Thursday, November 17, 2011

Harold Bloom, Mormonism, and the True Gospel

"Mormons earn godhead though their own efforts, hoping to join the plurality of gods, even as they insist they are not polytheists."

Harold Bloom's cutting criticism gets to the point of Mormon heresy.

Forget about trying to become a god, forget about owning a planet some day in the future. Forget about unique undergarments.

Anyone who assumes that they can work their way to holiness is deluding himself.

We cannot be holy by our own efforts. We cannot even become holy on our own. We must have holiness imparted to us, and that only in the person of Jesus Christ.

Like every religion, every human being attempts to strive toward godliness by their own efforts; yet as the scripture relates, to the humiliating consternation of man:

"For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." (Isaiah 64:6)

Let us not forget the blunt admission in the Psalms:

"The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.

"They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Psalm 14:2-3)

But rather than cave into despair, what can fallen humanity do? From Mormons to morons, what salvation is left?

Jesus Christ Himself!

"But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." (Romans 13:14)

How do we do this? By grace through faith!

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

"Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

There is no work, no striving that we must do, or that we could ever do.

When witnessing to a Mormon, or any other faith-tradition that does not rest squarely on the Finished Work of Jesus Christ, one need only point out the impossible standard of God's law, and the impossibility of earning righteousness according to the law; then by supplying the gospel, every soul has not trusted in Christ can be redeemed from this perverse generation, prepared for eternity, endowed with eternal life now and forever.

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