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Correct Doctrine and
Practice Are Necessary For Faith In Christ
By: Rev. Jack Cascione |
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Before the LCMS is going to tell the world about Jesus it must first settle
its own doctrinal issues and agree on how LCMS Lutherans are supposed to
worship God. The LCMS must decide if it still wants to be Lutheran.
Every catechism and hymnbook is the old catechism and hymnbook after they
have been used for a year. Those who change their worship every week
can't maintain doctrine or practice because no one knows why they are doing
anything except the PLI-leader/guru. The appeal for
creative/contemporary/entertainment/worship must result in to confusion and
chaos.
I recently baptized a young woman whose mother baptized her in the tub
because she was having an argument with the Catholic Priest. More than
20 years later the mother couldn't remember what she said. It is not
possible to have correct faith in Christ without correct practice.
In the following citations from volume six of Luther's Works on Genesis
35:1-2, Luther speaks about Jacob fleeing from the people around Schechem.
God tells Jacob to go to Bethel, build an altar, and that his family should
change their clothes.
Luther points out that:
1. The office of the ministry speaks for God.
2. Don't pay attention to the minister, but to the Word of God.
3. God is the one who speaks to us, baptizes us, and absolves us through His
Word.
4. No one has the authority to invent his own forms of worship.
5. There is no proper teaching and evangelism until false doctrine has been
purged.
6. The Reformation is about returning to pure doctrine, not improved life
style.
7. Maintaining church traditions and ceremonies is necessary, even though
they do not justify us.
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Luther writes:
"In whatever manner He [God] spoke, it is certain that this is the Word
of God. But such is the perversity of human nature that we do not believe
that we are hearing the Word of God whenever He speaks through a man. For we
weigh the Word according to the authority and weight of the speaker. We hear
a man speaking as a man, and we think that it is a man's word and so neglect
it and scorn it. We should, however, give thanks to God for placing the
authority of the Word in a man's mouth, or that of a minister who is like us
in all respects, and who can speak with us, console, and encourage us by
means of the Word.
But we do not recognize the greatness of this blessing, and we are not
thankful. Therefore the legends of the fathers are more preeminent also in
this respect, not only because of the Word but also because of the faith of
the patriarchs, by which they gave firm and certain assent to the Word. When
we hear the minister teaching and pronouncing the absolution, we cannot come
to the conclusion that we have been taught and absolved and have received
consolation through the Divine Majesty. We say, of course, that it is the
word which we have heard in the church, but the word of a pastor. But it is
the Word not of a pastor, or Peter, or any minister but that of the Divine
Majesty. Our stories, accordingly, are colder on account of colder faith,
but in the fathers faith was much more ardent, even as it shone forth in a
wonderful manner in their whole life. Therefore they deserve to be
called the sacred stories of the fathers, and they are such.
But if we believed that God is speaking to us through parents, pastors, and
ministers of the Word, we should feel our hearts inflamed by a wonderful
joy. For we should glory as follows, saying: "I am baptized." By
whom? Was it not by a pastor? By no means, but by the Holy Spirit. I have
been absolved by the Holy Spirit, by God Himself. Why, then, should I be
afraid?" LW6:224-225 . . .
"But He adds the command about raising an altar, that is, about
instituting worship, and there this rule is to be noted, that without the
Holy Spirit no method or means of worshiping God is to be taken up.
Jacob, for example, does not on the basis of his own judgment fabricate the
idea that the house of God is in this place, but he has it from revelation.
When he slept here formerly and saw the angels of God ascending and
descending, he added: "This is none other than the house of God"
(cf. Gen. 28:17). Altars are not to be raised and acts of worship are not to
be invented by one's own rashness, but respect must be paid to the
commandment of God." LW6:225-226
"It was a very beautiful sermon of the patriarch Jacob to his household
and church gathered from members of his house and strangers and by which he
exhorted them to the correction of faults which were clinging to the church.
The first sin which he reproved was in conflict with the First Commandment,
namely, idolatry. This he wanted corrected and purged away, "Put away
the foreign gods that are among you," he said. For this is the head and
fountain from whence all other faults flow, and all reformation is useless
if the doctrine is not purged first. For behold the folly of the pope and of
all subsequent councils! They first ordain certain ceremonies; they order
the
priests to wear long attire and to read the canonical hours and Masses
carefully; they forbid dicing and harlotry. They call this the reformation
of the church. Some such course will be decided on in a council, if ever
there is one. For the cardinals and bishops are stupid bunglers who
think nothing of the Word and doctrine and do not understand or care about
it." LW6:228
"The third part, the matter concerning the changing of garments, is
quite external and ceremonial. "Lay aside your rather dirty
garments," he means to say, "that we may celebrate the Sabbath;
adorn yourselves also with an external act of worship." For such
ceremonies are nevertheless necessary, even though they do not justify. For
a certain respect is also owed to external ceremonies, gestures, and customs
so that there may be honorable and orderly gatherings in that place where
the Word is taught and where invocation is made and other sacred acts are
performed. But before all things the heart should be well ordered by true
faith towards God and reconciliation and then by love towards one's neighbor
which is perfect and without any offense. Thirdly, there should be external
discipline in assemblies, that all things may be done decently and in order,
according to 1 Cor. 14:40. But those who neglect these matters indicate that
they believe nothing and despise God and the church. For in an
ecclesiastical assembly we should not conduct ourselves as if we were in a
tavern. Some dignity is required here." LW6:231
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December 10, 2002 |