MARCH -2003- APRIL

News and Notes

A Prayer for the United States ---r.w.s.

Luther : on the resurrection

SERMON on Galatians 1:3-13, 2:15-21

All "Lutheran" churches are not the same ---m.e.l

---NEWS and NOTES---

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of New Lenox, IL

CONFIRMATION: Daniel Gunther, Andrew Kamenczak, & Sharon West were received into Communicant Membership by Rite of Confirmation, this past Palm Sunday (4/13/03).

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Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Midland, MI

Received into Communicant Membership:

Mr. Otto Braden was received into Communicant Membership on February 9, 2003 via confession of faith. He is pictured below (seated at left) with Pastor Charles E. Clubb, Jr. (center) and Mrs. Lucille Kregel (on the right). (Mrs. Kregel had become a member of Cross of Christ Church on Aug. 4, '02. -See Jul-Aug 2002 ILC Journal)

"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 10:32

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St. James Lutheran Church in Laporte, MN

celebrates 3 Baptisms. "Ye Must Be Born Again"

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, 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." (St. John 3:3-5)

March 23, 2003:

3 souls; Jamieson Grace Holmes - 3 months old; Krystianna Linn Holmes - 3 years old; and Melissa Rose Holmes - 2 years old received Holy Baptism and were buried with Christ in Holy Baptism unto their death, all their sins forgiven and washed away by the blood of Jesus according to Romans 6:3-4

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

These children received the new birth that Jesus tried to tell Nicodemus about. Ye must be born again.

The Holy Word of God tells us in Psalm 51:5

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

We can never thank God enough for the wonderful Sacrament that God gave to the true Christian Church to administer and give to little children that cannot understand the Gospel.

We thank and praise God that we are one of the churches that teaches this doctrine right.

St. Paul wrote to Titus, when Titus was starting a church in Crete, an island of Greece; Titus 3:5

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;

Holy Baptism is a washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. By Baptism we are cleansed from the sins of our forefathers from Adam on. There is verse upon verse that tells us of Holy Baptism. Another verse that tells us that we are buried with Christ by Baptism is Colossians 2:12

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

The sermon for that great day of the Lord, March 23, 2003 was entitled: "Ye must be born again." The text used for the service was taken from St. John 3:1-16. Counting the children there were 23 people that attended the service.

After the services a big celebration followed. First coffee. Then pictures and visiting. Next on the agenda dinner, it was prepared and served by Pastor Loeffler's wife, daughter Rebecca Adkins and grand daughters Alana and Michelle Adkins. Gregory Adkins served as altar boy.

After dinner a beautiful cake was served that said "Blessed Baptism" The cake was bought and furnished by St. James Lutheran Church and its members.

Glory to God in the highest that made this all possible and brought it to pass. In our Dear Saviour's name. Amen.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host: Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.

f.l.

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HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

What more can He say than to you He hath said

Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose

I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I'll never, no never, no never, forsake!" - Amen.

(TLH Hymn # 427, vv.1,7)

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--- PLEASE REMEMBER TO PLAN ---

Now is the time to plan for the 2003 ILC Delegate Convention. This year it will be sponsored by Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of New Lenox Illinois.

It is scheduled to be held on July 10th and 11th (Pastors 9th also) in the building of Our Savior's Ev. Lutheran Church in Morris, Illinois.

Please make plans to spend those days with us. We pray that many of you will be able to attend so that we can enjoy fellowship with you in the work of the Lord.

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Pastor Sempert's daughter and her boyfriend are serving in the war aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. He is in e-mail contact with them & with others on board the ship.

Please keep them and all military personnel in your prayers as they carry out their prescribed duties serving our God Blessed country.

The USS Harry S. Truman

Type of vessel: Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier
Aircraft: More than 80 Flight deck: 4.5 acres

Nuclear reactors: 2 Maximum speed: 30-plus knots
Total personnel: More than 5,200 souls

We pray that our Father, looking down from heaven, will keep these 5000+ souls in His care, and teach them all to love His Salvation in Christ Jesus; and so also with all people.

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A PRAYER FOR THE UNITED STATES

(reprint from May/June 1993 Journal)

O Lord God, we are living in a day of great infamy in Thy sight. The highest halls of government are crowded with those who would work evil among us. The executive and judicial power is used to sanction abominations before Thee, the living God: the abominations of homosexuality and abortion. With the stroke of a pen Thy truth lies fallen in the street. The "Fourth Estate," that great media Cyclops, chants its praises to the new gods of the "New Age" and hurls thunderbolts of blasphemy and rage against Thee, O Father, and against Thy Christ.

To us, O God, belongs confusion of face for as a nation we proudly declare sodomy as did Sodom of old; this nation which has a whore's forehead that cannot blush; this nation whose children are not only corrupted but are also corruptors -- this mighty nation blessed by heaven, sustained by Thy grace, upheld by Thy mercy lo these 200 years is becoming ripe for judgment. O our God, the inexorable cadence and tread, the long drum-roll, the besom of destruction is heard in the distance.

Therefore we beseech Thee to hear us as we pray for our nation and people for we are instructed by Thee to pray and intercede for presidents and all those in authority that peace and quietness may prevail. Turn the hearts of the rulers of this land by Thy Word and to Thy Word. Spare the Well-Beloved's Church in these many temptations and for His sake rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies. Grant all of us true repentance, forgive our sin for the sake of Christ's shed blood and cause righteousness to flourish throughout the land. Have mercy, O our God! Hear us for Jesus' sake. Amen.

rws

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Luther : on the Resurrection

Translated : r.w.s. (reprint)

W hoever believes and confesses Christ's resurrection, must also believe and confess our own resurrection. Conversely, whoever denies our own resurrection also denies Christ's resurrection, yes, at the same time the entire gospel and everything else that is preached about Christ. What does it matter then, if a person accepts the gospel, boasts about being a Christian, lets himself be baptized, and yet says; The resurrection of the dead is nothing? He may as well deny everything and say; There is no gospel, no baptism, no Christ, no God. We are the very ones for whom Christ rose from the dead. He certainly did not rise from the dead for his own sake and Person. He also did not suffer, was not crucified, and did not die for His own sake -- but for ours. If the resurrection of Christ occurred on our behalf, so it also certainly follows that we must rise from the dead, even as Christ is risen from the dead so that there might be one big, full and complete resurrection. For it is only proper that if a body is raised from the dead it must be raised together with all its parts, none being left behind..

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SERMON on Galatians 1:3-13, 2:15-21

(Reprint from May/June 1993 ILC Journal)

Fellow Redeemed Sinners:

Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen

Galatians 1:3-13

³ Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

⁴ Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

⁵ To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

⁶ ¶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

⁷ Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

⁸ 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.

⁹ 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.

¹⁰ ¶ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

¹¹ But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

¹² For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³ For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:

St. Paul had preached to these people. He had witnessed to the gospel of Jesus Christ amongst them and many came to believe that they were saved purely by the blood of Jesus Christ, the holy blood which He shed on Calvary's cross; that they were saved by faith alone in that Christ who rose from the grave and conquered death, who ascended into heaven and now sat at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, who there pleads our case and covers our sins by the holy redemption which He wrought for us through His holy blood. They knew and believed that the Lord Jesus Christ sealed and secured before His Heavenly Father our redemption, our salvation from sins, which He alone wrought by His own power without any goodness in all the rest of mankind.

My dear listeners, St. Paul gives me the greeting to you: "Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." St. Paul knew how to greet his people that believed in Christ! He greeted them with the grace of God Almighty, not in the name of Paul, but in the name of Christ who gave himself for our sins that He might deliver us from the present evil world. Oh, this world, ever since the day that Adam fell into sin and brought death upon all men, this world ever since that day has truly been "this evil world." Sad to say, man, having disobeyed God, brought upon himself sin and death and a disobedience which his flesh could not resist but that the very nature of his flesh took upon itself; his very flesh took the sting of sin into it so that even when he willed to do good, he could not find the power within himself to do it. Even when he read the Law of God and blessed the Law of God, and said the Law of God was good, and did all within his power to keep the Law, yet he found himself to be nothing but a sinner against that law. Now let us complete our text:

Galatians 2:15-21

¹⁵ We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

¹⁶ Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

¹⁷ But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

¹⁸ For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

¹⁹ For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

²⁰ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

²¹ I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

The central doctrine of the entire Holy Scripture is taught here in the Book of Galatians, the central doctrine for which Dr. Martin Luther was willing to risk his life, limb, and his whole happiness upon this earth, the central doctrine of the Holy Scripture for which St. Paul left his high position in the Jewish church to become the scum of the earth, to accept ridicule and slander at the hands of men that he might, through preaching this gospel, save those who would believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and their Savior. This is the central doctrine upon which all of Scripture rises, falls, and sets itself: the doctrine that we, all mankind, are saved by the justification that Jesus Christ Himself wrought for us before the heavenly Father. We are not justified by the deeds of the Law, [but by Jesus Christ] who Himself redeemed us from our sins, bought us back from our sins and covered them once and for all against God's Holy Law by His own holiness, by His own love, by His own grace - that undeserved love of God by which God says to the world,

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. [John 3:16]

The very central doctrine of the Holy Scripture is this doctrine taught here in the Book of Galatians, made so clear by St. Paul in chapter 2, verse 16,

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Oh, my dear friends in Christ, remember the thing that the so-called "church" in Luther's day was doing? They were selling the forgiveness of sins. They were saying that man could receive forgiveness for a certain amount of money. They were saying that man could receive the forgiveness of sins by the prayers of others. They were saying that if a man did so many prayers, said so many Hail Marys or so many Our Fathers, or if he gave so much, or did certain penances (penances being certain acts, certain things that he was supposed to do,) then God almighty in heaven would forgive him of his sins because of the things that he did in turn for God. This is what the church was teaching and this also is the natural religion of man's heart.

There are heathen who hook fishhooks into their backs and pull heavy loads along, reminding God that they are trying to work off the sins of their fathers so that God Almighty who created them will not hold the sins of their departed ones against them. There are those who go and pray faithfully and believe that God will relieve certain of those who have passed on before them of their sins because there are those on earth praying for them. There are churches which teach that!

There are other churches which teach, and the natural religion of man's heart teaches, that as long as a man tries to do his duty towards God, then God will somehow be pleased with him, no matter what sins he might commit, or what "mistakes" he might make along the way. As long as [he] "on his honor, does his best to do his duty towards God" then he is quite convinced in his own heart that God will reward him with a "For God Award." There are Lutheran churches in our nation today that have organizations in which they teach their children to say as an oath, "on my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and to my country." Oh, my dear friends, the Holy Scriptures never taught us to say this! Look what St. Paul says, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel." Who called them into the grace of Christ? Was it they who were "on their honor, doing their best," or was it God Almighty through His Holy Spirit and His Holy Word through His grace alone? Was it not that they, those Galatians, found to be sinners and punishable by God's wrath for their sins against His Holy Law; was it not and is it not that God, by His almighty mercy, His undeserved love which the Holy Scriptures call grace, the grace of God; was it not that they were called by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God and received Jesus Christ into their hearts because He gave them the power to believe?

Yes, the Holy Spirit entered their hearts and put faith in their hearts. It was no work of these men at all: It wasn't men doing their best, it wasn't men on their honor, it was completely by God's mercy, and the faith that He had given them. The faith that these Galatians had was there because God called them by His grace and mercy to believe in Jesus Christ.

St. Paul was so surprised, then, that they were so soon removed to another gospel, which, he says, "is not another." There is no other gospel amongst men truthfully, for every other doctrine of good news, every other escape from sin, is pure folly - it is a devil's doctrine! Every doctrine that teaches that man can somehow reprieve himself in the eyes of God, or that God saved him or a certain person because of something good that God saw in him, all such doctrines are of the devil. The doctrine of modern day psychology that every man is basically good, and if we only give man the time, or if we only give him the proper education and training, he will somehow become better and better and better until he becomes God himself is pure folly. This is the teaching of the modernists in the churches. They believe that they can actually socialize this world into the kingdom of God. that is the doctrine of all the Jehovah's Witnesses on this earth. They believe that man by his own works can build a new world. But the Scriptures do not teach this. The Scriptures teach that a man is justified, made right with God, by faith alone in Jesus Christ and this faith is a gift of God given by God's grace alone, and no man, not you nor I, has any right to boast even if we have this faith. We can glory only and alone in Jesus Christ. The very fact that I can stand here and preach over the Lutheran Reformation Hour this morning, and I do so with great pride, is not to my glory. I do not come to you as any man special, I come to you proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ who saved me, a sinner. I do not come to you on my honor. I do not come to you offering you my best. I come to you on the honor of God the Father Almighty in the Kingdom of heaven who appointed Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, from all of eternity to come down to earth as true Man, to be born of the virgin Mary, to keep His Holy Law as true Man, and to suffer and die the death that you and I deserved because of our sins, to shed [His] holy blood upon which hell and the devil would have no claim. Jesus' holy blood poured out of [Him, He died,] and on the third day He rose again and conquered death, and through his resurrection and His ascension into heaven from whence He shall come to judge the whole world, the living and the dead, this Lord Jesus Christ justified us before the Heavenly Father. We are justified through faith alone which God sends down upon our hearts. This is the doctrine of the Reformation.

This is why we must be so careful with all these modern day translations of the Bible. Most of these men, these so-called "higher Bible critics" who take it upon themselves to translate the Scriptures, are absolutely convinced that somehow we share in our salvation. But no man shares in his salvation: man is responsible completely for his total depravity and separation from God and there is not one thing, no not one thing in the earth beneath nor in the heavens above, that man can do to justify himself or make himself right before the throne of Almighty God. Our sins are washed away by the blood of Christ alone!

Again, dear friends, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God," -- not on my honor, not on my best, but "I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."

Oh, all of these do-gooders with all of their fellowship clubs and youth organizations which teach the young to despise God by the fact that many of them glorify the flesh of men when the Holy Scripture says that we are to mortify the deeds of the body to find our joy and our peace in this: that Jesus Christ the Son of God, our Creator and our Maker, whom God Almighty sent down out of heaven to become like unto us, to become flesh, who had no sin, took our sins upon Himself, and upon Calvary's cross He shed His holy blood to wash away the sins of the world - these do-gooders cannot save themselves nor anyone else. If you want to be made right with God, you can not do it by your works or by all your pleasant platitudes, but you can become God's children by faith alone and that gift will be given to you by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Won't you trust in the Holy Word through which the Holy Spirit works, and lay your sins upon Christ and confess them to Him today? Won't you come to the feet of Jesus and worship Him as true God and true Man, and thereby become a child of God?

Dearly beloved in Christ, those of you that are on your sick beds, those of you that are dying, those of you that are heart-rent because your congregations are leaving the Word of God, I bid you, turn to the Holy Scriptures and find peace and solace there. Lend your eyes and your hearts to the Book of Galatians. You'll find solace there, for it is through the Holy Word of God that we are made wise unto the salvation of Jesus Christ. Amen.

rws

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All "Lutheran" Churches are NOT the same!

By Pastor Mark E. Latsch

"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)

"Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

"Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 1:13)

"...be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." (Ephesians 4:14)

- Consider -

the TRUE BASIC BELIEFS

Held and Taught by

TRUE LUTHERAN CHRISTIANS

As stated in the Holy Bible itself and in faithful expositions of the Holy Scriptures as found in the Lutheran Book of Concord and other orthodox Lutheran writings. (Note: due to space limitations proof texts and quotes have been limited in number to include only what is necessary to succinctly prove the basic doctrinal subjects under each heading.)

1) The Word of God, the Holy Bible– its divine verbal and plenary inspiration, its divine pristine preservation, and its proper use:

The true Holy Bible says:

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

"For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter 1:21)

"...the scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35)

"...thy word is truth." (John 17:17)

"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." (Isaiah 40:8)

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." (Matthew 24:35)

"The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." (Psalm 12:6-7)

Our orthodox Lutheran Christian forefathers say:

"...we receive and embrace with our whole heart the Prophetic and Apostolic Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the pure, clear fountain of Israel, which is the only true standard by which all teachers and doctrines are to be judged." (Formula of Concord. Thorough Declaration. Comprehensive Summary. Triglot pg.851)

"...the Holy Scriptures alone remain the only judge, rule, and standard, according to which, as the only test-stone, all dogmas shall and must be discerned and judged, as to whether they are good or evil, right or wrong." (Formula of Concord. Epitome. Triglot pg.779)

"...Holy Scripture is the highest and best book. It is from God and full of comfort." (Luther on God's Word, pg.4)

"...Thou hast preserved unto us in their purity Thy saving Word and the sacred ordinances of Thy house." (TLH 1941, from the general prayer, pg.13)

"God's Word is our great heritage and shall be ours forever; to spread its light from age to age shall be our chief endeavor. Through life it guides our way, in death it is our stay. Lord, grant, while worlds endure, we keep its teachings pure throughout all generations. Amen." (TLH 1941, hymn 283)

** Note that our forefathers never doubted that they had ALL of God's pure, inerrant, infallible Word perfectly preserved to them and that it would remain pure and complete forever. Our forefathers held to the Hebrew Masoretic text of the Old Testament and the Greek Textus Receptus of the New Testament, and the faithful translations based upon them such as Luther's German of 1545 and the English King James Version of 1611/1769. Even after newer versions of the Bible were produced our forefathers wisely rejected them because they were based upon false, heretical, corrupted Hebrew/Aramaic and Greek texts; they knew that Psalm 11:3 declares: "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" **

2) The true God is the Triune God: three divine Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Ghost – equal in power, majesty, and eternity, but of One and the same divine essence.

The true Holy Bible says:

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4)

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." (1 John 5:7)

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19)

"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." (Numbers 6:24-26)

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen."

(2 Corinthians 13:14)

"And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. ...Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." (Isaiah 6:3, 8)

Our orthodox Lutheran Christian forefathers say:

"Our Churches, with common consent, do teach that the decree of the Council of Nicaea concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence and concerning the Three Persons is true and to be believed without any doubting; that is to say, there is one Divine Essence which is called and which is God: eternal, without body, without parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things, visible and invisible; and yet there are three Persons, of the same essence and power, who also are coeternal, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And the term "person" they use as the Fathers have used it, to signify, not a part or quality in another, but that which subsists of itself..." (Augsburg Confession. Art.1. Triglot pg.43)

"Glory to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Three in One! To Thee O blessed Trinity, be praise now and eternally!" (TLH 1941, hymn 245 verse 6)

**Note that our forefathers without reservation believed and confessed the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. Naturally, the three Creeds are included in the Book of Concord 1580 and The Lutheran Hymnal 1941. **

3) Each and every naturally conceived and born human being is born sinful and commits all manner of actual sins daily.

The true Holy Bible says:

"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 51:5)

"For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." (Ecclesiastes 7:20)

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)

"...sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4)

Our orthodox Lutheran Christian forefathers say:

"...since the fall of Adam, all men begotten in the natural way are born with sin... this disease, or vice of origin, is truly sin..." (Augsburg Confession. Art.2. Triglot pg.43)

"...sin is everything that is contrary to God's Law." (Formula of Concord. Thor.Decl. Triglot pg.967)

"Almighty God, our Maker and Redeemer, we poor sinners confess unto Thee that we are by nature sinful and unclean and that we have sinned against Thee by thought, word, and deed..." (TLH 1941, from the confession of sins, pg.6)

**Note that our forefathers never doubted the total depravity of man and man's near constant sinning.**

4) The Son of God, Jesus Christ, is TRUE God begotten of the Father from eternity, and Jesus is also TRUE Man born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus is the perfect, sinless Son of the living God. Jesus shed His holy blood and died for the sins of all people, was buried, and bodily rose from the dead the third day. Jesus also ascended into heaven and rules all things. The Lord Jesus Christ is the One True Savior of the whole world.

The true Holy Bible says:

"Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 1:18)

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2)

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-2, 14)

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians 2:8-9)

"And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." (1 John 5:20)

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

"...John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:14-15)

"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" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

"...Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."

(Luke 24:36-39)

"So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God." (Mark 16:19)

"(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)" (Ephesians 4:9-10)

Our orthodox Lutheran Christian forefathers say:

"...the Word , that is, the Son of God, did assume the human nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, so that there are two natures, the divine and the human, inseparably conjoined in one Person, one Christ, true God and true man, who was born of the Virgin Mary, truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, that he might reconcile the Father unto us, and be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for all actual sins of men. He also descended into hell, and truly rose again the third day; afterward He ascended into heaven that He might sit at the right hand of the Father, and forever reign..." (Augsburg Confession. Art.3. Triglot pg.45)

"...forty days after His resurrection... He ascended into the glory of the heavens, and He sat down at the right hand of God, He now, according to His human nature, as our brother according to the flesh, occupies the place at God's right hand. He has full dominion over all creatures in heaven and earth and under the earth." (Popular Commentary, P. Kretzmann, NT vol.1 pg.258)

**Note that our forefathers also confessed the Person and work of Jesus Christ in the three universal Creeds– they never doubted Who Jesus is and what He has accomplished. **

5) To benefit from the accomplished atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ one must place his full trust and confidence in Christ and His merits alone and thus one receives the full forgiveness of sins, in other words, justification is by faith alone without the works of the Law. Furthermore, saving faith is wrought, strengthened, and preserved by the Holy Ghost through the Means of Grace– the Word and Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

The true Holy Bible says:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

"...no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." (1 Corinthians 12:3)

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17)

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

"Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28)

"...be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16)

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:16)

Our orthodox Lutheran Christian forefathers say:

"...men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Rom. 3 and 4." (Augsburg Confession. Art.4. Triglot pg.45)

"...God does not wish to deal with us otherwise than through the spoken Word and the Sacraments." (Luther, Smalcald Articles, part 3, Triglot pg.497)

" ...by faith, as St. Peter says, we acquire a new and clean heart, and God will and does account us entirely righteous and holy for the sake of Christ, our Mediator. And although sin in the flesh has not yet been altogether removed or become dead, yet He will not punish or remember it. And such faith, renewal, and forgiveness of sins is followed by good works..." (Luther, Smalcald Articles, part 3, Triglot pg.499)

**Note that our forefathers knew that all people are totally dependent on the Lord for salvation. They knew that there is NO salvation outside of Jesus Christ, who said: "... I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) **

This article has put forth the basic Christian beliefs held by historic, orthodox, confessional Lutheranism.

If your "Lutheran" church denies ANY of the aforementioned doctrines then it is NOT truly Lutheran and most likely not even Christian.

God's Word tells you what to do:

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord..."

(2 Corinthians 6:17)

(the above article is available in tract form)

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