Megatron – UOJ and Justification by Faith Quotations

Click here for the Schwabach Articles on Justification by Faith

The Intrepid Lutherans would be the best ones to contact about this, apart from Pastor Rydecki himself. I remember Doug Lindee defending justification by faith against Jay Webber, who defends the Halle exegesis of Rambach (as Marquart does).

http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/

I leave those URLs out in the open, because Mequon graduates cannot find them and subsequently accuse me (behind my back). I would not mind if they apologized behind my back, too.

Christian News has print, online, and hybrid subscriptions:

http://www.christiannewsmo.com/category_s/24.htm

I am going to list links related to various topics. My left column is rather full, so I will just have a sticky post on the left for these. Be warned in advance – I am embedding these links, so use the mouse to click on them.

Links about Justification by Faith 

and Justification without Faith (UOJ)

Pastor Rydecki’s blog

Luther’s Galatians endorsed by reader

Luther’s Galatians on Gnesio Lutherans

Roman Catholic adjunct Jack Kilcrease as Humpty Dumpty

Calov, quoted by Robert Preus, repudiated the UOJ position of WELS

Kilcrease, the McCain tutor, equivocates.

Buchholz is anti-Luther

Pastor Bickel on Tossing Rydecki Under the Bus

Church and Changer Jeff Gunn and His Mequon Class of Shrinkers

Paul McCain and Jon Buchholz – Bedfellows of Apostasy

Abraham Is the Common Theme in Justification – Justification by Faith

Pastor Rydecki’s Account of His Suspension – October 9th

Intrepid Account October 6th- Pastor Rydecki Suspended

LutherQuest (sic) Opposes Justification by Faith

Warming Up the Tar and Feathers on LutherQuest (sic)

Pastor Bickel Answers Jon Buchholz

Kokomo Statements – WELS UOJ – JP Meyer

Jack Kilcrease Showing Signs of Stress

Dr. Lito Cruz and Brett Meyer Dispatch the UOJ Stormtroopers on Extra Nos


Latest Links

DinoLutheran Asks Impertinent Questions

Clarification from David Becker


Three Comments from Sola Fide


Otten Celebrates Rydecki’s Removal: Two Front-Page Stories


Mixed Messages from LutherQuest (sic)


Departing from the Confessions – Berean


Loyalist-Conservatives and Holy Mother Synod


Jack Cascione Dusts Off Iron Maiden


Wauwatosa Influence in WELS


Mighty in the Scriptures – Luther Sermon Passage


False Claims by WELS


UOJ Is Pavlov’s House


Reu on Unionism 

“#305. Why do you say in this article: I believe in the
Forgiveness of Sins? Because I hold with certainty that by my own powers or
through my own works I cannot be justified before God, but that the forgiveness
of sins is given me out of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. For where there
is forgiveness of sins, there is also true justification. Psalm 130:3-4; Psalm
143:2; Isaiah 64:6; Job 25:4-6 (Q. 124).”

Kleiner Katechismus, trans. Pastor Vernon Harley, LCMS, St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1901, p. 164ff.    

Connect the dots: UOJ means Antinominan apostasy.

                                               

“Reparation is one of the four kinds of prayer. Reparation is
making satisfaction or atonement to God for sins committed against God by
ourselves and others. Every sin is an offense against God and justice demands
that we make satisfaction to God. Reparation is repairing the damage done to
God…Each time we say an Act of Contrition we are making reparation to
God.” Father Robert J. Fox, The Marian Catechism, Washington, New Jersey: AMI
Press, 1983, p. 105f.                                                      

“In
this declaration of false security, we have the beginning of Luther’s new
gospel, which, needless to say, is directly and openly opposed to the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. As a theologian, he should have realized that his notion of the
absolute assurance of salvation imparted by faith was as false as it was
unsound, and as a professor of Scripture, he should have realized that faith
alone is barren and lifeless apart from the meritorious works which are
necessarily connected with and founded on it.”

Msgr. Patrick F. O’Hare, The Facts About Luther, Rockford,
Illinois: TAN Books and Publishers, 1987, p. 98. Introduction dated 1916                                                    

“In her Council of Trent (1545-1563) she condemned, as was
her right, the new-fangled teaching of Luther and warned her subjects against
its entanglements and dangers. Then she proclaimed anew, for the enlightenment
of all, the heavenly teaching committed to her keeping from the beginning and
insisted that whilst faith is necessary to dispose the sinner to receive grace,
it alone is not sufficient for justification.”

Msgr. Patrick F. O’Hare, The Facts About Luther, Rockford,
Illinois: TAN Books and Publishers, 1987, p. 103. Introduction dated 1916                                                     

“In her Council of Trent (1545-1563) she condemned, as was
her right, the new-fangled teaching of Luther and warned her subjects against
its entanglements and dangers. Then she proclaimed anew, for the enlightenment
of all, the heavenly teaching committed to her keeping from the beginning and
insisted that whilst faith is necessary to dispose the sinner to receive grace,
it alone is not sufficient for justification.”

Msgr. Patrick F. O’Hare, The Facts About Luther, Rockford,
Illinois: TAN Books and Publishers, 1987, p. 103. Introduction dated 1916                                                     

“Concerning the article on the justification of the poor sinner
in God’s sight, we believe, teach, and confess on the basis of God’s Word and
the position of our Christian Augsburg Confession that the poor, sinful person
is justified in God’s sight–that is, he is pronounced free and absolved of his
sins and receives forgiveness for them–only through faith, because of the
innocent, complete, and unique obedience and the bitter sufferings and death of
our Lord Jesus Christ, not because of the indwelling, essential righteousness
of God or because of his own good works, which either precede or result from
faith. We reject all doctrines contrary to this belief and confession.”

Jacob Andreae, Confession and Brief Explanation of Certain
Disputed Articles, Robert Kolb, Andreae and the Formula of Concord St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1977, p. 58.                                                  

“That is enough on the first article concerning which the
theologians of the Augsburg Confession have quarreled with each other. Although
it was a very scandalous controversy, nonetheless God, who lets nothing evil
happen if He cannot make something good out of it, has produced this benefit
for His church through the controversy: The chief article of our Christian
faith, on which our salvation depends, has been made clear, so that there is
not a passage in the Old or New Testament which has not been considered and
discussed.”

Jacob Andreae, The First Sermon, On the Righteousness of Faith in
God’s Sight, Robert Kolb, Andreae and the Formula of Concord St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1977, p. 76.                                                    

“Indeed, it has been proved more than sufficiently from the
Scriptures of the prophets and apostles in the Old and New Testaments that the
righteousness which avails in God’s sight, which poor sinners have for comfort
in their worst temptations, cannot and should not be sought in our own virtues
or good works; nor will it be found there, as was proved above against the
papists. Instead, it should be sought only in Christ the Lord, whom God has
made our righteousness and who saves all believing Christians and makes them
righteous through knowledge of Him.”

Jacob Andreae, The First Sermon, On the Righteousness of Faith in
God’s Sight, Robert Kolb, Andreae and the Formula of Concord St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1977, p. 67.                                                   

“A final point to remember is that Jesus died for all men,
not just for those who are saved. In 1653 Pope Innocent X condemned as
heretical the proposition that Christ died for the salvation of the predestined
only.”

Kenneth Baker, S.J., Fundamentals of Catholicism, 3 vols., San
Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1982, II, p. 298. Pope Innocent X                                                       

“But what did the Council [of Trent] mean by ‘faith’? It
certainly rejected the Lutheran notion of ‘fiducial faith,’ which is a
confident trust in God through the saving merits of Jesus Christ. In Luther’s
view, that was all that was required. In the Catholic view, faith, in addition
to being an act of trust in God, also has a dogmatic content that the mind must
give assent to. Thus, for Catholics faith consists in the firm acceptance of
the divine truths of revelation on the authority of God who has revealed them.
And Trent declared that fiducial faith alone is not sufficient to justify the
sinner.”

Kenneth Baker, S.J., Fundamentals of Catholicism, 3 vols., San
Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1982, III, p. 61.                                                   

“Another error of the sixteenth-century Reformers was that
fiducial faith alone is sufficient for justification and eternal salvation. The
Catholic Church in the Council of Trent rejected that position. The Church
teaches that even though faith (properly understood) is indispensable, still
other virtuous acts are required for justification. The other needed
dispositions of soul are spelled out by Trent: fear of divine justice, hope in
the mercy of God, beginning to love God, hatred for sin and the intention to
receive Baptism. This is very much in accord with the Bible which requires
other acts of preparation for the coming of God’s grace: the fear of God (Prov.
14:27), hope (Sirach 2:9), love of God (Lk. 7:27), sorrow for sin and penance
(Acts 2:38; 3:19). So faith is absolutely essential, but it must be accompanied
by other acts, such as hope and love.”

Kenneth Baker, S.J., Fundamentals of Catholicism, 3 vols., San
Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1982, III, p. 61f.                                                

“For example, the Reformers said that the justified have an
absolute certainty about their justification that excludes all possible doubt.
The point here is the degree of certainty that we can attain about whether or
not we are in the state of grace. Luther and Calvin said that we have absolute
certainty. That does not square with the clear teaching of Holy Scripture on
the subject. For St. Paul says: ‘Work out your salvation in fear and trembling’
(Phil 2:12) and, ‘My conscience does not reproach me at all, but that does not
prove that I am acquitted: the Lord alone is my judge’ (1 Cor. 4:4).”

Kenneth Baker, S.J., Fundamentals of Catholicism, 3 vols., San
Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1982, III, p. 75f. Philippians 2:12; 1 Corinthians
4:4.                                                   

“Calvin taught that it is impossible for the justified to
lose the state of grace; Luther said that it can be lost only by the sin of
unbelief. In opposition to those erroneous views, the Council of Trent said
that the state of grace is lost by every mortal sin, and not just by the sin of
unbelief….” Kenneth Baker, S.J., Fundamentals of Catholicism, 3 vols.,
San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1982, III, p. 76.                                                        “If it
is a strict right in justice, then Catholic theology calls it de condigno merit
(the English word is ‘condign,’ which means ‘deserved’). If it is a question
simply of appropriateness or liberality on the part of the one giving the
reward,it is called de congruo merit (the English word is ‘congruous’ or
‘suitable’)…The teaching of the Catholic Church is that, by his good works,
the person in the state of sanctifying grace really merits a supernatural
reward from God.”

Kenneth Baker, S.J., Fundamentals of Catholicism, 3 vols., San
Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1982, III, p. 78. see Chemnitz, Exam, I, p. 463                                                   

“The justified person can merit congruously for others what
he can merit for himself, for example, actual graces. So we can offer good
works for others and also pray for them. St. James offers us good advice on
this point: ‘Pray for one another, and this will cure you; the heartfelt prayer
of a good man works very powerfully’ (James 5:16).”

Kenneth Baker, S.J., Fundamentals of Catholicism, 3 vols., San
Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1982, III, p. 86. see Chemnitz, Exam, I, p. 463
James 5:16.                                                    

“But if forgiveness comes first, if it is always there, if it
is true whether I believe it or not, I do not need to know whether I have faith
or not before I can cling to God’s promise. I know that my sins are forgiven
whether I feel forgiven or unforgiven. I know that my iniquity is pardoned
whether I believe it or not. And when I know that, then I know also that I am a
believer.”

Siegbert Becker, “Objective Justification,” Chicago
Pastoral Conference, WELS, Elgin, Illinois, November 9, 1982, Unpaginated                                                       

“Three of the four [Kokomo] statements, because of their lack
of clarity, tend to confuse the issue. But since the disciplined laymen used
them to advance their false doctrine, it was understandable that the
congregation should also use them in its rejection of the falsehood being
advocated. I do not consider any of the four statements to be false doctrine,
but I would rather not use the language used in the first, second, and
fourth.” [conclusion of paper]

Siegbert Becker, “Objective Justification,” Chicago
Pastoral Conference, WELS, Elgin, Illinois, November 9, 1982, Unpaginated                                                      

“Every one of the statements can be understood correctly,
even though one must swallow a little hard to accede to the fourth [Kokomo Statement].”

Siegbert Becker, “Objective Justification,” Chicago
Pastoral Conference, WELS, Elgin, Illinois, November 9, 1982, Unpaginated                                                          

“The first three statements are taken verbatim from WELS
sources.”
Siegbert Becker, “Objective Justification,” Chicago
Pastoral Conference, WELS, Elgin, Illinois, November 9, 1982, Unpaginated                                                           

“The forgiveness comes first. Faith is merely the response to
the message.”
Siegbert Becker, “Objective Justification,”
Chicago Pastoral Conference, WELS, Elgin, Illinois, November 9, 1982,
Unpaginated                                                          

“The doctrine of universal justification is often ridiculed
with the argument that if God really forgives sins prior to faith then the
Lutheran doctrine of justification by faith becomes meaningless. Such
conclusions demonstrate a rationalistic spirit that consciously or
unconsciously refuses to be guided by Scriptures alone.”

Siegbert Becker, “Objective Justification,” Chicago
Pastoral Conference, WELS, Elgin, Illinois, November 9, 1982, Unpaginated                                                       

“The two terms are relatively modern. They are not used in
the Lutheran Confessions. They are also not really synonymous. ‘Universal
justification’ is a term denoting the doctrine that God has forgiven the sins
of all men. Strictly speaking, the term ‘objective justification’ expresses the
thought that the sins of a man are forgiven by God whether he believes it or
not. Objective justification is not necessarily universal, but if justification
is universal it must of necessity be objective.”

Siegbert Becker, “Objective Justification,” Chicago
Pastoral Conference, WELS, Elgin, Illinois, November 9, 1982, p. 1.                                                     

“If anyone says that justifying faith is nothing else than
trust in divine mercy, which remits sins for Christ’s sake, or that it is this
trust alone by which we are justified, let him be anathema [damned to
Hell].” [Session Six, Canon XII]

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred
Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 460.                                                       

“The Scholastics philosophize all too crassly about man doing
what is in him, about adequate merit (de merito congrui), about grace which
makes acceptable, about deserving merit (de merito condigni). And concerning
justification they dispute without the Scripture in no other way than as if
they were philosophizing in the school of Aristotle about natural
impulses.”

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred
Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 463. see Baker,
Fundamentals, III, p. 78                                                    

“For the papalists understand the word ‘justify’ according to
the manner of the Latin composition as meaning ‘to make righteous’ through a
donated or infused quality of inherent righteousness, from which works of
righteousness proceed. The Lutherans, however, accept the word ‘justify’ in the
Hebrew manner of speaking; therefore they define justification as the
absolution from sins, or the remission of sins, through imputation of the
righteousness of Christ, through adoption and inheritance of eternal life, and
that only for the sake of Christ, who is apprehended by faith.”

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred
Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 467.                                                  

“And, in short, the meritum condigni is the Helen for which
the Tridentine chapter concerning the growth of justification contends. For
they imagine that the quality, or habit, of love is infused not that we may
possess salvation to life eternal through this first grace but that, assisted
by that grace, we may be able to merit eternal life for ourselves by our own
good works. For concerning the meritum condigni Gabriel speaks thus: ‘The soul
shaped by grace worthily (de condigno) merits eternal life.'” [Kramer note
– Scholastics taught that the good works of the unregenerate had only meritum
congrui; the good works of the regenerate rewarded as meritum condigni, merit
worthy with being rewarded with eternal life.]

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred
Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 541. see Baker,
Fundamentals, III, p. 78                                                

“Faith means to give assent to the whole Word of God that is
set before us, and in it to the promise of the gratuitous reconciliation
bestowed for the sake of Christ the Mediator.”

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred
Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 567.                                                       

“For we do not approve the opinion of the Marcionite Apelles,
who, in Eusebius, argues that it does no harm if someone either simply does not
believe or corruptly believes the other parts of the Word of God which belong
to the foundation, so long as he believes in Christ crucified.”

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred
Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 567.                                                      

“If anyone says that a man is absolved from sins and
justified because of this that he confidently believes that he is absolved and
justified, or that no one is truly justified except he who believes that he is
justified, and that through this faith alone absolution and justification is
effected, let him be anathema [damned to Hell].” [Sixth Session, Canon
XIV]

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred
Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 551.                                                     

“Yet these exercises of faith always presuppose, as their
foundation, that God is reconciled by faith, and to this they are always led
back, so that faith may be certain and the promise sure in regard to these
other objects. This explanation is confirmed by the brilliant statement of Paul
in 2 Corinthians 1:20: ‘All the promises of God in Christ are yea and amen, to
the glory of God through us,’ that is, the promises concerning other objects of
faith have only then been ratified for us when by faith in Christ we are
reconciled with God. The promises have been made valid on the condition that
they must give glory to God through us.”

Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 495. 2 Corinthians
1:20                                                

“Therefore God, ‘who is rich in mercy’ [Ephesians 2:4], has had
mercy upon us and has set forth a propitiation through faith in the blood of
Christ, and those who flee as suppliants to this throne of grace He absolves
from the comprehensive sentence of condemnation, and by the imputation of the
righteousness of His Son, which they grasp in faith, He pronounces them
righteous, receives them into grace, and adjudges them to be heirs of eternal
life. This is certainly the judicial meaning of the word ‘justification,’ in
almost the same way that a guilty man who has been sentenced before the bar of
justice is acquitted.”

Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 482. Ephesians 2:4                                                

“But when we are speaking of the subject itself, it is
certain that the doctrine of gracious reconciliation, of the remission of sins,
of righteousness, salvation, and eternal life through faith for the sake of the
Mediator is one and the same in the Old and in the New Testament. This is a
useful rule which we must retain at all costs: The doctrine, wherever we read
it, in either the Old or New Testament, which deals with the gracious
reconciliation and the remission of sins through faith for the sake of God’s
mercy in Christ, is the Gospel.”

Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 459.                                                   

“Thus when we say that we are justified by faith, we are saying
nothing else than that for the sake of the Son of God we receive remission of
sins and are accounted as righteous. And because it is necessary that this
benefit be taken hold of, this is said to be done ‘by faith,’ that is, by trust
in the mercy promised us for the sake of Christ. Thus we must also understand
the correlative expression, ‘We are righteous by faith,’ that is, through the
mercy of God for the sake of His Son we are righteous or accepted.”
[Melanchthon, Loci Communes, The Word Faith]

Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. p. 489.                                                  

“Therefore this apprehension or acceptance or application of
the promise of grace is the formal cause or principle of justifying faith,
according to the language of Scripture.”

Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 502.                                                        

“We must note the foundations. For we are justified by faith,
not because it is so firm, robust, and perfect a virtue, but because of the
object on which it lays hold, namely Christ, who is the Mediator in the promise
of grace. Therefore when faith does not err in its object, but lays hold on
that true object, although with a weak faith, or at least tries and wants to
lay hold on Christ, then there is true faith, and it justifies. The reason for
this is demonstrated in those lovely statements in Philippians 3:12: ‘I
apprehend, or rather I am apprehended by Christ’ and Galatians 4:9: ‘You have
known God, or rather have been known by God.’ Scripture shows a beautiful
example of this in Mark 9:24: ‘I believe; help my unbelief.'”

Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 503. Philippians 3:12;
Galatians 4:9; Mark 9:24                                               

“But because not doubt but faith justifies, and not he who
doubts but he who believes has eternal life, therefore faith teaches the free
promise, which relies on the mercy of God for the sake of the sacrifice of the
Son, the Mediator, and not on our works, as Paul says in Romans 4:16:
‘Therefore it is of faith, that the promise might be sure according to
grace.'”

Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 507. Romans 4:16                                                    

“For we are not justified because of our faith (propter
fidem), in the sense of faith being a virtue or good work on our part. Thus we
pray, as did the man in Mark 9:24: ‘I believe, Lord; help my unbelief’; and
with the apostles: ‘Lord, increase our faith,’ Luke 17:5.”

Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 506 Mark 9:24; Luke
17:5                                                     

“If anyone says that Christ Jesus was given to men by God as
a redeemer in whom they should believe, and not also as a lawgiver whom they
should obey, let him be anathema [damned to Hell].” Martin Chemnitz,
Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 617.                                                       

“Scripture therefore uses these words, ‘We are justified by
faith,’ to teach both: 1) What the reason (or merit) for justification is, or
what the blessings of Christ are; to wit, that through and for the sake of
Christ alone we are granted forgiveness of sins, righteousness and eternal
life; and 2. How these should be applied or transferred to us; namely, by
embracing the promise and relying on Christ by faith alone.”

David Chytraeus, A Summary of the Christian Faith (1568), trans.,
Richard Dinda, Decatur: Repristination Press, 1994. p. 107.                                                     

“Christian righteousness is the forgiveness of sin, the
imputation of the righteousness of Christ and acceptance to eternal life. It is
free, not the result of any virtues or works but is given solely because of
Christ, the Mediator, and apprehended by faith alone.”

David Chytraeus, A Summary of the Christian Faith (1568), trans.,
Richard Dinda, Decatur: Repristination Press, 1994. p. 106.                                                       

“How is a person justified before God? This occurs solely by
faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ; that is, freely, not because of any
works or merits of one’s own but only because of the one Mediator, Jesus
Christ, who became the sacrificial victim and propitiation on our behalf. By
this sacrifice, man obtained forgiveness of sins and became righteous; that is,
God-pleasing and acceptable. His righteousness was imputed to man for Christ’s
sake, and man becomes an heir of eternal life when he believes with certainty
that God gives him these blessings for the sake of His Son.”

David Chytraeus, A Summary of the Christian Faith (1568), trans.,
Richard Dinda, Decatur: Repristination Press, 1994. p. 105.                                                   

“In normal Biblical and ecclesiastical usage the terms
‘justify’ and ‘justification’ refer to the (‘subjective’) justification of the
individual sinner through faith (Romans 4:5, 5:1, etc.; AC IV, 3; FC SD III
25). But because theologically justification is the same thing as the
forgiveness of sins (Romans 4:1-8; Ap IV, 76; FC Ep III, 7), it is Biblically
and confessionally correct to refer to the great sin-cancelling, atoning work
of the Redeemer as the ‘objective’ or ‘universal’ justification of the whole
sinful human race. (John 1:29; Romans 5:6-18; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians
2:14-15; 1 Timothy 3:16; Ap IV, 103-105; LC V, 31, 32, 36, 37; FC SD III, 57)

Commission on Theology and Church Relations “Theses on
Justification” St. Louis: May, 1983, #4.                                                    

“Subjective justification or reconciliation is this same
forgiveness as it is received, appropriated by, and applied to the individual
sinner through God-given faith alone (sola fide).” Commission on Theology
and Church Relations “Theses on Justification” St. Louis: May, 1983,
#6.                                                          
“It is contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach: That
forgiveness and justification before God do not involve each other, or that
justification and reconciliation are entirely different from each other, as
though a person can be reconciled without being justified or justified without
being reconciled.”

Commission on Theology and Church Relations “Theses on
Justification” St. Louis: May, 1983, #3.                                                        

“Here the panel feels itself compelled to distinguish between
form and content. While the form of the Four Statements is inadequate, the
doctrine of objective justification it grapples with is Scriptural. The Four
Statements have served to show that there is a doctrinal difference between
Faith Congregation and the appellants.” Report of the WELS Review
Committee, Hartman, Pohlman Appeal, June 30, 1980.

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 133.                                                     

“Nowhere in the bible is any man constituted or declared
righteous without faith, before faith; all asservations and argumentations to
the contrary nothwithstanding.” Lenski, Romans, p. 382?

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 86.                                                         

“So, then, we are reconciled; however, not only we, but also
Hindus, and Hottentots and Kafirs, yes, the world. ‘Reconciled’, says our
translation; the Greek original says: ‘placed in the right relation to God’.
Because before the Fall we, together with the whole creation, were in the right
relation to God, therefore Scripture teaches that Christ, through His death,
restored all things to the former right relation to God.” F. R. Eduard
Preuss, 1834-1904, Die Rechtfertigung der Suender vor Gott.

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 24.                                                    

“The chief differences between the contestants [Norwegians
and Augustana] seems to have been in the essence rather than in the effect of
Absolution. Both agreed that the Gospel offered the forgiveness of sins, but
the one side held that it was given only to those who in faith received it,
while the other side said that it was given also to unbelievers, though they
did not accept it. Both agreed that unbelievers received no benefit from such
an absolution.” J. Magnus Rohne, Norwegian Lutheranism up to 1872, New
York, Macmillan, p. 231.

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 20.                                                    

“The fact of the redemption and reconciliation of the entire
human race through Christ, and with it the forgiveness of all sins for all men
on God’s part–which, indeed, is precisely what the Gospel proclaims, presents
and gives–can by no means become a lie through the unbelief of men…even when
the unbelievers don’t receive it, but reject it for themselves and for this
reason–indeed, for this reason alone–are lost.” Walther’s colleague,
Theodore Brohm, 1808-1881

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 16.                                                    

“In answer to a question, Walther made it clear that we are
not to absolve those we know will refuse to believe the good news absolution
proclaims, but only because this would be a misuse of the Gospel, ‘and not for
some other reason, as if the Word would not be bringing forgiveness if it is
spoken over an impenitent.'”

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 14.                                                      

“If anybody, therefore, is not sure that he is forgiven, he
denies that God has sworn to the truth; a more horrible blasphemy than this
cannot be imagined.” (Apol. XIII, 94)

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 14.                                                        

“It is God’s command and the Gospel itself that they should
be sure that their sins are forgiven freely for Christ’s sake, not doubting
that they are forgiven them personally. If anyone doubts, he makes the divine
promise a lie. (Apol. XIII, 88)

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 13.                                                       

“What else is the refusal to believe absolution but the
accusation that God is a liar? If the heart doubts, it maintains that God’s
promsises are uncertain and inane. (Apol. XIII, 62)

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 13.                                                        

“If somebody doubts that his sins are forgiven, he insults
Christ because he thinks that his sin is greater and stronger than the death
and promise of Christ. (Apol IV, 149)

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 13.                                                        

“The law would seem to be harmful since it has made all men
sinners, but when the Lord Jesus came He forgave all men the sin that none
could escape.” (Apol. IV, 103)

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 13.                                                        

“Here again there is great need to call upon God and pray,
‘Dear Father, forgive us our debts.’ Not that He does not forgive sin even
without and before our prayer; and He gave us the Gospel, in which there is
nothing but forgiveness, before we prayed or even thought of it. But the point
here is for us to recognize and accept this forgiveness.” (LC III:88)

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 13.                                                      

“It must be admitted that when our Lutheran Confessions speak
of justification they speak almost exclusively of that facet of justification
we usually call ‘subjective’ justification, which has also been called
‘special’ or ‘personal’ justification. But the Confessions also show us that
the basis for this justification is the justification that precedes
faith.”

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 13.                                                      

“The teaching of the Wisconsin Synod is this, that in and
with the universal reconciliation, which has occurred in Christ for the whole
world–even Judas; the world–even Judas–has been justified and has received
the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, according to Luther’s clear words (“for
where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation”),
(even Judas) has become a child of God and an heir of heaven.” Quotation
from Gottfried Fritschel, “Zur Lehre von der Rechtfertigung,”
Theologische Monatshefte, vol 4, 1871, (1-24), p. 7.

Rick Nicholas Curia, The Significant History of the Doctrine of
Objective or Universal Justification, Alpine, California: California Pastoral
Conference, WELS. January 24-25, 1983. p. 2.

Wisconsin Synod of the old Norwegian Synod – Charge made by
Hasselquist                                                   [Attempt to use
Calov to support two justifications]

Theodore Engelder, Objective Justification, Concordia Theological
Monthly, 1933, Ft. Wayne: Concordia Seminary Press, n.d. p. 567. 2 Corinthians
5:18-20                                                         

Professor Lenski: “2 Corinthians
5:18-20 is badly bungled by many, notably Missourians. Preconceived notions
violate the highly significant tenses.” May, The Pastor’s Monthly,
“The Mediator of the New Testament,”

Theodore Engelder, Objective Justification, Concordia Theological
Monthly, 1933, Ft. Wayne: Concordia Seminary Press, n.d. p. 507. 2 Corinthians
5:18-20                                                       

Professor Lenski: “What has been made of this famous passage?
[2 Corinthians 5:18-20] This, that on Easter morning God forgave all sins to
every individual sinner in the world, those then already damned in hell, those
not yet born; and that this, an actus simplex, is the only justification there
is!” May, The Pastor’s Monthly, “The Mediator of the New
Testament,”

Theodore Engelder, Objective Justification, Concordia Theological
Monthly, 1933, Ft. Wayne: Concordia Seminary Press, n.d. p. 508. 2 Corinthians
5:18-20                                                     

“Does Missouri teach ‘that this, an actus simplex, is the
only justification there is’? Yes and no. We do not teach that the objective
justification of Easter morning is the only justification there is…But most
readers of the Pastor’s Monthly know that Missouri teaches that there is a) an
objective justification and b) a subjective justification.”

Theodore Engelder, Objective Justification, Concordia Theological
Monthly, 1933, Ft. Wayne: Concordia Seminary Press, n.d. p. 514. 2 Corinthians
5:18-20                                                     

“As to the doctrine in general, he [Lenski] repudiates and
ridicules the teaching that on Easter morning God forgave, really forgave, all
the world all its sins, really and truly justified the world. He protests
against making objective reconciliation, general justification, mean that God
on Easter morning did actually pronounce the world, all individuals making up
the world, really innocent of all sin and guilt.”

Theodore Engelder, Objective Justification, Concordia Theological
Monthly, 1933, Ft. Wayne: Concordia Seminary Press, n.d. p. 508. 2 Corinthians
5:18-20                                                     

“Penance is often considered making satisfaction for one’s
personal sins. Reparation, while including satisfaction for one’s own sins, is
much wider.. We make satisfaction to God for the sins of the world and for the
conversion of sinners.”

Father Robert J. Fox, The Marian Catechism, Washington, New
Jersey: AMI Press, 1983, p. 109.                                                        

“Therefore, the fulfillment of this promise to Abraham is in
no way to be interpreted to mean that Abraham’s seed became righteous and saved
without individual faith.”

Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and
the Lord’s Supper, 1610, ed. D. Berger, J. Heiser, Malone, Texas:
Repristination Press, 2000, p. 167.                                                        

“The entire Scripture testifies that the merits of Christ are
received in no other way than through faith, not to mention that it is
impossible to please God without faith, Hebrews 11:6, let alone to be received
into eternal life. In general, St. Paul concludes concerning this [matter] in
Romans 3:28: Thus we hold then that a man becomes righteous without the works
of the Law–only through faith.”

Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and
the Lord’s Supper, 1610, ed. D. Berger, J. Heiser, Malone, Texas:
Repristination Press, 2000, p. 165. Hebrews 11:6; Romans 3:28                                                    

“When Christ arose, He brought with Him complete righteousness.
For He arose for the sake of our righteousness, Romans 4:25. So then, when you,
in a similar fashion, arise from sin through true repentance, you are justified
from sins, for faith lays hold of this completed righteousness in Christ, by
which we are enabled to stand before God.”

Johann Gerhard Eleven Easter and Pentecostal Sermons, Malone:
Repristination Press, 1996, p. 80. Holy Easter Day VI Romans 6:3-4; Romans
4:25                                                     

“This doctrine of general justification is the guarantee and
warranty that the central article of justification by faith is being kept pure.
Whoever holds firmly that God was reconciled to the world in Christ, and that
to sinners in general their sin was forgiven, to him the justification which
comes from faith remains a pure act of the grace of God. Whoever denies general
justification is justly under suspicion that he is mixing his own work and
merit into the grace of God.

[George Stoeckhardt, Concordia Theological Quarterly, April, 1978,
p. 138.]

Pastor Vernon Harley “Synergism–Its Logical Association with
General Justification,” 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031, August,
1984, p. 1.                                                    

“The resurrection is God’s public absolution of the entire
world: ‘Your sins are forgiven, all sins of all human beings; and there is no
exception.’ This is the meaning of the technical term ‘objective
justification.’ The objective justification is central to the doctrine of
salvation and derives logically from the facts that God’s reconciliation,
forgiveness, and declaration of ‘not guilty’ in no wise depend on the attitude
or behaviour of human beings. If objective justification is denied, then it
must follow that those who are declared righteous in some way have contributed
to God’s change of heart; justification is then no longer solely the result of
God’s grace.” [Theodore Mueller, Concordia Theological Quarterly, January,
1982, p. 29.]

Pastor Vernon Harley, “Synergism–Its Logical Association
with General Justification,” 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031,
August, 1984, p. 3.                                                  

“The entire Pauline doctrine of justification stands and
falls with the special article of general justification. This establishes it
beyond peradventure that justification is entirely independent of the conduct
of man. And only in this way the individual can have the assurance of his
justification. For it is the incontrovertible conclusion: Since God has already
justified all men in Christ and forgiven them their sins, I, too, have a
gracious God in Christ and forgiveness of all my sins.” [Quoted with
approval by Theodore Engelder, from George Stoeckhardt, Commentary on Romans,
p. 264.]

Pastor Vernon Harley, “Synergism–Its Logical Association
with General Justification,” 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031,
August, 1984, p. 2.                                                    

“The chief purpose, however, is to keep this article (general
justification) before the people for its own sake. It cannot be presented and
studied too often. Its vital relation to the subjective, personal justification
by faith, cannot be stressed too strongly. It forms the basis of the
justification by faith and keeps this article free from the leaven of
Pelagianism. Unless the sinner knows that his justification is already an
accomplished fact in the forum of God, he will imagine that it is his faith,
his good conduct, which moves God to forgive him his sins. And unless he knows
that God had him personally in mind in issuing the general pardon on Easter
morning, he will have no assurance of his justification.” [Theodore
Engelder, Concordia Theological Monthly, July/August/September, 1933. Reissued
by the seminary printshop, Ft. Wayne, 1981.]

Pastor Vernon Harley, “Synergism–Its Logical Association
with General Justification,” 511 Tilden, Fairmont, Minnesota 56031,
August, 1984, p. 1f.      

What is justification? Justification is that activity (Handlung)
of God by which He out of pure grace and mercy for the sake of Christ’s merits
forgives the sins of a poor sinner who truly believes in Jesus Christ and
receives him to everlasting life.” Kleiner Katechismus,

trans. Pastor Vernon Harley, LCMS, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing
House, 1901, p. 164ff.                                                                                                  

“Die Papisten. Sie differieren von der gesunden Schriftlehre
in einer doppelte Weise, einmal in bezug darauf, als was der Glaube bei der
Rechtfertigung in Betracht kommt, und zum andern in bezug auf die Stellung des
Glaubens in der Rechtfertigung.”

Adolf Hoenecke, Evangelisch-Lutherische Dogmatik, 4 vols., ed.,
Walter and Otto Hoenecke, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1912, III,
p. 383.                                                      

“Identisch mit der papistischen Lehre, dass der Glaube nicht
als Mittel und nicht allein rechtfertige, ist die andere papistische Lehre,
dass die Werke rechtfertigen.” [Note: Council of Trent, session VI,
XXXII.]

Adolf Hoenecke, Evangelisch-Lutherische Dogmatik, 4 vols., ed.,
Walter and Otto Hoenecke, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1912, III,
p. 386.                                                        “#306.

“The instant Christ died the whole world of sinners was
changed completely. It was now a world for whose sin atonement had been made
and no longer a world with unatoned sins. Let us note right here that, whereas
Christ died 1,900 years ago, His death was ever effective (Revelation 13:8).
His atonement and the reckoning are valid for the universe of men. Even all the
damned in hell were thus reconciled to God. Not as men who were never
reconciled are they damned but as men who spurned God’s reconciliation through
Christ.”

R. C. H. Lenski, Interpretation of Romans, Augsburg Publishing
House: Minneapolis, 1963 p. 353. Romans 5:10                                                    

“The danger is that by use of the term ‘subjective
justification’ we may lose the objective divine act of God by which He declares
the individual sinner righteous ex pistews pistin in the instant faith
(embracing Christ) is wrought in him, leaving only the one divine declaration
regarding the whole world of sinners, calling this an actus simplex, the only forensic
act of God, and expanding this to mean that God declared every sinner free from
guilt when Christ was raised from the dead, so many millions even before they
were born, irrespective of faith, apart from and without faith. This surely
wipes out ‘justification by faith alone.’ Only his faith is reckoned to him for
righteousness.”

R. C. H. Lenski, Interpretation of Romans, Augsburg Publishing
House: Minneapolis, 1963 p. 85. Romans 1:17                                                 

“The article of justification is the master and prince, the
lord, the ruler, and the judge over all kinds of doctrines; it preserves and
governs all church doctrine and raises up our conscience before God. Without
this article the world is utter death and darkness. No error is so mean, so
clumsy, and so outworn as not to be supremely pleasing to human reason and to
seduce us if we are without the knowledge and the contemplation of this
article.”

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 703. June 1, 1537                                                    

“If the article of justification is lost, all Christian
doctrine is lost at the same time. And all the people in the world who do not
hold to this justification are either Jews or Turks or papists or heretics; for
there is no middle ground between these two righteousnesses: the active one of
the Law and the passive one which comes from Christ. Therefore the man who
strays from Christian righteousness must relapse into the active one, that is,
since he has lost Christ, he must put his confidence in his own works.”

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 703. Galatians lectures, 1531
Galatians.                                                  

“By the one solid rock which we call the doctrine (locum) of
justification we mean that we are redeemed from sin, death, and the devil and
are made partakers of life eternal, not by ourselves…but by help from without
(alienum auxilium), by the only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.”

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 701. Galatians lectures, 1531
Galatians.                                                      

“I often say that there is no power or means to resist the
sects except this one article of Christian righteousness. If we have lost it,
we cannot resist any errors or sects.”

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1225. Galatians 2:20.                                                       

“The entire world is scrambling after personal righteousness
and does not want to be saved by a righteousness that is foreign. This is the
devil! For God has made a different arrangement. Our Adam is tickled only by
personal righteousness.”

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1234.                                                       

“First of all we must speak of the argument, that is, of the
issue with which Paul deals in this epistle. The argument is this: Paul wants
to establish the doctrine of faith, grace, the forgiveness of sins or Christian
righteousness, so that we may have a perfect knowledge and know the difference
between Christian righteousness and all other kinds of righteousness.”

Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, 1535, ed., Jaroslav Pelikan,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1963, 26, p. p. 4                                                     

“As soon as the Word of God appears, the devil becomes angry;
and in his anger he employs every power and wile to persecute it and wipe it
out completely. For he is the father of lies and a murderer (John 8:44); he
plants his lies in the world through false teachers, and he murders men through
tyrants.”

Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, 1535, ed., Jaroslav Pelikan,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1963, 26, p. 455. Galatians 4:29                                                    

“In justification faith and works exclude each other
entirely.”

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 712. 1522 Galatians
3:23-29.                                                        

“Christ did indeed suffer for the whole world; but how many
are there who believe and cherish this fact? Therefore, although the work of
redemption itself has been accomplished, it still cannot help and benefit a man
unless he believes it and experiences its saving power in his heart.”

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 705f. Smalcald, 1537                                                      

“This will show that ‘redeem’ here is a matter not of
morality but of faith, that it includes faith.”
Martin Luther, Lectures on
Galatians, 1535, ed., Jaroslav Pelikan, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,
1963, 26, p. 294 Galatians 3:14                                                       

“Therefore all who cling to this flesh are blessed and are
delivered from the curse.”
Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, 1535,
ed., Jaroslav Pelikan, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1963, 26, p. p.
290. Galatians 3:13                                                       

“Therefore wherever there is faith in Christ, there sin has
in fact been abolished, put to death, and buried. But where there is no faith
in Christ, there sin remains.”

Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians, 1535, ed., Jaroslav Pelikan,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1963, 26, p. 286. Galatians 3:13                                                      

“The second argument is that ‘God desires all men to be
saved’ (1 Timothy 2:4), and He gave His Son for us men and created man for
eternal life. Likewise: All things exist for man, and he himself exists for God
that he may enjoy Him, etc. These points and others like them can be refuted as
easily as the first one. For these verses must always be understood as
pertaining to the elect only, as the apostle says in 2 Timothy 2:10 ‘everything
for the sake of the elect.’ For in an absolute sense Christ did not die for
all, because He says: ‘This is My blood which is poured out for you’ and ‘for
many’–He does not say: for all–‘for the forgiveness of sins.’ (Mark 14:24;
Matthew 26:28)

Luther’s Works, 25 p. 375. 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Timothy 2:4; Mark
14:24; Matthew 26:28                                                      

“The apostle says ‘our,’ ‘our sins;’ not his own sin, not the
sins of unbelievers. Purification is not for, and cannot profit, him who does
not believe. Nor did Christ effect the cleansing by our free-will, our reason
or power, our works, our contrition or repentance, these all being worthless in
the sight of God; he effects it by himself. And how? By taking our sins upon
himself on the holy cross, as Isaiah 53:6 tells us.”

Sermons of Martin Luther, ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 180. Hebrews 1:1-12; Hebrews 1:3;                                                    

“In this declaration of false security, we have the beginning
of Luther’s new gospel, which, needless to say, is directly and openly opposed
to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As a theologian, he should have realized that
his notion of the absolute assurance of salvation imparted by faith was as
false as it was unsound, and as a professor of Scripture, he should have realized
that faith alone is barren and lifeless apart from the meritorious works which
are necessarily connected with and founded on it.”

Msgr. Patrick F. O’Hare, The Facts About Luther, Rockford,
Illinois: TAN Books and Publishers, 1987, p. 98. Introduction dated 1916                                                    

“Calov, following Gerhard, rightly points out the relation of
Christ’s resurrection to our justification as follows: ‘Christ’s resurrection
took place as an actual absolution from sin (respectu actualis a peccato
absolutionis). As God punished our sins in Christ, upon whom He laid them and
to whom He imputed them, as our Bondsman, so He also, by the very act of
raising Him from the dead, absolved Him from our sins imputed to Him, and so He
absolved also us in Him.'” [Bibl. Illust., ad Rom. 4:25]  part two

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1951, II, p. 321. Romans 4:25                                                   

“As Christ’s death lies in the past, so also our
reconciliation is an accomplished fact. 2 Corinthians 5:19: ‘God was in Christ,
reconciling’ (namely, when Christ lived and died on earth) ‘the world unto
Himself.’ The katallassein of Romans 5:10 and 2 Corinthians 5:19 does not
refer–let this fact be noted–to any change that occurs in men, but describes
an occurrence in the heart of God. It was God who laid His anger by on account
of the ransom brought by Christ. It was God who at that time already had in His
heart forgiven the sins of the whole world, for the statement: ‘God was in
Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself’ means–and that is not our, but the
Apostle’s own interpretation–that God did ‘not impute their trespasses unto
them.’ And ‘not imputing trespasses’ is, according to Scripture (Romans 4:6-8),
synonymous with ‘forgiving sins,’ ‘justifying’ the sinner.” part 2 of
paragraph

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1951, II, p. p 348. Romans 5:10; 2 Corinthians 5:19                                              

“The elite are assembled in the cloister to earn salvation or
themselves by observing the consilia evangelica, devised by man, and to obtain
a surplus of good works (opera supererogationis) for the benefit of others.
However, since this process does not give full assurance (Trid., Sess. IV,
canon 14, 9), they look to purgatory to complete their ‘sanctification’ (Trid.,
Sess. VI, canon 30).” (Footnote – “See Luther on the ‘blasphemous
fraud of purgatory, by which treacherous deception they have made fool of all
the world’ St. Louis edition, XVI:1653f.”)

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F.
Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1953, III, p. 64.                                                   

“If we held that the work of Christ did not fully reconcile
God but needs to be supplemented by the ‘infused grace,’ the keeping of the
commandments of God and the Church, as Rome teaches [note-Tridentinum, Sess.
VI, canon 11, 12, 20], or by ‘the reshaping of man’s life into its divine
form,’ as the modern Protestants teach, we should thereby divest the Christian
religion of its specific character and reduce it to the level of the religions
of the Law; and the assurance of grace and of the sonship with God would be
replaced by the monstrum incertitudinis [monster of uncertainty].”
Francis
Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1953, I, p. 36.                                                   

“If we held that the work of Christ did not fully reconcile
God but needs to be supplemented by the ‘infused grace,’ the keeping of the
commandments of God and the Church, as Rome teaches [note-Tridentinum, Sess.
VI, canon 11, 12, 20], or by ‘the reshaping of man’s life into its divine
form,’ as the modern Protestants teach, we should thereby divest the Christian
religion of its specific character and reduce it to the level of the religions
of the Law; and the assurance of grace and of the sonship with God would be
replaced by the monstrum incertitudinis [monster of uncertainty].” Francis
Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1953, I, p. 36.                                                   

“In the Papacy we have the most pronounced and greatest
imaginable ‘falling away’ from the Christian religion. Christians know that man
is justified and saved only by faith in Christ, without the deeds of the
Law.”

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F.
Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1953, III, p. 465. Jn 8:31 2
Thessalonians 2:3ff; 1 Peter 4:11; 1 Timothy 6:3f; Matthew 28:20.                                                
     

“The monstrum incertitudinis exists only where faith is made
to deal, not with the Gospel alone, but with the Gospel and the Law or the
entire Scripture, or where faith is held to be not only the product of God
alone, but also a moral achievement. It must be admitted that doubts do arise
in the believer’s heart, but such doubt, which originates in the flesh, must
not be treated as something commendable, as is done by the Papists and
synergists, but must be denounced as wickedness.”
Francis Pieper, Christian
Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1953, II, p. 445. also applies to synergists 1 John
5:10.                                                 

“Now, then, if the Father raised Christ from the dead, He, by
this glorious resurrection act, declared that the sins of the whole world are
fully expiated, or atoned for, and that all mankind is now regarded as
righteous before His divine tribunal. This gracious reconciliation and
justification is clearly taught in Romans 4:25: ‘Who was delivered for our
offenses and was raised again for our justification.’ The term dikaiosis here
means the act of divine justification executed through God’s act of raising
Christ from the dead, and it is for this reason called the objective
justification of all mankind. This truth Dr. Walther stressed anew in America.
He taught that the resurrection of Christ from the dead is the actual
absolution pronounced upon all sinners. (Evangelienpostille, p. 160ff.)”
part one

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1951, II, p. 321. Romans 4:25                                               

“The resurrection of Christ is, as Holy Writ teaches, the
actual absolution of the whole world of sinners. Romans 4:25: ‘Who was raised
again for our justification.’ At that time we were objectively declared free
from sin.”

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1951, II, p. 348 Romans 4:25                                                        

“Scripture teaches the objective reconciliation (o.r. in
italics). Nineteen hundred years ago Christ effected the reconciliation of all
men with God. God does not wait for men to reconcile Him with themselves by means
of any efforts of their own. He is already reconciled. The reconciliation is an
accomplished fact, just like the creation of the world. Romans 5:10: ‘We were
reconciled to God by the death of His Son.’ When Christ died, God became
reconciled.” pt. 1 of paragraph

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1951, II, p. 347f. Romans 5:10                                                   

“There is but one way by which the Reformed theology can
escape the doctrine of works–by accepting Lutheranism. And the Reformed
actually take this step when they, including Calvin, at the last direct those
who are troubled by grave doubts of their election to the universal grace as it
is attested in the means of grace.”

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F.
Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1953, III, p. 169.                                                     

“But the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to the sinner
takes place when the Holy Spirit brings him to faith through Baptism and the
Word of the Gospel. Our sins were imputed to Christ at His suffering and death,
imputed objectively after He, by His active and passive obedience, fulfilled
and procured all righteousness for us. But the imputation of His righteousness
to us takes place when we are brought to faith.” [procured in italics in
text]

Robert D. Preus Justification and Rome, St. Louis: Concordia
Academic Press 1997, p. 72.                                                       

Abraham Calov: “Although Christ has acquired for us the
remission of sins, justification, and sonship, God just the same does not
justify us prior to our faith. Nor do we become God’s children in Christ in
such a way that justification in the mind of God takes place before we
believe.” [Apodixis Articulorum Fide, Lueneburg, 1684]

Robert D. Preus Justification and Rome, St. Louis: Concordia
Academic Press 1997, p. 131n.                                                      

[Translation of Gottfried Fritschel article on Justification] ed.,
Thedore Tappert, Lutheran Confessional Theology in America, 1840-1880, New
York: Oxford University Press, 1972,                                                            
“Thus you see plainly that there is here no work done by us, but a
treasure which He gives us, and which faith apprehends; just as the Lord Jesus
Christ upon the cross is not a work, but a treasure comprehended in the Word,
and offered to us and received by faith. Therefore they do us violence by
exclaiming against us as though we preach against faith; while we alone insist
upon it as being of such necessity that without it nothing can be received nor
enjoyed.”

The Large Catechism, Part Fourth, Of Baptism. #37. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 741. Tappert, p.
441. Heiser, p. 207.                                                    

“Therefore also it is vain talk when they say that the body
and blood of Christ are not given and shed for us in the Lord’s Supper, hence
we could not have forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament. For although the work
is accomplished and the forgiveness of sins acquired on the cross, yet it
cannot come to us in any other way than through the Word. For what would we
otherwise know about it, that such a thing was accomplished or was to be given
us if it were not presented by preaching or the oral Word? Whence do they know
of it, or how can they apprehend and appropriate to themselves the forgiveness,
except they lay hold of and believe the Scriptures and the Gospel? But now the
entire Gospel and the article of the Creed: I believe a holy Christian Church,
the forgiveness of sin, etc., are by the Word embodied in this Sacrament and
presented to us.”

The Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar. #31-32. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 759. Tappert, p.
450. Heiser, p. 211.                                               

“It is, therefore, needful to maintain that the promise of
Christ is necessary. But this cannot be received except by faith. Therefore,
those who deny that faith justifies, teach nothing but the Law, both Christ and
the Gospel being set aside.”

Apology Augsburg Confession, IV. #70. Justification. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 141. Tappert, p.
116. Heiser, p. 37f.                                                       

“The Third Article the adversaries approve, in which we
confess that there are in Christ two natures, namely, a human nature, assumed
by the Word into the unity of His person; and that the same Christ suffered and
died to reconcile the Father to us; and that He was raised again to reign, and
to justify and sanctify believers, etc., according to the Apostles’ Creed and
the Nicene Creed.”
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, III. #52. Of
Christ, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p.
119. Tappert, p. 107. Heiser, p. 32. Romans 4:25; 2 Corinthians 5:19ff.                                                    

“Faith is that my whole heart takes to itself this treasure.
It is not my doing, not my presenting or giving, not my work or preparation,
but that a heart comforts itself, and is perfectly confident with respect to
this, namely, that God makes a present and gift to us, and not we to Him, that
He sheds upon us every treasure of grace in Christ.”

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, IV. #48. Justification.
Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 135. Not
in Tappert. Heiser, p. 36.                                                      

“Now we will show that faith [and nothing else]
justifies.”{that faith justifies italicized}
Apology of the Augsburg
Confession, IV. #69. Justification. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1921, p. 141. Tappert, p. 116. Heiser, p. 37.                                                         

“But to believe is to trust in the merits of Christ, that for
His sake God certainly wishes to be reconciled with us.”

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, IV. #69. Of Justification,
Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. p. 141.
Tappert, p. 116. Heiser, p. 37.                                                         

“But since we receive remission of sins and the Holy Ghost by
faith alone, faith alone justifies, because those reconciled are accounted
righteous and children of God, not on account of their own purity, but through
mercy for Christ’s sake, provided only they by faith apprehend this mercy.”
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, IV. #86. Of Justification, Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 147. Tappert, p.
119. Heiser, p. 39.                                                       

“We do not believe thus {that faith is just a beginning of
justification} concerning faith, but we maintain this, that properly and truly,
by faith itself, we are for Christ’s sake accounted righteous, or are
acceptable to God. And because ‘to be justified’ means that out of unjust men
just men are made, or born again, it means also that they are pronounced or
accounted just. For Scripture speaks in both ways. [The term ‘to be justified’
is used in two ways: to denote, being converted or regenerated; again, being
accounted righteous.] Accordingly we wish first to show this, that faith alone
makes of an unjust, a just man, i. e., receives remission of sins.”

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, IV. 71, Of Justification
Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 141. Tappert,
p. 116f. Heiser, p. 38.                                                  

“In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul discusses this topic
especially, and declares that, when we believe that God, for Christ’s sake, is
reconciled to us, we are justified freely by faith.”

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, IV. 87, Of Justification
Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 147.
Tappert, p. 119f. Heiser, p. 39. 2 Corinthians 5:19ff.                                                
       

“The Gospel teaches that by faith we receive freely, for
Christ’s sake, the remission of sins and are reconciled to God.”

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, XV. #5. Human Traditions,
Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 317.
Tappert, p. 215. Heiser, p. 96.                                                         

“Also they teach that 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.”

Augsburg Confession, III. 1. Of the Son of God, Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 45. Tappert, p. 29.
Heiser, p. 12.                                                     

“Also they teach that 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 is His
sight. Romans 3 and 4.”

Augsburg Confession, IV. Justification. Concordia Triglotta, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 45. Tappert, p. 30. Heiser, p. 12f.
Romans 3; Romans 4                                                     

“The third controversy which has arisen among some
theologians of the Augsburg Confession is concerning the righteousness of
Christ or of faith, which God imputes by grace, through faith, to poor sinners
for righteousness.”

Formula of Concord, SD III. #1. Righteousness of Faith. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 917. Tappert, p.
539. Heiser, p. 250.                                                         

“Therefore it is considered and understood to be the same
thing when Paul says that we are justified by faith, Romans 3:28, or that faith
is counted to us for righteousness, Romans 4:5, and when he says that we are made
righteous by the obedience of One, Romans 5:19, or that by the righteousness of
One justification of faith comes to all men, Romans 5:18. For faith justifies,
not for this cause and reason that it is so good a work and so fair a virtue,
but because it lays hold of and accepts the merit of Christ in the promise of
the holy Gospel; for this must be applied and appropriated to us by faith, if
we are to be justified thereby.”

Formula of Concord, SD III. #12. Righteousness of Faith. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 919. Tappert, p.
541. Heiser, p. 251. Romans 4:5; Romans 3:28; Romans 5:19                                                 

“For when man is justified through faith [which the Holy
Ghost alone works], this is truly a regeneration, because from a child of wrath
he becomes a child of God, and thus is transferred from death to life, as it is
written; When we were dead in sins, He hath quickened us together with Christ,
Ephesians 2:5. Likewise: The just shall live by faith, Romans 1:17; Habakkuk
2:4.”

Formula of Concord, SD III. #20. Righteousness of Faith. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 921. Tappert, p.
542. Heiser, p. 251. Ephesians 2:5; Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4                                                      

“Here belongs also what St. Paul writes Romans 4:3, that
Abraham was justified before God by faith alone, for the sake of the Mediator,
without the cooperation of his works, not only when he was first converted from
idolatry and had no good works, but also afterwards, when he had been renewed
by the Holy Ghost, and adorned with many excellent good works, Genesis 15:6;
Hebrews 11:8. And Paul puts the following questions, Romans 4:1ff.: On what did
Abraham’s righteousness before God for everlasting life, by which he had a
gracious God, and was pleasing and acceptable to Him, rest at that time?

Formula of Concord, SD III. #33. Righteousness of Faith. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 927. Tappert, p.
545. Heiser, p. 252. Romans 4:3; Romans 4:1ff; Genesis 15:6; Hebrews 11:8                                                  

“This article concerning justification by faith (as the
Apology says) is the chief article in the entire Christian doctrine, without
which no poor conscience can have any firm consolation, or can truly know the
riches of the grace of Christ, as Dr. Luther also has written: If this only
article remains pure on the battlefield, the Christian Church also remains pure,
and in goodly harmony and without any sects; but if it does not remain pure, it
is not possible that any error or fanatical spirit can be resisted. (Tom. 5,
Jena, p. 159.) And concerning this article especially Paul says that a little
leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

Formula of Concord, SD III. #6, Righteousness of Faith. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 917. Tappert, p.
540. Heiser, p. 250.                                                  

“These treasures are offered us by the Holy Ghost in the
promise of the holy Gospel; and faith alone is the only means by which we lay
hold upon, accept, and apply, and appropriate them to ourselves. This faith is
a gift of God, by which we truly learn to know Christ, our Redeemer, in the
Word of the Gospel, and trust in Him, that for the sake of His obedience alone
we have the forgiveness of sins by grace, are regarded as godly and righteous
by God the Father, and are eternally saved.”

Formula of Concord, SD, III 10, Righteous of Faith before God,
Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 919.
Tappert, p. 541. Heiser, p. 250.                                                    

“Moreover, neither contrition nor love or any other virtue,
but faith alone is the sole means and instrument by which and through which we
can receive and accept the grace of God, the merit of Christ, and the
forgiveness of sins, which are offered us in the promise of the Gospel.”

Formula of Concord, SD, III 31, Righteous of Faith before God,
Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 925.
Tappert, p. 544. Heiser, p. 252.                                                       

“…it has been unanimously taught by the other teachers of
the Augsburg Confession that Christ is our righteousness not according to His
divine nature alone, nor according to His human nature alone, but according to
both natures; for He has redeemed, justified, and saved us from our sins as God
and man, through His complete obedience; that therefore the righteousness of
faith is the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and our adoption as
God’s children only on account of the obedience of Christ, which through faith
alone, out of pure grace, is imputed for righteousness to all true believers,
and on account of it they are absolved from all their unrighteousness.”

Formula of Concord, SD, III. #4. Righteousness of Faith. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 917. Tappert, p.
539f. Heiser, p. 250.                                                   

“If this only article remains pure on the battlefield, the
Christian Church also remains pure, and in goodly harmony and without any
sects; but if it does not remain pure, it is not possible that any error or
fanatical spirit can be resisted.” Dr. Luther

Formula of Concord, SD. III. #6. Righteousness of Faith. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 917. Tappert, p.
540. Heiser, p. 250.                                                        

“Therefore there is here again great need to call upon God
and pray: Dear Father, forgive us our trespasses. Not as though He did not
forgive sin without and even before our prayer (for He has given us the Gospel,
in which is pure forgiveness before we prayed or ever thought about it). But
this is to the intent that we may recognize and accept such forgiveness.”

The Large Catechism, The Lord’s Prayer, Fifth Petition, #88,
Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 723.
Tappert, p. 432. Heiser, p. 202f. Matthew 6:12                                                     

“Their feigning a distinction between meritum congrui and
meritum condigni [due merit and true, complete merit] is only an articifice in
order not to appear to Pelagianize. For, if God necessarily gives grace for the
meritum congrui [due merit], it is no longer meritum congrui, but meritum
condigni [a true duty and complete merit]. But they do not know what they are
saying. After this habit of love [is there], they imagine that man can acquire
merit de condigno. And yet they bid us doubt whether there be a habit present.
How therefore, do they know whether they acquire merit de congruo or de
condigno [in full or in half]?”

Apology Augsburg Confession, IV. #19. Justification. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 125. Tappert, p.
109f. Heiser, p. 34.                                                  

“Now, that faith signifies, not only a knowledge of the
history, but such faith as assents to the promise, Paul plainly testifies when
hesays,Romans 4:16: ‘Therefore it is of faith, to the end the promise might be
sure.’ For he judges that the promise cannot be received unless by faith.
Wherefore he puts them together as things that belong to one another, and
connects promise and faith.”

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV, Justification,
Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 135.
Tappert, p. 114. Heiser, p. 36. Romans 4:16.                                                      

“These things are so plain and so manifest that we wonder
that the madness of the adversaries is so great as to call them into doubt. The
proof is manifest that, since we are justified before God not from the Law, but
from the promise, it is necessary to ascribe justification to faith.”
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, III. #177. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 205. Tappert, p. 153. Heiser, p. 60.                                                        

“Scripture thus uses the term ‘faith,’ as the following
sentence of Paul testifies, Romans 5:1: ‘Being justified by faith, we have
peace with God. Moreover, in this passage, to justify signifies, according to
forensic usage, to acquit a guilty one and declare him righteous, but on
account of the righteousness of another, namely, of Christ, which righteousness
of another is communicated to us by faith…1 Corinthians 1:30. 2 Corinthians
5:21. But because the righteousness of Christ is given us by faith, faith is
for this reason righteousness in us imputatively, i. e., it is that by which we
are made acceptable to God on account of the imputation and ordinance of God,
as Paul says, Romans 4:3, 5: Faith is reckoned as righteousness.”

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, III. #184. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 205f. Tappert, p.
154. Heiser, p. 60. Romans 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Romans
4:3,5                                                 

“Accordingly, the word justify here means to declare
righteous and free from sins, and to absolve one from eternal punishment for
the sake of Christ’s righteousness, which is imputed by God to faith,
Philippians 3:9. For this use and understanding of this word is common in the
Holy Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament. Proverbs 17:15: He that
justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are
abomination to the Lord. Isaiah 5:23: Woe unto them which justify the wicked
for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Romans
8:33: Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that
justifieth, that is, absolves from sins and acquits.”

Formula of Concord, SD III. #17. Righteousness of Faith. Concordia
Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 921 Tappert, p.
541f. Heiser, p. 251. Philippians 3:9; Proverbs 17:15; Isaiah 5:23; Romans
8:33                                                

“For good works do not precede faith, neither does
sanctification precede justification. But first faith is kindled in us in
conversion by the Holy Ghost from the hearing of the Gospel. This lays hold of
God’s grace in Christ, by which the person is justified. Then, when the person
is justified, he is also renewed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost, from which
renewal and sanctification the fruits of good works then follow.” Formula
of Concord, SD, III 41, Righteous of Faith before God, Concordia Triglotta, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 929. Tappert, p. 546. Heiser, p.
253.                                                     

“1. That the human race is truly redeemed and reconciled with
God through Christ, who, by His faultless [innocency] obedience, suffering, and
death, has merited for us the righteousness which avails before God, and
eternal life. 2. That such merit and benefits of Christ shall be presented,
offered, and distributed to us through His Word and Sacraments. 3. That by His
Holy Ghost, through the Word, when it is preached, heard, and pondered, He will
be efficacious and active in us, convert hearts to true repentance, and
preserve them in the true faith. 4. That He will justify all those who in true
repentance receive Christ by a true faith, and will receive them into grace,
the adoption of sons, and the inheritance of eternal life.” …”God
in His purpose and counsel ordained [decreed]:

Formula of Concord, SD, XI. #15. Of God’s Eternal Election.
Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 1069.
Tappert, p. 619. Heiser, p. 288. 2 Corinthians 5:19ff                                               

“The theology of most Protestant sects (especially the
fundamentalists) rests on the belief that we are saved by faith alone, and that
good works do nothing toward helping us get to heaven. Once one has ‘accepted
Jesus Christ as his Savior,’ he or she is saved. Period. This contrasts starkly
with Catholic teaching, which holds that both faith and works are necessary for
salvation.” William M. Vatavuk, Catholic Twin Circle, December 3, 1989,
Christian News, December 18, 1989 Ephesians 2:8-9.                                                        

“For God has already forgiven you your sins 1800 years ago
when He in Christ absolved all men by raising Him after He first had gone into
bitter death for them. Only one thing remains on your part so that you also
possess the gift. This one thing is–faith. And this brings me to the second
part of today’s Easter message, in which I now would show you that every man
who wants to be saved must accept by faith the general absolution, pronounced
1800 years ago, as an absolution spoken individually to him.”
C. F. W.
Walther, The Word of His Grace, Sermon Selections, “Christ’s Resurrection–The
World’s Absolution” Lake Mills: Graphic Publishing Company, 1978 p. 233.
Brosamen, p. 138. Mark 16:1-8                                                  

“Christ’s Glorious Resurrection from the Dead the Actual
Absolution of the Entire Sinful World Here I would point out two things: 1.
That This Is Certain And True, and 2. That Therefore Every Man Who Wants To Be
Saved Must By Faith Accept This General Absolution As Applying Also To
Him,”
C. F. W. Walther, The Word of His Grace, Sermon Selections, “Christ’s
Resurrection–The World’s Absolution” Lake Mills: Graphic Publishing
Company, 1978 p. 230. Brosamen, p. 138. Mark 16:1-8                                                   

“At the time of the resurrection of Christ, God looked down
in hell and declared Judas, the people destroyed in the flood, and all the
ungodly, innocent, not guilty, and forgiven of all sin and gave unto them the
status of saints.”

(Pastor Charles Papenfuss) WELS, Kokomo Four Statements,
1979.                                                            

“When God reconciled the world to Himself through Christ, He
individually pronounced forgiveness to each individual sinner whether that
sinner ever comes to faith or not.”

(J. P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, p. 109) WELS, Kokomo Four
Statements, 1979.                                                            

“After Christ’s intervention and through Christ’s
intervention God regards all sinners as guilt-free saints.” (J. P. Meyer,
Ministers of Christ, p. 107) WELS, Kokomo Four Statements, 1979.                                                            

“Objectively speaking, without any reference to an individual
sinner’s attitude toward Christ’s sacrifice, purely on the basis of God’s
verdict, every sinner, whether he knows it or not, whether he believes it or
not, has received the status of saint.”

(J. P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, p. 103) WELS, Kokomo Four
Statements, 1979.