King James Version

Born-Again
Perspective

John Milton (1608–1674)

“The end of all learning is to know God.”

Which Best Expresses Your Beliefs?

A) Mormonism is based on the teachings of the Bible.

B) Mormonism is based upon latter-day revelation and
       agrees with the Bible.

C) Mormonism is based upon latter-day revelation but
       disagrees with much that is taught in the Bible.

B) Mormonism is based upon latter-day revelation and
       agrees with the Bible.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Bible, Inerrancy of. Retrieved December 7, 2018 from https://www.lds.org/topics/bible-inerrancy-of?lang=eng

God’s Nature and Man’s

The Bible puts all existence into only two categories:

Today, we’re going to talk about the Creator.

Creator

Creature

GOD IS ETERNAL

  • Eternal Name: And Abraham planted a grove in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God (Genesis 21:33).
  • Eternal Nature: Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God (Psalm 90:2).
  • Eternal Claims: I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty (Revelation 1:8).

Greek Alphabet

alpha

omega

GOD IS EXCLUSIVE

  • In Power: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among. the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? (Daniel 4:35).
  • In Existence: Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. (Isaiah 44:8).

GOD IS SPIRITUAL

  • According to Moses: For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24).
  • According to Jesus: God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
  • According to John: No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him (John 1:18).
  • According to Paul: Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.  (1 Timothy 1:17).

GOD ALONE IS WORTHY OF WORSHIP

  • Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is  in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth (Exodus 20:3-4).
  • For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14).

CREATION IS UNWORTHY OF WORSHIP

Deuteronomy 4:16

Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

Humans

CREATION IS UNWORTHY OF WORSHIP

Colossians 2:18

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind

Spirits

CREATION IS UNWORTHY OF WORSHIP

Romans 1:22–23

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Animals

CREATION IS UNWORTHY OF WORSHIP

Isaiah 37:18–19

Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations, and their countries, And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

Wood/Stone

CREATION IS UNWORTHY OF WORSHIP

Deuteronomy 4:19

And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

Heavenly Bodies

WORSHIPING CREATURES BRINGS WRATH

  • Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched (2 Kings 22:17).
  • But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them to accomplish my anger against them… (Ezekiel 20:8).
  • Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience (Colossians 3:5–6).

Stop: Let’s INTERACT

STOP: LET’S INTERACT

  • What does the Bible say about the Creator, about creatures, and about worship?
  • Why do you think God is so passionate against idolatry?
  • Who gets to define God?
  • Determining truth about God by reasoning upward from man is like trying to draw conclusions about adults while looking only at a newborn. 

LET’S TRANSITION TO HEAVENLY FATHER

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. “Chapter 2: God the Eternal Father,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2011), 36–44. Retrieved December 7, 2018 from https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-2?lang=eng

ACCORDING TO JOSEPH SMITH

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. “Chapter 5: The Grand Destiny of the Faithful,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow. Retrieved December 7, 2018 from https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-lorenzo-snow/chapter-5-the-grand-destiny-of-the-faithful?lang=eng

ACCORDING TO LORENZO SNOW

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Becoming Like God. Retrieved March 22, 2019 from https://www.lds.org/topics/becoming-like-god?lang=eng

ACCORDING TO GORDON B. HINCKLEY

WHAT IS THE DOCTRINE OF
ETERNAL PROGRESSION?

THE PLAN OF SALVATION

Adams, Lisa Ramsey. Eternal Progression. Retrieved March 22, 2019 from https://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Eternal_Progression.

LDS SCRIPTURE IS SILENT ON PROGRESSION

WHERE IS THE DOCTRINE TAUGHT?

  • First taught publicly by Joseph Smith in a funeral sermon for Elder King Follett (April 7, 1844 – The King Follett Discourse).

  • In future years...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Becoming Like God. Retrieved March 22, 2019 from https://www.lds.org/topics/becoming-like-god?lang=eng

ISSUES WITH ETERNAL PROGRESSION

  • Contradicts the Bible: Before Me, no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me (Isaiah 43:10).
  • Contradicts Itself: Man #1 had to live without God #1. Where did Man #1 come from? Where did God #1 come from?
  • Contradicts Mormonism: Jesus cannot progress to deity because He was never sealed in eternal marriage; the Holy Spirit cannot progress to deity because He never took a body.

ARE THESE THE SAME PERSON?

WHICH BEST EXPRESSES YOUR BELIEFS?

A) Mormonism is based on the teachings of the Bible.

 

B) Mormonism is based upon Latter-day revelation and agrees
     with the Bible.

 

C) Mormonism is based upon Latter-day revelation, but disagrees
     with much that is taught in the Bible.​

The Most Important Question

If the Bible is right about God’s nature,
what would that mean for you?