The Fifth Petition. Large Catechism. The Book of Concord
85] And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
86] This part now relates to our poor miserable life, which, although we have and believe the Word of God, and do and submit to His will, and are supported by His gifts and blessings, is nevertheless not without sin. For we still stumble daily and transgress because we live in the world among men who do us much harm and give us cause for impatience, anger, revenge, etc. 87] Besides, we have Satan at our back, who sets upon us on every side, and fights (as we have heard) against all the foregoing petitions, so that it is not possible always to stand firm in such a persistent conflict.
88] Therefore there is here again great need to call upon God and to pray: Dear Father, forgive us our trespasses. Not as though He did not forgive sin without and even before our prayer (for He has given us the Gospel, in which is pure forgiveness before we prayed or ever thought about it). But this is to the intent that we may recognize and accept such forgiveness. 89] For since the flesh in which we daily live is of such a nature that it neither trusts nor believes God, and is ever active in evil lusts and devices, so that we sin daily in word and deed, by commission and omission, by which the conscience is thrown into unrest, so that it is afraid of the wrath and displeasure of God, and thus loses the comfort and confidence derived from the Gospel; therefore it is ceaselessly necessary that we run hither and obtain consolation to comfort the conscience again.
***
GJ - The UOJ-spurts want everyone to read the red print and gasp in amazement, "Luther taught UOJ!"
The context, above and below the rubrics, is never quoted. One can find quotations from the fanatics where they claim Luther was just brim-full of UOJ. I remained staggered that so little spilled from the brim, since the Reformer was so full of forgiveness without faith.
The church historians must have made a terrible mistake in saying the theme of the Reformation was justification by faith. They must not have read the same sources.
The comfort offered in this passage from the Large Catechism is similar to many other passages in Luther and the Book of Concord. The blockheads cannot discern this, but anyone else can. The Book of Concord is easy to read, fascinating to study, and always relevant. When a WELS pastor refuses to lead his congregation in a study of the Book of Concord, because it is "boring and irrelevant," one can guess he never read it a single time. But those statements are winners for being selected for the Synodical Council, so the blind can lead the blind into a pit. Very Biblical.
The forgiveness is already there: Christ paid for our sins. Christ redeemed the world. Not for a few little sins, but for great and terrible sins. We see that in the fallen nature of the apostles. Peter denied his own Savior, but he was restored with forgiveness to be an apostle. Paul and Barnabas argued and split. Luther wrote - one of them sinned in some way. These are examples to show us sinfulness and restoration.
Does this Lord's Prayer passage reveal UOJ to us? Not at all, especially if we actually read and study the Book of Concord. Let's just focus on the same author, Luther.
Large Catechism, The Creed
55] Everything, therefore, in the Christian Church is ordered to the end that we shall daily obtain there nothing but the forgiveness of sin through the Word and signs, to comfort and encourage our consciences as long as we live here. Thus, although we have sins, the [grace of the] Holy Ghost does not allow them to injure us, because we are in the Christian Church, where there is nothing but [continuous, uninterrupted] forgiveness of sin, both in that God forgives us, and in that we forgive, bear with, and help each other.
56] But outside of this Christian Church, where the Gospel is not, there is no forgiveness, as also there can be no holiness [sanctification]. Therefore all who seek and wish to merit holiness [sanctification], not through the Gospel and forgiveness of sin, but by their works, have expelled and severed themselves [from this Church].
Large Catechism, The Creed
38] For neither you nor I could ever know anything of Christ, or believe on Him, and obtain Him for our Lord, unless it were offered to us and granted to our hearts by the Holy Ghost through the preaching of the Gospel. The work is done and accomplished; for Christ has acquired and gained the treasure for us by His suffering, death, resurrection, etc. But if the work remained concealed so that no one knew of it, then it would be in vain and lost. That this treasure, therefore, might not lie buried, but be appropriated and enjoyed, God has caused the Word to go forth and be proclaimed, in which He gives the Holy Ghost to bring this treasure home and appropriate it to us. 39] Therefore sanctifying is nothing else than bringing us to Christ to receive this good, to which we could not attain of ourselves.
Large Catechism, Holy Baptism
84] For this reason let every one esteem his Baptism as a daily dress in which he is to walk constantly, that he may ever be found in the faith and its fruits, that he suppress the old man and grow up in the new. 85] For if we would be Christians, we must practise the work whereby we are Christians. 86] But if any one fall away from it, let him again come into it. For just as Christ, the Mercy-seat, does not recede from us or forbid us to come to Him again, even though we sin, so all His treasure and gifts also remain. If, therefore, we have once in Baptism obtained forgiveness of sin, it will remain every day, as long as we live, that is, as long as we carry the old man about our neck.
Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar
31] Therefore also it is vain talk when they say that the body and blood of Christ are not given and shed for us in the Lord's Supper, hence we could not have forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament. For although the work is accomplished and the forgiveness of sins acquired on the cross, yet it cannot come to us in any other way than through the Word. For what would we otherwise know about it, that such a thing was accomplished or was to be given us if it were not presented by preaching or the oral Word? Whence do they know of it, or how can they apprehend and appropriate to themselves the forgiveness, except they lay hold of and believe the Scriptures and the Gospel? 32] But now the entire Gospel and the article of the Creed: I believe a holy Christian Church, the forgiveness of sin, etc., are by the Word embodied in this Sacrament and presented to us. Why, then, should we allow this treasure to be torn from the Sacrament when they must confess that these are the very words which we hear every where in the Gospel, and they cannot say that these words in the Sacrament are of no use, as little as they dare say that the entire Gospel or Word of God, apart from the Sacrament, is of no use?
Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar
70] But those who are sensible of their weakness, desire to be rid of it and long for help, should regard and use it only as a precious antidote against the poison which they have in them. For here in the Sacrament you are to receive from the lips of Christ forgiveness of sin, which contains and brings with it the grace of God and the Spirit with all His gifts, protection, shelter, and power against death and the devil and all misfortune.
Large Catechism, Third Commandment
100] For let me tell you this, even though you know it perfectly and be already master in all things, still you are daily in the dominion of the devil, who ceases neither day nor night to steal unawares upon you, to kindle in your heart unbelief and wicked thoughts against the foregoing and all the commandments. Therefore you must always have God's Word in your heart, upon your lips, and in your ears. But where the heart is idle, and the Word does not sound, he breaks in and has done the damage before we are aware. 101] On the other hand, such is the efficacy of the Word, whenever it is seriously contemplated, heard, and used, that it is bound never to be without fruit, but always awakens new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness, and produces a pure heart and pure thoughts. For these words are not inoperative or dead, but creative, living words. 102] And even though no other interest or necessity impel us, yet this ought to urge every one thereunto, because thereby the devil is put to Right and driven away, and, besides, this commandment is fulfilled, and [this exercise in the Word] is more pleasing to God than any work of hypocrisy, however brilliant.
***
GJ - This selection identifies any UOJ advocate as a dolt, a lunkhead, a lazy-bones who cannot understand anything in context, but must invent reasons to turn things upside-down.
The UOJ Enthusiasts have been causing confusion everywhere for the last decades, especially in WELS. I suggested that the sect should study the Book of Concord. Instead, they dig into their Holy of Holies, the WELS Essay Files, and prove their case with their parochial parodies of Christian doctrine.
The last I looked, out of sheer boredom, the Holy of Holies contained essays by a known atheist (but one of their own) and the chairman of the first gay Lutheran seminary (but one of their own) unless we count Mequon as first. Offended? Two words - mattress room.
