Buy now, pay later is sold as “save now, pay later.” It is no different with the fundamental doctrines of salvation. We must beware who our shepherd is and what salesman we listen to.
The world has inherited incorrect doctrines throughout the centuries of apostasy, sectarian learning, misinterpretation, mistakes in translation, misguided leaders, and even evil designs. No matter the reason, the results are the same. It has stripped the “plain and precious” parts of the gospel, “preaching for doctrine the commandments of men” instead of the richness of the everlasting gospel.
The fullness of the gospel has been diluted to the dollar store doctrine. A store full of similar looking doctrines (cheap wine in cheaper bottles see Mark 2:22) that anyone can easily afford and quickly consume. If $1 is too much to ask, you can buy it now and pay for it later on your credit card. The Dollar Store Doctrine can be highlighted by three key points (to be expounded upon later):
- Buy now pay later
- The sweetness of low prices dissipates when the bitterness of low quality is realized.
- We used to borrow FOR our future now we’re borrowing FROM our future
- We are consumers not children of Christ
The gospel comes at a price. The price Christ paid for us and the price we have to pay to learn, love, and live the principles in order to become like Him.
1. Buy now pay later
Modern “reality” of society has become a real fantasy. In the western world, almost anyone can enjoy the luxuries of life and leave the payment to someone or sometime else. If you ever walk into a store or see an advertisement they will never use the word “spend,” it’s always “save.” The know if they don’t mention the eventual reality that you have to “pay” for what you want they can entice you to purchase. The Lord gives us a generous credit in his Kingdom by giving us the benefits of gifts and blessings of the atonement now (grace), but the price to get in has to be paid by us. He gets us there, but we have to pay the price by our becoming (not just doing) to enter His kingdom.
2. The sweetness of low prices dissipates when the bitterness of low quality is realized
Have you ever bought a bushes of peaches at 90%? You take it home only to find the top layer were beautiful and the rest of them rotten. The saying are true; “if it’s too good to be true it probably is,” and “anything free is worth what you pay for it.”
3. We used to borrow FOR our future now we’re borrowing FROM our future
Think about it.
4. Are we consumers or children of Christ?
To the world you have become consumers. Even to the governments of the world, to keep the flow of good and growth (GDP, GNP) people have to spend. After major disasters and downturns in the economy, politicians have repeated the same mantra, “go out and spend.” Companies market and government manipulate in order to keep you spending. We must break free of the tellestial treadmill and cycle of consumerism if we are to understand our true identity.
5. Our True Identity
The cheapest item in the doctrinal dollar store is identity. The social, governmental, and consumption oriented world has distorted the knowledge of who we really are. It impels the world to offer great accusations and criticism to those who think properly, or eternally. Christians are the real realists. The devil is a master at deceit and identity theft. He has drastically reduced mans ultimate potential by offering a diluted view of himself. “The Divine Center,” pg. 81
