AC V has left a new comment on your post "Does Born Lutheran Count? How Is Steve Jobs Diffe...":
Here's a current example of how UOJ is used in the WELS. In the Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011 devotion from the WELS Meditations booklet, the author explains Matthew 18:18 "...whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.":
The author correctly quotes Luther from the Small Catechism: "The use of the keys is that special power and right which Christ gave to his church on earth: to forgive the sins of penitent sinners but refuse forgiveness to the impenitent as long as they do not repent." The author even quotes Jesus in John 20:22,23, "If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."
Got that? All very good. But then the author says (I will highlight the UOJ subterfuge): "Lutherans are very familiar with the keys. After all, they are used in worship every Sunday. In the Confession and Absolution, we confess our sins and, upon this confession, the pastor forgives our sins just as Jesus told his disciples to do." All very good so far, but then he goes on: "That's the loosing key - the guilt of our sin is removed." See how only the "guilt" is removed? Why? The author goes on: "The pastor assures us that, for Christ's sake, God has already forgiven us all our sins...That's how the called worker uses the keys on a regular basis."
But what about the binding key? The author goes on: "But when a member refuses to repent of his sin, the body of Christ is authorized by Jesus to declare that the person has locked himself out of heaven." So, the binding key is given to the impenitent to "lock himself out" of heaven? Where does it say that in the Bible?
It all fits hand in glove in with the teaching of UOJ. You are forgiven whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not. You are not actually forgiven of your sins by Word and Sacrament, you are only assured that your sins were forgiven on the cross 2000 years ago. You can't actually be refused forgiveness and therefore be in your sins. Forgiveness is already yours. You can only reject its benefits.
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2 comments:
Well said AC V. The other (W)ELS teaching that goes claw-n-paw with this is the teaching that the forgiven and justified world still resides under God's wrath for the sin that God has forgiven them for. Under UOJ the believers never receive the inheritance of sons but simultaneously exist under God's divine verdict of the forgiveness of all of their sins and the wrath over all of their sins.
(W)ELS Pastor David Jay Webber states it this way, "And remember that everything the Bible says about justification, it says in Christ, and because of Christ. In Christ, as God looks at the world through Christ, all are under divine mercy and are forgiven, and are therefore invited to believe and be saved. But outside of Christ, as God looks at the world apart from Christ, all are under divine wrath and judgment, and are condemned. The same people - namely all people -are under consideration in each case. Whether or not an individual is saved or lost, is determined by whether he is in Christ by faith, or outside of Christ through his unbelief. This is a paradox to be sure, but the Word of God, with its lawgospel message, is full of such paradoxes."
http://extranos.blogspot.com/2010/03/grinding-my-ax.html
6:40AM
So much for the false gospel of UOJ and the Synods and indivduals who promote it as the ultimate comfort. No wonder they are turning to the Antichrist for comfort and assurances today.
WELS Q&A
Hello, A Baptist friend of mine is having trouble with pastors forgiving a congregation's sins. Could you please explain to me what gives pastors or others the right to forgive sins. I see James 5:16 and John 20:23. Still kind of confused. Thank you.
The Bible verses you mention are appropriate. It may also be said that all passages that invite and urge us to preach the gospel are also rightly mentioned. To preach the gospel is to proclaim the forgiveness of sins for the sake of Christ and his atoning work. No one will really understand what the Lutheran church teaches about "absolution" (declaring forgiveness of sins) unless he clearly understands the truth of objective or universal justification. That is at the very heart of what we believe and teach. Long ago God has already forgiven every human being his or her sins. Christ's life and death as our substitute is finished. Nothing more needs to be done by the sinner himself. A Christian can go to any person on earth and rightly say to him, "Your sins are forgiven." To put it another way: The forgiveness of sins is not a potential fact that becomes a reality only when sinners
do something to qualify for it, or even when the gospel is proclaimed and personally received through faith. It has long been a reality to be proclaimed to sinners without conditions. When Jesus Christ rose from the dead-2000 years ago, he was raised because of our justification-because we had already been justified (Romans 4:25). 2 Corinthians 5:19-21 and Romans 3:22-23 stress the same truth.
This is why we may speak to one another to say "Your sins are forgiven" or "In the name of God, I forgive your sins." This is why a pastor, acting on behalf of all the Christians in the assembly, says the same thing. This is not arrogance or trying to "play God." It is serving as God's ambassadors and messengers, which is what we are. Perhaps your Baptist friend is thinking, "This should not be done in a large group, since there may be people who are really not repentant or who are hypocrites in that church. You cannot tell them they are forgiven, can you?" We answer in this way: "Yes, we can and must say this, for God has invited and commanded us to do
so. Jesus died and took away their sins, reconciling them to him - whether they believe it or not."
Lest we be misunderstood, we also say that if we know someone to be impenitent or a hypocrite, we will first speak to that person about sin, God's wrath, and eternal damnation in hell to expose his sinfulness and allow the Holy Spirit to convict him. That is also why the absolution in our public assemblies is always preceded by a general confession of sins and expression of repentance. But the fact remains-From God's standpoint Christ died for them and took away their guilt. We tell people this whether they are believers or unbelievers. And we hope and pray that this time they will believe us so that they too will know it is true and rejoice with us in the amazing grace of God.
- F. Bivens, Archived in Forgiveness and Repentance Section.
OK, so what would the Book of Concord say?: "Let any one of the adversaries come forth and tell us when remission of sins takes place. O good God, what darkness there is! ... what does the power of the keys effect, if sins have been already remitted? Here, indeed, they also labor much more, and wickedly detract from the power of the keys." - Augsburg Confession, Apology; Article XII. Of Repentance
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