In discussion and dialogue with my Protestant friends and family (this includes reformed and evangelicals in general), there has rarely been progress in understanding. More and more I continue to come to the conclusion that dialogue may not be beneficial.
Having said that, however, I do think it is possible to clarify what Lutherans believe and clear up common misunderstandings.
My hope is that this will at least help folks to understand.
Misunderstanding: "You Lutherans are just like Roman Catholics."
This is probably one of the most common misunderstandings. We will grant that our liturgy *looks* and *smells* at least like *traditional* Roman Catholic liturgy, but there are several differences.
We have purged anything that does not reflect the pure Gospel. As an example, particularly in our liturgy of the Eucharist, we have dropped all references to "merit" and "may our sacrifice." We confess that the Eucharist is a sacrifice of praise.
The movement is downward, God toward us.
It is the worship of the Gospel. Not the worship of the Law.
Further, our understanding of the Sacraments is completely different from Rome. We view the Sacraments as the pure Gospel applied. For weak and weary beggars and sinners. Not something we do for God. Something God does for us and to us. Giving us Christ through them.
Lutherans have a unique view of the Sacraments. It is not like Rome's view.
Misunderstanding: "You Lutherans stifle the Holy Spirit and you have a dead religion."
No, we have a different *understanding* of *how* the Holy Spirit operates. We believe that there is no such thing as a Spiritless Word or a Wordless Spirit. In other words, the Spirit attaches Himself willingly to the Word and Sacraments, and He is always there graciously, applying the gracious universal Gospel. The difference is in *man*, not in the Sacraments. The Sacraments are *always* effectual.
Faith does not make a Sacrament valid.
God's Word makes the Sacrament valid.
Misunderstanding: "You Lutherans are idolatrous."
This charge is to be expected from those who are iconoclastic. This also shows the immense difference, from our perspective, between Protestants and Lutherans. Our faith is a *physical* faith, an *Incarnational* faith. God became Man. The Finite contains the Infinite.
We don't seek to explain *how* that is possible. We believe it because God's Word says it.
We don't subject the Word of God to fallen human reason, as the Calvinists do.
And we do not worship statues or icons. We believe they are helpful aids. And as Luther pointed out in his "Against the Heavenly Prophets", it is impossible to think of Jesus without thinking of a *man* in my mind. I am not being idolatrous in doing so.
The Commandment is not against any images, because even in the Old Testament there were many images God commanded the Israelites to create and make in the Temple and the Tabernacle.
The Commandment is against creating images in the likeness of created things and calling it "god" and bowing down to it and worshiping it. The pagans make idols of created things such as birds and crawling reptiles, bow down to it and worship it.
God is not in the image of birds and reptiles.
But God *is*, however, Man.
His Name is Jesus Christ, the Revealed God.
The Crucifix says it all.
Misunderstanding: You Lutherans are really just Arminians.
So many people think the only options are Calvinism or Arminianism. And some think we are "in between" the two.
The reality is, we are neither.
We affirm total depravity 100%. But we also believe it in a deeper sense than the Calvinists. Especially when it comes to our view of sanctification.
We affirm unconditional election but reject reprobation. We are comfortable with this paradox.
We reject limited atonement. But we don't hold to universal atonement the way the Arminians do. Instead, we affirm universal objective justification, believing that God in Christ actually *justified* the entire world on the Cross, and that that is delivered *subjectively* in the Word of the Gospel and the Sacraments, where Christ the Revealed God is present as for us.
We reject irresistible grace. We see it as hidden G-d, and we are not interested in God's decrees. We believe God's grace can be resisted.
We reject perseverance of the saints. However, we affirm that we are always *secure* **in Christ.** The Calvinist "P" does not bring comfort, because in Calvinism folks are always left wondering if they are really of the saints. They have to go inward to find out, or look at their "fruit."
God always stands ready to forgive and calls us home to where Christ is, in the Gospel proclaimed and in the Sacraments.
This is why outside Holy Mother Church there is no salvation.
Misunderstanding: You Lutherans place all of your hope in a priest, when only God forgives sins.
Yes, only God forgives sins. And He always does so in Christ and Christ alone. Yet God does not want us to "guess" about whether we truly have our sins forgiven, and He doesn't want us to look inward to find out. So He gives us real, physical, objective and tangible things, like Water, Body, Blood, Spoken Words. And He tells His disciples in John 20 that if they forgive sins of others, they are forgiven. And if they retain sins of others, they are retained. We cannot overlook that important fact.
The priest is simply Christ's representative.
When the Secretary of State visits a country, they know he is the representative of the President himself. And they treat him so.
When the priest speaks and gives Absolution and celebrates the Sacrament, we know He is Christ's ordained representative. He stands in Christ's stead. In Persona Christi.
He has been ordained to speak Gracious Words to us.
Words of Comfort for the broken.
Words of Warning for those who flirt with sin.
God's Two Words: Law and Gospel.
Misconceptions abound. Here is the heart of the matter.
The heart of the matter is that Protestants are iconoclastic and the Incarnation takes a back seat for them. We are thankful for where they are inconsistent. But we also see all false doctrine as deadly and dangerous. The common call for "unity" can only be answered when there is unity in Gospel doctrine.
We Lutherans dare not bow the knee to this false call for "unity."
Nothing less than the Gospel is at stake.
We must contend for it.
3/7/17
Baptism Saves Because Christ Saves by His Word
1
Peter 3:21 is supremely misinterpreted by Baptists.
It does not say that Baptism is something we do for God. It actually reads in the Greek that Baptism is an appeal to God, asking Him for a good conscience.
We are saying to God, "Lord, You promised to save us in Holy Baptism, and cleanse us from all of our sins. Keep Your promise, Lord, for where Your Word is, there is Your promise."
Baptism now saves you. Not by washing my skin or dirt off my body. But it saves through the Resurrection of Christ, because it delivers the Resurrection to us.
We therefore tell God to remember His promises in Holy Baptism.
It does not say that Baptism is something we do for God. It actually reads in the Greek that Baptism is an appeal to God, asking Him for a good conscience.
We are saying to God, "Lord, You promised to save us in Holy Baptism, and cleanse us from all of our sins. Keep Your promise, Lord, for where Your Word is, there is Your promise."
Baptism now saves you. Not by washing my skin or dirt off my body. But it saves through the Resurrection of Christ, because it delivers the Resurrection to us.
We therefore tell God to remember His promises in Holy Baptism.
2/6/17
Christianity Is A Physical, Sacramental, Incarnational Faith
For 1,500 years, Christianity was always a physical, sacramental, and
Incarnational faith. This was confessed in the liturgies of both East
and West because we confess that God took upon Himself physical human
flesh and redeemed us through His physical Blood being shed and His
physical human flesh being torn. He chose a real physical woman to bear
Himself and be His Mother and point us to her Son, Who is God's Son.
Human beings are not just spirits with shells of bodies. The body makes up the integral part of the human. Romans 8 speaks of the hope of the redemption of our bodies.
Human beings are not just spirits with shells of bodies. The body makes up the integral part of the human. Romans 8 speaks of the hope of the redemption of our bodies.
Therefore, the Church in all Her branches has always considered those
who deny the efficacy of the Sacraments and those who refuse the
physical as toying with Gnosticism, and outside the faith.
God redeems the created physical world through His physical Body and Blood, and applies it to us through the physical means of the Sacraments. Faith in Christ is not naked, but is clothed with the Sacraments. God continually comes to us in the life-giving Flesh and Blood of His Dear Son at the Holy Eucharist, for the continual forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
God does not want to keep us guessing, so He gives us ministers and priests who declare God's forgiveness, who are given the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.
God meets our weak faith where we are at, and desires us to look to these objective means. It is not based on how we feel. It is based on God's promises in Christ.
Baptism saves because Christ is in Baptism.
The Eucharist forgives sins because we are eating the life-giving Flesh and drinking the life-giving Blood of the Savior.†
Holy Absolution forgives sins because the Words of Christ Himself are spoken through His representative, His ordained priest.
If Christ says it, it is done.
If Christ does it, it is done.
We are simply beggars, showing others where to find the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation.
And He will come again physically with glory to judge both the living and the dead. And His physical Kingdom will have no end.
And our new physical bodies will have no end, and will be incorruptible.
To deny the above, is to deny the faith once for all delivered unto the saints.
To confess the above, is to confess the faith once for all delivered unto the saints.
This Man is God.
This God is Man.
God redeems the created physical world through His physical Body and Blood, and applies it to us through the physical means of the Sacraments. Faith in Christ is not naked, but is clothed with the Sacraments. God continually comes to us in the life-giving Flesh and Blood of His Dear Son at the Holy Eucharist, for the continual forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
God does not want to keep us guessing, so He gives us ministers and priests who declare God's forgiveness, who are given the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.
God meets our weak faith where we are at, and desires us to look to these objective means. It is not based on how we feel. It is based on God's promises in Christ.
Baptism saves because Christ is in Baptism.
The Eucharist forgives sins because we are eating the life-giving Flesh and drinking the life-giving Blood of the Savior.†
Holy Absolution forgives sins because the Words of Christ Himself are spoken through His representative, His ordained priest.
If Christ says it, it is done.
If Christ does it, it is done.
We are simply beggars, showing others where to find the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation.
And He will come again physically with glory to judge both the living and the dead. And His physical Kingdom will have no end.
And our new physical bodies will have no end, and will be incorruptible.
To deny the above, is to deny the faith once for all delivered unto the saints.
To confess the above, is to confess the faith once for all delivered unto the saints.
This Man is God.
This God is Man.
11/2/16
Here's "What's Up" With Lutherans: A Response to Kevin DeYoung
Kevin DeYoung of The Gospel Coalition wrote an article five years ago that has just come to my attention. The article is called "What's Up With Lutherans?" The original article can be found here: https://blogs.thegospelcoalition.org/kevindeyoung/2011/06/23/whats-up-with-lutherans/
What follows is my response to the article.
DEYOUNG VIEWS LUTHERANS THE WRONG WAY TO BEGIN WITH
It is helpful to read DeYoung's article recognizing how he thinks. To put it bluntly, he does not think like a Lutheran. Most would say this is an obvious point that needs no comment, but nonetheless it is vital to understand that his whole article views Lutherans incorrectly. I can understand this, because before I was a Lutheran I thought of Lutherans the same way DeYoung does.
How does he think of Lutherans? One need only go to his "UPDATE" at the end of his article, where he says the following:
"My central question was about the place of Lutherans in the big tent of evangelicalism."
That is precisely where DeYoung goes wrong.
Historic and confessional Lutheranism is simply not in "the big tent of evangelicalism."
This wrong way of viewing Lutherans reminds me of similarly how Roman Catholics view the Eastern Orthodox. Catholics think the Orthodox are just a "sister church" that is "like them" in many ways.
But ask an Orthodox person about how Orthodoxy views herself, and they will tell you that they are nothing like Rome, and most definitely not a "sister church."
Historic and confessional Lutheranism does not view itself as "one option among many."
I'm not speaking of those "Lutheran" churches that have fallen prey to non-denominational and American evangelical thinking.
I'm talking about Lutheran churches that subscribe to the Book of Concord. If you want to know what a Lutheran is, it is simply someone who believes, teaches, and confesses what is written in the Book of Concord. You can read it for free at www.bookofconcord.org as well.
Given the above, DeYoung's whole article goes wrong. It treats Lutherans like we are supposed to act like today's evangelicals or today's reformed.
But we are not.
So what follows now is quick answers to his article that views us Lutherans like we are supposed to act or believe in ways that are not us. DeYoung's questions will be in quotes, with my responses below them.
ANSWERS TO DEYOUNG'S QUESTIONS
"What up with Lutherans?"
Sup.
"where are they?"
Right here.
"I’m genuinely curious to know why the big tent of conservative, confessional evangelicalism doesn’t have more Lutherans."
Because we do not consider ourselves part of the big tent of conservative, confessional evangelicalism. We are our own thing. We are not Protestants in today's sense. We are not evangelical. We are not reformed. We are not Eastern Orthodox. We are not Roman. We are Lutherans.
"Where have all the Lutherans gone?"
You'll find us in our Lutheran parishes. You are welcome to visit. Heck, we'll even commune you if you go through catechesis and become Lutheran. :)
"I just don’t know all the good they are doing and saying."
We have a tremendous presence in the mission field. Especially the LCMS. We are involved in the culture and our communities frequently.
"Lutheranism has always been a little out of place with the sometimes rootless, low church expressions of evangelicalism. They never got on board with evangelicalism after the Great Awakening."
Correct! Not only are we out of place in evangelicalism, it is completely antithetical to who we are. We are Sacramental to the core and we believe the Spirit only acts in the Word and Sacraments, and not apart from them. You can probably now guess what we think about the "Great Awakening". :)
"but evangelicalism has been influenced by many Anglican theologians and preachers, hasn’t it?"
Of course it has. Anglicanism from its inception was always less interested in precise doctrine. I often consider Anglicanism to be liturgical non-denominationalism.
"Lutherans are content to remain in ethnic enclaves."
This is a fair concern for many Lutherans, and it is something Lutherans should indeed repent of.
"The Lutheran view of the sacraments is a bridge too far for many evangelicals, and the faddish nature of evangelicalism is a bridge too far for many Lutherans."
Yes indeed. 100% agreement there.
"The bulk of Lutherans have gone liberal and the rest have gone into bunker mode."
That's like saying that the bulk of Christians have gone unitarian-universalist, etc. There are still plenty of confessional Lutherans around. The LCMS is a huge denomination. The WELS, although smaller, has influence as well. And there are numerous Lutheran church bodies the LCMS is in fellowship with across the globe and on the mission field.
A FINAL WORD
I know DeYoung sincerely was trying to understand Lutherans and the various questions of why. My advice not only for DeYoung, but for anyone--including myself--is that when we research folks that think differently than we ourselves do, it is very important that we try to view the research through the lens of the folks we are researching. I know this is not always easy, but it will help us to understand better.
Thanks go to DeYoung for his honest questions.
What follows is my response to the article.
DEYOUNG VIEWS LUTHERANS THE WRONG WAY TO BEGIN WITH
It is helpful to read DeYoung's article recognizing how he thinks. To put it bluntly, he does not think like a Lutheran. Most would say this is an obvious point that needs no comment, but nonetheless it is vital to understand that his whole article views Lutherans incorrectly. I can understand this, because before I was a Lutheran I thought of Lutherans the same way DeYoung does.
How does he think of Lutherans? One need only go to his "UPDATE" at the end of his article, where he says the following:
"My central question was about the place of Lutherans in the big tent of evangelicalism."
That is precisely where DeYoung goes wrong.
Historic and confessional Lutheranism is simply not in "the big tent of evangelicalism."
This wrong way of viewing Lutherans reminds me of similarly how Roman Catholics view the Eastern Orthodox. Catholics think the Orthodox are just a "sister church" that is "like them" in many ways.
But ask an Orthodox person about how Orthodoxy views herself, and they will tell you that they are nothing like Rome, and most definitely not a "sister church."
Historic and confessional Lutheranism does not view itself as "one option among many."
I'm not speaking of those "Lutheran" churches that have fallen prey to non-denominational and American evangelical thinking.
I'm talking about Lutheran churches that subscribe to the Book of Concord. If you want to know what a Lutheran is, it is simply someone who believes, teaches, and confesses what is written in the Book of Concord. You can read it for free at www.bookofconcord.org as well.
Given the above, DeYoung's whole article goes wrong. It treats Lutherans like we are supposed to act like today's evangelicals or today's reformed.
But we are not.
So what follows now is quick answers to his article that views us Lutherans like we are supposed to act or believe in ways that are not us. DeYoung's questions will be in quotes, with my responses below them.
ANSWERS TO DEYOUNG'S QUESTIONS
"What up with Lutherans?"
Sup.
"where are they?"
Right here.
"I’m genuinely curious to know why the big tent of conservative, confessional evangelicalism doesn’t have more Lutherans."
Because we do not consider ourselves part of the big tent of conservative, confessional evangelicalism. We are our own thing. We are not Protestants in today's sense. We are not evangelical. We are not reformed. We are not Eastern Orthodox. We are not Roman. We are Lutherans.
"Where have all the Lutherans gone?"
You'll find us in our Lutheran parishes. You are welcome to visit. Heck, we'll even commune you if you go through catechesis and become Lutheran. :)
"I just don’t know all the good they are doing and saying."
We have a tremendous presence in the mission field. Especially the LCMS. We are involved in the culture and our communities frequently.
"Lutheranism has always been a little out of place with the sometimes rootless, low church expressions of evangelicalism. They never got on board with evangelicalism after the Great Awakening."
Correct! Not only are we out of place in evangelicalism, it is completely antithetical to who we are. We are Sacramental to the core and we believe the Spirit only acts in the Word and Sacraments, and not apart from them. You can probably now guess what we think about the "Great Awakening". :)
"but evangelicalism has been influenced by many Anglican theologians and preachers, hasn’t it?"
Of course it has. Anglicanism from its inception was always less interested in precise doctrine. I often consider Anglicanism to be liturgical non-denominationalism.
"Lutherans are content to remain in ethnic enclaves."
This is a fair concern for many Lutherans, and it is something Lutherans should indeed repent of.
"The Lutheran view of the sacraments is a bridge too far for many evangelicals, and the faddish nature of evangelicalism is a bridge too far for many Lutherans."
Yes indeed. 100% agreement there.
"The bulk of Lutherans have gone liberal and the rest have gone into bunker mode."
That's like saying that the bulk of Christians have gone unitarian-universalist, etc. There are still plenty of confessional Lutherans around. The LCMS is a huge denomination. The WELS, although smaller, has influence as well. And there are numerous Lutheran church bodies the LCMS is in fellowship with across the globe and on the mission field.
A FINAL WORD
I know DeYoung sincerely was trying to understand Lutherans and the various questions of why. My advice not only for DeYoung, but for anyone--including myself--is that when we research folks that think differently than we ourselves do, it is very important that we try to view the research through the lens of the folks we are researching. I know this is not always easy, but it will help us to understand better.
Thanks go to DeYoung for his honest questions.
10/26/16
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.
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.
10/14/16
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.
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.
9/27/16
"You Lutherans have little in common with Luther theologically"
Every so often, folks from other camps especially the Reformed camp claim Lutherans are hardly in line with Luther theologically.
So let's put that to the test.
Confessional Lutheranism holds to Book of Concord as biblical rule of faith. That book contains three writings by Luther in full, three writings in full in Luther's lifetime that he agreed to and with, and a longer version of Formula of Concord that largely quote or paraphrase Luther (yes including his Bondage which was made binding on the Lutheran faith in it).
So explain again how we- confessional Lutherans- are out of step with Luther theologically again?
Here we stand.
So let's put that to the test.
Confessional Lutheranism holds to Book of Concord as biblical rule of faith. That book contains three writings by Luther in full, three writings in full in Luther's lifetime that he agreed to and with, and a longer version of Formula of Concord that largely quote or paraphrase Luther (yes including his Bondage which was made binding on the Lutheran faith in it).
So explain again how we- confessional Lutherans- are out of step with Luther theologically again?
Here we stand.
9/15/16
"Free" Will???
The common error that those who believe in "free will" make is that
they look at passages with words like "choose" and "come" and
"whosoever", and then wrongly *assume* that that must mean that they
have the *ability* to choose. The Bible nowhere teaches this.
In fact, it teaches quite the opposite. Jesus says no one *can* (ability) come to Him unless the Father draws him. Jesus says none have life except those to whom the Son has revealed Himself. Romans 8:7-8 says that the sinful mind is hostile God, it does not submit to God's Law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the flesh *cannot* please God. Not to mention that the Bible describes the unregenerate as *dead* in sins and trespasses.
In fact, it teaches quite the opposite. Jesus says no one *can* (ability) come to Him unless the Father draws him. Jesus says none have life except those to whom the Son has revealed Himself. Romans 8:7-8 says that the sinful mind is hostile God, it does not submit to God's Law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the flesh *cannot* please God. Not to mention that the Bible describes the unregenerate as *dead* in sins and trespasses.
Notice, then, that these passages teach that mankind is *accountable* to choose, although they lack the moral ability to do so.
These folks counter by saying "Well then how can God say we are responsible then?"
Scripture declares we are nonetheless accountable. Jesus also commands us to be *perfect*, although none of us can do that. None of us have the ability. But we are still accountable to do so.
Please notice, then, that the only Perfection we will ever have is Christ Himself. And none of us desire Christ unless the Spirit convicts through the law and shows us Christ in the Gospel.
What many of these folks usually do is they say that God draws everyone, then leaves the rest up to man. This is another fundamental error because not only does the Bible nowhere teach this, but it also separates God's Spirit from His Word and His Sacraments. God is always pleased to *draw* people through His preached Word and His Sacraments administered. The Spirit willingly binds Himself to these.
These folks counter by saying "Well then how can God say we are responsible then?"
Scripture declares we are nonetheless accountable. Jesus also commands us to be *perfect*, although none of us can do that. None of us have the ability. But we are still accountable to do so.
Please notice, then, that the only Perfection we will ever have is Christ Himself. And none of us desire Christ unless the Spirit convicts through the law and shows us Christ in the Gospel.
What many of these folks usually do is they say that God draws everyone, then leaves the rest up to man. This is another fundamental error because not only does the Bible nowhere teach this, but it also separates God's Spirit from His Word and His Sacraments. God is always pleased to *draw* people through His preached Word and His Sacraments administered. The Spirit willingly binds Himself to these.
9/8/16
The Evangelical Lutheran Church is the True Church Because of the Gospel
Many religions compete for which is the true one. And many branches
of Christianity claim they are the truest to the Scriptures, or the true
church. However, unfortunately, many of these claim such merely for the
sake of "being right." They usually base it upon alleged "apostolic
succession," or "the successor of Peter," or "truest to the Scriptures."
However, even the last case of "truest to the Scriptures" begs the question of *how*. How should the Scriptures be interpreted?
However, even the last case of "truest to the Scriptures" begs the question of *how*. How should the Scriptures be interpreted?
The Evangelical Lutheran Church, or Evangelical Catholics, believes
that what constitutes the true visible Church on earth is the pure
preaching of the Gospel and the pure administration of the Sacraments
according to the Gospel. We believe that the Gospel is what constitutes
the proper interpretation of Scripture. Everything is about Jesus
Christ† and His work for us.
This is expressed in our Lutheran Confessions, which we believe to be faithful to the Good News of the Gospel. Apart from the Gospel, there is no church. This is why all false doctrine is dangerous. Anything that waters down the Good News of the Gospel inevitably points us toward our own efforts.
God must always come *down* to us. The Gospel is for us, for us poor, weary sinners.
It is all about the Gospel. Apart from this, there is no good news.
Christ is for us in Word and Sacrament!
This is expressed in our Lutheran Confessions, which we believe to be faithful to the Good News of the Gospel. Apart from the Gospel, there is no church. This is why all false doctrine is dangerous. Anything that waters down the Good News of the Gospel inevitably points us toward our own efforts.
God must always come *down* to us. The Gospel is for us, for us poor, weary sinners.
It is all about the Gospel. Apart from this, there is no good news.
Christ is for us in Word and Sacrament!
9/4/16
Forgiveness, Life, and Salvation
Rome says that the Eucharist forgives only venial sins, but not
mortal sins. This is absolutely impossible, for through the Eucharist we
are receiving Christ.
Rome says that Holy Baptism only forgives original, past, and present, but not future sins. But this is impossible. For through Holy Baptism, we are brought into union with Christ.
Rome says that Absolution is conditional and dependent upon works of contrition. But this is impossible, because no one's works are perfect, but are always tainted with sin. Further, it is impossible to even know all our sins, for our hearts are that deceitful, even after regeneration.
Rome says that Holy Baptism only forgives original, past, and present, but not future sins. But this is impossible. For through Holy Baptism, we are brought into union with Christ.
Rome says that Absolution is conditional and dependent upon works of contrition. But this is impossible, because no one's works are perfect, but are always tainted with sin. Further, it is impossible to even know all our sins, for our hearts are that deceitful, even after regeneration.
The bottom line is that, in Roman theology, Christ recedes into the
background and ultimately has to be viewed as a mere tack-on.
If we have been united with Christ in Holy Baptism, partake of His Flesh and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, and hear His gracious Words of forgiveness in Holy Absolution, it is impossible for sin to remain. Although it remains in our heart, we are shielded and clothed with Christ Our Righteousness.
All sins are forgiven.
And where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.
If we have been united with Christ in Holy Baptism, partake of His Flesh and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, and hear His gracious Words of forgiveness in Holy Absolution, it is impossible for sin to remain. Although it remains in our heart, we are shielded and clothed with Christ Our Righteousness.
All sins are forgiven.
And where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.
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