Some Insights on Justification by Faith - The Chief Article of Christianity

 

Here is a pastoral claim coming by way of a layman who objected to it. This is an old arguing point, hoary with age, and incredibly foolish - "You are making faith into a work! That is wrong!"

KJV John 6

27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

The Objective Faithless Justification wolves claim they are the holy ones because they know (without evidence) that the entire world is forgiven and saved, without the Gospel, without the Means of Grace, without faith). 

These wolves are so blind that they cannot see how Justification by Faith is found throughout the Bible, starting with Abraham believing and receiving righteousness, Genesis 15:6 - not only through the Promise of his son - but also the consequent line leading to the Son of David and millions of believers.

KJV Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

If people are confused by the close connection of Romans 4 to Abraham as the Father of Faith, let them read the summary transition of Romans 5:1-4 

KJV Romans 5:5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

If anyone doubts the grace of God, let him study the truth of grace coming to the individual by faith in Jesus Christ. There is no excuse for singing "Amazing Grace" while denying access to this grace by faith in Him.

In our study of Ephesians 1, one person pointed out one of many Justification by Faith statements in Paul's letters.

KJV Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

At least two of the three Walther sects - Missouri and WELS - started out with Justification by Faith, which can be found in the catechisms. The Evangelical Luther Synod - the Little Sect on the Prairie - began as a protest against the Norwegians who taught the Chief Article, so they have led with the dumbest of the dumb, to their shame. 

Missouri and WELS were apparently taken over by the Walther Fan Club, which allows nothing less than infallibility in their hero's voluminous works. The syphilitic bishop Martin Stephan taught Objective Faithless Justification to Walther, a position the empire builder never gave up. F. Pieper cleverly combined concepts together so one could read in his Dogmatics about the efficacy of the Word, Justification without Faith, and maybe Justification by Faith. His climactic role in the synods came in 1932 when the Brief Statement was canonized and carved into granite.

Every Single Day, A Bright Light - Which Penetrates the Doom

 

What can one man do? Very little, but the Word can do everything - and does.

For many different reasons - all perfectly natural - people feel the doom settling over the United States and the Western nations. Whenever we think the destruction has reached its peak, even worse dictates - by governments and movie stars - shadow daily life. I hope for a better future for grandchildren and for the elderly, and that may not happen.

I do not think about how a day has gone by or what work has to be done. I focus on a bright light, which is a publishing event for me - one or two blog posts about Biblical doctrine. A bunch of ne're-do-wells attacked those posts from the start, when 100 views a day were super. I read the insults and corrupt thinking to Christine, and she was really hurt, especially when I laughed long and hard. It took her some time to adjust and enjoy the humor of these ordained but anonymous thinkers at work. The Jesuit trained Kilcrease liked to post something and erase it, so I copied each of his posts and put them in a safe place, my next post. One of attackers, well known but now dead, tried his best in public to get me fired at a university, but I continued and he did not. 

Luther's sermons taught me a long time ago that opponents are the ones who teach us - see the graphic above. My best source for teaching and writing is Luther's Sermons. I was outraged by the neglect of his work and the moronic "Luther" trinkets that came from Concordia Publishing House. First the Luther Sermons were uploaded onto the blogsite. Then a group of us edited the volumes for printing. I suddenly realized that all of us need daily reminders of Luther's Sermons, so I began Daily Luther Quotes on this blog. If I wake up at 2 AM, I post another selection. If Charlie Sue wakes me up, I start posting. 

The only true light is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, growing up to be a Teacher and miracle worker, healing the sick, lepers, and deaf, raising the dead, suffering torture and death on the cross for our sins, rising from the dead and ascending to Heaven to manage His Kingdom. 

Every day, we can do something to share this Light.

The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) - All Have Abandoned the Chief Article of Christianity

 

 Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz confessed the Chief Article.

The Big Five - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) have abandoned the Chief Article of Christianity. They - One in Thrivent - have united to repudiate and dismiss Justification by Faith. Normally, they do not admit to their deceptions, but they vomit their hatred when someone insists on Justification by Faith.

KJV Romans 4 - Abraham is the example of Justification by Faith.

20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed (counted) to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

The Walther sects (LCMS-LCMS-ELS) conveniently leave out verse 24, which clearly says "if we believe on Him." referring to verse 21-23 that Abraham's faith was counted to him as righteousness.

The Walther sects shorten and distort Romans 4 on faith, using a phrase from verse 25 - "Raised again for our justification." Lathered up for more corruption, they tie 1 Timothy 3:16 to Romans 4:25 alone, to claim the entire world back to Adam was declared forgiven.

WELS/LCMS chatter-mouths say, "I was saved 2000 years ago!" 

The Walther sects have their foundation in Bishop Stephan's Halle distortion (via Rambach), that the resurrection of Christ is the entire world's absolution. Jesus was without sin, but they declare that "justified in the Spirit" definitely depends on Jesus needing absolution for the world. Instead, the Scriptures teach that the empty tomb revealed the righteousness of God because Jesus was without sin. 

As Dr. Lito Cruz says, "The OJ people suffer from hallucinogenic justification."

 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Lent 5 - "In this way Christ teaches us here the fate that awaits us Christians and his Word; both our life and our doctrine must be condemned and reviled, and that by the foremost, wisest and greatest of earth."

 KJV John 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Complete Sermon - Lent 5 - Judica. Fifth Sunday in Lent. John 8:46-59. Christ Defends Himself Against His Enemies

4. Hence the Jews have no ground for their unbelief than that they are not the children of God; therefore he passes judgment upon them and says: “He that is of God heareth the words of God; for this cause ye hear them not, because ye are not of God,” that cannot mean anything else than that you are of the devil.

5. The Jews could not stand this, for they wished to be God’s children and people; therefore they are now raging and slander both Christ’s life and his doctrine; his doctrine, in that they say: “Thou hast a devil,” that is, thou speakest moved by the devil and thy doctrine is his lie; and they slander his life, in that they say, “Thou art a Samaritan,” which sounds among the Jews worse than any other crime. In this way Christ teaches us here the fate that awaits us Christians and his Word; both our life and our doctrine must be condemned and reviled, and that by the foremost, wisest and greatest of earth. Thus one knows the corrupt tree by its fruits, as they, under the pretense of being good, are so bitter, angry, impatient, cruel and mad as to condemn and pass sentence, when one touches them at their tender spot and rejects their ideas and ways.

6. What does Christ do here? His life he abandons to shame and dishonor, is silent and suffers them to call him a Samaritan; while he takes pains to defend his doctrine. For the doctrine is not ours, but God’s, and God dare not suffer in the least, here patience is at an end; but I should stake all that I have and suffer, all that they do, in order that the honor of God and of his Word may not be injured. For if I perish, no great harm is done; but if I let God’s Word perish, and I remain silent, then I do harm to God and to the whole world. Although I can not now close their mouth nor prevent their wickedness, I shall nevertheless not keep silent, nor act as if they are right, as I do about my good life, so that they retain their right. Although they do me injustice at the time, yet it remains right before God. Further, Christ excuses himself, and says: “I have not a demon,” that is, my doctrine is not of the devil’s lies; “but I honor my father,” that is, I preach in my doctrine the grace of God, through which he is to be praised, loved and honored by believers. For the evangelical office of the ministry is nothing but glorifying God, Psalm 19:2: “The heavens declare the glory of God” etc. “But you dishonor me,” that is, you call me the devil’s liar, who reviles and dishonors God.

7. Why does he not say: I honor my father, and ye dishonor him; but says: “Ye dishonor me?” Impliedly he proves by this, that the father’s and his honor are alike and the same, as he and the Father are one God; yet along with this he also wishes to teach that if the office of the ministry, which God honors, is to be duly praised, then it must suffer disgrace. In like manner we will also do to our princes and priests; when they attack our manner of life, we should suffer it and show love for hatred, good for evil; but when they attack our doctrine, God’s honor is attacked, then love and patience should cease and we should not keep silent, but also say: I honor my Father, and you dishonor me; yet I do not inquire whether you dishonor me, for I do not seek my own honor. But nevertheless be on your guard, there is one who seeks it and judges, that is, the Father will require it of you, and judge you and never let you go unpunished. He seeks not only his honor, but also mine, because I seek his honor, as he says in 1 Samuel 2:30: “Them that honor me I will honor.” And it is our consolation that we are happy; although the whole world reviles and dishonors us, we are assured that God will advance our honor, and therefore will punish, judge and revenge. If one could only believe it and persevere, he will surely come. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my word, he shall never see death.”