FIC Promotes UOJ, Again

WELS AnswerMan

Q: I was told that Lutherans teach that all people's sins were forgiven when Christ died on the cross. I have a very hard time believing that certain known non-christians, complete rascals, impenitent, and staying that way till their death had their sins forgiven. Seems to me that forgiveness is offered to everyone but the actual forgiving of sins by Christ does not happen until the Holy Ghost leads them to Baptism and Faith. Becoming a forgiven person by Christ and being saved happen together. The new testament, I think in Acts, says "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and then you will be saved." Please comment.

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A: Thanks for asking your question. This subject is a good one to remind us of the importance of defining terms, going out of our way to avoid misunderstanding, and -- above all -- limiting ourselves to what the Bible says on a given subject.

May we speak of all sinners being forgiven -- all mankind, including those impenitent, non-Christian "rascals" you are thinking of? Here is what the Bible declares:

"God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them." (2 Cor. 5:19) "There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:22-25) "[Christ] was delivered over to death because of our sins and was raised to life because of our justification." (Romans 4:25). God says he has justified (declared not guilty, forgiven) all mankind because of Christ's atoning work for everyone two thousand years ago. This truth is often called objective or universal justification.

Alongside this reality is also the truth known as subjective justification, when the individual person is brought by the Holy Spirit to embrace or appropriate this forgiveness and receive personal benefit from it through saving faith. That is what you are primarily thinking of and is undeniable fact on the basis of the Bible. When a person remains impenitent and an unbeliever, he is still pardoned by God objectively and really -- but he does not benefit from that awesome truth. He is like a person who has had a fortune deposited into his bank account, in reality, yet despises that fact and continues to live and die as a pauper. The reality of the gift and the love of the Giver is not changed, but the personal blessing is forfeited.

Beware of emphasizing one Bible truth (subjective justification through faith) at the expense of another (objective justification). Receive with joy the Bible revelation of both. Beware of confusing similar but sometimes differing Bible concepts like being "forgiven" and being "saved". And do yourself a favor and do some reading on the subject. I suggest the following essays you may download and enjoy: http://www.wlsessays.net/authors/B/BeckerUniversal/BeckerUniversal.PDF and http://www.wlsessays.net/authors/S/SchallerRedemption/SchallerRedemption.PDF

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GJ - If people wonder why I write against Universal Objective Justification (forgiveness without faith, grace without the Means of Grace), this AnswerMan smoke cloud is reason enough.

Nothing good is going to happen in WELS, Missouri, or the ELS until they start teaching justification by faith according to the Scriptures and the Confessions.

Here are the basics, which will be published more completely on Lulu.com in the future:

1. The UOJ passages so frequently cited are all Atonement passages. Christ has indeed paid for the sins of the world. The Atonement means that everything changed with the death and resurrection of Christ, but justification in the Old Testamet could only be by faith. Has anyone tried to wedge UOJ into Abraham believing and being counted righteous?
2. No Biblical verse, no accepted Patristic author, no Book of Concord passage, no post-Reformation author has ever supported the opinion that "God declared the entire world forgiven of its sin."
3. UOJ fanatics cannot figure out if this Universalism of theirs happened at the death of Christ or His resurrection.
4. UOJ proponents have to admit that their system of thought is only about 100 years old. The first real belch of UOJ came with the Brief Statement. Walther and Pieper both promoted UOJ, but the roots of their false doctrine grew among the European Pietists. Walther was the first Hyper-Euro Lutheran. He quoted Europeans all the time.

WELS UOJ is highly conducive to working with ELCA Universalists, the Church of Rome, and Fuller Pentecostals. UOJ generates doctrinal apathy and global ecumenism.

The Biblical doctrine of the Means of Grace is taught consistently in the Scriptures, the Church Fathers (and I do not mean Walther, Pieper, and Uncle Fritz), Luther, the Book of Concord, and the post-Reformation theologians like Chemnitz, Gerhard, and others.

The treasure of the Atonement is an objective fact. As Luther said, the atoning death of Christ would be true even if no one ever believed it. Luther also said that God could save the world if he wanted to. Liberals, Universalists, UOJists - all agree that He has done just that. But the Word of God teaches us that God appointed means or instruments to bring this grace, this Atonement to individuals.

The Reformed always rail against the Means of Grace. They hate Holy Communion and Holy Baptism as sacraments. That hate the power of the efficacious Word alone (that is, without their help, their salesmanship, their logic). They hate the abundance of those Means of Grace. Harumpf:
1. The Word?
2. Baptism?
3. Communion?
4. Absolution?
5. Mutual consolation of the brethren?

Why does God need so many? they scandalize among themselves.

I would argue that man needs so many Means of Grace because we are so prone to dismiss, ignore, or disbelieve the full and free forgiveness won for us by Christ on the cross, confirmed for the whole world in His resurrection. God gives us absolute certainty that - no matter how we feel - our sins are taken away through these means.

Every so often a pastor will send an apology to me. He is forgiven. Then he apologizes a second time. So I ask, "Don't you believe in absolution?" That brings a chuckle. That is the soul of the Gospel. God does what He promises.

The Means of Grace also give us a double-blessing. We have the great privilege of sharing in the abundance of Gospel blessings without being individually responsible for the exact effect of the Word in individuals. We do not need to judge, to reckon, to calculate - only to sow the imperishable Gospel seed with abandon.

The efficacious Word is the energy behind the Means of Grace. The Holy Spirit only works through this Word and never apart from it. However, the efficacy shows itself not only in conversion but also in hardening. Anyone who has tried to be faithful to the Scriptures has seen how Satanic hatred erupts from hearing the mildest Scriptural teaching. I used to open my snail mail with asbestos gloves as heat waves shimmered above the page of the latest tirade, which usually closed "In Christian love..."

The Old Synodical Conference has yakked about UOJ with increasing stridency for the last 30 years, while working hand-in-claw with the LCA/ALC/ELCA. Has this UOJ opinion helped their evangelism efforts or lubricated their eventual merger with ELCA? Has UOJ protected the Gospel, as they like to say, quoting one of their illiterate authorities, or moved them into fellowship with the Church of Rome?
Has UOJ strengthened the synods or hastened their decline?

How many UOJ pastors have pursued a mistress while thinking, "I know I am already forgiven"?

KJV John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.


KJV John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

KJV 1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

KJV John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

KJV John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

KJV John 12:39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

KJV John 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

KJV John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

KJV Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

KJV Romans 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

KJV Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

KJV 2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

KJV 1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

KJV Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.