Not by works! But by grace. Not by being transformed by obedience to the word of God, but by simply confessing His reality and holiness. Their “truth” is that he saves us in our sins. God’s truth is that He saves us from them!

Then there are all the half-and-half Christians who teach saved by grace and a few good works. They sprinkle in some ordinances and rituals, and maybe some church standards of conduct and a few more religious practices, but they still deny the doctrine of repentance as an absolute requirement.

For most, it seems utterly incomprehensible that through faith in Christ we can actually cease desiring sin, and by purifying our desires, we can cease from sin completely. In fact, almost everyone I know would tell me this is crazy and impossible. But I refuse to believe it is impossible for the simple reason that the scriptures repeatedly, emphatically say it is possible; and not only possible but absolutely required.

The true doctrine of Christ is that we must choose to believe, choose to have faith in Christ, and choose repentance. The true doctrine of Christ is that we must take upon ourselves the name of Christ by doing as He would do and by becoming as He is. This is the baptism He requires. Contemporary Christians would call this the worst kind of blasphemy, but Christ serenely but emphatically declares this as the only true doctrine there is.[1] 

However, most Christians, almost to the man, assert some lesser doctrine, a watered-down doctrine, a humanized doctrine, something anyone can do if they will just try a little. The truth, however, is far more demanding—and far more glorious. Scripture, both ancient and modern, declares that salvation is indeed by grace, but only after we have sincerely repented, obeyed, and endured in faithfulness. Grace is not the elimination or cancellation of divine law; it is the power by which we can finally fulfill it.

Recognizing the Nuance Within Protestant Christianity

It must also be said, in fairness, that not all Protestants or born-again believers teach a doctrine of effortless salvation. The world of Protestantism is vast and varied. Within its ranks are many sincere disciples of Christ who understand that grace is not a license to sin, but a summons to holiness. They acknowledge that genuine faith must yield obedience, repentance, and moral transformation.

Countless Protestant ministers throughout history have warned against complacency and called for holiness of life. The Wesleyan revivals of the eighteenth century, the holiness movements of the nineteenth, and even modern evangelical teachers of character and virtue—all testify that many within the Protestant tradition recognize the cost of discipleship. Their intentions are noble, and their devotion to Christ is sincere.

What I oppose, therefore, is not all Protestant Christianity, but the watered-down modern distortion that has come to dominate so much of it. It is the easy-believism that says, “Simply confess Christ and be saved,” while dismissing the commandments of Christ as somehow optional, outdated, or impossible. Such is not the gospel of Jesus Christ, but a comfortable counterfeit—a theology of convenience that soothes the conscience without changing the soul.

The scriptures do not condemn all Protestant formulations of grace, but they do condemn the doctrine—wherever it is found—that salvation requires nothing more than belief, or just partial faith or repentance. True grace teaches complete and sincere repentance, obedience, and transformation. Wherever these are taught and lived, there the Spirit of Christ abides. Wherever they are denied, ignored, or watered down, no amount of emotional belief can substitute for the covenant of obedience that God requires.

The Origins of Cheap Grace

The doctrine of “saved by grace alone” did not begin as heresy. In its original form, it arose from the Protestant reformers’ effort to free believers from the corruption and legalism of medieval Catholicism. Reformers like Martin Luther emphasized that salvation is not earned by human merit, through rituals or institutional observances, but received as a gift from God. In that, they were right in that we will never be able to repay or compensate Jesus for the sacrifice He made or the blessings He offers; it is, therefore, a gift—but a conditional one!

But over time, the pendulum swung too far. The reaction against legalism produced its opposite: the belief that moral law no longer binds Christians because grace covers all sins. Grace is a Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free Card for those who confess Jesus and are somehow “born again,” but still continue in a life of sin.

This teaching has since metastasized and spread throughout all of Western Christianity. Today, millions embrace a gospel that demands little more than confession of belief, a salvation detached from repentance, obedience, or transformation.

This is not the gospel of Christ. It is the gospel of convenience—the gospel of the natural man who wants heaven without shouldering the cross that we likewise must bear. It is the gospel of easy answers, easy solutions, and shortcuts whereby we never really have to confront or overcome sin.

What the Scriptures Actually Say About Grace

Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon utterly demolish the idea that grace replaces obedience. Instead, they reveal a divine partnership—where grace, faith, and works are not enemies, but allies.

Paul’s oft-quoted line—“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” [2]—is frequently severed from its context. Just two verses later, Paul clarifies: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”[3] Grace does not nullify works; it teaches and enables them.

When Paul states that we are saved through faith, and then reiterates the qualifiers: “and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God,” he is not canceling out faith as a required action on our part; he is making it clear that it is not just us doing everything. God gave us our creation, He gave us His teachings; Jesus worked out the atonement, suffered crucifixion, and then was resurrected on the third day—these were all gifts from God! God made all this possible as free gifts that He personally paid for! But we still, absolutely, must exercise faith and do our part by faith, obedience, repentance, and unceasing endurance; otherwise, salvation cannot be ours.

Grace grants us hope whereby we can “work out our salvation” by doing the works of righteousness.[4] Otherwise, what’s the point? If we chose to do the works of righteousness, but were still damned to hell, then the incentives to do good would be nominal. And inversely, if we can be saved just by grace, with no good works necessary, then why go to all the trouble of keeping the commandments and doing good works?

Grace is what God offers that we cannot do for ourselves. He offers teachings, laws, covenants, and sacrifices that make the whole mechanism of the gospel functional. Grace transforms the sinner into a new creature capable of righteousness because by grace he is taught the ways of righteousness and by grace he is incentivized to do the works of righteousness, thereby being transformed into a new creature in Christ. This entire mechanism and opportunity are a gift, but receiving this gift still requires mighty faith on our part to receive it.

Grace is similar to a Ninja Master offering to teach and train a young boy to learn and be able to do everything he Ninja Master can do. The Ninja Master paid the price to learn and develop the skills and abilities. This price is one that the young boy could not possibly learn and develop on his own. But now he has the opportunity to learn and develop under the instruction and training of the Nija Master. Within the gospel of Jesus Christ, Jesus is the Ninja Master and we are the ones he is offering to teach and train to become like him. This is a free gift; he is not getting paid. But it is also a condition gift—we MUST do our part to learn, train, work, and sacrifice in order to become like him.

Without Christ’s atonement and teachings, no amount of righteousness on our part would be sufficient to save us. But with His atonement and teachings, that completely changes. With His atonement and teachings, we absolutely can be saved, but only by faith, repentance, sacrifice, and keeping all of His commandments. That is the difference. That is the free, but conditional, gift that He offers.

Grace puts righteousness and salvation within reach, not as a free gift given only by confessing Jesus, but by actually following Him by faith, and by doing the works of righteousness. Indeed, we find that salvation is defined and qualified by righteousness. Only the righteous can be saved in the Kingdom of God, because only the righteous can enter, or would even want to enter, the Kingdom of God. For the unrighteous, for the wicked, an existence within that holy kingdom would be hell; it would be excruciatingly painful. Why? Because in that kingdom all truth is revealed in fullness and clarity all of the time, including the truth relevant to all sin and corruption. This is a condition that sinful and evil people cannot tolerate. It is a hateful and disparaging experience for them. Even in this mortal sphere, we can readily see this: wicked people hate being around righteous people because they hate what they say and what they represent.

Righteousness is the way of salvation. This is what salvation is! Salvation is becoming righteous. Righteous people are saved in the Kingdom of God. Wicked people are not. Jesus wants us to become righteous like He is. That is the entire point!

Righteousness produces maximum peace and joy. Wickedness results in unending pain and suffering. What Jesus offers is the way to turn from all unnecessary pain and suffering to all available peace and joy—but this is only obtainable through righteousness.

James understood this when he wrote: “Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”[5] The result of faith is righteousness. The result of righteousness is joy. But without faith unto righteousness, your joy is dead, your goodness is dead; it doesn’t exist! Faith without righteousness is misery, because you know what you were supposed to do and be, but failed to live accordingly. Such horrible guilt!

James mocked the notion that belief alone can save. Professing belief in something doesn’t DO anything. This is why he said: “Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.” James is saying there is no faith without works. He is saying that works are the evidence of faith. If you claim to have faith, but do not do the corresponding works of righteousness, then you are entirely deceiving yourself. If you have not works, you have no faith, and all is vain.

“Faith without works is dead.”[6] Likewise, grace without works is wasted. For if you do not love and appreciate the grace that Christ offers enough to do the righteous works He requires, then that grace brought not about the righteous works for which it was intended, and it was wasted on you. But if you love and appreciate God and the grace that He offers, then you will do the works, by obedience, that He requires of you.

Jesus made obedience and sacrifice the very definition of love when He said: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”[7] Your love is demonstrated by the goodness and sacrifice you are willing to impart in the name of that love.

Jesus is very interested in performance. He requires obedience.  He demands results. He has made it clear that whoso “doeth well,” shall be accepted.[8] And He taught that “whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man.”[9] Wise men will do as Jesus asks and will be rewarded accordingly. Foolish men do not and fail. It’s a simple concept.

Christ’s gospel is not theoretical; it is practical. It demands obedience, sacrifice, and transformation, not just theoretical or academic appreciation.

Jesus does not want us to just be watching from the sidelines. He wants us to get in the game, work hard, and be awesome. The gospel is not a spectator sport. It is a full-body contact sport. It is a contest of life and death. It is a fight to the death in which everyone dies, but only a few learn how to truly live in the process.

Jesus gives us the grace and the opportunity to learn, grow, and improve. This is His grace. It is a beautiful and infinitely valuable thing. But learning to take advantage of this gift and this opportunity requires the willingness to give and sacrifice everything.

The Book of Mormon, as a second witness of Christ, reinforces this truth. Nephi declared, “For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.” [10] We must do our part; otherwise, there is no promise.

“I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” [11]

As we do as God requires, we are sanctified and transformed into His likeness and image. This means we integrate His character and attributes into ourselves. His likeness is the work of righteousness that He would do in our place. His image is His character, knowledge, and understanding. Learning and developing in all these ways is a very long and challenging process that began long before this earth-life and will potentially continue long after this earth-life; but what we choose here and now, by faith, is absolutely crucial.

Now is the time and the opportunity to believe, learn, develop our faith in Christ, and become new creatures in Christ —born again as sons and daughters of God. Alma asked his people, “Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances?”[12] Such transformation cannot come from mere belief, or a confession of belief; it comes from the refining fire of repentance and the steady discipline of obedience. This is how we are sanctified and transformed into the likeness and image of Christ.

The True Function of Grace

Grace is not a moral escape hatch; it is the divine way made possible for us to repent, be forgiven, and by increasing righteousness improve, progress, and become more like Jesus. Grace does not cheat or bypass justice; it fulfills justice in such a way that we can take upon us the divine nature through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Grace is not a mystic energy that magic-wands us to heaven. It is not a mystic enabling power that suddenly makes us holy, or a magical force that somehow gives us the willpower to resist temptation and sin, enabling us to rise above our fallen nature. Instead, it is God’s grace that informs us of that truth that frees our minds from sin and motivates us to be holy by doing good. We receive that grace by pursuing and receiving truth—which is to receive the truth that Jesus exemplifies, teaches, and exalts us by—but can only be received inasmuch as we honestly and courageously seek it, receive it, and live it.

Grace is the enabling power of Christ—His light, knowledge, and love—that makes us better, but it does not do so magically, on its own, or against our will. We have to very consciously seek it, desire it, and live it. It is a very rational and deliberate process. As we increasingly receive the grace of Christ, or in other words, the truth of Christ, we are increasingly motivated and empowered to fully repent and be sanctified accordingly.

Paul’s words to Titus express this beautifully: “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared [and been revealed] to all men, teaching us that, [by] denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.”[13] Grace does not teach complacency—it teaches us the ways and doctrines of righteousness and holiness. The way of holiness is to seek truth and to choose the best way.

To say we are “saved by grace” without repentance is like saying we are healed by medicine without taking it. Grace must be received through conscientious and deliberate obedience. Jesus’ atonement opens the door to eternal life, but we must still walk through that door by our choices, our works, and our enduring faithfulness.

The justice of God requires righteousness of those who would be saved. Indeed, we find that it would be contrary to the justice of God for unrepentant sinners to be saved, for “the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”[14] Therefore, righteousness is not an optional adornment to salvation—it is its very definition and qualification. As John declared, “He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.”[15]

As Nephi wrote, “Ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ… feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end. And thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”[16] Grace is what motivates and enables us to press forward, by being informed and motivated by correct knowledge. We are to press forward by forever doing the works of righteousness according to the knowledge and understanding the Lord gives us.

If this sounds unappealing, it is only because your heart is impure, because you love and desire sin, rather than the work and rewards of righteousness.

The justice of God requires righteousness of those who would be saved. Indeed, we find that it would be contrary to the justice of God for unrepentant sinners to be saved, for “the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”[17] Therefore, righteousness is not an optional adornment to salvation—it is its very definition and qualification. As John declared, “He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.”[18]

Righteousness is Synonymous with Salvation

Christ’s sacrifice in Gethsemane and on Golgotha enabled the legal fulfillment of the law, whereupon grace became functional. The practical and transformational aspect of Christ’s grace was in his teachings and example. He taught and exemplified faith, obedience, and righteousness. These were things that only He could perfectly do.

Again, the most essential aspect of God’s grace was in the example and teachings of Jesus, demonstrating what we must do. This was something only He could do.

Christ’s grace continues by virtue of His holiness and His righteous teachings—His revelations of truth! He continues to reveal his holiness and truth to mankind.

Christ’s grace is not a magic wand cure for sin, or an opening of a portal to heaven for all those who merely confess Jesus in some way, or participate in the right ordinances. Jesus is not a genie. He was and is the teacher, exemplar, and sacrificial lamb that makes the entire mechanism of the gospel accessible, comprehensible, doable, and attainable—but only for those who are willing to likewise pay the requisite price.

Those who teach “saved by grace, not works” have entirely missed the point of his ministry. It was to teach and demonstrate what we must do and what we must become. He did His part; now we MUST do ours; otherwise, it is meaningless.

We must man up, take responsibility, and do our part. Otherwise, if we do not, we have no promise.

“I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”[19]

Grace is not the removal of responsibility; rather, it is the enabling power that makes obedience, repentance, and transformation possible. Without grace, the command to be “perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”[20] would be impossible. Grace bridges the gap. It gives us the knowledge, understanding, promise, and covenant requisite for salvation—but only for those who also do their part in fulfilling that covenant.

The Psychology of False Grace

Why, then, do people cling so fiercely to a doctrine that the scriptures refute? Because cheap grace satisfies emotional needs that truth cannot flatter, rationalize, excuse, or condone. It tells people what they want to hear: that they are loved as they are, accepted as they are, and destined for heaven just as they are.

This is the religious version of self-esteem culture. It excuses moral apathy in the name of compassion and inclusion. It removes the offense of the cross and replaces it with the applause of the crowd.

Christ’s gospel is not the gospel of inclusion; it is the gospel of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Anything peripheral to that is unacceptable and disqualifying.

Jesus warned of this deception: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? … and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”[21] They claimed His name but not His nature. They desired his approval but despised His teachings. They loved His blessings but rejected His commandments. This doesn’t work.

The Book of Mormon prophesied of this very counterfeit Christianity: “There shall be many who shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us. And there shall also be many who shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin.”[22] This is the religion of saved by grace rationalization, the creed of the lukewarm.

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” [23]

The Narrow Way of Real Discipleship

The true gospel is not easy. It was never meant to be. It was meant to be effective.

Jesus said plainly, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”[24] The cross is not a metaphor for comfort—it is the instrument of self-crucifixion. It symbolizes submission, obedience, sacrifice, endurance, and suffering. Who wants that? But it is the end-game benefit that counts. That is the goal we must focus on.

Salvation, then, is not a single moment of belief, confession, or submission, but a lifelong process of becoming. Faith is the vehicle; obedience is the evidence; endurance is the completion. The grace of Christ makes this possible by virtue of the understanding and knowledge He gives us. At times, it can be insanely difficult, but with the right kind of love and focus, it is entirely doable.

Those who truly love the Savior will strive to obey Him, not to earn His love, but because they have already received it. Grace invites us into the labor of holiness and gives us the understanding, motivation, and strength to persevere.

Conclusion: Grace Perfects, It Does Not Excuse

The modern churches have traded sanctification for sentimentality. They preach comfort instead of conviction and grace without repentance. But the God of the Bible and the Book of Mormon does not offer salvation to those who remain in rebellion. He offers it to those who surrender and endure in righteousness.

Grace is not the removal or cancellation of law; it is the power to fulfill it. It does not lower the standard of righteousness—it raises us to meet it.

As Moroni wrote, “Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you.”[25]

In the end, the difference between true and false religion is this:

False religion says, “You are saved no matter what you do.” Or “You are saved without obedience and repentance. You are good enough.”

True religion says, “Because you are (potentially) saved, you must now become holy in order to be saved in deed.”

Grace is not an excuse. It is an invitation to become what God intended us to be.

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[1] 2 Nephi 31-32, 3 Nephi 11

[2] Ephesians 2:8

[3] Ephesians 2:10

[4] Philippians 2:12, Mormon 9:27

[5] James 2:17, 18, 24

[6] James 2:26

[7] John 14:15

[8] Genesis 4:7

[9] Matthew 7:24

[10] 2 Nephi 25:23

[11] Doctrine and Covenants 82:10

[12] Alma 5:14

[13] Titus 2:11–12

[14] 1 Corinthians 6:9

[15] 1 John 3:7

[16] 2 Nephi 31:20

[17] 1 Corinthians 6:9

[18] 1 John 3:7

[19] Doctrine and Covenants 82:10

[20] Matthew 5:48

[21] Matthew 7:22–23

[22] 2 Nephi 28:7–8

[23][23] Revelation 3:15 – 16

[24] Luke 9:23

[25] Moroni 10:32

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