Does the Atonement Save Us in Our Sins?

Can we simply say we believe in Christ, go on sinning, and expect that we are saved?

Consider that question when you read these passages:

“For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them.” — Ephesians 5:5-7

“Shall he save his people in their sins? …he shall not, for it is impossible for him to deny his word… and he hath said that no unclean thing can inherit the kingdom of heaven.” — Alma 11:34-37

“Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.

“But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son; Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.”

— Alma 12:32-34

“I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.” — Moroni 10:30

“Can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God? …I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the devil?” — Alma 5:18-20

“For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift.”

“And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by law and perfected and sanctified by the same.”

“That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy still.”

“All kingdoms have a law given… and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions. All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.”

— Doctrine and Covenants 88:33-39

It is clear from scripture that those who profess belief must act in obedience to the commandments of God. It is through action that we give evidence of our love and faith in the Lord, and it is through our striving to be examples of the believers that the Lord’s atoning powers are manifest in our lives, through those powers we are changed, and without those powers there can be no victory over the natural man. Among the commandments with the power to change our nature, the command to repent is one of the most important.

 

We are imperfect and we fall short of the glory of God. Even in our best effort we fail sometimes, we take our eyes away from Christ and we sink. We must call out to our Savior for his power and repent often. If we do this we can walk in a state of grace, clean from the burdens of our sin, and able to receive his greater light and grace in our striving to forsake our sins. With the strengthening and enabling power of Christ we can and will become a new creator, and we will be clean every wit, it not we cannot expect to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.