LP Cruz suggested the title, above, and I added the subtitle, from the Gospel of John.
I wonder what the UOJ Stormtroopers say about this passage from John's Gospel:
KJV John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
NKJ John 6:28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
Many have noticed that the UOJ Stormtroopers rail against faith. Suffering from mission creep, each one tries to outdo the other in denigrating faith. One partisan signed his post on the Net, "An believer." And he is a Missouri pastor.
John's Gospel may be the most humorous book of the Bible, full of ironic humor. Read John 9 and imagine the opponents as the Keystone Kops of the Bible.
The humor is often paradoxical, with a play on words: born again versus born from above, thirsting for water, bread from heaven.
John's Gospel teaches faith in Christ. The entire purpose of the Gospel is to produce faith in the Good Shepherd.
KJV John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
The paradox of the Gospel is whether our faith is in man or God. The righteousness of man is based upon faith in man's work, in order to please or appease God. That is the context of the question: "What work must we do?"
That one work is to believe on the One Whom God sent. Jesus is saying, "You are looking for a works answer. Here is the work - Believe in the One Whom God sent.
Paul said we are either saved by works or by faith alone, apart from the works of the Law.
The UOJ fanatics are so allergic to faith that they constantly warn people against faith.
Christianity teaches that God has accomplished everything for our salvation through the atoning death of Christ, Who rose from the dead. His grace comes to us through the Instruments of Grace - the Word and Sacraments. This alien righteousness is received through faith alone, God declaring us forgiven of all our sins.
UOJ, which is pure Enthusiasm, teaches that the entire world has been forgiven, absolved of all sin, but their theologues have yet to tell us where this is revealed in the Scriptures. Forgiveness is salvation and eternal life, so they teach Universalism on one hand but add, as an afterthought, that people need to believe in this universal absolution. Hottentots, Hindus, everyone in Hell - all are guilt-free saints. E. Preuss and Kokomo-WELS said so.
This great doctrinal synthesis of Calvinism via Pietism is not from Walther originally, but from the Halle Pietist Knapp. Walther kelmed it from Knapp's lectures, which were a 19th century best-seller among all Protestants, English and German-speaking. Knapp is still in print. The double justification formula, so popular today, is found in the English translation of Knapp, published long before Walther landed in New Orleans and kept in print during that century.
UOJ Influence in the Syn Conference
1. UOJ has made all forms of Enthusiasm acceptable in the Syn Conference, so Pentecostalism, Reformed doctrine, and Pietism thrive.
2. UOJ destroys the meaning and purpose of the Lutheran Confessions. If everyone is already forgiven, each denomination is just a brand-name, all the more reason to jettison the name Lutheran.
3. UOJ teaches the works of man. All we hear from the Shrinkers is how much they do. They increase membership numbers (pause for ironic laughter), transform people's lives (by posing with Hollywood ho's), and work so hard at planning, visioning, and leading.
4. UOJ is unionistic. Because no confession of faith matters, no differences exist as a barrier to joint-worship, joint-education, and joint-apostasy.
5. UOJ is anti-worship. They love themselves and their works, so they do not condescend to worship God. Instead, they brag about themselves. They act as if nothing happened until they arrived in that location.
6. UOJ is anti-Sacramental. At places like CrossWalk in Phoenix (WELS) and The CORE in A-Town, the sacraments are hidden away.
7. UOJ detests the Confessions. They pay some lip service to the Book of Concord, but they dismiss it as out of date, irrelevant, boring, and not worth their time.
8. UOJ has declared war on the Scriptures. They use the prime justification by faith chapters, Romans 4 and 5, to argue justification without faith. They invent meanings which are nowhere to be found in the entire Bible, just to fit their slogans.
9. UOJ fanatics are dishonest, deceptive, manipulative, and Antinomian. Everyone is absolved, so there is no Law. Shrinkers love this part of UOJ, whether they are chasing women or the bottom of the bottle.
10. UOJ Enthusiasm has prepared those who hate CG Enthusiasm to join Rome or Constantinople for another version of Enthusiasm.
Shame on all the Syn Conference leaders who have denied their members and pastors a real education in the Confessions.
