His Hand is Stretched Out Still

The Israelites of the Old Testament were almost constantly in a heap of trouble. On one occasion in the Book of Isaiah, the Lord gave a long laundry list of their grievances against Him. The Israelites were chastised for turning away from God, following leaders that had caused them to err, lying, hypocrisy, denying help to the poor, fighting unnecessary wars, selfishness and pride. It's a shameful list that may seem more familiar to you or I than we'd like to admit.

After each verse of accusations in this particular part of Isaiah, the Lord repeats the same warning coupled with a merciful invitation. "For all this [my] anger is not turned away, but [my] hand is stretched out still" (Isaiah 9).

Each of us, like the Israelites of Old, have committed offenses against God for which there must be consequences. In the words of the apostle Paul, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Trailing our offenses is a warning: "For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance." Mercifully, the Lord continues, "Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven" (D&C 1:31-32).

Whatever sins we may have committed, whatever pain we may be carrying in our hearts, or however lost we may sometimes feel, the Lord's hand is stretched out still. He promises there is still hope for us and that he will be there to lift us up if we will just keep trying.

This is possible because of the infinite and eternal Atonement of Jesus Christ, which includes his suffering in Gethsemane, his death on the cross and his glorious resurrection. Amulek, a great missionary in ancient America, taught:

For it is expedient that an atonement should be made; for according to the great plan of the Eternal God there must be an atonement made, or else all mankind must unavoidably perish; yea, all are hardened; yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement which it is expedient should be made.

For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice...

And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.

And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety" (Alma 34:9, 10, 14-16).

An infinite number is one without limits that cannot be detracted from or added upon. Likewise, eternity is an unbound measure of time expanding indefinitely into future and past. Therefore, an infinite and eternal atonement is an unlimited offering on our behalf. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, there is no sin that cannot be forgiven, no wound that cannot be healed, no weakness that cannot be made into a strength, no past that cannot have meaning and no future without hope.

President Boyd K. Packer shared an illustration of this principle at a leadership training held a few months before he died. He said that he had searched backward throughout his lifetime, looking for evidence of the sins that he had committed and sincerely repented. He could could find no trace of them. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and through sincere repentance, his sins were completely gone as if they had never happened (Reeves, Linda. The Great Plan of Redemption. Ensign. November 2016.).

Sometimes we all find ourselves in a shameful heap. For those things we do that offend God, his anger is not turned away. He has a zero tolerance policy for sin. Justice must be satisfied.

Yet, because he longs to help you and I return to his presence, his arm is stretched out still. The Son of God died so that we can try again. He atoned for our sins, our afflictions, our sorrows and our weaknesses to meet justice's demands and heal the scars on our souls, regardless of their size or how long they have been there. If we will repent and follow his commandments, it will one day be as if we had never been scarred at all.

The Baptism of Jesus Christ

In the third chapter of Matthew we read of the baptism of Jesus Christ. Our Savior approached John the Baptist, his cousin, who had the priesthood authority to baptize. John had just explained to his disciples that his baptism was unto repentance and that more was to come from someone more authorized than himself.

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

As John learned at the baptism of Christ, there is more to baptism than repentance only. It is true that baptism washes away our sin, but it does so because with our immersion in water we enter into a certain covenant. We promise God that we will be willing to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, always remember him and keep his commandments. God promises us the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The key phrases in that covenant are that we are willing and that we take upon ourselves the name of Christ. I've written about willingness before here. Taking upon ourselves the name of Christ includes, among other things, literally accepting his name just as a bride accepts the name of her groom. Just as the union of two people by marriage allows them to be seen legally and otherwise as one family unit, the union of individuals to Christ by baptism allows us to be seen by the laws of God as one unit together with Christ.

Our baptism is the covenant by which we can become unified with Christ and, therefore, judged as one with him if we keep the rest of the covenant, i.e. if we remain willing and obedient. As fallen men and women, each of whom has committed sin(s), this is the only way we may be judged worthy to enter God's kingdom.

That is a little different story for our Savior, Jesus Christ. Free from the burdens of sinful disobedience, he was the only person with the capacity and power to return to live with God independent of outside assistance. He did not need baptism to be clean from sin. So why was he baptized?

Christ told John he was baptized to, 'fulfil all righteousness'. Nephi had the same answer, noting only the valuable example it would provide for the rest of us:

And now, if the Lamb of God, he being holy, should have need to be baptized in water, to fulfil all righteousness, O then, how much more need have we, being unholy, to be baptized, yea, even by water!... But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping the commandments (2 Nephi 31:5, 7)

Righteousness refers to actions that are justified with or pleasing to God. The opposite of sin, righteousness simply means acting according to the will of God. Fulfilling all righteousness would then be doing everything according to the will of God. It is perfect righteousness.

Christ completed his mission to fulfill all righteousness. Even in the excruciating moments of Gethsemane, he prayed, 'O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done' (Matthew 26:42). He did everything God asked of Him-- yet, that doesn't seem to completely explain why a perfect man, our Creator and Savior, was baptized.

Perhaps Christ was not baptized for repentance, but rather to enter into the same covenant that we do when we are baptized. A bride cannot be married if the groom is not present. Perhaps he covenanted with God to give his name to us-- even to suffer, bleed and die for us-- if we would be willing to accept it through our individual faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. As a bride and groom entering the marriage covenant, perhaps Christ was baptized because He loves us dearly and wants to help and guide and provide for us.

These are only my thoughts, so perhaps some caution would be wise. Yet in them reside a few certain truths: Jesus Christ is our Savior and our perfect example, he was baptized by immersion by someone authorized to do so, he loves each of us and he wants us to return to live with our Heavenly Father. This can only happen if we follow his example:

And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved; and they are they who shall inherit the kingdom of God. And whoso believeth not in me, and is not baptized, shall be damned. Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and I bear record of it from the Father (3 Nephi 11: 33-35).