Joe Krohn on UOJ

http://lutherrocks7.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html

Saturday, October 30, 2010

REFORMATION MMX

I have come to the conclusion that there are no synods or denominations in the world that teach the Word in its truth and purity.  That is why God tells us to be in the Word daily; to test the spirits; to wear His decrees on our foreheads and tie them around our wrists so that we never forget them.  The visible church has struggled since the very beginning.  Its what brought the Reformation.  As sinful men it will always be so.  But that does not mean we abandon our resolve to pursue truth and purity in our church bodies.

On this eve of the anniversary of the great Reformation, I humbly offer what I would change in my synod if I were in the position to do so:

Justification.  As the following statement implies, it is what the church stands on or falls.  It was Martin Luther's tantamount objection to Rome.  And yet we WELsians have it wrong insofar as carrying Objective Justification  to the illogical conclusion of forgiveness to sinners without repentance!!!

This from the WELS website "This We Believe" under "Justification By Faith".

"IV. JUSTIFICATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

1. We believe that God has justified all sinners, that is, he has declared them righteous for the sake of Christ. This is the central message of Scripture upon which the very existence of the church depends. It is a message relevant to people of all times and places, of all races and social levels, for "the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men" (Romans 5:18). All need forgiveness of sins before God, and Scripture proclaims that all have been justified, for "the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men" (Romans 5:18)."

One little word can fell this un-biblical statement.  Believing. Put it right before the word "sinners" in the very first sentence.  There is no righteousness or justification before faith.  The Bible never speaks in these terms.  A declaration by a sovereign God would make it so already so why would there be a need to have faith?  Men have corrupted the pure doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone with another Objective Justification and wasted so much breath, paper, words and time trying to defend what? Pride I would venture.  Romans 5:18 is ripped so hard out of context the saints are still crying.  I think the biggest problem stems from the way we think in Western culture and how we put too much emphasis on where we are in time related to the crucifixion of Christ.  In the texts leading up to Romans 5, Paul gives pictures of how justification, righteousness and faith work.

In Romans 4 Paul talks of Abraham, the model of our faith.  The promises of God are timeless and it is how it unites us with all the saints in faith.  As in Abraham's case, so it is with us. Abraham believed in the promises of God. He believed that a Savior would come to pay the debt of sin. Death. This is where the objectivity stops. Christ has obtained the righteousness FOR men; it is set aside and available for those who believe that a Savior would/did die for their sins and that they would receive forgiveness.  Christ's righteousness and justification through this belief in those promises is FAITH. Those with faith are credited with righteousness. No one else. There is no objective justification/righteousness out there. It is on Christ waiting to be given to the sinner/believer through faith; and faith clings to the promises of God; the promise of forgiveness when we repent.  Repentance has to come before forgiveness.  Only then does righteousness and justification come on us from Christ.

As you can see the very first verse of Romans 5 puts it in context.  I have also added the verses surrounding verse 18 to see them in context too.  I will add commentary in parenthesis.

Romans 5

Peace and Joy

 ¹Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ²through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.....

 ^......15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! ¹⁶Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. ¹⁷For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.  (JK-Paul reinforces the context here.  Notice how the gift (righteousness) moves through faith in Jesus onto believers; no declaration on unbelieving sinners.)
 ¹⁸Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. (JK- In other words, Christ carries the justification for all men; no imputation or declaration but surely availability.) ¹⁹For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many (all men) were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many (all believers) will be made righteous.
 ²⁰The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, ²¹so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Once again, there are no declarations.  The path to righteousness leads through Jesus.)

How we look at Justification affects how we do ministry.  It is one thing to approach a sinful world from the perspective of they are on the highway to hell versus they are already forgiven, they just don't know it yet.  The former gives us the opportunity to apply Law and Gospel as it should.  The latter only the Law.  If I don't feel I need anything, I'm surely going to resent having it guilted on me.

We have an infection.  It needs to be lanced.  Only then will we have healing.  You want change?  Change our mantra.  Be true to the Word.  Purge the files and root out the stinking thinking.

I have more to address, but have come to the end of time I'm going to spend on it today.

In the coming days of this Reformation/End Time season, I will offer my views on Office of the Ministry (Laymen and women); Symbols (and lack of) and Forgiveness.

In His Grace,
Joe