We are justified by Christ’s blood. [GJ - The contradictions are breath-taking. OJists equate the Atonement and Justification.]
While we don’t receive forgiveness personally until we believe the message of the cross, the message of the cross is that all sins of all sinners are forgiven and that God has justified the entire human race in Christ. [GJ - No wonder he did not understand his father's Justification and Rome - and stopped mentioning it.]
Some of the Norwegian Lutheran pastors present didn’t believe that. No, they said, God doesn’t forgive you until you believe that he forgives you. [GJ - They teach straw man fallacies instead of the Chief Article at Ft. Wayne.]
This sends faith in search of itself instead of looking to Christ’s crucifixion where our sins were taken away. [GJ - This? Is Rolf making fun of faith? What about Justified by Faith of Jesus? Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe:]
So the preacher decided to address the issue directly. He looked out at the congregation of pastors and declared: “I am righteous!” Then, after a pause, he said: “Do you believe it?” [GJ - Rolf should read the Wheat Flour Messiah, about the Swedish radical Pietist who was 100% righteous, touched people, and said, "You are righteous."]
GJ - The Norwegian Pietists, like the Halle Pietists, seldom grasped the efficacy of the Gospel in the Means of Grace. They believed in cell groups and the union theology from Spener that leaned toward or fell over backwards for Calvinism.
Search the web discussion groups, Christian News, the blarney files of WELS - These people are allergic to Justification by Faith and seldom use that phrase so odious to them. Faith in search of itself - that sounds so poetic, like something a tippler would say while admiring its brilliance. The OJists are as awkward with the topic of faith as a sophomore guy asking a girl for a dance.
They are so awkward - or deceptive - that they call their precious Objective Justification the Chief Article of Christianity. Zarling did, and so did Bivens (both WELS). So let me post what the Book of Concord says. Yay BoC - they all agree with the Confessions, and Missouri/ELS twice as much.
