"Perish is the word I use to describe..."
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "First Known Statement of Two Justifications - From...":
Dr. Jackson,
I agree with you on UOJ. I was wondering if you could briefly comment on Luther's explanation of the 5th Petition in the Large Catechism, which might be used as a defense for UOJ.
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GJ - Here is the statement in question:
88] Therefore there is here again great need to call upon God and to pray: Dear Father, forgive us our trespasses. Not as though He did not forgive sin without and even before our prayer (for He has given us the Gospel, in which is pure forgiveness before we prayed or ever thought about it). But this is to the intent that we may recognize and accept such forgiveness. 89] For since the flesh in which we daily live is of such a nature that it neither trusts nor believes God, and is ever active in evil lusts and devices, so that we sin daily in word and deed, by commission and omission, by which the conscience is thrown into unrest, so that it is afraid of the wrath and displeasure of God, and thus loses the comfort and confidence derived from the Gospel; therefore it is ceaselessly necessary that we run hither and obtain consolation to comfort the conscience again.
This is a beautiful statement about the Atonement, which is pure forgiveness. One example from the New Testament is Paul's discussion on Reconciliation, a synonym for the Atonement.
KJV 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Another is the three-fold example of Christ's sacrificial death:
KJV Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
KJV Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
KJV Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
These examples show that the Atonement is the Gospel, an objective fact which does not depend upon man's faith or virtue. Luther often wrote things like this, which I am paraphrasing - "Christ died for the sins of the world" - that is a meaningless statement unless you say "He died for me." Here the explanatory phrase is ignored by the Stormtroopers: "(for He has given us the Gospel, in which is pure forgiveness before we prayed or ever thought about it)."
The preaching of this Gospel produces faith, the Holy Spirit working effectively through the Word. The best comparison is the Atonement being the great treasure (a term used more than once in the Book of Concord). The treasure lies in one pile until it is distributed by the Holy Spirit in the Word and Sacraments.
So the Atonement is already true, without us and apart from us. But the declaration of our forgiveness is separate from the Atonement. Justification in the Bible always means justification by faith. The UOJ Stormtroopers confuse "if" and "when." They erect their Straw Man fallacy and say, "You are not forgiven because of your faith!" Faith means trust in the Gospel Promises, so we are forgiven when we believe in the forgiveness proclaimed in the cross of Christ. The Word of God daily proclaims this to us. The Gospel of John was written to produce faith, so faith must be good in the eyes of God. John 3:16 commends faith and John 3:36 condemns unbelief. " 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."
Either we believe or we do not believe. There is no middle ground.
The tragedy of our time comes from Lutherans who have separated grace from the Means of Grace. Not trusting in the effectiveness of the Word, they turn to secular methods and become hardened unbelievers who will do or say anything to maintain their chintzy little kingdoms.
I know intelligent Lutherans who embrace UOJ and supposedly reject the Church Growth Movement. UOJ is the foundation of CGM, as Valleskey revealed in his odious book and the fake Ichabods disclosed on their defeated blog.
I highly recommend reading Luther's Commentary on Galatians in its entirety. I read it aloud to Mrs. Ichabod. The commentary was Bunyan's favorite, apart from the Bible. Luther said he would keep two of his books - Galatians and his Small Catechism. It is so strange that seminary professors suggest drivel like Your Church Can Grow instead of Luther.
