Justification by Faith Alone

KJV Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Dense Lutherans Foreshadowed
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.

30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

When Jesus answered the question directly, the crowd immediately demanded more. The work of God is to believe in the One He Sent, the Good Shepherd, to trust Him for the water of life (John 4), the Bread of Life (John 6), the fruits of the Spirit (John 15) and everlasting life.

"Nowhere in the Bible is any man constituted or declared righteous ‘without faith, before faith.’” R. C. H. Lenski, Romans, Augsburg Publishing House: Minneapolis, 1963, p. 382. Romans 5:19-20.

"They [the false teachers] fared like a man who looks through a colored glass. Put before such a man whatever color you please, he sees no other color than that of the glass. The fault is not that the right color is not put before him but that his glass is colored differently, as the word of Is. 6:9 puts it: You will see, he says, and yet you will not see it."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 644.

"To this incline your ears, and be persuaded that God speaks through men and forgives you your sins; this, of course, requires faith."Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed. John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, II, p. 200.

Contra - The WELS KW Heretics

west59wy (http://west59wy.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "WELS Kingdom Workers Work-Righteousness":

The highlighted sentence drips of a proud, pietistic, boastful spirit that loves to pin awards on those who say they are "sharing the Word" while slamming those who, in their exalted view, aren't because they haven't enrolled in the latest evangelism training session, hung doorhangers, etc. Tell it to the widowed mother who is raising her difficult teenage sons, paying the bills by toiling at a thankless job, who comes home exhausted after she's punched out the clock, who maybe has a enough gas left in the tank to read a devotion before nodding off, and who manages to come to church but is not much "involved" beyond that. Calling her a "church watcher"? Her church is her home, her altar is her family, her font is her job! Making such artificial distinctions as that of "church workers and "church watchers" reminds one of the haughty Corinthian spirits who looked down on the apostle Paul because he didn't measure up to their pre-determined standards of what qualified for a real apostle and a fake one. Yet,God uses the lowly...

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GJ - I wonder what happened to the memory of the housemother, a poor widow, who raised a bunch of boys while doing menial labor. Her last name was Pieper. I suppose that is forgotten when WELS leaders slaver over such names as Drucker, Stetzer, Beeson, Stanley, Wagner, Hybel, and Sweet.

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Rev. Fr. Spencer has left a new comment on your post "Contra - The WELS KW Heretics":

As much as I appreciate some of the work of WKW in the past, especially the Builders for Christ, I'm afraid they have now been completely taken over by church growth nuts and fanatics. Their material simply drips of Pietism. And watch out, ladies, LWMS could easily head off in the same direction. Be vigilant!

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KJV Matthew 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

WELS Kingdom Workers Work-Righteousness

WKW National Director, David Timm, from the WKW Spring Issue, 2010, volume 23, issue 1. Note the laying on, not lifting off of, guilt in the second to the last sentence.

"We all agree on the doctrine of justification – objective and subjective, that’s a safe topic for WELS Lutherans to discuss. The doctrine of sanctification is a bit more on the edge of the safe zone. If we focus too much on how we live as redeemed children of God, some will say we detract from Jesus and the gospel.

WELS and WELS Kingdom Workers (WKW) don’t have the resources we enjoyed in the past. Change has been forced upon us. Some believe new and different methods of reaching the lost with the message of justification are now necessary as part of a strategy to turn around the 20-year trend of decline in WELS. Some are against the idea of change. Others don’t want to argue about it, hoping things will get better if we all just get along. WKW is considering an association with the Center for Parish Renewal, formerly known as Parish Assistance. We are under the impression this is a good thing to do. As promoters of peace and harmony, we love the relationship we enjoy with WELS Boards for Home and World Missions. We are still providing people and money to serve WELS missions. If we can also help plateaued congregations see the mission field beyond their own property, if we can equip and empower lay people to actively serve their congregation and their synod, they will become value added kingdom workers when their life circumstances permit. It is said, “to be safe and avoid criticism, say nothing, and do nothing.” That’s not the model we see in Acts 7. Stephen spoke a straight forward message to the Sanhedrin. It wasn’t the safe thing to do, but it was the right thing to do. We are kingdom workers not kingdom watchers. Let us walk together (not just stand together) and ask the Holy Spirit to bless our action to reach the lost both near and far."

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WELS church lady has left a new comment on your post "WELS Kingdom Workers Work-Righteousness":

WELS Kingdom Workers:
Be on the look out for Pastor Stroh! Unfortunately this warning is TOO LATE. Didn't SP Schroeder kick Stroh and buddy Kelm off their Parish Assistance apostasy? (Yes he did!) We need Kingdom Workers, we do not need Kingdom Exploiters. When these guys come knocking at your door, they are after the money. Stroh went looking elsewhere and he found WKW. Why does everything have to be a C&C program? I am not against the WKW, only upset over these "changes."

In Christ,
from WELS church lady

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GJ - And they tried to deny they went out looking for money from WKW. If the Antinomian Chicaneries deny it, the disputed fact is true.

Froward Is a Better Word

Ski in Wonderland

rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Time of Grace Is a Missouri Synod Ministry":

Perhaps the "foward" at the bottom of the Satan Sex ed should have been "froward". The Middle English word appears in the much despised KJV and means "habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition". That seems to be the case here.

How To Lick a Bowl, Part 1

Opportunity

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL,
PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNWAKENED" Unknown

How To Lick a Bowl, Part 2

Temptation

How To Lick a Bowl, Part 3

Sin

How To Lick a Bowl, Part 4

Contrition

Fireproof Your Congregation - Study the Book of Concord

rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "He Denies UOJ! - Not in the Bible or BOC - But Wha...":

Here is another one. My former congregation is doing the "Fireproof your marriage" Bible study. This alleged Bible study is brought to us by a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Georgia. It is small group in format, with video tidbits for those with short attention spans. I was under the impression that the WELS was not in fellowship with Babtists. But, they can use their material if they just eat the meat and spit out the bones. What was that about swallowing the bird, feathers and all? Aren't we always told that the WELS won't be the only ones in heaven? Babtists are Christians also. We have been admonished to learn from them also.

He Denies UOJ! - Not in the Bible or BOC - But What about Denying the Means of Grace?

But Andy Stanley denies infant baptism and the Means of Grace.

The ultimate put-down in the Syn Conference is "He denies UOJ." Their theological leaders, from Otten on up, choose the Brief Statement of 1932 over the Book of Concord of 1580. Otten recently stated his agreement with the Brief Confession about UOJ, which is at war with the Book of Concord and the Scriptures.

The apostasy of the Syn Conference can be measured by this very fact - that denying UOJ is the unforgivable sin, while attending conferences with the Enthusiasts is excused, welcomed, encouraged, and financially supported.

Andy Stanley denies infant baptism, yet eight WELS workers have attended his Drive conferences together, according to Bishop Katie, who was also there.

Fuller Seminary denies the Means of Grace and mocks Lutheran doctrine, but Missouri, WELS, and the ELS have promoted men just for studying there. In fact, Larry Olson (Mary Lou College) earned a drive-by DMin at Fuller, his only qualification for heading the staff ministry program at MLC.

Leonard Sweet denies the Means of Grace, but WELS Church and Change hired him to teach WELS/ELS his New Age concepts. Thank you, Paul Calvin Kelm.

Ed Stetzer, as a Babtist, denies infant baptism and the Means of Grace, but Church and Changers were hotter than Georgia asphalt to have him teach them. The Conference of Pussycats woke up briefly from their doctrinal catnaps and halted that one.

Archbishop Weakland, as a gay Roman Catholic archbishop, denies the Biblical Means of Grace, but Willowcreek's Little College hired him and his priests to teach a series at their Schwan-funded school in Milwaukee.

A former Catholic bishop (this one straight, or at least married) denies the Means of Grace, but the Little Sect on the Prairie marched in a religious procession with him and had him speak in their chapel. Thank you, Erling Teigen, doctrinal stalwart.

Rick Warren, as a Babtist, denies infant baptism and the Means of Grace, but a number of WELS churches are affiliated with him.

Bill Hybel, at Willowcreek, denies the Means of Grace, but dozens of WELS pastors have been trained there to import his false doctrine into the Lutheran Church. Two WELS churches have affiliated with him, which would be unionism, except they believe the same thing. The open affiliation got stopped. Repentance? Ha.

Trinity Divinity School in Deerfield denies the Means of Grace, but so many staff and workers from WELS have studied there that the synod is listed twice in the school catalogue.

Craig Groeschel, Mark Driscoll, and Mark Beeson deny the Means of Grace, but WELS and Missouri workers oink over to those centers of apostasy so they can get their trotters in the trough, too.

The Shrinkers shriek about lack of adherence to their false doctrine, because it is their only doctrine. Once someone embraces UOJ, the richness and wealth of the Scriptural treasure is lost.

No one will admit officially to those doctrinal crimes listed above, but they are all documented, even bragged about, so there is no issue about the facts.

Faith Is a Four Letter Word in the Syn Conference, But "This is the Work of God"

Ichabod is Y1580 compliant.

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.