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| KJV Isaiah 40 - "11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." |
Dear Pastor Jackson,
True
Lutheran Christians instinctively know that Objective Justification is a
wooden nickel. They cling to justification by faith as taught over and
over in the Bible with Abraham being the father of our faith. Ask a
true Lutheran Christian when God justified him and he will reply: "I am
baptized into Christ and clothed in the righteousness of Christ in the
name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."
What
would a wild eyed Objective Justification enthusiast say when you ask
him when God justified him? If he is honest he would say, "I was
justified when I accepted the fact that God already declared the world
righteous in Christ." True Lutheran Christians sense this is
justification by works not true justification by faith.
I
have noticed the evasiveness of Objective Justification enthusiasts.
They never answer your questions. They are skilled at lying and
deceiving by God's name and Word. When you hear them use the term
"subjective justification" - think works righteousness and synergism
because that is what it is.
Objective
Justification is convoluted, twisted, absurd, and blasphemous against
God and His Word. Objective Justification enthusiasts constantly insist
that God has already justified the world, but it really doesn't benefit
anyone until they accept this dogma personally as their own. Would God
convey a vain and empty universal justification on the whole world and
then add man's work of accepting it to make it effective and
efficacious? God works all things after His perfect foreknowledge,
council, and will. God never gives us an empty vain husk. Objective
Justification is an empty husk that requires man's work of accepting.
Here
is the original definition of Objective / Subjective justification.
Notice how justification is divided into two parts: God's work and man's
work. Walther, a rabid OJ/SJ nut divided justification into two parts:
God's part and man's part. Walther faithfully adhered to the original
definition of OJ/SJ derived from its founder: G. C. Knapp, Theology
Professor, Halle University:
"This is very
conveniently expressed by the terms Objective and Subjective
Justification. Objective Justification is the act of God, by which he
proffers pardon to all through Christ; subjective is the act of man, by
which he accepts the pardon freely offered in the Gospel. The former is
universal, the latter is not." (See pg. 11, The Path To Understanding
Justification, Gregory L. Jackson, PhD, ISBN 9781072530428) [GJ - Note that the OJ/SJ words quoted came from the Calvinist translator's explanation. The definition was adopted by the Walther synods.]
In
contrast true justification by faith in Christ is completely God's
work, Word, Will, Foreknowledge, Council, and Name in our baptism. Here
in our baptism we are freely given true faith and clothed in the
righteousness of Christ in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost. For most of us God baptized us into Christ and clothed us in the
righteousness of Christ when we were little infants. Here in our
baptism God gave us true faith in Christ, and justified us in the name
of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
"Not by
works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy
Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior;
that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to
the hope of eternal life." Titus 3: 5 -7
We
have countless examples of believers both adults and infants being
baptized into Christ, and justified in the name of God the Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost. At Pentecost the apostle Peter urged the multitude to
repent and be baptized:
"Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to
all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. "
Acts 2:38, 39
Notice how baptism reigns supreme
in true justification by faith. It completely destroys our works, our
accepting, our endeavoring, our will, our emotional devotions, grinding
them to powder. Here in our baptism we have God's Word, Will,
Foreknowledge, Council, Work, and Name.
In
Acts 8:26-40 we see the Ethiopian Eunuch of great authority under
Candace Queen of the Ethiopians believing in Christ and immediately
being baptized into Christ.
In Acts 9:17-19 Saul is immediately baptized into Christ.
In Acts 10 Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian band was immediately baptized into Christ.
In Acts 16:15 Lydia of Phillipi is immediately baptized into Christ.
In
Acts 16:30-33 The jailer and his whole family are baptized into Christ
and justified in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
In
Acts 18:8 Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue and his whole
family are baptized into Christ and justified in the name of God the
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
In Acts 19:5 Many Ephesians are baptized into Christ and justified in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Here
in these examples we see the apostles preaching the true gospel and
then immediately baptizing the believers into Christ in the name of God
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The apostle Peter preached the death
and resurrection of Christ. Phillip preached Christ to the Ethiopian
Eunuch. The apostle Paul clearly describes the preaching of the true
gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-6
"Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which
also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are
saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have
believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I
also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third
according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the
twelve: after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once;
of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen
asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And
last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time."
That's
the true gospel. Do you hear any OJ/SJ nonsense here? Absolutely NOT!!
Objective Justification is another gospel and those who preach it put
themselves under a horrible curse.
"But though
we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said
before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you
than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8,9)
Hang
your heads in shame and repent you Objective Justification preachers.
Your universal justification without faith and without baptism lies in a
ruinous heap, completely crushed and defeated by the true gospel and
baptism, and true justification by faith in Jesus as taught repeatedly
in the Bible.
Objective Justification enthusiasts in LCMS, WELS, ELS, and ACLC must answer the following questions:
LCMS
states in the Brief Statement that "scripture teaches that God has
already declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ."
Does this LCMS statement teach that God has already justified the whole world prior to and without faith and without baptism?
In
contrast scripture teaches that it is impossible to please God without
faith. So why do OJ/SJ enthusiasts continue to ignore this passage so
they can continue lying and deceiving by God's name and Word. Scripture
teaches justification by faith not justification prior to and without
faith.
"But without faith it is impossible
to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and
that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Heb 11:6
Does
this LCMS statement teach that God has already declared every baby
being born to be already righteous in Christ prior to and without
baptism into Christ, and without faith, and without God the Holy Ghost?
In
contrast scripture teaches infants are born into sin, and are sinful
not innocent. Infants are not born into Christ prior to and without
faith and baptism into Christ. Baptism gives infants faith, and the
washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Baptism clothes
infants in the righteousness of Christ and puts them in the entire
Christ.
"But the scripture hath concluded all
under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to
them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law,
shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under
a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on
Christ." Galatians 3:22-27
Does the LCMS teach Objective / Subjective Justification?
If so then why would justification need to be divided into two parts?
They
say it is the other side of the same coin, but it is not. The original
definition insists that OJ is God's work and SJ is man's work.
In
contrast scripture teaches one undivided justification by faith in
Christ. All of justification is God's work. God's works are never
barren, but always abundantly efficacious and fruitful. We know faith in
Christ and faith in God the Father is the work of God.
"
Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works
is God? Jesus answered and said unto them. This is the work of God, that
ye believe on him whom he hath sent." John 6:28, 29
In
contrast Objective Justification is completely barren, unfruitful as it
benefits no one. OJ/SJ enthusiasts insist Objective Justification
declares the whole world righteous in Christ, yet benefits no one. Man
must do something to receive any benefit. He must admit that everyone is
already righteous in Christ. They call this "faith", but we call it
works righteousness and synergism where man must cooperate.
"And
we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an
understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that
is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life " 1 John 5:19-20
"For ye are all the
children God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ " Galatians 3:26,27
In Christ,
Tom Fisher
