I doubt that I will even qualify for heaven.
Has that thought ever crossed your mind? It crossed mine many times growing up—usually when I was most aware of my weaknesses and imperfections. I often felt like what I had to offer just wouldn’t be enough to make it into heaven one day.
What I didn’t fully understand at the time was that Jesus Christ actually qualified me for heaven when He atoned for my sins. He paid the price—my full price—so that I wouldn’t have to.1 Through His atonement, He fulfilled the demands of justice2 and qualified every one of us for heaven. This is called grace.
As I started to better understand grace, I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. I no longer needed to will my imperfect self into qualifying for heaven. My job was something entirely different (more on this later).
Because Jesus paid the full price of salvation for every one of us, nothing we do3 goes toward earning even a sliver of our own salvation. He earned it all for us. The things that we do (our works) are for a different reason4 altogether.
So if Jesus did all the work, what’s our part then?
We must first believe5 in Jesus. And trust that He did, in fact, actually save6 us—completely, wholly, entirely, 100%.7 Without that faith in Him, He can’t save8 us from our sins. He won’t force9 us to accept His grace if we don’t want it.
We accept the grace of Jesus Christ by giving Him our heart10 through our willingness to repent.
Repentance had a negative connotation for me growing up. At times I felt shame, like I was a bad person, if I needed to repent. But I didn’t understand the true meaning or purpose of repentance. I now view repentance in its simplest form. At its very core, repentance just means change.11 That doesn’t mean repentance (or change) will always be easy. But it can become easier.
You see, if we genuinely have faith in Jesus Christ and sincerely repent, something amazing happens! The enabling power of His atonement comes into our lives and enables us to actually be able to change.12 Making changes, big or small, in our lives is so much easier yoked13 with Him than trying to change using our willpower alone.
That’s it. It’s that simple. We are saved 100% by the grace of Jesus Christ. We accept His grace by (1) having faith in Him and (2) continually repenting. In return, He will envelop us in the enabling power of His grace to help us actually change.14
So when you’re feeling down, not enough, or feel like you just aren’t able to change–just remember–Jesus qualified you for heaven. He did that. It’s already been done.15 It’s not up to you to qualify for heaven.
Your job is to have faith16 in Him and repent.17
Your job is to accept and receive18 His grace.
Your job is to rely on Him and allow His power and grace19 to ultimately change you.20
D&C 19:16-19 ”that they might not suffer”
Alma 42:15 ”God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice”
Ephesians 2:8-9 ”not of yourselves”; Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Gift of Grace” (April 2015) ”Salvation cannot be bought with the currency of obedience; it is purchased by the blood of the Son of God”
John 14:15 ”If ye love me, keep my commandments”
John 11:25-26 ”whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die”
Matthew 1:21 ”he shall save his people from their sins”; Alma 34:15 ”he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name”
2 Nephi 10:24 “only”; 2 Nephi 31:19 “wholly”; Moroni 6:4 “alone”
Mosiah 3:12 ”salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith”
Helaman 14:29-30 “ye are free [...] to act for yourselves”; 2 Nephi 2:27 ”free to choose liberty and eternal life [...] or to choose captivity and death”
2 Nephi 2:7-8 ”he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin [...] unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit”
BD Repentance “a change of mind, a fresh view about God, about oneself, and about the world”
Mosiah 5:2 ”wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually”; Alma 19:33 ”their hearts had been changed; that they had no more desire to do evil”
Matthew 11:28-30 ”For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”; Philippians 4:13 ”I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”; Luke 1:37 ”For with God nothing shall be impossible.”
Helaman 15:7-8 ”which faith and repentance bringeth a change of heart”
3 Nephi 11:11 ”I have drunk out of that bitter cup [...] and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world”
John 3:16-17 ”whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”
Alma 24:10-11 ”for it was all we could do to repent sufficiently before God”
Mosiah 4:2-3 ”O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins”
Ether 12:27 ”my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me”; 2 Corinthians 12:9 ”My grace is sufficient for thee”
Alma 5:6-7 ”he changed their hearts”