December 28 – Isaiah 52:13; “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.”
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The Bible makes it very clear as to who is exalted and who shall be abased. The theme throughout His word is the same; when you lift yourself up, He will make sure you don’t hold that position for long. The Gnostics of the Biblical age were the group of Christians who had been expelled from the church. They claimed they were the only true Christians and salvation came through intelligence gained by yourself which elevated and exalted you to a higher status than the rest of the believers. They believed you received this intellectual status through secret teachings. Hmm…this sounds very familiar with something else I know!
There’s nothing new under the sun. Ecc. 1:9-10.
Where is our Beloved Kinsman Redeemer in all this?
Are the marks in His hands making a mark in your life? If so, how?
What do they mean to you personally?
When you think upon the baby in the manger can you lower yourself enough to bow at His holy bed? Can you honestly believe in your heart that this isn’t about you? Why does it always have to be about sex? What does that have to do with being saved?
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“To Latter-day Saints, exaltation is a state that a person can attain in becoming like God-salvation in the ultimate sense (D&C 132:17). Latter-day Saints believe that all mankind (except the sons of perdition) will receive varying degrees of glory in the afterlife. Exaltation is the greatest of all the gifts and attainments possible. It is available only in the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom and is reserved for members of the Church of the Firstborn. This exalted status, called eternal life, is available to be received by a man and wife. It means not only living in God’s presence, but receiving power to do as God does, including the power to bear children after the resurrection (TPJS, pp. 300-301; D&C 132:19). Blessings and privileges of exaltation require unwavering faith, repentance, and complete obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1-4 vols, 479.
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Mosiah 3:7; “And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.”
