Krauth

In his introduction to Concordia Publishing House’s 2007 printing of Charles Porterfield Krauth’s The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology, Dr. Lawrence R. Rast Jr. cites an American Lutheran of the nineteenth century commenting on a German Lutheran immigrant. The American was shocked by the Orthodoxy of the German. He was taken back by the man’s insistence on an unconditional subscription to the unaltered Augsburg Confession, his belief in baptismal regeneration and the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, and his recommendation of private confession and absolution.# From the point of view of someone raised as an Orthodox Lutheran, the idea of a Lutheran who does not believe in baptismal regeneration or the real presence in the Lord’s Supper makes little sense. The question is then asked: How did American Lutheranism get to this point?
The American Lutherans had gone through a serious identity crisis during the early parts of the nineteenth century. One main concern was the transition from German to English. Rev. J. H. C. Helmuth (1745-1825), a pastor in the Pennsylvania Ministerium, feared that a departure from the German language would mean a departure from the religious language. After all, there were reports from Missionaries in Virginia who noticed that those who left the German language did indeed leave behind a religious life. Nevertheless, the English language was proving to be the inevitable transition. By 1807, the New York Ministerium took on English as its official language, and although German was retained in the Pennsylvania Ministerium their missionaries preached in English when they went to the Virginias and Ohio. Helmuth along others, fearing that the loss of German would mean extreme detriment for the Church, identified with the German speaking Reformed, and joint publications and hymnals were published between the Lutherans and Reformed.# On October 22, 1820, efforts for a General Synod began. The goal of this synod was meant as an advisory to the various ministeriums and synods in the United States. David A. Gustafson (1993) points out that the word “General” indicated no doctrinal standard; however, even with that lack of standard, there were still some who were afraid that it was too Lutheran.

Practice Sermon for personal study

2 Corinthians 5:11-21
11Therefore, knowing(O) the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But(P) what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12(Q) We are not commending ourselves to you again but(R) giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13For if we(S) are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ(T) controls us, because we have concluded this: that(U) one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15and he died for all,(V) that those who live might no longer live for themselves but(W) for him who for their sake died and was raised.
16From now on, therefore,(X) we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is(Y) in Christ, he is(Z) a new creation.[b](AA) The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God,(AB) who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us(AC) the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling[c] the world to himself,(AD) not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us(AE) the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore,(AF) we are ambassadors for Christ,(AG) God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21(AH) For our sake he made him to be sin(AI) who knew no sin, so that in him we might become(AJ) the righteousness of God.

Lord, sanctify us by the truth. Your word is truth. Amen

“You shall be holy, for the LORD your God is holy.” Here is God’s command. We may understand this as being perfect, good, righteous, just. This is what God demands. Paul, as a minister of reconciliation truly hopes that the fear of the LORD would be known to the consciences of the Corinthians. We learn from Paul that we should not judge from outward appearances, but from what is in the heart, and our LORD Jesus Christ tells us what comes from the heart: lust, adultery, murder, theft. We by nature try to find rest in our flesh, but our heart continues to bleed forth sin. We wonder how others might see us. We might see someone in a higher authority or higher status and see success. This guy must have been doing some things right. He shows such maturity, such control and power over what he does. He is really good at what he does. Now you do something stupid or just plain shameful in front of him, and you see what you keep forgetting exists: you see the filthiness o f your heart. Maybe this person works with you and has caught you slacking off during work. Maybe this person is your boss and caught you cheating the company. Maybe this person is your own spouse, or your mother or father, or your brother. I for one cannot count the times that I disappointed my mother or father by my disobedience, and fortunately, my mother and father do not bring any of it up. They do not judge me according to these deeds. They forgave me every time. Not that I never was disciplined, but I was certainly forgiven. Why did they forgive me? Because they are forgiven; they are Christians.
Christians forgive. He who does not forgive is not a Christian, but a heathen and a child of the devil. But sometimes this person who is so important to us, whether or not we always acknowledge it, does not forgive… and it hurts. It hurts because your flesh automatically runs to the law to find comfort. Well, he shouldn’t have been so harsh on me. Actually, he had every right. Yeah, but it wasn’t that big of a deal what I did. Actually it was, and you deserve what you got. The fact that this person did not respond to your apology by saying, “It’s OK. Don’t worry about it!” kills you inside. Why can’t it just be OK?
There is a reason why the Psalmist says, “Do not put your trust in princes.” Because, in this son of man, there is no salvation. The comfort for these wretched Corinthians starts with the fact that their pastors are compelled by the love of Christ. Jesus died once for all. He does not count your trespasses against you. But even Jesus, the soul’s great friend, does he say, “It’s OK!”? Jesus says that if you truly love Him, keep His commandments. He says that sin leads to death and hell, where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. He says that you must be righteous in order to enter into the Kingdom of God. Jesus took sin seriously. That is why He bore it on the cross. And He sends His Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin, righteousness of and judgment. In other words, the Holy Spirit comes with the law to tell you that you are sinning. It is kind of like when you hear that you did something wrong, and the assumption is that you are sorry because you got caught. That is exactly how the Spirit works. He catches you, and it is only when the Spirit catches you when you can truly be led to repentance. For only the Spirit after catching you is going to also forgive you. He will not rub it in, saying, “You really messed up!” He will tear you down only so that He might freely give you the merits of Christ earned for you on the cross. So the minister who the Spirit speaks by is compelled by this love which bore you sins on the cross.
Be reconciled to God! Why? Because He has given you a pastor whose only job is to preach reconciliation. And how do you know that you are truly reconciled to God? Because He was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Be reconciled to each other. Do not hold onto your sin nor anyone else’s. It is not yours to hold on to, since Christ has already claimed it as His own. Knowing no sin, he became sin for us.
But it is hard not to let sin condemn us, isn’t it? It is hard to let go of our failures. We might feel like such hypocrites when we want to call ourselves people of God, yet we allow our sins to take hold of us, whether they be adultery, theft, or murder. Maybe you told your sibling that you hate him or her. Maybe you neglected to stick up for the little nerdy kid who isn’t worth your time anyway. And yet, you claim to be of God. You claim to be of righteousness. Doesn’t the well of God’s grace seem like it should have gone dry by now? It may seem like it, but Christ promises otherwise. He promises that we will be filled. He promises righteousness to those who, in their weakness and sin, thirst after it. He became our sin so that we may share His righteousness.
This means that He forgives us. Jesus, the God of creation, became man, emptied Himself to take on the form of a servant, and he died for our sin and rose again for our justification. The risen LORD, the firstborn of all creation forgives you. So when the prince of your life, whether he or she be you teacher, friend, boss, brother, or sister, shows you no salvation, rejoice. For the LORD of hosts and heavenly power is with you and forgives you. If he does forgive you, rejoice since this is by God’s grace alone. This is the very power of God for all believers. This righteousness which you thirst for is yours, you hypocrite! And do not be afraid, you righteous hypocrite, because you will be filled. You are filled. In your baptism, you were clothed with Christ and His righteousness. In the Lord’s Supper, you receive the body and blood of your LORD for your benefit. You hypocrite who Jesus loves, you will be shown mercy. For in Christ, you are the mercy, the righteousness of God. Trust that. Hold to that! Put not your trust in princes, especially those who do not forgive you when you wrong them. Do not let that get to you. You are forgiven. Jesus, who is God above all, forgave you before you even came into existence. And He will never cease forgiving you. Cling to Him. He is your life. He is the only truly righteous one. He is the only truly merciful one. He is the only truly powerful one. And He gives all that He has to you freely.
Have you committed adultery? Christ became that adultery. Have you stolen? Christ became that thief. Have you hated your brother? Christ became that murderer. Christ died, so you die too. Christ is risen, so you are risen too. Christ is victorious. You are victorious too. Christ is righteous , and this is yours as well. So continue to seek righteousness, but seek it in Jesus, because that is where it is. And you are filled. Whether you feel it or not – you may feel like you really messed up this time or that you cannot believe you did this again -- Christ is yours. This means God is yours. So in your baptism, just as your Heavenly Father spoke of Jesus, hear Him say it of you as well: this is My beloved son/daughter in whom I am well pleased.
Amen

Advent Hymn

Oh Jesus, when You came to save us
Obedient, not a sin to trace,
Your life you lived so pure and precious.
The Father smiled upon your face:
"This is My Son in Whom I'm pleased!"
Through You His wrath is set at ease!

You died for all to ease God's anger.
You resurrected from the dead.
Abandoned by Your righteous Father
Sweet justice stained in holy red.
Sin, what You hate, that You became.
For all you live to cover blame!

Lord, now You come still by the Spirit
Through Word and Holy Sacrament!
Forgiveness is what we inherit
When faith receives what God has sent:
His only Son. Oh Lord, we pray
That you be near us everyday!

The Certainty of Absolution: What May We Count On?

The sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are generally understood by Lutherans today as common means of grace, although the practice of Absolution rarely gains much recognition. Absolution, however, gives the assuring word of forgiveness from God. Through the teaching of this particular chief part of the Catechism, we see the center on the scriptural theme of forgiveness in Christ carried out by Martin Luther.[1] Luther states in his Large Catechism that a true Christian would run more than a hundred miles to receive it.[2] This absolution is truly a comfort to the broken hearted unless there is uncertainty in the validity of the forgiveness. This uncertainty of forgiveness in the absolution from a pastor derives from two possible misconceptions. The first is that the pastors do not stand in the stead and command of Christ. The second is that the justification earned by Christ was not nor is a universal atonement.

Addressing the issue that the ministers stand in Christ's stead must be understood in context of two different teachings concerning the ministry. One teaching suggests that the priests possess a sacred quality which gives them the ability to absolve sins. The other reacts against this, claiming that ministers do not stand in the stead of Christ. J. B. Lightfoot, an Anglican Bishop of the nineteenth century, presents his understanding of the ministry in his book “The Christian Ministry.” Lightfoot reacts against sacerdotal practice within Roman Catholicism. Sacerdotal comes from the Latin word for priest, or to make sacred.[3] The priest, according to the Roman Catholic Church, holds a special character that gives him the ability to act in the person of Christ. His sacerdotal character allows Him to make present again the sacrifice of the New Testament, which is shown in the celebration of the canon of the mass.[4] Paragraph 1383 of the Catholic Catechism states in its anaphora prayer: “We entreat you, almighty God, that by the hands of your holy Angel, this offering may be borne to your alter in heaven.” This prayer shows the sacrificial act of the priest, as if the atoning sacrifice of Christ was not enough. We see in more contexts now, the reaction from Lightfoot.
The pastor, though representing God, stands not in Christ's stead according to Lightfoot: "But throughout his office is representative and not vicarial." Lightfoot rightly reacts against the teaching that priests offer atoning sacrifices; however, his reaction that pastors do not stand in Christ's stead replaces the gospel with law. If Christ is not presently forgiving the sinner through the pastor, the grace of God becomes conditional and not free. It becomes man's work rather than God's work. Lightfoot also writes: “[The Christian Minister] is charged with the ministry of reconciliation; he unfolds the will of heaven; he declares in God’s name the terms on which pardon is offered; and he pronounces in God’s name the absolution of the penitent." The word terms in this quote gives an uncertainty to the sinner. If there are terms on which pardon is offered, grace, again, is not free. He continues to argue against the claim that absolution gives a distinct sacerdotal character; however, his reaction brings him to another uncertainty. He writes: “As empowered to declare the conditions of God’s grace, he is empowered also to proclaim the consequences of their acceptance."[5] Again, we see a word of uncertainty: conditions. Therefore, the uncertainty lies in two words. These two words are terms and conditions. God's grace does not have terms and conditions. His grace is free and fully paid for by Christ. When Christ is presently absolving the sinners through the vicarage of the minister, we know for certain that there are no terms or conditions.

The fact that the minister stands in Christ's stead, therefore, does not mean that the minister possesses an atoning character. The certainty of forgiveness does not lie in the character of the minister at all. This would question the validity of that character for the congregation. Rather, the minister standing in Christ's stead gives certainty in that Christ is presently forgiving. Luther’s Small Catechism sums up what is being done during absolution: "I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, especially when they exclude manifest and impenitent sinners from the Christian congregation, and, again, when they absolve those who repent of their sins and are willing to amend, this is as valid and certain, in heaven also, as if Christ, our dear Lord, dealt with us Himself."[6] John 20:22-23 records Christ's command to his disciples: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." Christ gives his disciples His authority. He tells them to receive the Holy Spirit. He doesn't tell them to give the terms or conditions of forgiveness while they represent Him; rather He assures them that if they forgive, by His authority of the Holy Spirit, that forgiveness is valid. In fact, Christ promises to His Church that this forgiveness is just as valid on earth as it is in heaven in Matthew 18:18: “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Truly this grace is promised unconditionally, and we may confidently hold fast to this just as we pray that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This appeal of God to righteousness is surely done in His presence through the pastor.[7]
The presence of Christ in His words of absolution surely comforts the distressed penitent sinner; however, the absolution is not limited to the present act of forgiveness. The absolution is already there; it has already been reckoned to the whole world. In further understanding the certainty of absolution, the doctrine of objective justification must be discussed. Objective justification is also known as universal grace, the teaching that Christ died on the cross for the entire world. The denial of objective justification burdens the conscience of the sinner. If Jesus only died on the cross for the believers, the individual sinner looks at his own faith for certainty of his salvation. He is not able to fully depend on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ for his certainty if the crucifixion and resurrection did not make satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. Wherefore, the proof that Jesus died for him relies on his own faith rather than on the objective atonement of Christ.

Question 20 of the Heidelberg Catechism asks: “Are all men then saved by Christ, as they have perished by Adam?” The answer reads: “No; only such as by true faith are ingrafted into Him, and receive all His benefits.”[8] The Bible verses which are used in supporting this answer are John 3:16, 36. Verse 36 states: “… whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” The fact that those who reject Christ are condemned fits into the syllogism of the answer. Their logic claims that since men reject God, God does not forgive them. Subjectively, unbelievers obviously do not receive God’s grace by faith; however, this does not mean that God did not declare the whole world righteous for Christ’s sake.

The familiar verse 16 in the third chapter of John clearly states that God loved the World. 1 John 2:2 states: “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” We see here that Christ’s death brought reconciliation to the entire world, but the two truths in Scripture seem to contradict themselves. It is most certainly true that those who do not have faith in Christ will be condemned. It is also most certainly true that Christ atoned for the sins of the entire world on the cross and that God desires all to be saved.[9] The logic does not seem fit.

This logic especially came forth in a controversial debate about absolution and universal grace in the late nineteenth century. In 1874, the Norwegian Synod received charges of universalism from Professors A. Weenaas and Sven Oftedahl. Rev. Herman Amberg Preus, president of the Norwegian Synod at that time, presented an essay in response to their claims. Among their claims was that ministers may not absolve sinner with certainty, since they do not know the sinner’s faith. In response to these claims, Preus defended the doctrine of objective justification. In particular, he wrote:

“According to his [Professor Weenaas] new gospel the professor must preach that through his suffering and death Christ has only accomplished so much that God has now become willing to let his wrath cease and to be reconciled and to loose, confer grace, forgive, justify and open access to salvation, but that in actuality he can only do and does all this if man on his part fulfills the condition placed on him by God, namely that he is supposed to believe. And the thing which is thus supposed to be believed does not become this that God already has done this and is reconciled but that God will do it and will be reconciled when he sees the obedience and the good quality in man, that he believes.”[10]

Preus plainly presents here the logic of his opponents. Since grace, according to his opponents, is not universal, the atonement is not fully the work of God. Thus, we end up with synergism, turning faith into a work of man. Faith is certainly necessary for salvation, but even that is given to us by God.[11] Preus also points out that the unfaithfulness of the sinner does not cause God’s absolution to be unfaithful, quoting Romans 3:3: "For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid." Christ is not defeated by our sins. He bore our sins. He bore the sins of the world; even the sins of those who rejected Him.

Conclusion

As faithful pastors and theologians defend the certainty of absolution, terrified sinners are clothed in the comforting presence of our Lord. These two teachings, namely that the ministers of Christ stand in His stead and that Christ earned atonement for the sins of all, are crucial when we consider our faith. We know from scripture that there is one faith[12], not many faiths according to each individual. By this we know where to look. If there is one faith and one Lord, we look to our Lord. We don’t look at our own faith, hoping it is the same as other Christians’ faiths. We look to Christ presently absolving us through the minister. We look to Christ who has suffered for the sins of all mankind; if this is true, He certainly suffered for our sins as well. Our faith is not meant to be looked at or heard as a good quality; faith is what looks, and faith is what hears. Faith looks to the cross. So when the sinner looks to the cross, he knows his faith is founded. Faith hears the true absolution from Christ through the mouth of the minister. He knows God’s absolution is valid, and he rests in the wounds of Christ, clothed in His innocence.[13]

---

[1] Arand, Charles P. That I May Be His Own: An Overview of Luther's Catechisms. St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 2000. 147,192. Print.

[2] Luther, Martin. "The Large Catechism." The Book of Concord. Tappert. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1959. Print. (Luther 460)

[3] I found this definition from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary. sacerdotal

[4] Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1563,1566

[5] Lightfoot, J. B. The Christian Ministry. New York, NY: MacMillan Company, 1903. 133-32. Print.

[6] Luther, Martin. Small Catechism. 1965. St. Louis, Missouri: Concordia Publishing House, 1943. 18. Print.

According to Charles Arand, in That I May be His Own: An Overview of Luther’s Catechisms, the Office of the Keys was not included in any editions of the Small Catechism during Luther’s life. “The Keys” was a treatise by Luther which reflects this teaching.

[7] 2 Corinthians 5:20

[8] Ursinus, Zacharius, and Caspar Olevianus. Heidelberg Catechism. Text of Tercetenary. Cleveland, Ohio: Central Publishing House, 1877. 14. Print.

[9] 1 Timothy 2:4

[10] Preus, Herman A. "The Justification of the World." www.christforus.org. 18 jan 2008. Rev. Rolf D. Preus, Web. 6 Nov 2009. .

[11] Phillipians 1:6; 2 Peter 1:1(Organon Lepticon is Greek for receiving instrument.); Ephesians 2:8,9

[12] Ephesians 4:5

[13] Galations 3:27

If You're to Ask Me What Love is

If you're to ask me what love is,
What could I hardly make of this
Until I hear, nailed to a tree,
God and Lord died for me!
Have mercy Lord!

In sin and shame I was conceived.
Through Adam's sin, we're all deceived
To think we do not need our God.
We deserve cruel rod!
Have mercy, Lord!

Our God is just, and He demands
A perfect sacrifice of man.
This just God will not let us flee
From the law. None are free.
Have mercy Lord!

Our God is also merciful.
His blessings are so plentiful
He sent His Son, both Man and God;
Took our place, shed His blood.
Have mercy, Lord!

God's wrath on men is set at ease,
For Christ Himself dropped to His knees,
"Let this cup pass from Thy dear Son.
Not mine own, Thy Will done."
Have mercy, Lord!

The Son of Man walked willingly
Straight to the mount of Calvary
God turned his face from His dear Son
Struck with death; justice won.
Have mercy, Lord!

The third day from the grave He rose
And conquered death beneath His toes.
Now sitting at the Father's side
He is now glorified!
Have mercy, Lord!

Now we are buried with our Lord
To death through water and the Word
So Christ in glory rose again
We may too life obtain.
Have mercy, Lord!

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
We pray we do not brag nor boast
But fix our eyes on Jesus Christ
We are His; none may heist.
Have mercy, Lord!

Amen

Wedding Garment

The Bridegroom

On August 7th, I am getting married to Leah. She didn't let me see her wedding dress, but I know one thing about it. It is white! That's all I know. Why is it white? Why is her father walking her down the aisle? Tradition, i guess. But when we look at the wedding dress, we should think of the spotless dress the Church wears through the Word and Sacraments. Yes, through our baptism, we are washed clean of our sins, driven to repentance, and given faith in our savior Jesus Christ. Johann Quenstedt describes the Trinity working in this way: The Father brings the bride to the bridegroom and offers up the bridegroom for the bride. The Son, the bridegroom, not only accepts the bride, He pays for her with his death on the cross, and He seals the payment with His resurrection, killing the sting of death that once was bound to His bride. The Holy Ghost prepares the Church, the bride, for her bridegroom, cleansing her with the means of grace.

These means of grace are the pure preaching of the Word of God, the law and the gospel, and the correct administration of the sacraments according to Christ's command. He commands it! He commands this to His ministers for the sake of his flock; for the sake of his bride whom He loves. Why does He love her? Because she is beautiful? Because she is cute? No! He loves her despite her corrupt nature and original sin. He loves her because He is love. He is peace. He is righteous. He is her righteousness. That is what she is clothed with! The white garment; the spotless lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who obediently took on Himself our sins and offences. He unites Himself with her through water and the word. He gives to her his own perfect body and blood to eat and drink for the strengthening of her faith and forgiveness of her sins. This is truly a mystery. But the Church believes and confesses it by the faithful preparation of the Holy Ghost through the pure and trustworthy Word of our Lord and God Jesus Christ, who speaks not by His own authority, rather because the Father has sent Him to speak and do all this for His bride, the Church.

We are the Church. All who have been baptized in His name: the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. We are His bride, but according to our flesh, we hate. We make fun of people. We nit-pick at others' weaknesses, putting ourselves up on that pedestal that to God, was equivalent to the tower of Babel. This pedestal is nothing. This pedestal is built by our own filth. We hated Him, and He loved us. That is why He died in our place and paid the ultimate debt that no special financial, social, or psychological method could pay. Christ took it all on Himself because He loved the world. He loved the twisted killers and molesters. He loved the thieves and blasphemers. He loved those who cursed Him, and we could not come close. But He has clothed us with His righteousness in our baptism, uniting us with Him in His death and resurrection. Now, we are dead to this pedestal of filth and sin. We are free to love our neighbors. We are free to stick up for the nerds and losers who are picked on by the in-crowd. We are free to be forgiven when we fail to do so, and we are free to confess Jesus, His work, and His Word.

I am commanded by Christ to love Leah as He loved the Church and gave Himself for her. She will be commanded to submit and hold to the love and support I will provide for her. I will fail, but by Christ's blood and righteousness, and in my baptism, I will be daily driven to repentance and forgiven. I am free to love Leah. She will also fail, but by the same means of grace, she is free to submit herself to me. We are both, along with the entire Church, free to submit to Christ.

Satan lies to us, telling us that our debt is too big to be forgiven, and Christ's death and resurrection are irrelevant or simply not enough. He also lies by telling us that we don't need Christ; that we may simply put away with our own sins or ignore them. He also uses his fabricating sword to pierce our consciences, driving us to look for pious means in order to cover up that guilt. But we know what is within us. We live with it everyday, and no matter how much we try to ignore it, we still sin repeatably. We gossip; we still lust and covet. But the law tells us that we are guilty. The same law that Christ fulfilled and obediently lived according to, shows us to be filthy sinners deserving of eternal torment.

So we plead guilty. Christ has bore our guilt. He bore it on the cross where He suffered and died an eternal death. Isaiah spoke of Christ's death in the past tense even though he lived hundreds of years before it took place. That is because it was eternal. It was what we deserved, and He bore it. He didn't sneak out the back door. He didn't heroically escape from its grasps. No, He bore it, and He triumphantly conquered that eternal death in His resurrection. We share this triumph and victory in our baptism. We are driven back to it and strengthened in our conviction of it in the forgiveness we receive at the Lord's Supper. We are the Church, and Christ is our bridegroom. We are clothed by Him, and His righteousness is ours.

Lord, keep us in Thy presence.
Grant to us all repentance
And guide us by Thy Word.
Thy means of grace give to me
Thy righteousness to be free
From Satan's fabricating sword.
Amen

Public Faith

Hermanne Sasse rightly pointed out concerning the confession of the Church that an individual Christian never truly has a private confession of faith. It is always accompanied by the whole Church. It is public. The entire Church, hidden under the Word and Sacraments, confesses together the grace and love of God we find in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Tune of "I Know My Faith Is Founded" by E. Neumeister

My faith is never private
The whole Church looks to Christ her Lord
And to His death and merit
The Saint confesses God's pure Word
When failing, we are given
The means of grace which save
Where we hear Christ is risen
He conquered o'er the grave.
And baptized we're forgiven
We've put on Christ our Lord
His blood and body given
For us! Our souls restored!

This next stanza speaks of the arrogance of the World and Christ's love still yearning for the their salvation.

The World is very evil
It hates the truth of Christ our Lord
It boasts of its own free will
They claim they know Christ's loving Word
But they know not of Jesus
Through whom salvation lies
With gospel He does lead us
To meet Him in the skies
The World wants no such cover
It bears selfrighteousness
Regardless, Christ did suffer
And bore the World's distress