NON-LUTHERAN VIEWS OF THE SUPPER ARE BLASPHEMOUS

Now that I have your attention from the title of this post......

I've never been one to beat around the bush, or to read between the lines. I've always preferred to be specific and clear. I don't wish to purposely offend either, yet at the same time I don't mind if the truth offends.

Something that has been vexing me as of lately is how many Lutherans have no problem partaking of the Lord's Supper at non-Lutheran churches.

Not only is this against the historic stand of Lutheranism, but it really makes no sense if you think about it.

What is worse, if you think about it, is this:

*If the Lutheran view of the Supper is right and biblical (and it is!), then by very definition this means all other views are false.*

But the worst of it is this:

**Since the Lutheran Eucharist is pure Gospel and biblical and true, then this means all other "eucharists" or "suppers" are blasphemous. They are simply a mockery of what Christ instituted.**

This bears repeating, so I'll say it again:

**Since the Lutheran Eucharist is pure Gospel and biblical and true, then this means all other "eucharists" or "suppers" are blasphemous. They are simply a mockery of what Christ instituted.**

Think about it.

For Rome (and the East), their eucharist is a sacrifice that we offer to God for the sins of the living and the dead.

Lutherans, is this your Eucharist?

For today's Protestants, evangelicals, and reformed, their supper is simply either a commemoration or reminder or thought exercise, or merely a "spiritual partaking" of Christ.

Lutherans, is that your Eucharist?

Some Lutherans say that all that matters is the Real Presence.

But the Missouri Synod correctly says that unity in all articles of the Gospel is what matters.

The Eucharist is the Sacrament of unity.

Lutherans, do we have unity in the Gospel with Rome? Do we confess justification by faith plus works? By infused righteousness?

Lutherans, do we have unity in the Gospel with the East? Do we confess that cooperate with God on the pathway to God for salvation?

Lutherans, do we have unity in the Gospel with Protestants, evangelicals, and reformed? Do we confess that Christ is not present in the sacraments, and reduce them to mere "ordinances"? Do we confess that Christ atoned only for the sins of some, namely, only the elect?

Do we confess that the only way one can have assurance of salvation is by their fruits?

No.

Many say that if Lutherans partake only with Lutherans, that this is divisive and unloving.

I say, it is more unloving to compromise the Gospel by partaking of the Supper with the heterodox, because it does not give witness to the Gospel by flattening out the Gospel.

Some say "but it's the *Lord's* Supper, not the Missouri Synod's Supper or the WELS' Supper.

I retort, "and it is the Lord's *Gospel*. And we are to bear witness to it.

By partaking with only Lutherans, we do not wish to be divisive, but we acknowledge the sad fact that Christianity is divided.

But in doing so, we give witness to the Good News of the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament.

The only Gospel that gives assurance.

We are simply beggars.

So why do I partake only at Lutheran Altars?

And why is this the historic stance of the Lutheran faith?

Because of the pure Gospel.

If we lose the Gospel, we lose everything.

Here we stand.

Where Christ crucified for us meets us

For us Confessional Lutherans we don't approach church (or as we call it divine) service as foremost what we do for God (meaning worship) but as foremost what God does for us. He gives us His objective word week in week out through the service that our sins are forgiven for Christ's sake when we confess our sins and believe Christ paid for our sins (absolution). We hear the Word proclaimed from the OT, the NT, and gospel. We are given the objective promises of forgiveness via sacrament.

For us, foremost, God gives us His grace not only to join us to Christ but to keep us in Him and His forgiveness won for us at the cross via Word and Sacrament given in the divine service.

And in response, we can worship God and give as well knowing we can't outdo God and out give God.

So for us, divine service is where foremost God is gloried in our salvation and in response we glorified and worshipped Him for what He has done for us. In Christ crucified and resurrected for us.

So the approach for us is different from many Protestants.

When people withhold themselves from the church in our view, they withhold themselves from the gifts God give them in Word and Sacrament to continue to keep them in the forgiveness Christ merited for them and strengthened them.

So for us a large part of why people don't go to church is wrong approach. We see it as heaven meets earth, rather than earth meets heaven. We see it as Christ comes to us in a real way to draw us to Himself and continues to do so over and over again to keep us in the one truth faith.

Here we stand.