Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Christian News: The current debate in the WELS con...":
Pastor Mark Bartling writes, “This clear teaching that God has declared all people righteous, Objective Justification (WELS catechism, question 253) Rydecki refuses to accept and teach. Thus he is rightly to be removed from the ministry of the WELS!”
I agree with Pastor Bickel, Martin Luther would not hold back his disgust or disdain for how the Lutheran synods are waging war against Christ and His Church. It’s important to see that those who have chosen synod to be lord and master have in the same moment rejected Christ, the faith of the Holy Spirit (identifying it as a synergistic work) and God the Father. But by the grace and mercy of God working contrition and faith in Christ alone (as opposed to the object of the false gospel of UOJ’s faith: the forgiveness of sins imputed while rejecting Christ) these apostate men and women will continue to war against Christ’s Church while thinking they are doing God a favor.
Let’s test Pastor Mark Bartling’s teaching that God has declared all people righteous.
Scripture
Romans 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Romans 4:5, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (BM – since the Faith of the Holy Spirit is counted for righteousness – how then is unfaith counted for righteousness or even Christ counted for righteousness to the unbeliever when he has not obtained Christ as Mediator – Scripture and the Confessions declare Christ is only received as Mediator through faith)
Romans 5:17, "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (BM - Bartling and the false gospel of UOJ teach Universalism regardless of their denials. Scripture teaches that those who have received the grace of God and the gift of righteousness are saved eternally – “shall reign in life”. This is the same error they teach by abusing Romans 5:18)
Romans 10:3, "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."
The Christian Book of Concord
Apology to the Augsburg
48] "The adversaries feign that faith is only a knowledge of the history, and therefore teach that it can coexist with mortal sin. Hence they say nothing concerning faith, by which Paul so frequently says that men are justified, because those who are accounted righteous before God do not live in mortal sin."
112] "But the remission of sins is received by faith alone, and, indeed, by faith properly so called, because the promise cannot be received except by faith. But faith, properly so called, is that which assents to the promise [is when my heart, and the Holy Ghost in the heart, says: The promise of God is true and certain]. Of this faith Scripture speaks. And because it receives the remission of sins, and reconciles us to God, by this faith we are [like Abraham] accounted righteous for Christ's sake before we love and do the works of the Law, although love necessarily follows. Nor, indeed, is this faith an idle knowledge, neither can it coexist with mortal sin, but it is a work of the Holy Ghost, whereby we are freed from death, and terrified minds are encouraged and quickened. And because this faith alone receives the remission of sins, and renders us acceptable to God, and brings the Holy Ghost, it could be more correctly called _gratia gratum faciens_, grace rendering one pleasing to God, than an effect following, namely, love."
http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_4_justification.php
(BM – reconciliation to God is only by the faith of the Holy Spirit. Note too that it is that same faith by which men are acceptable to God – not before and without faith as the false gospel of UOJ teaches and the apostate clergy such as Pastor Mark Bartling and DP Jon Buchholz teach)
I will leave apostate Pastor Bartling and the anti-Christian UOJ hoard with Martin Luther’s condemnation:
Luther’s statements from his Galatians Commentary concerning the Faith of the Holy Spirit:
12. As before said, they regard faith of slight importance; for they do not understand that it is our sole justifier. To accept as true the record of Christ--this they call faith. The devils have the same sort of faith, but it does not make them godly. Such belief is not Christian faith; no, it is rather deception.
15. ...You see how they make faith of no value to themselves, and so must regard as heresy all doctrine based upon it. Thus they do away with the whole Gospel. These are they who deny the Christian faith and exterminate it from the world. Paul prophesied concerning them when he said (1 Tim 4, 1): "In later times some shall fall away from the faith." The voice of faith is now silenced all over the world. Indeed, faith is condemned and banished as the worst heresy, and all who teach and endorse it are condemned with it. The Pope, the bishops, charitable institutions, cloisters, high schools, unanimously opposed it for nearly four hundred years, and simply drove the world violently into hell. Their conduct is the real persecution by Antichrist, in the last times.
22. Now, the Cain-like saints have not, as they themselves confess, the Christian faith which would assure them of being the children of God.
29. You cannot extricate yourself from unbelief, nor can the Law do it for you. All your works in intended fulfilment of the Law must remain works of the Law and powerless to justify in the sight of God, who regards as just only believing children.
37. Note, Paul everywhere teaches justification, not by works, but solely by faith; and not as a process, but instantaneous. The testament includes in itself everything--justification, salvation, the inheritance and great blessing. Through faith it is instantaneously enjoyed, not in part, but all. Truly is it plain, then, that faith alone affords such blessings of God, justification and salvation-- immediately and not in process as must be the case with works
74. But what is the process whereby Christ gives us such a spirit and redeems us from under the Law? The work is effected solely by faith. He who believes that Christ came to redeem us, and that he has accomplished it, is really redeemed. As he believes, so is it with him. Faith carries with it the child-making spirit. The apostle here explains by saying that Christ has redeemed us from under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons. As before stated, all must be effected through faith. Now we have discussed the five points of the verse.
http://www.trinitylutheranms.org/MartinLuther/MLSermons/Galatians4_1_7.html
