Brett Meyer's First Report on the Emmaus Conference.

I attended the second half of Pastor Jay Webber’s presentation of his essay promoting the false gospel of Universal Objective Justification.  Having previously contended against the doctrine of UOJ with many who were in attendance I want to provide my critique of Pastor Webber’s essay.  The challenging aspect is deciding where to start with an essay which promotes and defends a doctrine which completely contradicts Scripture and teaches contrary to the Lutheran Confessions.  There is not one aspect of the doctrine of Objective Justification which doesn’t war against Christ’s Word and the faithful Christian Confessions.

I will begin by addressing Pastor Webber’s false claim that God looks at the whole world, both believers and unbelievers as being in Christ and being outside of Christ.  The first time I heard him confess this was in a discussion of UOJ on Dr. Lito Cruz’s Extra Nos blog back in 2010 where he stated, "In Christ, as God looks at the world through Christ, all are under divine mercy and are forgiven, and are therefore invited to believe and be saved. But outside of Christ, as God looks at the world apart from Christ, all are under divine wrath and judgment, and are condemned. The same people - namely all people - are under consideration in each case." 6:40am http://extranos.blogspot.com/2010/03/grinding-my-ax.html

Pastor Webber promotes the same false teaching in this 2015 essay here, “The judgment of God that is proclaimed in the law, is a reflection and outgrowth of what God sees when he looks at the world apart from Christ, and sees the world as it is in and unto itself. Outside of Christ, God sees a world that is defined by fallen humanity's innate wickedness and hostility toward him, and a world that deserves to be, and is, under his wrath. In contrast, the forgiveness and acceptance of God that is proclaimed in the gospel, is a reflection and outgrowth of what God sees when he looks at the world through the "lens" of Christ, and sees the world as it is in Christ, under the covering of Christ's righteousness. In and through Christ, God sees a world that is defined by his Son's sinlessness, and a world where there is no accusing law, but only the peace and harmony with God that has been established by the obedience of Jesus. Do not try too hard to understand this. The twofold mystery of what God sees and says for condemnation apart from Christ, and what God sees and says for justification in Christ, cannot be understood beyond what Scripture specifically reveals.”

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When challenged on this false teaching in the 2010 discussion he responded, “Of course the Bible does not say exactly this in so many words. But the basic point is reflected here: "For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all" (Romans 11:32).”  

This is classic UOJ deception and fraudulent twisting of Scripture which was used by WELS DP Jon Buchholz in his 2005 Conference paper when he wrote the following blasphemous self-convicting contradictions in promotion of UOJ: 

Buchholz, "God has forgiven the whole world. God has forgiven everyone his sins." This statement is absolutely true! This is the heart of the gospel, and it must be preached and taught as the foundation of our faith. But here’s where the caveat comes in: In Scripture, the word "forgive" is used almost exclusively in a personal, not a universal sense. The Bible doesn’t make the statement, "God has forgiven the world."

Buchholz, "God has forgiven all sins, but the unbeliever rejects God’s forgiveness." Again, this statement is true—and Luther employed similar terminology to press the point of Christ’s completed work of salvation.16 But we must also recognize that Scripture doesn’t speak this way."

Buchholz, "God has declared the entire world righteous." This statement is true, as we understand it to mean that God has rendered a verdict of "not-guilty" toward the entire world. It is also true—and must be taught—that the righteousness of Christ now stands in place of the world’s sin; this is the whole point of what Jesus did for us at Calvary. However, once again we’re wresting a term out of its usual context. In Scripture the term "righteous" usually refers to believers. "

http://www.wlsessays.net/node/390

The truth is that since believers are in Christ by faith, they have put on Christ and are adopted as sons of God the Father.  It is absurd to contend that God looks at his adopted children in any sense as being outside of Christ and therefore under His wrath and condemnation. 

John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

Romans 8:33, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.”  

Romans 8:34, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”

2 Cor. 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” 

Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

And since unbelievers are children of Satan and clearly outside of Christ it is equally absurd to contend that God looks at them in any sense as being in Christ,

Romans 8:9, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” 

John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”  Note that God’s wrath abideth – continues on all those who do not have faith in Christ alone.

John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” 

Condemnation and Reconciliation are two exclusive things.  God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever cannot be simultaneously reconciled to the unbelieving world while they remain under his condemnation.  False teaching UOJists claim this is a mystery of God.  It is quite clearly a contradiction created by the false gospel of Universal Objective Justification.  Scripture teaches that being In Christ only occurs through the Means of Grace creating faith in Christ alone. 

Acts 3:16, “And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”

Pastor Webber’s contention in this regard is the prerequisite required in his false doctrine for teaching that God has declared the unbelieving world to be righteous and forgiven all sin all while being under God’s wrath and condemnation over their sin.

I’ll continue this review.  In the meantime compare Pastor Webber’s defense of the false gospel of UOJ to Scripture when he writes, “And St. Paul reminds us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith" (Romans 3:23-25, ESV).

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KJV Romans 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;”

Two completely different meanings – the KJV which is harmonious with Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions proclaiming Christ is a propitiation through faith in Christ (note not faith in a prior declaration of justification and righteousness while an unbeliever).  The Book of Concord, Apology to the Augsburg Confession: "80] ...Thus, therefore, we prove the minor proposition. The wrath of God cannot be appeased if we set against it our own works, because Christ has been set forth as a Propitiator, so that for His sake, the Father may become reconciled to us. But Christ is not apprehended as a Mediator except by faith. Therefore, by faith alone we obtain remission of sins, when we comfort our hearts with confidence in the mercy promised for 81] Christ's sake."

http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_4_justification.php

I would like to provide additional responses but the false teachings are numerous and will take a few reviews to address.

In Christ,

Brett Meyer

***

GJ - This double-talk style, used by Webber and Buchholz, where they make claims they announce are unbiblical, can also be found in the aged godfather of Church Growth in WELS, Paul Kelm.

Anyone with reading ability will stop and wonder how anyone can be so deceitful, but the WELS pastors are trained to accept such nonsense and second it.

Not that long ago Sig Becker had to lend his weight in defending the Kokomo Statements, which are now taught with a vengeance - but without open conflict.

There is one thing to do - make a decision for UOJ.

Will you spend a few minutes with JP and make a decision for UOJ?
Not for Christ, but for UOJ.
This is the proper language, since Walther also used it.

Dr. Lito Cruz - On Doctrinal Distinctions

Dr. and Mrs. Cruz are obviously regular readers of this blog.

Why I believe Calvinists are not catholics (small c)

Definitely Calvinists are not Roman Catholics. That is something I think they are proud about. I suggest they are not even catholics (note that Romanism started 600AD roughly, all Christians before that were catholics - universal), and I suggest that is not something to be proud about. In fact that is something one should worry about (if one is a Calvinist).

Let me explain.

Well, if we take a typical Calvinist, we assume he would subscribe to the T.U.L.I.P. principle and would be an adamant promoter of Limited Atonement(LA). Here is the problem - the Nicene Creed.

Now I know Reformed people claim to subscribe to the Nicene Creed, but they do not really know what that implies. I find this specially true for Baptistic Calvinists. As typical I have found them to put their own spin on what the Nicene Creed. Case in point, the Nicene Fathers were not re-baptizers - remember the line " we believe in ONE baptism, for the forgiveness of sin"? A Baptistic Calvinists can not affirm that, since if you were baptized as a baby, you will be re-baptized by them once more, so  right there Calvinists of Baptistic bent are out of catholicism.

Yet there is more and so I come now to their affirmation of LA. In the Nicene Creed  we have one line which Lutherans affirm - on Jesus we confess - "who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man;"

The phrase "who for us men" - means all of humanity that was how the Nicenes understood that phrase, so if you believe in LA, you can not affirm the Nicene Creed - for LA says that Jesus did not die for the whole human race, he only died for the elect - which is of course only a subset of the human race.

One has to really warp this passage of the Nicene Creed if confession to it and affirmation of LA is to be maintained. The two are incompatible.

So a question , if Jesus did not die for the whole world - that means he did not die for all men, then what happened in the incarnation? That is, we can ask this question - when Jesus became man, did Jesus leave behind the humanity of the non-elect - since after all according to LA, he was not meant to die for them anyway so did Jesus assume the humanity of these people whom he would not die for in the first place? No Calvinists I have asked dared answer this question, all I hear are just evasions. Clearly in the Scripture it says - he tasted death for every man - Heb 2:9.

Calvinists and UOJ are alike - and here is their fallacy - they conflate the Atonement with Justification. They both think that when one is Atoned for, one is automatically Justified as well.

As far as I know, only Lutherans who believe in Justification By Faith Alone, are the ones who make this distinction between Atonement and Justification properly and mediated by the Means of Grace.

Our First Rose Bloomed on Creation Day. Grilling To Bring Back Man-Made Global Warming

Falling in Love Rose - fragrant.

Falling in Love
I was counting about 200 KnockOut rose buds on last year's plants when I saw the white one had the first bloom. The new roses are leafing out, with one or two looking reluctant but still healthy.

When I was putting in new roses, I thought one of the bargain roses from last year was dead. I pruned it hard and left it alone. When I came back a few days later to dig it up for its Big Purple replacement, the rose had leafed out.

Last year year I brought roses to the college fairly often. One staffer in the registrar's office really liked one variety, which was pink and fragrant. She loved the roses and became famous for enjoying the perfume so often. But I did not know which one of the eight she liked the most. When the dead rose came to life and I replanted it in the extra gardening space, the label was still around the base. The name - Falling in Love - and the staffer (unknown to us) was seeing a teacher and planning to marry him.

We enjoyed going to their wedding and sitting with college faculty and friends. If the couple happens to stop by, I can show her that favorite rose, blooming again.

One reader was surprised to hear that the new white rose, still leafing out, is quite fragrant. The classic roses from 30 or more years ago were not known for fragrance. Finally people asked that fragrance be bred back into rose lines, so most of the new ones are. Now the rosarians are working on disease resistance.

Creation Day
I never recognize Earth Day, which was started by a man who killed his girlfriend and left her remains to compost in his apartment. He was a non-violent hippy activist.

Instead, I celebrate Creation Day by firing up the grill and cooking some meat. The West was not won by vegans.

Man-made global warming is fraudulent, but I wanted to stop the slide into global cooling. Using their theories, I thought the smoke of charcoal, chicken, and bacon would do something to slow down our wintry weather.

Our grill is a gift from LI and Mrs.LI. The upper rack holds bacon, which flavors the meat below. If I don't start the bacon on fire and burn it to ashes, I finish it on the bottom rack for the extra crispy touch.

T-Rex devours large quantities of meat,
which we freeze instead of buying overprice, salty lunch meat.