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http://cyberbrethren.com/2012/11/20/we-are-christians-not-faith-ians/
We are Christians not Faith-ians
I have, over the years, talked to many Calvinists, in person and over the Internet. I always ask them, “Do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are among God’s elect and are saved?” There are generally two reactions to that question: (1) A long and rather painful pause after which they say, “I hope I am. I do believe in Christ.” or (2) A quick, “Yes, I believe in Christ.” Now, let’s be honest here and admit that many Lutherans would answer in somewhat the same way. But here is the problem.
[Unfortunately there are some cranks who roam the Internet claiming to be Lutherans who also fall into this error. You shall know them by their sixth grade-level photoshopping skills. <g>]
If our confidence that we are saved is based on our feeling that we have faith, we will flounder. The answer we must always give to the question of “Do you know you are saved?” is not, “Yes, because I have faith” but rather, “Yes, because Christ Jesus died for me” and of course, in my opinion, the very best answer of all is simply to point people to Luther’s explanation of the Creed and say, “Here, this puts it very well.”
Never look to your subjective feeling that there is faith in your heart. Always, always, always, look to Christ and what He has done for you and the whole world. Do not confuse faith in faith, with trust in Christ. There is a key difference. If you believe you are a child of God because you feel you have faith, this is no better than the Mormon who tells you about the “burning in his bosum” (sic) or the Muslim who tells you he feels the Koran is true, etc.
Salvation rests on objective realities that have absolutely nothing to do with feelings or emotions. Faith is merely and only the receiving hand God gives us and into which He pours His good gifts, it is not the cause of our salvation.
We are Christians, not Faith-ians.
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narrow-minded has left a new comment on your post "Luther Called Himself a Faith-ian (sola-fide-ist)....":
"[Unfortunately there are some cranks who roam the Internet claiming to be Lutherans who also fall into this error. You shall know them by their sixth grade-level photoshopping skills. ]"
This is a nice application of the Eighth Commandment, especially from a representative of CPH who plays the 8/18 Card on others who have the audacity to disagree with him.
Our CPH rep omits the Means of Grace, but this is a "universal" error of UOJers. I don't base my faith on my "subjective" feelings, but on the "objective" gift the Holy Ghost applies to me through the hearing of His Word and the administration of the Sacraments.
The cross and empty tomb don't mean a hill of beans if one doesn't believe it. Even Satan believes in the historicity of those events. Walther is the true synergist, witness his decision theology Easter Sermon.
This is your brain on the Scripture/BOC: JBFA. This is your brain on Mary's breast milk: UOJ.
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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Luther Called Himself a Faith-ian (sola-fide-ist)....":
McCain does a good job voicing the Lutheran Synod's opposition to the true Gospel of Christ and the faith of the Holy Spirit. The same opposition is easily seen in the Synod worship demonstrated by the Steadfast UOJists, Lutherquest denizens and the (W)ELS antiChristian leadership who have recently excommunicated faithful Pastor Paul Rydecki for preaching and defending Christ's doctrine of Justification solely by faith in Christ alone.
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A. Berean has left a new comment on your post "Luther Called Himself a Faith-ian (sola-fide-ist)....":
Q/A 199, Luther's Small Catechism 1943 Edition:
Q: "Are you sure that you will enter eternal life?"
A: " I firmly believe that, as God has in time called by the Gospel, enlightened, sanctified, and kept me in the true faith, even so He has from eternity chosen me unto the adoption of children and unto life everlasting, and no man shall pluck me out of His hand. (Election of Grace; predestination.)"
This demonstrates that our confidence of entering eternal life IS based upon objective facts...facts such as that the Holy Ghost called me by the Gospel (Means of Grace), bestowed unto me faith (enlightened and sanctified with divine gifts), and by God's grace, my membership in the Communion of Saints. Those are OBJECTIVE facts and not merely a subjective "warm and fuzzy feeling."
