Gospel Doctrine Commentary
Lesson No. Sixteen
Born and Sealed as a Child of Christ
Introduction – King Benjamin concluded his most remarkable sermonby teaching what it means to be born and sealed as a child of Christ: “And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters….There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ” (Mosiah 5:7-8; all references are from Mosiah 5 unless otherwise noted).
“The children of Christ, his sons and his daughters”- The gospel is all about families. What King Benjamin is teaching is that if we keep our baptismal and temple covenants of obedience that we can be spiritually begotten, born of him, and become his sons and his daughters. (See Vs 5-7) In other words a new family relation is established with Christ as our spiritual father, or the father of our salvation.
“Born of him” – Many Christians refer to this as being “born again.” In John 3:3 Jesus refers to the doctrine of being born again. (See footnote b which gives the Greek translation to the word again to be from above, anew.) Alma gave a more complete definition of this doctrine which was explained to him by the Lord himself as part of Alma’s remarkable conversion:
“And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his sons and daughters;
”And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God” (Mosiah 27:25-26).
To take the name of Christ is to have the nature of Christ – When we are born into a mortal family we are given a family name, and we inherit the traits and characteristics of our parents. We can be identified with our mortal parents by both name and physical appearance. King Benjamin continues his sermon saying: “I would that you should take upon you the name of Christ” (Vs 8). This is a symbolic way of teaching about the family relationship that we are invited to have with Christ. What is meant by taking the name of Christ is that we take upon us his nature, characteristics, and attributes, and thereby we become like him. We are his children if we think and act as he would. We then take upon us both the name and, more importantly, the nature of Christ.
The mighty change of heart comes only through grace – The heart represents the core of who we really are. It is only the “Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which [can] wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Vs 2). This is the doctrine of grace.
“It is likewise through the grace of the Lord that individuals, through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance of their sins, receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means. This grace is an enabling power that allows men and women to lay hold on eternal life and exaltation after they have expended their own best efforts.
“Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequences of the fall of Adam and also because of man’s weaknesses and shortcomings” (Bible Dictionary, Grace, p. 697).
People cannot change their nature by their own strength or will power. The mighty change of our heart or our nature and disposition “not to do evil, but to do good continually” comes only through the grace of the “Lord Omnipotent” (Vs 2).
Subsequent sin makes it so that we are no longer the children of Christ because we are not like him – We become the children of Christ by having our thoughts like his thoughts, and our ways like his ways. We have his nature. If we sin and don’t quickly repent we no longer reflect his nature in our lives, and therefore we can no longer be called the children of Christ, and his name is “blotted out of [our] hearts” (Vs 11).
Through service we can know the Master and become like him – “I would that you should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts….For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart” (Vs 12-13)? It is through the thoughts and intents and desires of our heart that we can know the Lord and become like him.
There are many wonderful example of ordinary unassuming people who have come to know the Lord through service. Through service they are able to retain his name written in their hearts.
If we remain faithful the Lord will “seal you his” (Vs 15) – Benjamin concludes his sermon by teaching the doctrine of having our calling and election made sure:
“Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen” (Vs 15, emphasis mine).
To be “sealed his” is to have our relationship as children of Christ made permanent. It is to have our eternal life and exaltation made sure through the atoning blood of “Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent.”