Paul Kelm, WELS (D.Min. in Church Growth, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis) is one of the few to grasp the real meaning of Universal Objective Justification.
Probably no one has been taught the weirdness of forgiveness without faith until he has studied at the Sausage Factory (Mequon), the Frozen Food Seminary (Mankato) or the two Concordias. Many of those students think UOJ means the Atonement, but it does not. As I have told various people, the misinformed and badly educated have had their eyes opened by the actual statements of UOJ champions. The scales fall off their eyes when they realize that UOJ is not the Atonement but an alien religion divorced from the Christian faith.
Apart from the Midwestern sects of Lutheranism, the same ones flocking to Fuller and Willow Creek, no organizations have embraced UOJ in all of Christianity.
But Paul Kelm has an important insight, which may explain matters for people. He likes to make everything upside-down. He has this statement in one of his theological treatises:
"It's just easier for many people to work backwards from the subjective to the objective in their thinking. In fact, upside-down evangelism may start with gospel and work back to law, stating the solution as a prelude to the problem and clarifying both at the cross." [This is Moravian Pietism]
Paul Kelm The Evangelism Life Line (WELS), Fall, 1985 p. 5.
Moravian Pietism starts with the Gospel and works back to the Law. That explains the peculiar nature of WELS. On the one hand, they publish articles in FIC (False Teachers in Collusion) and books at NPH (Valleskey, et al). They always say, "The whole world has been forgiven." The ELS says the whole world is saved.
On the other hand, they lash people with the Law. WELS blames its members for its financial meltdown and loss of members. The ELS extends the Left Foot of Fellowship to anyone who dissents, even UOJ warrior Preus.
LutherQuest (sic) chants "Anathema sit. Anathema sit (Let him be damned)," if anyone questions their beloved UOJ. Wait guys. Everyone has been forgiven, declared righteous. It's over, man, as you say so eloquently. How come the Book of Concord fans are condemned while the Hottentotts are forgiven? Why is Hell filled with guilt-free saints while Ichabod is full of condemned sinners?
Paul Kelm has explained it well. Start with the Gospel, move to the Law.
Luther said if we do that, the listener will look at us the way a cow looks at a newly painted fence.
And that is the proper look for UOJ laity.
