Nick has left a new comment on your post "Martin Luther College":
Hello again Dr. Jackson,
Thank you for your quick response.
I never meant to imply that the students who not idiots (sic). What they did was foolish and reflected poorly on themselves and on the school, but most importantly on Christ of whom all Christians are ambassadors.
As for UOJ, I've been following the dialogue for some time now and see the clear words of Scripture and can't argue against them.
I think you have a tendency to put words in to the mouths of WELS Lutherans.
Did Jesus take away the sins of the world? Certinaly. Scripture affirms this. (John 1:29)
Forgivness of sins-what else is that but do not have those sins held against you.
So if God's not holding sins against you, then he declares you not guilty. You are justified based not on your own works, but on the works of Christ, his active and passive obedience. (Isaiah 53)
Now this full and free declaration was made to the whole world. Does this mean all people are automatically saved?
No. Does this make sense logically, not exactly. I think this is where you get tripped up. You assume that since we affirm in the Scriptural teaching that the whole world had fallen short of God's glory and was justified freely by his grace (Romans 3) than clearly all must be saved.
Yet Jesus laments: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together,as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing."
People cannot accept the Holy Spirit. That Scripture clearly teaches. (I Cor. 12:3)
Yet they can reject the Holy Spirit and that saving message , thus spitting on that full and free declaration and choosing to continue in a life of sin.
So who is saved?
Those who believe by faith alone.
John 3:16 "...whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life."
We simply must let the clear words of Scripture stand. Just because a doctrine doesn't make sense logically doesn't mean it is false. If so, then please explain the Trinity to me.
We simply take it on faith.
Is this not what Luther taught, that we go to Scripture alone to find the answers? That we are saved by God's grace alone and this only comes to us by faith alone? Exactly.
God bless.
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GJ - I agree with Robert Preus' last book, Justification and Rome - which his UOJ fans cannot comprehend.
I also agree with Luther, the Book of Concord, and the Scriptures.
UOJ is warmed-over Calvinism, mediated by Halle Pietism.
