Considering Lutheranism

Still not sure...

God is always good.

I don't fit in with the Lutherans. I'm too Reformed. I may duck out of church attendance for a while so I can sort it out...maybe I'll end up Presbyterian.

Pray for me.

The AW Pink Option should only be used for a limited time.

"Be ye not unequally yoked together." This applies first to our religious or ecclesiastical connections. How many Christians are members of so-called "churches," where much is going on which they know is at direct variance with the Word of God—either the teaching from the pulpit, the worldly attractions used to draw the ungodly, and the worldly methods employed to finance it or the constant receiving into its membership of those who give no evidence of having been born again. Believers in Christ who remain in such "churches" (?) are dishonoring their Lord. Should they answer: "Practically all the churches are the same, and were we to resign, what could we do? We must go somewhere on Sundays," such language would show they are putting their own interests before the glory of Christ. Better stay at home and read God's Word, than fellowship that which His Word condemns. - from Pink's "Call to Separation"

"He labored faithfully for his remaining twelve years of life, writing and producing the periodical while he lived in virtual isolation, not even attending a local church. He justified this behavior by explaining that the admonition not to neglect the assembling of ourselves together does not mean that the sheep of Christ should attend a place where the goats predominate or where their attendance would sanction that which is dishonoring to Christ. On Sundays he spent his time pastoring his flock of faithful readers by writing letters answering their questions concerning the Bible and theology. Would-be visitors who had traveled great distances to Stornoway were discouraged as they were usually turned away, not being allowed to see him. The townspeople knew little about him, except that each day at a certain hour he took a walk through the town." - Source

A.W. Pink on separation from false Churches: “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord! 2 Corinthians 6:17

And what will follow when this Divine command is obeyed? Why, then we shall prove the truth of those words of Christ: “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you (John 15:19). Which “world” is specifically in view here? Let the previous verse answer: “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”

What “world” hated Christ and hounded Him to death? The religious world, those who pretended to be most zealous for God’s glory. So it is now. Let the Christian turn his back upon a Christ—dishonoring Christendom, and his fiercest foes and most relentless and unscrupulous enemies will be those who claim to be Christians themselves!

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you… for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad” (Matthew 5:11,12).

Ah, my brother, it is a healthy sign, a sure mark that you are profiting from the Word, when the religious world hates you. But if, on the other hand, you still have a “good standing” in the “churches” or “assemblies” there is grave reason to fear that you love the praise of men more than that of God! [Profiting from the Word]

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing.” [2Cor6:14,17]

O my Christian reader, seek grace to obtain the uncompromising spirit of Moses. When urged to worship God in “Egypt” (i. e. the white-washed “churches” of the world), say it is impossible, for “what communion hath light with darkness!” when pressed to leave your children in a worldly Sunday School, to be instructed by those who have not the fear of God upon them, refuse, when invited to at least retain your membership in the Holy Spirit-deserted “churches” and contribute of your means to their upkeep, decline to do so.

That going forth to meet the Lord is to be understood as expressing both external and internal action. Externally, it signifies separation from the world, especially its pleasures, for Christ will not be met with while we waste our time engaging in them. “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers… come out from among them” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17) must be heeded if we would “meet the Bridegroom.” More particularly, their going forth denoted a turning of their backs upon the apostate ecclesiastical system: Christ had informed His disciples that he had abandoned a Judaism which had rejected Him (Matthew 23:37, 38), so if they would meet with Him, they too must “go forth unto Him outside the camp” (Hebrews 13:15). The same is true now. [Practical Christianity]

[Writing to Lowell Green, September 2, 1934]

My earnest advice is for you to have little or nothing to do with the people of the religious world today. They cannot help you spiritually, and where they help not they are bound to hinder! Be much in prayer and on your guard against a holier-than -thou attitude. if we are not very watchful, seperation soon leads to self- righteousness. On the other hand, association with empty professors soon corrupts and paralyzes true spirituality.

Prayer, reading and meditation will do far more for your soul – with God’s blessing on the same – than attending meetings and being active in ‘Christian service’.

aNewMan said:

Lutheranism is like a cleaned up roman catholicism.

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You got it. It's the Catholic Church cleansed by the Gospel, the Orthodox Church in the West.

honey badger said:

when in doubt, don't

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That's where I'm at. I'm not making moves...just sittin in pews.

aNewMan said:

From my understanding Luther spearheaded the Reformation but it was John Calvin who was the Chief Architect of it and it was Calvin who wanted to completely dismantle the RC church and not just ‘clean it up’ a little like Luther.

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Kinda. Calvin wanted to radically take everything down to the studs and rebuild. Luther and those who followed wanted the Catholic Church without the unbiblical historical acressisons. My Calvinism is better off in a confessional Lutheran church than in the Arminian Baptist church I was in for years.

Yeah, I'm becoming Lutheran as soon as Catechesis is over. What's more monergistic than baptismal regeneration! My Pastor preaches hard, and is far closer to Reformed soteriology than my previous American style Baptist church I belonged to.

Pray for me, thank you.

gord44 said:

glad to hear! and i will pray for you.

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Thank you.

Confirmed Lutheran (LCMS) a few weeks ago.

picnic_00 said:

How was celebrating Easter in the Lutheran Church?

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Well, wow...great question. I've been in the Lutheran church for 14 months now so I've celebrated Easter twice with the traditional Lutheran services.

We have Prayer and Preaching every Wednesday.

No Maunday Thursday service this year.

Good Friday we celebrated Tenebrae Service which is a beautiful almost funeral like service. Lights are extinguished until all that remains is one lite candle on the altar.

Easter Sunday my adult children and the people they were dating came to Divine Service which was full.

What I really enjoy is the liturgical rhythm of the church year and how Divine Service changes slightly with each season. The altar colours, the hymns, the atmosphere is simply wonderful. Example, for Tenebrae we cover all the stain glass with black, crosses, altar, baptismal font, etc. are all blacked out. The Pastor wears all black.

Yours in the Lord,

JM