Q - Why study justification by faith?
A - Luther wrote that attacks against the Christian faith fall into three categories:
Q - What is justification?
A - Justification is God's gracious declaration that an individual is forgiven all his sin through faith.
Q - Is there another justification?
A - No. The word justification and the verb to justify are used in the Scriptures only in the sense of justification by faith. Unless one is inventing new meanings, justification simply means justification by faith.
Q - Why do some people talk about a General Justification, an Objective Justification, or a Universal Justification?
A - All three terms come from Calvinistic influence in Lutheran Pietism. Following Knapp and others, Synodical Conference Lutherans began to speak of two justifications - one objective, the other subjective.
Q - What does General, Objective, or Universal Objective Justification claim?
A - The terms are used to claim falsely that God absolved the entire world, without the Word, without the Means of Grace, without faith - when Christ died on the cross, or alternately when He rose from the dead.
Q - Where is this definition found?
A - The Synodical Conference Brief Statement, 1932: "Scripture teaches that God has already declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ, Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 4:25..."
Q - What are the implications of Universal Objective Justification?
A - Every single person is a guilt-free saint, including Hitler, Mao, Stalin, the Hottentots, Hindu, Muslim, and those who died in the Flood.
Q - How is Universal Objective Justification different from Universalism, the opinion that everyone is saved?
A - In spite of claims to the contrary, the Wisconsin Synod has already had a campaign where posters said to the public, "You are saved - just like me." That is Universalism, universal salvation.
Q - What do the Scriptures and Confessions teach about the crucifixion of Christ?
A - They speak with one voice that Christ died for the sins of the world, so that no one would be tempted to think that any work was required of man to satisfy God.
Q - Why is faith denounced as a work among UOJ adherents?
A - They take their argument back to Calvinism, where the strict Calvinists disagreed with Arminians, who viewed faith a a virtue in man and also as their part of the transaction, fulfilling what God started.
Q - Why is this a false accusation among Lutherans?
A - The Book of Concord teaches in harmony with the Scriptures that faith is trust in the Word, a trust caused by the Holy Spirit working in the Word. Christ Himself extolled faith in individuals and rebuked His disciples' lack of faith - "O ye of little faith!"
Q - How is an individual justified by faith?
A - He becomes aware of his sinful nature and his inability to save himself through the preaching of the Law. Jesus identified this as convicting the world of its sin, "because they believe not on Me." John 16:8. The Holy Spirit works through the Promises of God in the Word to create and sustain faith, which receives the Gospel message of forgiveness and all its blessings.
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.
Q - How does this grace of God come to people?
A - God has given us the Means of Grace to convey His forgiveness to us.
Q - What are the Means of Grace?
A - We use this term to designate the invisible Word of preaching and teaching, the visible Word of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion.
Q - Does the Holy Spirit ever work apart from the Word of God?
A - No, that is the essence of Enthusiasm, divorcing the Holy Spirit from the Word. Enthusiasm is the basis for all false doctrine, all false religion.
Q - Where can this work of the Holy Spirit through the Word be found?
A - Isaiah 55:8-10
KJV Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Q - How can UOJ be defined as false doctrine?
A -
Q - Was not Jesus "raised for our justification," showing that His resurrection is the absolution of the world, as C. F. W. Walther preached?
A - The Romans passage is about justification by faith, as the context shows:
KJV Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Abraham is the father of faith in the entire chapter, which transitions from 4:25 to this declaration:
KJV Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Q - Why do UOJ advocates use reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5 to prove the universal absolution?
A - Calvin's rationalism has had a lasting, damaging effect on Lutherans via Pietism. One proof of that impact is the transition of Pietism to pure rationalism in one generation, at Halle University, the home of Pietism, and in denominations like the ELCA.
Human reason tells them that if Christ became sin on the cross, then man became righteous at the same moment, although they disagree about the timing of their illusion. Some make it the moment of His death, because He said "It is finished." Some make the Moment of Absolution His resurrection, because Walther said so.
Q - What has UOJ done for the Synodical Conference?
A - By creating an inroad for Pietism, Enthusiasm, and Unionism, UOJ has justified beating a path to Fuller Seminary, Willow Creek, Mars Hill, and Life Church. Those disgusted with Entertainment Evangelism have felt comfortable in joining Rome or Eastern Orthodoxy for Entertaining Worship.
Q - What has UOJ done for the Sunday service?
A - The Pietism of UOJ destroys the liturgy, preaching, hymn singing, and the confessions.
3 comments:
Good morning Pastor GJ. Is every body ready for some more John Theodore Mueller?
"We Believe (a) that since through Christ's vicarious satisfaction all mankind is reconciled to God and this reconciliation is proclaimed to men in the Gospel to the end that all should belive the message of God's grace, FAITH IN CHRIST IS THE ONLY MEANS BY WHICH TO OBTAIN FORGIVENESS OF SIN AND SALVATION; (b) that faith in Christ is properly a firm trust and confidence in the forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake alone."
"WE BELIEVE (a) that God does not recieve man on the basis of their own works; (b) but without the deeds of the Law, by grace alone, on account of the perfect merit of Christ, He justifies them, that is, He reguards as righteous all those who believe that for Christ's sake there sins are forgiven: (c) that by this doctrine alone Christ is given the honor due Him, and through it alone sinners receive the abiding comfort that God is surely gracious to them; (d) that the Christian religion is centered in the precious doctrine that we obtain forgiveness of sin without works of our own, solely by the grace of God, for Christ's sake, through faith."
"WE BELIEVE (a) that in order to preach the Word of God rightly, a proper distinction must be observed between the Law and Gospel; (b) that the Law reveals sin, proclaims the wrath of God, condemns those who do not perfectly obey Him, and commands what, according to the will of God, men should do and leave undone, without, however, granting power to do the works demanded, so that no man can be saved by the works of the Law; (c) that the Gospel is the gracious message of salvation through Jesus Christ, by which the Holy Spirit works faith in men and thus saves them; (d) that the whole law must be preached in its whole severity and the Gospel in its sweetness."
I am glad our old friend J. T. is not around to see Willow Creek and the LCMS/WELS church growth movement. Throughout his writtings one can clearly see how Mueller observed that the Modernists, Universalists, and Unitarians were a huge threat to christianity. In one of the post 1926 printings, there was a foot-note added to the Predestination section:
"Note: Today many rationalistic and modernistic churches still use the terms "diety of Christ," "atonement," "salvation by faith," "election by grace," etc., but they have changed their meaning so as to suit their rationalism."
I cannot count the number of times that Mueller uses the phrases "through faith in Christ Jesus," and "the means of grace." Now old J.T. was no idiot, he saw some things, no doubt within his own church body, that began to smell of apostasy.(this was more-or-less in his later years) Here is a quote at the end of the "Of The Means Of Grace" section:
"(e) that, therefore, all other man-made means for building the Church are "new measures," by which the Church is not built, but harmed."
Correct me if I am wrong, but I'll wager you that part "e" was inserted in printings that came after 1926(?) Do you think Richard "Church And Change" Gurgel would add the part "e" wording in any future printings of WELS-"This We Believe?"(Churh and Change/New Measures...six in one hand and half a dozen in the other!)
In Christ,
from WELS church lady
OK! In J.T. Mueller's Christian dogmatics. He does use the term "Objective Justification." I found this in one of your older posts. Basically he used it in place of reconciliation. In other words, he did not go as far as the Kokomo advacates. I hardly, HARDLY think he would have agreed in the "guilt-free saints in hell" business. In his My Church and Others, we CAN appreciate Mueller's purity of the Scriptures. I will always refer to this book. Like Adolf Hoenecke, whom GJ quotes positively, (as well as showing his errors) J.T. still new more than most.
In Christ,
from WELS chruch lady
I will research this information in the very near future. I discovered that when J.T. Mueller wrote Christian Dogmatics in the 1950's, he relied on F. Pieper as a source. This does not surprise us. Did Mueller pick up on the fact that Pieper stated faith is not a requirement? The Lutheran Confessions state that faith is necessary. Poor F Pieper, who knew German, may have determined the word "require" to mean work or doing a task. What happens when the next Lutheran Prof. writes a book? The Holy Spirit does not have to plant faith. NOW WE GET INTO SOME BAD DOCTRINE! Separating the Holy Spirit from the Word! It gets worse a little further down the road. Remember J.P. Meyer....just accept? Descision Theology! In defence of the well remembered J.P. Meyer he was sharp and he was AGAINST this apostasy that we are witnessing in WELS today. He can be quoted favorably on other topics. Meyer would NOT be a fan of the Core by a long shot. Moving back to the LCMS, do you think for a minute that J.T. Mueller would have approved of Kieschnik?
In Christ,
from WELS church lady
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