Do you know what kind of devotion we ought to have towards our Maker? The love of a chaste wife to her husband, the attachment of a miser to his hoarded wealth, the craving of a worldling for sense-pleasure, all these rolled into one and directed towards the Lord are Bhakti. We shall verily gain Him in this way.
Sri Ramakrishna
John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.
The freedom that is associated with truth is frequently called liberation in Hindu and Buddhist texts. This freedom that every Christian is seeking after, this liberation is not just to be found in leaving this world and going to heaven. Knowing Christ and proclaiming Him as our Saviour is just one step in the process. Becoming clean from sin and applying the atoning blood of Christ to be washed as the scriptures teach, “Isaiah 1:18, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” is the first step. It is the Act of Atonement that Christ performed for us in the Garden of Gethsemane and His dying on the cross at Calvary that makes it possible for our sins to be washed and become white as snow.
Having received this great blessing for our faithfulness and devotion to Him we must ask the question, “have we done all that is necessary?” We are still living in the world. We have not yet been taken into His presence in the heavenly world. What then is our responsibility to our Lord and to ourselves in order to remain free and liberated from the things of this world.
It is easy for us to think that because we are trying so very hard to do what is right, God will invite us into His presence when this life is over. God will certainly love us for that, but is our reward to enter into His presence simply because we are trying to be good? The prophet Joseph Smith stated that in order to enter into a Celestial Kingdom we must first live a Celestial law.
Mark 10:17 ¶And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.
20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.
21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
- And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
- And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made
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