The Lutheran's Confession
Helping Lutheran's Reclaim Their Witness
Martin Chemnitz called it “a great and glorious light.” C.F.W. Walther said that it was “the supreme art among Christians.” What were they talking about?
It would be interesting to ask our brothers and sisters of other church bodies: What is the supreme art among Christians? What is the most important work that God has given us as his people?
Is it the Great Commission of Matthew 28? Is it the commandment to love God with all of our hearts and our neighbor as ourselves?
The great work of the church can be found described by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15 where he instructs his young disciple: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles [or divides] the word of truth.”
One of Lutheranism’s greatest contributions to contemporary Christianity is its intense commitment to rightly dividing God's Word according to its two teachings of law and the gospel.
“The law is, strictly speaking, a divine teaching which gives instruction regarding what is right and God-pleasing and condemns everything that is sin and contrary to God's will.” (Article V, Formula of Concord)
“The gospel is, strictly speaking, the kind of teaching that reveals what the human being, who has not kept the law and has been condemned by it, should believe: that Christ has atoned and paid for all sins and apart from any human merit has obtained and won for people the forgiveness of sins...” (Article V, Formula of Concord)
Our witness and every act of love that we offer requires us to properly distinguish between these two teachings. If we get them wrong, our love ceases to be love and our witness becomes false.
You are invited to join us in Bible Class and at the Divine Service to learn more about making the proper distinction between the law and the gospel.
