Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Advent 2 - "Aristotle clearly teaches that these are but natural phenomena.” Let us pass these by and know that God’s Word and tokens are despised by the wisdom of the gods. Do you hold fast to the Gospel — this teaches you to believe that storms and detonations in the sea are signs and tokens. And however many times such signals have been given in other days, they shall nevertheless become more numerous and terrible as the day of doom approaches."

 

Second Sunday in Advent, Luke 21:25-36. Christ’s Second Coming: or the Signs of the Day of Judgment; and the Comfort Christians Have from Them

19. It is indeed true that the masses do not become so afflicted, but only the few and generally the most sensible, scrupulous, and good-hearted individuals who have no desire to harm any one and would live honorable lives. It may be they foster some secret sin, as for example unchastity. This burdens them day and night so that they never are truly happy. But this is game for the monks and priests, for here they can practice extortion, especially with women; here people confess, are taught, absolved, and go whithersoever the confessor directs. Meanwhile the people are the Lord’s token of the last day. To such the Gospel is light and comfort while it condemns the others.

20. Neither can anyone deny this sign, for it has been so common these hundreds of years that many have become insane over it, as Gerson informs us. Although at all times there have been people so distressed and perplexed, it was formerly not so common as now. From the beginning of the world no human doctrine exercised, the tenth part or even the hundreth part of the influence, or tortured and seared so many consciences as the doctrines of the pope and his disciples, the monks and priests. Such perplexed hearts will necessarily grow out of the papal doctrine of confession which has never been so earnestly promulgated as now.

Therefore this has never been a token of the judgment until now. There must be many and great signs, therefore, and they be despised by most men. “For the roaring of the sea and the billows.”

21. This will take place through the winds, for all roaring of the waters comes by means of the storm. Therefore the Lord would say by these words that many and great storms will arise. By sea, however, is not to be understood simply the ocean, but all gathered waters, according to the language of Scripture, Genesis 1:10: “And the gathering together of the waters called he seas,” be they oceans, seas or lakes. Rivers on the other hand are changeable flowing waters.

22. It is not to be supposed that all waters, streams, lakes, seas, oceans, will, at the same time and in the same way, be come stormy and boisterous.

Some seas are thus to be moved and this is to be the sign unto us. For as not all stars fall and not all nations are distressed in perplexity, so shall not all waters roar nor all places be visited by the storm.

23. Here heathen art will sit in the schools and with wide open mouth will say, “Did you see the storm or hear the sea and the waves roaring?

Aristotle clearly teaches that these are but natural phenomena.” Let us pass these by and know that God’s Word and tokens are despised by the wisdom of the gods. Do you hold fast to the Gospel — this teaches you to believe that storms and detonations in the sea are signs and tokens. And however many times such signals have been given in other days, they shall nevertheless become more numerous and terrible as the day of doom approaches.

24. It seems to me that within the space of ten or twelve years, there have been such storms and tempests and waters roaring as have never before been seen or heard. We are to consider, therefore, that although in former times these signs came singly and at less frequent intervals, now they appear many and frequent. In our time both sun and moon are darkened, stars fall, distress of nations is present, winds and waves are roaring, and many other signs are being fulfilled. They are all coming in a heap. 

CFW Walther was always a Pietist and he learned Universal Objective Justification from his syphilitic mentor, Martin Stephan, whom he deposed by creating a riot that made Walther into the leader.

25. We have lately also seen so many comets and so many calamities have fallen from the skies and there has arisen the hitherto unknown disease, syphilis. Also how many signs and wonders have been seen in the heavens, as suns, moons, stars, rainbows, and many other strange sights. Dear hearer, let them be signs, great signs, tokens that mean much; so that neither the astronomers nor heathen astrologers can say they simply follow the ordinary course of nature, for they knew nothing of them before nor did they prophesy of them.

The self-appointed bishops - Stephan, DeJaynes, Heiser.

DeJaynes was an LCA pastor. Do they wear home-plate hats in the Lutheran Confessional Synod?  Jay Webber and Kincaid Smith brought DeJaynes into the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, with the blessings of ELS Bishop John Molstad. They even prayed together.

Tom Fisher - CFW Walther's Universal Absolution

 

Dear Pastor Jackson,

CFW Walther is a great deceiver and liar!!!  WHAT!!! How can you say that?? Walther is the INFALLIBLE Pope of LCMS!!!!  How DARE you subvert his infallible authority!  Oh my!! The LCMS Waltherites have Greta Thunberg leading their throbbing, threatening chant: HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU QUESTION POPE WALTHER!!!!!

 C. F. W. Walther, the first President of LCMS is still their hero and mentor. Walther clearly taught a Universal Justification prior to and without faith, without baptism, without the washing of regeneration, and without the renewing of the Holy Ghost. 

C.F.W. Walther said, "For God has already forgiven you your sins 1800 years ago when He in Christ absolved all men by raising Him after He first had gone into bitter death for them " (The Word of His Grace, CFW Walther, "Christ's Resurrection, The World's Absolution." Cited in The Path To Understanding Justification, Gregory L. Jackson, PhD; pg. 12; ISBN 9781072530428)

C.F.W. Walther clearly teaches everyone is already justified prior to and without faith, without Baptism, without the washing of regeneration, and without the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Note that this is not a permanent or personal justification. It is a temporary justification contingent on you "accepting" Universal Justification as true for you personally. 

Luther warned us that the greatest threat to our Christian faith would come from those adding things you must do to be justified. C.F.W. Walther, the first President of LCMS, added the invented work of "accepting" objective justification in order for God to justify you personally. Notice the deception in the phrase, "Only one thing remains on your part". WHAT!!!! NOTHING should remain on our part to be justified and forgiven by God!! Notice the subtle deception of Walther when he asserts that man's work of "accepting" is faith. WRONG!!!! Man's work of "accepting" is NOT faith!! It is synergism!! It is adding man's work of "accepting" to justification. Walther really tripped when he asserted that man must make justification personal in order for God to personally justify, forgive, and save him. WRONG!! God always personally justifies everyone by faith!! God personally clothes us in the righteousness of Christ in our baptism! Here He calls us by name and gives us forgiveness of sins, eternal life, the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost!!!! C.F.W. Walther erroneously said:

"Only one thing remains on your part so that you also possess the gift.  This one thing is--faith. And this brings me to the second part of today's Easter message, in which I now would show you that every man who wants to be saved must accept by faith the general absolution, pronounced 1800 years ago, as an absolution spoken individually to him."  (The Path To Understanding Justification, Gregory L. Jackson, PhD. ; pg.12; ISBN 9781072530428)

Scripture clearly says no one is justified without faith.

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him;" Hebrews 11:6

Walther rejects this all clear Word of God by teaching that God has already justified the whole world prior to and without faith, baptism, the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Walther is lying and deceiving by God's name and Word here.

Scripture and Christ our Lord clearly teach we must be born of water and of the Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God.  

 Christ our Lord said:

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3:5-7

Christ our Lord is speaking of the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost in our  baptism. 

" 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

"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 3:26,27

Walther rejects this by teaching that the whole world is already justified prior to and without faith, baptism, the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Walther tears faith, baptism, and the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost away from justification. God's efficacious Word, faith, baptism, and the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost comes before justification. I challenge you to show me one example where these necessary works of God do not come BEFORE justification.  Let's look at some examples.

At Pentecost the multitudes were convicted of sin and asked the apostle Peter what they should do. Peter said, "Repent, and be baptized every one 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

At Gaza the apostle Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch and then immediately baptized him. Notice the preaching of the Word, faith, and baptism always comes first, before justification. Philip first preached Jesus from Isaiah 53, then the Ethiopian Eunuch believed in Jesus, and then he was baptized. This is the sequence evident in all of Scripture.

"Then Phillip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him." Acts 8:35-38

Notice Philip preached the true gospel NOT the false "gospel" of universal forgiveness. The true gospel is that Christ took all our sins upon Himself, was crucified, dead, buried, and then rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven for us. 

"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 you 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 day according to the scriptures; and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above 500  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."

 1 Corinthians 15:1-7

Walther and his minions all preach the false "gospel" of objective justification asserting everyone is already forgiven, justified, and saved prior to and without faith and baptism.  

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 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 1:6-9

No one is justified prior to and without God's true gospel, faith, baptism, and the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. These are all necessary works of God. 

Abraham is the father of our faith. How was Abraham justified? Abraham was justified by faith in Christ while he was still uncircumcised. Christ our Lord testified that Abraham believed in Him.

"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it and was glad."     John 8:56

Notice Abraham had true faith in Christ. This true faith in Christ justified Abraham.  The objective/ subjective justification lie is no where to be found. 

"For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

"Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." Galatians 3:16

God has given us true faith in Christ so that we believe the same way Abraham believed. We are the children of Abraham.

"Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."

" 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

"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 3:26,27

In Christ,

Tom Fisher