I have a wee problem.

[Sword of the Lord]

Well, perhaps not a wee bit, but a lot of bit? You see, I have discovered that I seem to be Lutheran first, Christian second. I have noticed that I study my Lutheranism more than anything, and that I pride myself on being free from Rome rather than free from sin.

This is my confession. Beyond it, I'm not sure what I seek.

 

[Adstar]

Well, perhaps not a wee bit, but a lot of bit? You see, I have discovered that I seem to be Lutheran first, Christian second. I have noticed that I study my Lutheranism more than anything, and that I pride myself on being free from Rome rather than free from sin.

This is my confession. Beyond it, I'm not sure what I seek.

No one is free from sin....

Follow the Word of God and believe it above all else...

It is good that you are free from Rome.. But getting out of the pit does not mean you are safe from a snare..

Isaiah 24: KJV
17 "Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. {18} And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake."

 

[Sword of the Lord]

No one is free from sin....

Follow the Word of God and believe it above all else...

It is good that you are free from Rome.. But getting out of the pit does not mean you are safe from a snare..

Isaiah 24: KJV
17 "Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. {18} And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake."

Belief in Jesus frees us; I didn't say we don't sin.

 

[Hidden In Him]

I have noticed that I study my Lutheranism more than anything, and that I pride myself on being free from Rome rather than free from sin.

Ouch! Well, I appreciate your honesty. It's refreshing. And you seem like a pretty good dude.

Maybe it's time to break free of the strife that once held you back, and just begin praying for a new relationship in Him where you're pushing forward now in new directions instead of getting stuck in the same old rut.

 

[Adstar]

Belief in Jesus frees us; I didn't say we don't sin.

The Atonement of Jesus frees us from the penalty of sin..

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

I wouldn't make too much of it really. Any church is just a place where like-minded Christians can get together and worship God and have fellowship with each other. If being a Lutheran maintains your strong faith in Christ, well there is no sense in downgrading it. That's the church in which God decided to save you and to provide the foundation for your faith. Therefore you can praise God for your church and its doctrines.

I love and enjoy the house I live in, and I love the Presbyterian church I go to. Both these feature greatly in my life and I praise God for them because He has provided these so I can have comfort and stability in my life. That stability enhances my experience and ministry in Him. These things don't come before Christ, but I see Christ in them because He has made them part of my life.

Your Lutheran church is the same. He has provided that as a place of worship for you, so instead of keeping them apart in your mind, see Christ in your church and your church in Christ. Then you can relax and be at peace and be content where God has placed you as part of your ministry for Him.

 

[Tangible]

I have discovered that I seem to be Lutheran first, Christian second.

Lutheran IS Christian.

It's easy to think of Lutheranism as just another flavor of Christianity among many. But it's important to remember that the Christian faith, as confessed in the Lutheran Confessions, is simply Christianity in its purest form.

This is quite a claim I know. But there are no other Christian traditions that do not fall prey to the influence of Enthusiasm in one way or another.

Only in the Confessional Lutheran church is the true religion of Jesus Christ, as revealed to us in Holy Scripture, properly confessed.

It's often stated as a joke, that Lutherans believe that only Lutherans will be in heaven (inaccurate as that may be). But if the Holy Scriptures are correct, taken as a whole, with proper attention to context, and with the proper distinction made between Law and Gospel, the result is the pure Apostolic faith once delivered to the saints -- in common parlance, "Lutheranism." So it is correct to say that only Lutherans will be in heaven, because in heaven everyone will be Lutheran!

Here is a really good article that lays it all out very nicely: Lutheran Exceptionalism - World Wide Wolfmueller

 

[Paidiske]

You know, OP, I've been aware of your posts in a bunch of different areas on here for quite a while now.

I would say that you're angry, and that you tend to direct that anger at the most convenient target of the moment. Right now it's Rome; but I don't think it's really about Rome.

Work out what's really driving the anger, and deal with it, would be my advice.

 

[Tangible]

Curious. I wonder why so many non-Lutherans are posting in the Lutheran area lately?

 

[Paidiske]

I post in fellowship wherever I find interesting topics, or I see the chance to make a helpful contribution.

 

[Tangible]

I post in fellowship wherever I find interesting topics, or I see the chance to make a helpful contribution.

And I appreciate your respectful attitude. If only others were so considerate.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

You know, OP, I've been aware of your posts in a bunch of different areas on here for quite a while now.

I would say that you're angry, and that you tend to direct that anger at the most convenient target of the moment. Right now it's Rome; but I don't think it's really about Rome.

Work out what's really driving the anger, and deal with it, would be my advice.

Well, I'm a manic depressant Aspergers person who was sexually and physically abused often as a child, and I've since struggled with alcohol and been to rehab. So yeah I'm aware that I come off differently.

 

[RC1970]

Lutheran IS Christian.

It's easy to think of Lutheranism as just another flavor of Christianity among many. But it's important to remember that the Christian faith, as confessed in the Lutheran Confessions, is simply Christianity in its purest form.

This is quite a claim I know. But there are no other Christian traditions that do not fall prey to the influence of Enthusiasm in one way or another.

Only in the Confessional Lutheran church is the true religion of Jesus Christ, as revealed to us in Holy Scripture, properly confessed.

It's often stated as a joke, that Lutherans believe that only Lutherans will be in heaven (inaccurate as that may be). But if the Holy Scriptures are correct, taken as a whole, with proper attention to context, and with the proper distinction made between Law and Gospel, the result is the pure Apostolic faith once delivered to the saints -- in common parlance, "Lutheranism." So it is correct to say that only Lutherans will be in heaven, because in heaven everyone will be Lutheran!

Here is a really good article that lays it all out very nicely: Lutheran Exceptionalism - World Wide Wolfmueller

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Lutheran IS Christian.

It's easy to think of Lutheranism as just another flavor of Christianity among many. But it's important to remember that the Christian faith, as confessed in the Lutheran Confessions, is simply Christianity in its purest form.

This is quite a claim I know. But there are no other Christian traditions that do not fall prey to the influence of Enthusiasm in one way or another.

Only in the Confessional Lutheran church is the true religion of Jesus Christ, as revealed to us in Holy Scripture, properly confessed.

It's often stated as a joke, that Lutherans believe that only Lutherans will be in heaven (inaccurate as that may be). But if the Holy Scriptures are correct, taken as a whole, with proper attention to context, and with the proper distinction made between Law and Gospel, the result is the pure Apostolic faith once delivered to the saints -- in common parlance, "Lutheranism." So it is correct to say that only Lutherans will be in heaven, because in heaven everyone will be Lutheran!

Here is a really good article that lays it all out very nicely: Lutheran Exceptionalism - World Wide Wolfmueller

You may be right!

I can't say that for Prebyterians, but in their original form (not how it has evolved), it was strongly influenced by Martin Luther. In fact, the Reformed church, including Calvinist and Puritan all were "descendants" of Luther. I have Luther's commentary on Galatians, and it is the best commentary I have ever read.

In fact, if the church down the road from my home, when I first bought it, was Lutheran instead of Presbyterian, I would be a Lutheran today and have absolutely no problems with it. I have a friend in Wellington who trained to be a Lutheran minister and the training took him seven years. So, I know that Lutheran ministers are the most well-trained ministers there are. I have another friend in Palmerston North whom I had a lot of contact with in the 1980s, and he was a nicest, faithful Christian I know. He was an elder of the church I attended, and he had the best perspective of the faith than all the others. He was a great mentor for me at that time.

But I'm not sure whether I would be accepted in a Lutheran church given my Pentecostal theology, along with my Puritan foundation.

 

[Paidiske]

So, I know that Lutheran ministers are the most well-trained ministers there are.

Two things (while I have no reason to doubt that Lutheran pastors are indeed very well trained):

- length of training doesn't necessarily correlate neatly with quality
- there are other ministers who train for longer, anyway, so... the claim is hard to substantiate on those grounds.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Two things (while I have no reason to doubt that Lutheran pastors are indeed very well trained):

- length of training doesn't necessarily correlate neatly with quality
- there are other ministers who train for longer, anyway, so... the claim is hard to substantiate on those grounds.

I am being diplomatic.