Our Lutheran churches teach that the sacraments were instituted not merely to be marks of profession among men but especially to be signs and testimonies of the will of God toward us, intended to awaken and confirm faith in those who use them.  Consequently the sacraments should be so used that faith, which believes the promises that are set forth and offered, is added.  [Our churches therefore condemn those who teach that the sacraments justify by the outward act and who do not teach that faith, which believes that sins are forgiven, is required in the use of the sacraments.]6

The Bible reveals the key to the Sacraments is that they are means to distribute God's grace and promises. God attaches His Word of promise to the element of the Sacrament. The Latin word 'Sacrament' means 'mystery.' God's gifts are given in God's mysterious ways through water, wine, or bread. These ordinary items are connected to God's promises and strengthens the faith of those receiving them.

In the Lutheran understanding, a sacrament is a sacred act that was 1) instituted by God; 2) in which God Himself has joined His Sacred Word of promise to a visible element; 3) and by which He offers, gives, and seals the forgiveness of sins earned by Jesus Christ. So by the Lutheran definition, there are two sacraments: Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Sometimes Holy Absolution is counted as a third sacrament, even though it has no divinely instituted visible element. It does offer, gives, and seals the forgiveness of sins earned by Jesus Christ.

--Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Our Lutheran churches teach that those who have fallen after Baptism can receive forgiveness of sins whenever they are converted, and that the church ought to impart absolution to those who return to repentance. Properly speaking, repentance consists of these two parts: one is contrition, that is, terror smiting the conscience with a knowledge of sin, and the other is faith, which is born of the Gospel, or of absolution, believes that sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, comforts the conscience, and delivers it from terror. 6 Then good works, which are the fruits of repentance, are bound to follow.

Repentance, in other words, is not about "paying off" God or making some satisfaction for our sin. Repentance is recognizing the reality of our sin and turning to God in faith for His mercy. God reveals our sin through His Law; He forgives our sin and restores us to the right relationship with Him through His Gospel. While we affirm there is the fruit of repentance, the focus of the Gospel must be clear: our sins are forgiven only because of Christ. Our lives in Christ are lives of repentance, returning again and again to the fount and source of all mercy, our Savior.

Repentance should produce good fruit. These good fruit are what the commandments teach: prayer, thanksgiving, the confession of the Gospel, teaching the Gospel, obeying parents and rulers, and being faithful to one's calling. We should speak the truth. These fruit have God's command and should be produced for the sake of God's glory and command. They have their rewards also.

--Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

By the time of the Lutheran Reformation, the practice of confessing sins privately and confidentially to a pastor had been a well-accepted church practice for over a thousand years. Private Confession and Absolution was never something Lutherans wanted to get rid of. As time went on, the practice fell into disuse, but clearly, at the time of the Lutheran Reformation, the Lutheran Church assumed that private confession would continue to take place.

Our Lutheran churches teach that private absolution should be retained in the churches. However, in confession an enumeration of all sins is not necessary, for this is not possible according to the Psalm, “Who can discern his errors?” [Psalm 19:12]

So what exactly is Confession from a Lutheran perspective? Confession has two parts: the one is that we confess our sins; the other is that we receive Absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no way doubt, but firmly believe that our sins are forgiven before God in heaven by this.

What sins should we confess? Before God, we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those that we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But before the confessor, we should confess only those sins that we know and feel in our hearts.

James offers these words of instruction regarding confession: "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." James 5:16 (ESV)]
--Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Our Lutheran churches teach that the body and blood of Christ are truly present and are distributed to those who eat in the Supper of the Lord.

Listen to the very words of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of St. Matthew the 26th chapter: Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” [Matthew 26:26–28 (ESV)]

Based on these words, we Lutherans believe, teach, and confess that of the bread, it is what Christ said it is, namely "This is My body," and of the wine, "This is My blood." These are given and shed "for the forgiveness of sins."

So in the eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine, one receives the very body and blood of Jesus. These are given so that those who receive them in faith, also are assured of the forgiveness of their sins. Where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. But anyone who does not believe these words, or doubts, is unworthy and unfit. For the words, "for you" require hearts that truly believe. Don't forget to 'truly believe' is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

--Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Defining "Church" was one of the most controversial topics during the time of the Lutheran Reformation.

Properly speaking, the church is the assembly of saints and true believers.

The Church is primarily the gathering of God's people around Christ's Word and the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper. In the wide sense, the visible church includes all who are seen to gather around the Sacred Word of God and the Sacraments. This, of course, includes hypocrites and evil persons who mingle with believers, including some pastors and leaders of the church organization.

In the narrow sense, the invisible church includes all who genuinely have faith in Christ, an aspect of the Church that cannot be seen. Fellowship around, in, and through the Word and Sacraments define unity in the faith.

The apostle Paul writes regarding Christ's work in the making of the saints of the Church, by grace alone in his letter to the saints, the faithful believers in Christ of the Church at Ephesus: Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. [Ephesians 5:25b–27]

Our Lutheran churches teach that Baptism is necessary for salvation, that the grace of God is offered through Baptism, 2 and that children should be baptized, for being offered to God through Baptism they are received into his grace.

Christ's kingdom exists only with the proclamation of God's Sacred Word and the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper. It is necessary and a blessing from above to baptize children of all ages, due to the inheritance of sin from one's sinful parents and so that the blessed hope and promise of salvation may be applied to them, according to Christ's command.

And Jesus came and said to [the eleven disciples], “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” [Matthew 28:18–20a (ESV)]

Jesus did not qualify making disciples of all nations, with 'except infants.' All nations includes all people of all ages. Holy Baptism works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit and by the grace of God is found even in the child inside his mother's womb, as in the case of John the Baptist who has been filled with the Holy Spirit, leaped for joy at the sound of the mother of Jesus' voice.

--Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,

Lutherans are sometimes accused of denying that Christians should do good works. The article on new obedience follows on the heels of the articles of faith on justification and the ministry, that I spoke about over the past two days. Now here is the summary of the article of faith entitled New Obedience:

Our Lutheran churches teach that this faith is bound to bring forth good fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). It is necessary to do the good works commanded by God (Ephesians 2:10), because of God’s will. We should not rely on those works to merit justification before God. The forgiveness of sins and justification are received by faith. The voice of Christ testifies, “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty’” (Luke 17:10). The [Church] Fathers teach the same thing. Ambrose says, “It is ordained of God that he who believes in Christ is saved, freely receiving forgiveness of sins, without works, through faith alone.”

This article clearly states that Lutherans do insist on good works. The faith given by the Holy Spirit is a living and active power in our lives, bearing the fruit of good works. We must do good works. God commands them. However, they do not save us. They are always the result of saving faith.

Faith makes the distinction between the worthy and the unworthy because everlasting life has been promised to the justified. If hope would rely upon works, then it would be uncertain, because the works of sinners cannot quiet the conscience. When a person is part of the equation in one's salvation then the saving work of Jesus is rejected as not being enough. However, faith in Jesus as Savior produces sure hope, because it relies upon God's Word and command. The outcome of faith in Jesus is no doubt good works as God's Spirit is active in such a believer.

--Helping people live life with Jesus everyday,