Salvation, Part 3

Shawn teaches that a direct relationship with God is available to all individuals without the need for organized religion, emphasizing that faith is what truly pleases God. He warns against the "faith police," or those who rigidly enforce religious doctrines, suggesting that such individuals can obstruct personal spiritual growth by imposing their interpretations on others.

Rely on the Holy Spirit and scripture to guide your faith journey, fostering a deeper relationship with God based on complete faith and love rather than getting caught up in doctrinal disputes and theological debates. Even amidst opposition and differing beliefs, maintain a forgiving heart, focus on emulating Jesus' love, and trust in God's unwavering presence and guidance.

True seekers of faith, regardless of their religious upbringing, relentlessly pursue truth, often at great personal cost, by challenging and transcending inherited beliefs to align with the teachings of God as expressed in the New Testament. This pursuit of truth exemplifies a commitment to the narrow path described by Jesus, which involves personal sacrifice and a focus on spiritual truth over societal or religious validation, embodying the principles highlighted in scriptures like Hebrews 11:6 and Luke 17:33.

Truth seekers continually strive to discover and embody spiritual truth, embracing change and prioritizing a personal relationship with God beyond doctrines and traditions. Such seekers exhibit unconditional love and humility, recognizing that their relationship with God is beyond the influence of external teachings, while challenging long-held beliefs and engaging with differing perspectives.

Shawn critiques the LDS Church by comparing its spiritual journey to a tiered amusement park experience, where the highest achievements require progression through various rituals and commitments, including temple ceremonies and strict obedience to church duties, to reach the ultimate spiritual status in the Celestial Kingdom. He argues that this process is burdensome and contrasts it with his belief in the unconditional salvation through Jesus, emphasizing freedom in Christ and challenging the necessity of LDS-specific practices for spiritual fulfillment.

The teaching emphasizes that Jesus has paid for all sins of the past, present, and future, thereby removing sin and reconciling the world with God; thus, the only remaining sin is faithlessness, as it is the refusal to embrace the salvation offered through Jesus Christ. The world is divided into those with saving faith in Jesus and those without, and the role of believers gathering is to encourage and strengthen their faith while reaching out to help non-believers to receive and accept this faith, not to convict believers of sin.