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ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
Friday, November 15, 2019
The Lutheran Librarian's Latest
Skinny-Bo Gets Owned by Sassy
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| Sassy is used to being in charge. |
Mrs. Gardener's dog next door always wears the "Let's play" look on his face. He escaped the first time with Chuckie and came back on his own, bouncing around me at Ranger Bob's house.
The second time I reported him missing, Mrs. Gardener opened the door. In mid-phrase about how I lost her dog, Skinny showed up. His formal name is Bo, so I call him Skinny-Bo now. I think he loves his nickname. He acted as if he was just joking, disappearing on me.
I began pulling their garbage barrels out some time ago, because Mr. Gardener had a bad heart. After his death I continued because it is easy to do and his widow is rather tiny.
Yesterday I walked over to the gate to give Skinny-Bo a little time and attention. He enjoyed it so much that he pushed the gate open and tore out at top speed. Every time he raced back toward the gate he took a hard left and headed into our garden. This lasted a few minutes.
I put Sassy inside before this, but I got her outdoors for the next task. I said, "Get Skinny-Bo." They are mutually jealous, so in no time Sassy assumed her command position. Bo came back and tried to kiss up to her. Sassy barked loudly in his face. Repeat. Bo was gradually becoming contrite.
Sassy has a way with other dogs. She is in charge and they know it. Soon I had Bo in his yard, the gate secure against his energy and trickery.
Mrs. Ichabod was not sympathetic. "How did the gate open up? You didn't get near it and tempt that rascal?" I had to confess 5% of the blame.
Sassy got a thorough petting for her help and plenty of praise. She enjoyed the rewards and collect some food treats.
The repairman found out how much Sassy enjoys dog-lovers. She detected his dog on his clothing and stayed around him. We had some minor leakage that created some warped drywall in the kitchen. He cut that away and repaired it. When he was done with the drywall, I asked, "Have you seen our kitty?" He said, "No, I haven't." I said, "Did you look in the hole before you sealed it up?" He began thinking... So I said, "We don't have a cat. I couldn't resist."
He had so much water damage to deal with that his final work was delayed several weeks. I am sure he will look for the pet cat from now on.
Works Righteousness - Pietism and All That - From 2013
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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Leading People Down the Path of Works-Righteousnes...":
A generation ago, we still heard much admonition against falling prey to works righteousness. The Theology of Glory and Works Righteousness go hand in hand. The end result is that one starts tooting their own horn. A broken and a contrite heart O God, thou wilt not despise. The word contrition has fallen out of vogue in today's so called Christianity. Yet, Luther used the word contrition in his Small Catechism.
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narrow-minded has left a new comment on your post "Leading People Down the Path of Works-Righteousnes...":
Thank you for this great post. I can attest to the fact that Pietism leads to failure. Having grown up Methodist, I gave up on Christ in my late-teens and through my twenties. Jesus was just an example. "Be like David," I was taught. The Bible, especially the OT, was treated as the Life Handbook, with nary a mention of the Promise. So, I want to be a murderous adulterer, like David? I was never taught to look at David's Faith in the Promise.
I recently read that Wesley looked to Constantinople for much of his theology, and it's true. I know one EO priest who came from Methodism, and it's an easy transition. Methodism is just EO without the bells, smells, and intense Mariology.
It amazes me how the Pietists seem to fall the hardest. While I am a miserable failure on my best day, the Pietists seem to succumb to sin worse than anyone, especially in the department of keeping the pants zipped. Look at Martin Stephan. Look at the televangelists.
Any "good" we do apart from Faith is considered sin. If the tree is sick, it will bear no fruit. It is sad, given the great gift the Lutheran Fathers gave us, that the SynCons have thrown away JBFA. Perhaps this is why UOJ is the mainstay today, because Pietists eventually come to the realization that their works are like filthy rags. If we despair of our sin without Faith, Universalism is the only hope.
Praise to the Triune God for the Gift of Faith!
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GJ - Hoenecke has the key distinction. He could put an entire essay into one sentence - The Pietists confuse sanctification with justification and make the first the cause of the second.
There are only two justifications. One excludes the other. Justification by works is the most popular, not only excluding but persecuting justification by faith. Since this tree is evil, it can only produce corrupt fruit.
Justification by faith excludes all human works as a cause for our forgiveness. Justification by faith necessarily leads to those fruits which the Pietists urge upon everyone but cannot produce from their works-righteousness. Faith makes the tree good, as Luther reminds us, and so the good tree produces abundant fruit.
My two friends from high school were ordered not to smoke and threatened by their parents if they smoked. My classmates were Methodists, and they became cigarette addicts. Law motivation energizes a rebellion and clearly defines how adolescents can make parents go crazy.
Universal Objective Justification is Pietistic gasoline poured on the fire. UOJ only knows the law, since faith has been excluded. Therefore, the law-encased sinner becomes Antinomian when told he was born forgiven and saved, end of story, period (DP Jon-Boy Buchholz). Confused and illiterate in Biblical theology, he is taught to make a decision for UOJ to be forgiven personally - as opposed to globally. That obliterates any understanding of the Means of Grace.
Bragging about Works - Typical Corrupt Fruit
The worst problem manifests itself in bragging about "sharing Jesus.'
Tim Glende defines himself as: Passionate about sharing Jesus in the Valley. Hard worker.
Ski made his personal mission statement (repeated in many places) -
"Our church’s mission statement downtown is this... The Core exists to transform lives for Jesus through faith that is real, relevant and relational. My personal mission statement is this, because I’ve developed my own... From every pore of my body, I will ooze Jesus Christ so that in this world, as I brush up against people, my sweaty, oozy Jesus will get all over them! Every day he gives you opportunities. Every day!"
And it is still on the websty of the church where Gausewitz' father preached.
If Ski is looking for work, even though DP Doug promised his return to The CORE,
he could always work at Am Oozing Love Church, also endorsed by WELS with a big fat grant and absolution for plagiarizing just about everyone.
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LPC has left a new comment on your post "Comments on Works-Righteousness. Luther Said Peopl...":
If we despair of our sin without Faith, Universalism is the only hope
What a true observation!
LPC
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