"Redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah"

I have read 2 Nephi 2 over a dozen times, but this morning the ordering of verses four, five, six, and seven really stood out to me, and I wanted to talk just a little bit about it.

Verse four simply tells us that the salvation of our souls is possible. Sounds basic enough, right? It's verse five that starts to make everything sound a little more muddled, though. It reads:

"And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or by the law men are cut off." (Emphasis added.)

Wait... what? We were just promised a verse earlier that salvation is free! Now we're told that by the law no flesh can be justified? The verse goes on to tell us that by both the temporal and the spiritual laws, we will fall short.

Then we remember that that was well known from the beginning. When Christ proposed his Plan of Salvation, it was known that we, as mortals, would unquestionably fall short. Moses 6:62 shows that the Plan of Salvation would be impossible for us, save it were the blood of Christ.

This is where verses six and seven come in:

"Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit."

In Matthew 5:48, we are commanded to be perfect. How can we though, since Nephi makes it very clear that we will fall short of the law? Moroni says it well: "By his grace, ye may be perfect in Christ."

Remember, while we need to keep the commandments, it is out of faith and love for our Savior, who has "offer[ed] himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law." Remember, "redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah," and from nowhere else.

That is why I love Him so incredibly much. That is why I am willing to give two years to serve Him and "feed [His] sheep."